Halloween Sugar Cookies and Fruit Pumpkins

This year I made a scary Farmer out of paper mache and surrounded him with pumpkin friends

 

Over our front entrance is a large spider made out of a stuffed garbage bag

It's over for another year! Spooky memories and fun dress up moments are behind us. My camera packed with oodles of pictures remembering another tradition marking our little one's childhood years. Our big ones too.

Harrison ready for the dance

Our Halloween celebrations started when I went to my Sacred Circle book club last Wednesday to discuss the book, "The Places that Scare Us." by Pema Chodron. While we were talking about our fears, my 15 year old was at his high school Halloween dance. He pulled an outfit together after school on Wednesday,  don't ask me what he was wearing, a cross between a Mexican Amigo and a prisoner. Notice his striped pants which I thought were odd but he felt it went with the ensemble. Who am I to judge?

I really miss our older son Mitchell, who is away at his first year of University. He always used to come up with the most creative outfits with minutes to spare. It used to drive me crazy since I'm a huge planner and a bit controlling, okay, who am I kidding, a lot controlling, but he seemed to enjoy the whole process of selecting his Halloween outfits.

Mitchell dressed up at his Campo Cello summer camp.....I think this was the year they were playing songs by The Beatles

On Friday I dropped the little girls off at their preschool where they were having a Halloween party.

As soon as I dropped the girls off at preschool,

Fireman William

I raced over to help at Will's kindergarten class
where his teacher had planned a Scavenger hunt, Halloween bingo, a craft centre making Witch's hands (plastic gloves, with candy corn for fingernails, filled up with popcorn, then tied with an elastic and the finishing touch, a plastic spider ring on one of the fingers, and an imagination
table full of Halloween stickers and stamps.


They had a great time and the snacks were yummy too.

Here's a few pictures of his kindergarten party.

 I love, LOVE the fruit pumpkins that a few moms brought to the party...check it out!

Also, tucked behind, is the basket of sugar cookies I brought...notice it's almost empty!

  After Will's party, I raced home to relieve D of the little girl's care. After preschool he picked them up and brought them home as the kindergarten party was longer than their time at preschool. He returned to work where they were having a Halloween social luncheon and the girls and I put the finishing touches on the outside decorations, see above, and dragged our old mini stereo outside so we could play scary music for the trick or treaters later.

Grace invited a friend over for a Halloween sleepover, so after an early dinner, they headed off first into the night....dressed up as flower children from the 60's.  Again, no input from me, like her brother, she pulled the whole outfit together from our tickle trunk. I was really proud how sustainable and creative we were this Halloween, using what we had without consuming.

Not the best picture but the girls were so anxious to get out the door....peace out!

Then it was time to get the little people dressed for the night. Did I mention that it rained most of the day? Thankfully, the showers stopped long enough while they were out trick or treating, however it was a lot of fun avoiding puddles wearing long princess gowns. 

Happy Halloween 2014, Will is a Ninja, Kate is a Fairy Princess, Victoria is a Queen, of course!

 Notice how bundled the little ones are....there are layers and layers under their dresses and Ninja Costumes....but hey, when I was little, our mom would put our coats on over our costume so I think this is so much better from a dress up point of view. At least we don't live farther up north!

Well that is a few snap shots into our Halloween in case you were interested. What I am really happy to share with you is a long time favourite recipe for Sugar Cookies, which I make for every occasion. At Christmas, they are our fav cookie and we decorate trees, angels, stars and candy canes all out of my sugar cookie recipe, but at Halloween time, OF COURSE they are Pumpkins.

If you don't have a great Sugar Cookie recipe, you have to try this one. The secret is in the nutmeg, not rolling them too thin so they are chewy and of course not over baking them.

So tuck this recipe away until next year, or save for the next holiday where you need sugar cookies. I hope it becomes a tradition for your family too. 

Enjoy!

Hope's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose Flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional...but I never delete it)

11/2 cups of butter...I use half margarine and butter

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups white granulated sugar

4 eggs

Directions

Measure flour without sifting, add baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir well to blend.

Cream shortening in mixing bowl until fluffy. Add vanilla and gradually add sugar mixing until creamy.

Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add dry ingredients. Combine thoroughly.

Chill dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours/ overnight is best

I break the dough into four packets...wrapping it in wax paper.

When you are ready to bake, roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin. 

Cut out cookies close together using floured cookie cutters....I use a Tupperware Pumpkin shaped cutter.

Place on lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet 2 inches apart...for chewy cookies make sure they are thick...unless you like a crunchy sugar cookie then roll out thinner

Bake in a preheated oven 375 degree F. for 8 to 10 minutes...watch it closely. Put cookies onto a cooling rack until cool.

Frost with a butter icing and decorate with candies of your choice. I love the spearmint green chewy candies for the stems and then like candy corn for the nose although this year we couldn't find them at the Super Store...all sold out...so I improvised. Chocolate chip pieces are great for eyes and mouths...although this year the little girls and I selected different candies for the eyes and nose...be creative!

And here is the basket of sugar cookies I took to the Kindergarten party. 

my sugar cookies...they went fast!

 

Thanks so much for coming for a visit. Hey and before I go...don't forget about Dr. Deepak Chopra's meditation challenge...it starts tomorrow/ There is still time to register for this free guided meditation session. I'd LOVE if you joined with me....and I hope to write a few blog posts about meditating, and also creating the life we desire. 

 I'd better get to bed as I'm going to get up early and connect with my soul. Here's the link....or click on the hyper link words above if you are using an apple product.

Life is so good! I hope you join me in the meditation challenge called, "Energy of Attraction".....let Deepak "mind the time" as you connect with the greater part of you. May all your dreams come true.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope