It's All Just A Bunch of Hocus Pocus

“The farther we've gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we've come to need Halloween."-Paula Curan

I have always loved Halloween. I looked forward to it every year as a kid and I still love it.  I've always been drawn to the possibility of magic and mysticism, and on Halloween that is acceptable. Here's a bit of history for all of you that believe Halloween is a Hallmark created holiday: the Halloween that we all know and love is derived from the Celtic Festival of Samhain (sah-win). Samhain was traditionally a celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of the preparation for the harsh winter months. It was believed that on October 31st, the veil between the mortal realm and the spirit realm became thinnest and spirits could return to this plane an wreak havoc. Masks were worn to confuse spirits and bonfires were common to ward off evil. Many of the ways we currently celebrate the holiday harken back to the Celtic version of Samhain.

In addition to the historical part of the holiday, I also love candy, pumpkins, and dressing up. There is one thing though that I absolutely adore and cannot live without at Halloween. Hocus Pocus. It is mind boggling to me that the greatest Halloween movie of all time is 20 years old... I can't remember an October where I didn't watch Max Denison take on the Sanderson sisters. The older I get, the more I love the nostalgia the movie engenders and I enjoy spotting some of the more adult themes secreted in the film (the sketchy bus driver anyone? or anything Sarah says?) I'm almost 100% sure I first learned what a virgin was because of this movie. Anyways, Hocus Pocus is my Halloween movie and I decided tonight was the night to watch it.

After I got home from work I decided to get in the Halloween spirit by taking a walk and basking in all the gorgeous colors and changing leaves.

I am so lucky to live in a place this gorgeous. It makes it so much easier to believe in magic :) 

Once I got home from my walk, it was straight to the kitchen to make some Halloween cookies and muffins. 

Witches Hat Cookies

Witches Hat Cookies:

What you need:

• Hershey's Kisses (I used pumpkin pie spice and milk chocolate)

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tbs honey

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar

• 3 tbs egg whites

• 2 tbs milk

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

How to make:

• Preheat oven to 375

• Mix peanut butter and vegetable oil

• Add in both sugars and honey

• Add in egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix well.

• Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and add to peanut butter mixture

• Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet 

• Bake 8 to 10 minutes 

• Immediately press a kiss in the center of each cookie

• Let the cookies cool 

While I was baking these cookies, I decided it would be a sin to not bake something with pumpkin. Thus I whipped up a batch of pumpkin walnut chocolate chip muffins. To be perfectly honest, I stopped using a recipe about 1/4 of the way through, but the following is what I was originally going off of. 

Pumpkin Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins

What you need:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbs pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup egg whites large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

How to make:

• Preheat the over to 350 degrees and line your muffin tin 
• Mix flour, spices, and baking soda in a large bowl
• In a separate bowl mix sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil, and water

• Mix flour and pumpkin mixes together

• Add in chocolate chips and walnuts 

Perfect Halloween Colors

• Fill liners 3/4 with batter and cook 28 minutes

The only thing left was to pop open some pumpkin lager (which I don't really like, but it seemed necessary) and to light a bunch of fall spice candles and let the Witching Hour begin! 

Unfortunately, I dropped the ball a little bit this year in terms of a costume. Last weekend, my friends and I went as the Senior Girls from Dazed and Confused (which was a lot of fun since you get to haze everyone around you) but it doesn't take much to pull it together. We really didn't take any pictures, but It basically consisted of long-sleeve white shirts, cut-offs, and white socks. Tomorrow I'm going as a hippie, mostly because I already own a ton of boho inspired clothes and I can make it work appropriate really easily. The company I work for is all about dressing up for Halloween. We have a company Halloween party after work and a number of other parties to drop by after that. I am looking forward to celebrating All Hallows Eve with lots of tricks and maybe even a few treats. 

Stay safe tomorrow... don't light any candles (especially if you are a virgin) 

Cheers X 

Cherry Peach Pie

"We must have pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie."- David Mamet 

With summer winding to a close, it only makes sense to get the most out of all the delicious fruits that are still in season. I found myself with a couple peaches and a few cups of cherries verging on over-ripening. Instead of throwing out the fruit or eating all of it by myself, I decided to bake a Cherry Peach Pie (the first pie I've ever baked).

Slice of Peach Cherry Pie

10 inch Crust (You can also buy a pre-made crust):
What You Need:

• 1 stick of chilled butter
• 1 1/3 cups of flour (I used whole wheat, but all-purpose works too)
• pinch of salt 
• 3 TBS ice water 

Assembled ingredients 

How to Make:

• Slice butter into 8 to 10 pieces

• 

  Sliced butter

  Add flour to chopped butter
  
  

• Add in a pinch of salt 

• Use a pastry blender (or a fork) to combine all ingredients 

• Add in the ice water and use your hands to mix the dough until it holds together

• Roll out your dough

• Place dough in your pie pan and shape it using your fingers or a fork

Filling: 

What You Need:

• 3 peaches
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• 2 cups of cherries
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1 TBS honey 
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBS butter
  

How to Make: 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
• Remove the skin and pits of the peaches. Chop peaches into bite size pieces.

• Remove the pits of the cherries and cut the cherries in half. Place peaches and cherries into a large bowl. 

• Add the raspberry jam to the fruit. 

• Pour the sugar into the fruit/jam mixture.  

• Add in the honey. 

• Add the cinnamon and mix all the ingredients together.

• Pour the filling into the pie pan.

• Chop the tbs of butter into small pieces. Drop the butter over the filling.  

 Crumble Crust:
What You Need:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter (chilled and diced)

How to Make:

• Combine all ingredients together with your fingers until crumbly 
• Top your pie
• Cook for 42 minutes 

Brody was curious about all the noise in the kitchen

Finished Pie

Enjoy!

Cheers!

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” -Robert Browning

Happy Easter Everyone! I am unfortunately unable to go home for Easter this year, but I am there in spirit with my insanely wonderful family! 

This morning I realized that my bananas were starting to get overripe. That's one of the great things about bananas; they are versatile. Overripe banana's are the key ingredient to one of my favorite recipes- chocolate chip banana nut bread! Anytime someone is having a brunch I recommend banana nut bread since it's delicious and easy to make and keeps well overnight. 

Don't throw out your brown bananas!

 What You Need: 

• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 2-3 bananas (ripe)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 spoonfuls of brown sugar
• 1 spoonful cinnamon

Ingredients!

How to Make: 

• Beat oil and sugar together
• Add eggs and mashed bananas to the mixture; mix well

I mash bananas in a separate bowl with a fork

• Mix in all dry ingredients (except the cinnamon and brown sugar) 
• Add in milk, vanilla, and honey; mix well 

• Add in nuts and chocolate chips

• Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan
• Top mixture with the brown sugar and cinnamon 

• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour

Enjoy! 

Cheers X

Blueberry Muffins

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."- George Bernard Shaw

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been feeling sick. Since cooking makes me feel better, I decided to make some comfort food.  I ended up baking a dozen blueberry muffins. 

Finished Product

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 egg white
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tsp cinnamon 

How to Make

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 
• Line muffin cups with paper liners.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and the salt in a large bowl with a whisk. 

• Add vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, milk, and honey to a measuring jug that holds at least 1 cup,  whisk until combined.

• Add milk mixture to the bowl with flour and sugar then use a fork to combine. 

• Add blueberries and fold the blueberries into the muffin batter.

• Bake 15 minutes

Enjoy!

Cheers X