Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Food

Like most of us – I adore chocolate chip cookies. In fact, they might be my favorite cookie of all time.

The comforting combination of vanilla, butter and chocolate is pure bliss in a baked format. Not to mention there’s nothing quite like the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven.

Seriously – this is true Americana.

During the holidays, I shared a trick for making your average CCC a little more festive: substitute the chips for chopped pieces of Andes candies.

This trick also proved useful during Saint Patrick’s day and is, overall, just an easy way to add a fun twist to this American cookie classic.

The freshness of the Andes mints actually lighten up the cookie and provides for a more complex flavor profile.

Don’t care for mint? The vanilla base to these cookies is just a canvas waiting to be painted!

Try adding different candies and share your creations below!

Happy Halloween!

Festivity, Holiday

As I mentioned last Halloween, we don’t have children and don’t hand out candy, so typically, our Halloweens are pretty low-key. This year we stuck to the basics by carving jack-o-lanterns…

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Jack-o-lanterns 2016 🎃#Halloween #pumpkincarving #harrypotterforever

A post shared by Emilee Janitz (@emileejanitz) on Oct 29, 2016 at 4:34pm PDT

Watching “Hocus Pocus”…

It wouldn't be #Halloween without #HocusPocus 🎃🔮

— Emilee Jayne Smith (@emileejaysmith) October 30, 2016

And handing out candy and cake to our few trick-or-treaters, AKA: Andy’s younger siblings.

Though simple, we had a pleasant evening, enjoying candy and Halloween classics on TV. So whether you went all out with a party, costumes and haunted houses or stayed in for a low-key celebration, I hope that you all had a Happy Halloween!

All Hallows Eve

Festivity, Holiday

A holiday that is associated with children and perpetuated by the candy companies, Halloween may not be every adult’s favorite holiday. I, however, have always had a tender spot for it, having loved it so much as a child.With my birthday the morning following on All Saints Day, I have many happy memories of trick-or-treating with my family, dining on candy and waking up to birthday surprises.

That being said, I will continue to celebrate Halloween into adulthood, even if it does not mean dressing up or trick-or-treating. Here are a few things I did/am doing this year to celebrate the holiday.

I recognize they are pretty traditional practices but they were fun all the same!

1. Playing with Pumpkins

Everyone has to carve a pumpkin for Halloween. It is just unavoidable. This year I tried to be creative and carve a sorting hat. Lacking a special set of tools, however, it came out far from perfect. Regardless, it was fun to make. I also separated the seeds from the two pumpkins, drizzled them with butter and salt and toasted them in the oven.

Aside from our jack-o-lanterns I also painted this small pumpkin (featured in a previous post) at a friend’s house. While they were meant for the children at the event, the left-overs meant that a few of us adults got to take part in the fun that is painting pumpkins.

2. Treats

Although we do not plan on passing out candy this year, Andy’s younger siblings will undoubtedly stop by for some sort of Halloween treat. While we did buy some candy (both of us having a particular fondness for it) I also plan on baking cookies-and-cream cupcakes.

I have yet to try this recipe but I am sure it will be delicious. I plan on dying the frosting orange for a Halloween appeal.

Cupcakes turned out great! The dye work, notsomuch.

3. Decor

I do not possess strictly “Halloween” decorations, neither having the money or the space for them. I do, however, have a lot of fall and Harry Potter decor that I plan on combining to create a festive atmosphere for our few trick-or-treaters.