My Family's Favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Monday, October 31, 2016
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
1 large can pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pkg chocolate chips
1 can cream cheese frosting
1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add pureed pumpkin and eggs and beat until smooth.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine all purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Add combined dry ingredients to wet ingredients until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drip dough by spoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 16 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet and then move to a cooling rack.
7. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese frosting and brown sugar. Spread over cooled cookies.

Notes
*Recipe can easily be cut in half. Substitute a small can of pureed pumpkin.
*Unfrosted cookies freeze well.

What I've Been Reading - October 2016

Welcome to What I've Been Reading, where I share my (quick and personal) thoughts on what I've been reading this past month. For specifics (plot summary, etc.) about each book, click on the provided links.

A Great Reckoning is the most recent installment in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, (a wonderfully and thoughtfully written literary murder mystery series, that is so much more about the characters and their human hearts and minds, than it is about the murders,) being just released on August 30. Having preordered it, it was delivered to my front door on August 30, yet I found myself not picking it up right away. I wasn't ready to be done with the series! (That is, until the next installment is released!) Finally, this month, I couldn't hold out any longer. It didn't disappoint and I found myself in tears by the end of this book. I have fallen in love with Armand Gamache and the many quirky characters in this series and hope (can't wait!) to return to Three Pines very, very soon. P.S. Read the Afterword! (*Brief language)

A Stitch Fix Review - October 2016 - Fix #12

Saturday, October 1, 2016
I hope you all are doing well this fantastic, Fall season. Do you love Fall as much as I do? I sure love Fall! It is by far my favorite season. I love the changing colors of the landscape. I love the cooler weather. I love the shorter days. I love the sense of routine returning after a relaxing summer. I love the food. Most of all, though, I love the clothes. Fall is definitely my favorite season when it comes to fashion. That is probably why I got so excited opening my latest Fix, Fix #12! Not because my recent Fixes haven't been great, because they have been, but because I love Fall fashion! I was just so excited to see what Fall clothes I was lucky enough to try on and, hopefully, add to my wardrobe, which I must say has grown leaps and bounds for the better since joining Stitch Fix! Have you joined yet? I highly recommend it!