Treats Only, Please

Oh Halloween... how you haunt me each and every year (of my adult life).

I think I have finally diagnosed why Halloween and I have what you might call issues: growing up, I had (still have... hi, mom!) an amazing mom who (with less than adequate help from yours truly) dreamed up and handmade each and every one of my very creative costumes. It'd be here, if I was a savvy blogger, that I would post some black-mail worthy pictures of myself traipsing around in the likes of a Christmas tree (complete with battery-powered twinkling lights), a carrot, or a bunch of purple balloons, er... grapes.

With such a prestigious list, it's pretty clear that there's just no way I can live up to the Halloweens of my childhood. And I certainly don't want to re-live them. So that leaves me no choice but to ignore the holiday completely. But turning your back on one of the most ostentatious holidays has proven no easy feat.

Instead, it's much easier to hide out in the kitchen churning out some cute goodies to distribute to our neighbors - after all, just because I've got no tricks (and the best I can do for a costume is to change up which apron I normally wear), doesn't mean I can't participate in the treats. And I certainly don't want to miss a single chiming of the doorbell (the only other part of the holiday I look forward to) - greeting all of the adorably clad little ones.

And with that, maybe just maybe we can co-exist. If Halloween'll let me remain costume-less (no tricks either, please!), then I promise to always enthusiastically celebrate the holiday's better half - "... or treat".

Easy Ghost Cookies

a package of Nutter Butters (yum)
your choice of candy coating (white chocolate or bark, etc.)
large handful of mini-chocolate chips (you'll need at least 64 for one pkg of cookies)

Cover a half sheet pan with wax paper and set aside.

Melt the candy coating in a small saucepan, stirring constantly, over very low heat so the coating does not scorch. Dip the cookies into the candy coating and using a small pair of tongs (a fork would work as well), fish the coated cookie out and tap it against the side of your pan to ensure complete coverage. Place the cookie carefully on your sheet pan and immediately apply two mini chocolate chips for eyes. Let sit until dry, usually a couple of hours.