A Crazy Scary Conclusion

I promised to update you with the total raised from Crazy Scary, so an update you shall get! First, though, some photos from the event. These were all taken by Emily Palmer.

1. Remember when I said Mindy delivered an AMAZING quantity of insanely good foodstuffs?

I told you so.

I can't believe there aren't a few trays of the Nutella cupcakes in my freezer. That seems like a travesty.

2. Remember when I said there were some insanely awesome prizes? This cooler filled with dead animals (which you omnivores and carnivores affectionately call "meat") came from Access Closing. The cooler was even autographed by ScareHouse Bunny.

I told you the prizes were insanely awesome.

3. Remember when I said @tallcathy touched a disgusting mound of fluff and nearly died from the horror of it all?

I told you so.

4. Remember that I said @wpxiscott had to eat a disgusting mound of . . . well, it smelled like death dipped in vomit rolled in poop.

(An aside: Ginny beat me to ScareHouse that night. When I walked up the stairs, she greeted me by shoving the box filled with vomitous ass in my face and screaching "SMELL THIIIIIS." Don't ever smell anything that Ginny shoves in your face. Just take my word for it.)

Apparently it was "dried squid." I prefer to call it "dried OMGVOMIT."

So gross. SO GROSS. It wasn't torture enough, though, considering this week's weather forecast. FIX IT, SCOTT. NO SNOW IN OCTOBER.

5. If there is a photo of me wearing a blue dress being shared in the moment capture here, there will be hell to pay.

HELL TO PAY.

I told y'all to destroy that photo. Do it. Now.

6. Ginny looks like she's about to make out with my favoritest zombie.

I think she was lying when she said she was scared of him.

7. Remember when I told you that it's fun to watch Ginny suffer?

I told you so.

Also, co-host of the evening @robontherun enjoyed playing evil entirely too much. I like that about him.

(An aside: I've heard Rob mention his band a couple of times and was all "How cute! You're in a band!" because like 15913857135 million of my friends say they're in a band and it's usually mostly a joke. You guys, I trolled the internet for their music a few weeks ago and was blown away. They're GOOD. Why didn't any of you tell me? I feel like an ass for not realizing he's all legitimate and stuff.)

8. I've told you time and time again that Scott, Barb, and Wayne Simmons (the owners of ScareHouse) are some of the most generous and amazing people around.

I don't lie.

$6000.

$6000 is going to be split between Christmas Crazy and Make Room for Kids.

That means that The ScareHouse will be cutting a check for $3000 for Christmas Crazy. We've decided that will be sent directly to Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center so that they can provide a little Christmas cheer for kids who have been affected by domestic violence.

Thank you Scott, Barb, and Wayne. And thank you to everyone who came out that night and helped make it a success.

Now go visit ScareHouse and tell them I sent you. I have to stay on Scott's good side so we can do this again next year and so that I don't have to endure any torture. It's better that way. :-)

Pumpkin Cookies

Alexis' school happens to be one of those schools that has a lot of "opportunities" for volunteering for stuff. From recess duty to stuffing envelopes to driving on field trip days to whatever, there is an email just about daily asking for help from parents. Usually I'm all "some of us have to work during the day" and delete, delete, delete, but that leaves me feeling like the jerk who doesn't ever help out. So, when an email asking for cookies for the school's Open House arrived, I was all MEEEEE! MEEEEEE! MEEEEEE!

I like making cookies!

It would be an easy one!

Oooooooh...if the Open House had been scheduled for ANY other week, it would have been easy. As it was, it was sandwiched between a ton of commitments, which meant I needed a quick and easy cookie recipe that I could make several days in advance. I didn't really want to go with that infamous recipe known as "Grab Them At Giant Eagle." I'm lazy, but about a half notch about that level of lazy. Fortunately, I did manage to come up with an idea.

Pumpkin Cookies

I've been using this recipe for years. I got it from my friend Barb who I think found it in a magazine years and years ago. It's a good one because it makes a ton of cookies (5 dozen, give or take) and the resulting cookies freeze well. That means I was able to make them a week ahead of time and pull them out just in time for the Open House. WIN!

Pumpkin Cookies

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
2 cups vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin puree (29 oz)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting (I used this recipe, but canned frosting will work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large mixing bowl. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the vegetable shortening and sugar until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and continue to beat until blended.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture at low speed until combined.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. They don't spread too much, so you can get away with leaving about an inch in between each cookie.

Bake 15-17 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

And by "the edges begin to brown," I mean barely. They don't change color much. See? The bottoms are a little darker than the tops, but it's not significant.

Don't sweat it. They're done if you see any color change.

Cool on cookie sheets a few minutes, and then transfer the cookies to cooling racks. Once completely cooled, top each cookie with a bit of cream cheese frosting.

These cookies are a little cake-like. If you refrigerate them for a bit, the frosting will set just enough to make them stackable, so they're great for throwing in tins and giving as gifts.

Or eating by the fistful. Whichever.

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood