Pumpkin Rolls

One of the things to write about in the October writing challenges is your favorite Halloween treat. My favorite Halloween treat are pumpkin rolls. I discover this sweet treat years ago at a work related get together. A lady made one of these and brought it in. She offered to make them for anyone willing to pay. Many people grabbed the opportunity at buying a homemade treat. As her prices were cheaper than the stores. She continued to offer this service offering to make different types of rolls depending on the holiday til she quit. I was able to keep in touch with her till I moved to Florida. Since that time I have learned to make them on my own.

Pumpkin Roll Recipe

1 cup of pumpkin

1 cup of Splenda (or other sugar substitute)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons baking soda

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I substitute this with ginger due to an allergy)

1 cup of flour

Filling

6 ounces cream cheese

8 ounces of whip cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon or ginger. Set aside. Mix together sugar, eggs and pumpkin til fluffy. Combine with flour mixture til smooth. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Spray with cooking oil. I choose to use an olive oil cooking spray.  Pour mixture on to cooking sheet. Bake for fifteen minutes. Allow to cool completely. While cooling mix all the ingredients to the filling together. When cake is cooled completely. Pour filling on top of cake. Spread filling out evenly. Roll the cake in to a jelly roll shape. Cover with wax paper and foil. Chill in refrigerator for an hour before serving.

 

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I have challenged myself to write every day something that is related to Halloween. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas. I also decided to join the "Ultimate Blog Challenge" I created a post called "October 2016 Writing Challenges", it is where I am getting my ideas to write the entire month.

Photos taken by and © belong to Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.

Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes

One of the things I enjoy making each October is Pumpkin pancakes for my family. When I first started making pumpkin pancakes for my family, my children would come in to the kitchen when I was cooking. They would ask me what the orange color was in the mixing bowl. I wouldn't tell them til they tasted the pancakes. 

My teenagers tried them. They both loved them. I did come out and tell them it was made with pumpkin. We all had a good laugh. I was surprised they did not figure out pumpkin was use by the taste.

4 c. flour

3 TBS baking powder

1/4 c. Splenda sugar 

(or whatever sugar substitute you wish to use)

2 1/2 c. fat-free milk

2 eggs

3 1/2 TBS butter

15 oz. can of pumpkin

Mix all dry ingredients with liquid ingredients. Heat pan to medium-low or griddle to 250 to 300 degrees. If the pan or griddle is too hot, the pancakes will burn. If that happens, turn the temperature down. Let cool and start again. 

I use a ladle to spoon the batter into the griddle or pan. I pour where the batter forms a circle. I let cook til I see bubbles form around the edges. Turn pancake over. Finish cooking till golden brown. Use a spatula to move pancake from pan to plate. Top with honey.

Are you ready to try a bite of a homemade pumpkin pancakes? 

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Photos taken by and © belong to Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.

Haunted Houses For Fun Or To Be Scared

This time of year in the United States many people flock to haunted house exhibits. This is something they do all through the month of October. The haunted houses are set up like a maze to have employees dress up and jump out to scare you. If one wasn't scary enough, people seek out another. These people like to be scared for fun.

My family and I went to one a few years ago. My daughter was scared crazy. She was the perfect person to jump out and scare. As they choose the people who jump, scream or react when the employees try to scare you. We did not finish because the employees did their job right by scaring the crap out of my daughter.

Besides the haunted houses for fun. Ohio is known for having actual haunted houses. People believe there are real ghosts or spirits haunting places. One of the most haunted places talked about in Ohio is at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. It was shut down in the 1980's. The place is suppose to have the most violent ghosts or spirits that are still stuck there after dying in a riot. In the 1990's, the Ohio State Reformatory started to be used in music videos, tv shows and films. Such as Ghost Adventures and Shawshank Redemption. 

Whether you like to go to haunted houses you known are set up to scare you in fun. Or you go to ones that have ghosts and spirits October is the month where like minded people search them out together.

Do you like to go to haunted houses for fun or to be scared?

Photo from Pixabay, a free use photo website.

If You Could Create A Monster

If I could create a monster. I would create something that would blend into the earth. It would seem to people, it was not from earth.

 There would be several species of my monster. It would be living in secluded areas. As it would avoid human contact. As it is a gentle monster, unless it is provoked. 

What Does The Monster Look Like?

Each monster would have a humanoid appearance that blends into the environment. Males would have scales to look like the bark of a tree. A tail that would easily detach if grabbed. The tail can grow back. Another would have hair that resembles moss growing on a tree. Females would be hairy and blend into the leaves or resemble a bush. It's feet and hands are adapted to climb and leaping from branch to branch. Hands and feet have claws to aid in climbing trees. The eyes are small and on the side of its head. Males would glow yellow. Females will glow red. As it is nocturnal. 

How Big Is The Monster?

The monster would be three to four feet tall.

What Is Unique About The Monster?

The monster can teleport up to twenty feet in any direction. The monster are born from an egg. 

What Does The Monster Eat?

The monster eats what is available. Small rodents, fruit, nuts, and insects. The claws not only aid in climbing, but also allow the monster to dig for grubs and worms. 

Where Does It Sleep?

The monsters would sleep up in the trees. It would gather tree limbs, leaves, grasses, and mud to make a nest. Others would sleep in hollowed out trees or abandoned holes. It would gather leaves and soft grasses to sleep on.

I have no idea what I would call my monsters. What do you think a good name would be?

If you could create a monster, what would it look like? What would it be called?  Describe and tell me everything there is to know about your monster.

Photo from Pixabay a free use photo website.

How To Carve A Pumpkin

Carving pumpkins has been a family tradition that I past down to my children and grandchildren. That was past down to me by my family. The earliest memory I have of carving pumpkins was when I was around three years old. My dad, Uncles and mom helped my two sisters and I carve pumpkins in the kitchen. I remember putting newspaper on the kitchen tablet and scooping the pumpkin seeds out. 

Carving pumpkins comes easy to me throughout the years. I enjoy watching others craved pumpkins as much as I enjoy craving them myself. Many places will have craving pumpkins contests. 

How To Carve A Pumpkin

1. First thing you do is choose a pumpkin to carve.

2. You cut a circle around the top of the pumpkin. To take the top off.

3. You scoop all the pumpkin seeds and pumpkin guts out to use later. You can bake the seeds to eat later. Put the top back on when done. 

4. You drawn the pattern you want on the pumpkin. Than start craving it out. 

5. Place a lit candle or light inside the pumpkin to make it light up and glow in the dark. 

Do you carve pumpkins for Halloween?

There are pumpkin carvings kits you can buy on Amazon

Photos from Pixabay a free use photo website.

Do You Decorate For Halloween?

It seems as soon as October and cool weather sets in, Halloween decorations come out. I love Halloween and seeing everything decorated for it. The scarier and more frightening look, the better. I do keep it tame since I have a grandson that is a toddler that visits. 

Thousands of years ago decorating for Halloween was different. People believed the dead spirits would walk among the living. They would decorate turnips by turning them into lanterns by carving frightful faces in them. These led the way for villagers to go to a festival called the Samhain. These lanterns also had people believing they would ward of any wayward vengeful spirits As long as villagers stuck to the path.  

Over the years Halloween has been commercialize to where decorations are bought to decorate with little meaning but mere fun.

People decorate with Pumpkins and other happy and joyful decorations to something dark and terrifying. Those are mainly found in haunted houses and other places to give adults a thrill. As being scared is a thrill for many adults on Halloween. Otherwise why on earth would so many adults enjoy watching scary movies, if it wasn't to be scared?

I have a box of Halloween decorations in my shed. I am hoping to get to them and to be able to decorate for trick or treat night. As I want to set a pallet up out front, where I will be sitting to hand out candy dressed as a witch. I plan to have two moving arms trying to get out of the pallet. When one of the kids ask what it is. I plan on telling them that is where I put the kids that misbehave. I will ask them if them have been misbehaving.

Here are a few decorating ideas you can through Amazon.

Do you decorate for Halloween? Why or why not?

Photo from Pixabay, a free use photo website. 

Costumes Are A Tradition On Halloween

Today is the seventh day in the writing challenge. I am writing every day this month something that pertains to Halloween. I choose to write about Halloween costumes.

Halloween costumes are worn during Halloween festivals, parties, parades, and trick or treating. The original idea for costumes predates anything like we do today. 

The oldest date I can find on anything about Halloween costumes was back in Scotland in the 1500's. Basically they were worn due to beliefs in the supernatural, folklore's, and religious beliefs. Overtime the tradition has changed to what you see in modern day. 

Today, Halloween costumes in the USA is a money making industry through the month of October. As costumes are worn by children to go house to house trick or treating. Many adults walking with the children will dress up in costumes. As well as the people handing the candy out. Costumes are also worn to parties, parades, festivals and more.

I remember dressing up to go trick or treating as a child. My costumes ranged from being a devil at the age of five. To making costumes for my children when they were babies. I made my teen son in to a ice cream cone one year. I got the idea from a Good Housekeeping magazine.

What costumes did you or your children dress up in?

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I have challenged myself to write every day something that is related to Halloween. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas. I also decided to join the "Ultimate Blog Challenge" I created a post called "October 2016 Writing Challenges", it is where I am getting my ideas to write the entire month.

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Photo from Pixabay, a free use photo sharing website.

Halloween Is The Time For Scary Pranks

Today is the sixth day in the writing challenge. I am writing every day this month something that pertains to Halloween. I choose to write about Halloween pranks.

                                                    

Have you pulled a Halloween prank on someone? 

My sister and some friends pulled a prank a girl we went to school with for Halloween. She got herself in to some trouble. It was bad trouble. She knew she was going to receive jail if not prison time for it. She had not been in trouble with the law before this happened. 

We knew a guy who was on suspension from the police department. As there was a pending investigation. We had that guy dress up in his uniform and go to the friends house the girl was at. My sister and I hid behind the bushes to watch what was happening.

The cop walked up and knocked on the friends door. The cop looked at some papers and asked if the girl (asked by name) was at the resident. The girl was the one who answered the door. The look on her face was something I will never forget. The girl put her hands out to be handcuffed and said," Let's go."

My sister and I couldn't contain our laughter anymore to ourselves. The girl realize we were playing a prank on her. If you knew the girl and situation, you would of been laughing too. The girl was freaking out so bad. She never noticed there wasn't a cop car in the driveway.

I Was Pranked By My Boyfriend

I use to listen to music turned up all the time. I no longer do that. As my boyfriend stopped over one day before he moved in. He knocked on the door but I didn't answer. He walked in and stood by my ear and said hello, boo or something. I don't really remember what he said. I didn't see him come in. I freaked out. He scared the crap out of me. I literally picked up my keyboard and start swinging. It met his ball cap when I realized it was my boyfriend standing next to me.

My boyfriend was able to scare me in four  ways

1. The loud music allowing him to move close to me with no noticed.

2. I was busy writing on the computer. My attention was on the computer. Not my surroundings.

3. My boyfriend came up on my blind side. I am legally blind in my left eye. I never seen him coming.

4. I am partially deaf in both ears. I didn't stand a chance of hearing him open the door.

Have you pranked or been pranked by someone?

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I have challenged myself to write every day something that is related to Halloween. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas. I also decided to join the "Ultimate Blog Challenge" I created a post called "October 2016 Writing Challenges", it is where I am getting my ideas to write the entire month.

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Photo from Pixabay, a free use photo sharing website.

8 Animals Associated With Halloween

Today, is the fifth day of the writing challenge. I am writing about the animals associated with Halloween. How many animals and insects do you associate with Halloween?

Black Cats

During the Halloween season cat owners are advised to keep their cats inside. Most animal shelters put a stop to selling black cats because of the overwhelming intertwining of black cat's in the occult or witches. Cat's cries have been mistaken for a baby's cry. A human would hear a baby cry, go look for the baby to find a black cat in its place.

Bats

Bats are known as a Halloween animal thanks to horror movies like Dracula. Where blood drinking vampires turn into bats to fly. There are some bats that drink blood. However, they rather feast on mammals. A colony of 100 of these bats will take a year to drink the blood of twenty five cows.

Spiders

Spiders are known to scare most people. Which make them perfect to scare people for Halloween. Having eight legs and many eyes, they are a strange creature creepy looking creature to look at. Spiders are known to hang out in old or abandoned houses. Which makes them perfect to decorate a Haunted House.

Owl

Owls are another animal linked to witches. In Grimm's fairy tale foretells of a witch turning in to a owl. Like bats, owls come out at night to eat the bugs and rodents.  It still is scary walking through an area of woods at night. When you can hear a owl but have no clue what it is or where it is hiding. It's cries have been mistaken for human.

Raven or Crows

Crows or Ravens have been associated with Halloween. As they are known to be pets of witches. When one is seen is a sign of a bad omen. "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe didn't help the Raven or Crows image at all. If anything, it made people fear them even more.

Frogs and Toads

Both are associated with witches spells. Which makes them an animal associated with Halloween. There are several fairy tales about Prince's being turned into a toad or frog by a witch because of their arrogance and bad attitudes. While toads are thought to pass on their warts through touch or a creepy toad peeing on you. 

Wolves are known to be smart and cunning. Plus, howl at the moon at night. Wolves have been linked with the devil. As it can be a werewolf that can transform from human form to wolf form.

Snakes

Snakes are another animal known to be associated with the Devil. As a snake is portrayed as the devil in the Christian bible to trick Adam and Eve.

People fear snakes because they are to be slimy and crawl around on their stomachs with no arms or legs like other creatures. There are some type of snakes that can grow large enough to swallow a person to eat.

What animals do you associated with Halloween?

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I have challenged myself to write every day something that is related to Halloween. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas. I also decided to join the "Ultimate Blog Challenge" I created a post called "October 2016 Writing Challenges", it is where I am getting my ideas to write the entire month.
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Photo from Pixabay, a free use photo sharing website.

The Scariest Movie I Have Seen

Today is the fourth day in the writing challenge series. I will be writing about the scariest movie I ever seen. To learn more about it the writing challenge. Please scroll down to the bottom of the post for the links.

When I was a child, I remember seeing a movies series called "Children Of The Corn". I was in eighth grade at the time. That movie gave me nightmare for years to come. I feared corn fields and angry blank looking children. I always feared the Devil would disguise himself as a friend and I would follow blindly. Eventually realizing at the last minute who he really is.

The squeals of the "Children Of The Corn" weren't as corn. As the original movie. The producers tried, they really did. They even went as far to tell where Malcolm came from. However, none was as scary as the first movie in the series.

Photo from Google under the labeled for reuse with modification.

I don't think any movie affected me as much as the "Children of The Corn" til the movie "Jeepers Creepers" came out. I still jump when I watch the movie series. Each of the three movies in the series bring something to make me jump, cringe, and scared all at the same time. If you haven't seen

What was the scariest movie you have seen?

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I have challenged myself to write every day something that is related to Halloween. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas. I also decided to join the "Ultimate Blog Challenge" I created a post called 

"October 2016 Writing Challenges", it is where I am getting my ideas to write the entire month.