C is for Cookie Monster this Halloween

I’m having a few friends over this Sunday for an afternoon costume party since Halloween is on a Wednesday this year. It’s going to be a blast. We’ll play games, listen to music, and decorate cookies!

Mom and I are making a big batch of them on Saturday. Here’s the recipe in case you want to make your own.

Sweet and Simple Cookies

1/3 cup canola oil 75 mL

1 (10oz/300 mL) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla extract 10 mL

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour 750 mL

1 Tbsp baking powder 15 mL

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Combine canola oil, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and eggs. Add flour, baking powder and salt. The mixture will be sticky. Separate the mixture into three equal sized balls. Wrap each ball with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator or freezer and let stand for 2 minutes. Turn dough on a floured surface and knead 10 times. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until brown on the bottom. Cool cookies completely before you decorate.

Yield: 3 to 6 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

We picked up a couple of Halloween cookie cutters, and Mom says we can add food colouring  to the icing to make them all different – although finding black colouring may prove to be a real challenge!

I still haven’t decided on a Halloween costume, but I’ve narrowed it down to a couple. I can’t tell you, though. I want to surprise everyone!

Gotta jet!

- Chase Superman Duffy

Gearing up for Halloween

To be Superman, or not to be Superman – that is the question. And it’s a good one.

I mean, check out this picture. I look pretty cool, right? And that’s what the kids on my track team call me, because I’m so fast.

But I went trick-or-treating as Superman last year, and it seems kind of boring to wear the same costume again, right? Kind of predictable.

The Halloween stores have been open for weeks, and I’ve started looking through the costumes, but nothing has caught my eye. Sophie is dressing up as Smurfette this year, which is pretty cute, but if I’m going to be blue, I may as well just keep my Superman costume.

No. I need to find something different. Something really cool…

Do you have any ideas for me? What are you dressing up as this Halloween?

Gotta jet!

- Chase Superman Duffy

Winter is coming!

Brrrr. Can you feel it? Winter is on its way.

Parts of Alberta have already had snow, and there's frost on the grass every morning. Yikes! It’s not even Halloween, yet.

Grandpa says we shouldn’t expect a mild winter even though last year we barely had any snow. He consulted his trusted Farmer’s Almanac and it looks like most of the country is in for a cold snap – and above normal snowfall.

But I don’t know if I should believe his book, even if it has been published since like 1792. That's old! But how accurate is it anyway?

We’ve been studying statistics in math class, and my teachers says the Almanac has about an 80% chance of being right, according to years and years and years of predictions. 80% is pretty good.

Which means I need to start preparing!

I don’t mind training for track in the cold – as long as it’s not too cold. But even my new running shoes don’t help on ice and in deep snow. I don’t want to risk hurting myself, so as soon as that ice hits, it’s back to the treadmill I go.

Thankfully, it’s only October and the Almanac doesn’t think we’ll see too much snow until much closer to Christmas so I’ve got plenty of time to get outside and enjoy the fall weather.

Gotta jet!

- Chase Superman Duffy

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Thankful this weekend...and every day

It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and I have a lot to be thankful for, starting with my family and the great food I’m going to dive into on Sunday night at my grandparent’s house.

I could go on and list a hundred things I’m grateful of this weekend, but at the risk of sounding cheesy, I don’t think “giving thanks” should be confined to one holiday.

In class we’ve been talking about celebrating the every day stuff – even the little moments – and developing a “habit of gratefulness.” Sounds complicated, right? Not really.

Start by thinking about all of the good things that happened to you today and write them down in a gratitude journal. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just a notebook dedicated just for this. Maybe it’s your family – the fact that you have somebody who cares?

Having trouble? Ok. Try thinking about the people who inspire you. The pets who offer unconditional love. What about the places that make you smile – like how much I love being on the track? Those are important things to be grateful for.

And don’t forget to let people know when they’ve done something you’re thankful for. Like living in a country where there’s the opportunity to grow food, someone cooking you dinner, or helping with homework.

Now…pass it on. Lend a hand. Pitch in. In the process of paying it forward, I bet you’ll find even more reasons to give thanks – not just this weekend, but every day!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Gotta jet!

- Chase Superman Duffy