A haunting good time - and cookies

We had a pre-Halloween party at our house last week and I invited our three grandchildren to make Monster Cookies. Even though much of the cookie dough seemed to disappear, we still had many cookies to bake.

After sending a bag full of cookies home with each of them, we still had many cookies left to freeze in Ziploc bags.

Monster Cookies

2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter, not margarine, must be real butter

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

9 cups oatmeal

12 ounce bag mini M&Ms (find in the baking section with chocolate chips)

4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup real chocolate chips (can add more if you wish)

Mix all ingredients together by hand. I like to cream the sugars, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, soda and salt with my mixer and then stir in the M&Ms, chocolate chips and oatmeal. Drop on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

A Different Ham & Banana Egg Bake

6 slices white bread, with crusts removed

Soft butter (to spread on bread)

Thin sliced ham

4 sliced bananas

4 large eggs

1 cup cream

1 cup milk

Fresh ground pepper and salt, to taste

Fresh grated nutmeg to taste, optional

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

8 ounces crushed potato chips

6 slices bacon, fried crisp

Butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole or cake pan. Remove crusts from bread and lightly butter. Place bread in cake pan buttered side up. Layer thin sliced ham over buttered bread. Slice four bananas about 1/4 inch thick and layer over ham. Top with shredded cheese. Place crushed potato chips on top and sprinkle with crisp bacon pieces. Whisk 4 large eggs in a bowl; add cream, milk, salt and pepper and nutmeg. Pour over all of the ingredients and bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Judy's Pumpkin Waffles

2 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

4 large eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk, well shaken

1 cup canned solid packed pumpkin

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron or cooking spray

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and preheat waffle iron. Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Fold them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined. Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly and bake. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Serve with syrup or Cool-whip.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We don't remember the days, we remember the moments.

GARY'S TIP: When filling muffin cups with batter, use a lightly oiled ice cream scoop with a spring release. All the muffins will be the same size when they're portioned this way.