"Pumpkin spice" is synonymous with the coming of fall. In fact, places like Starbucks have almost trademarked it with their popular PSL drink (Shame on you if you don't know that PSL stands for pumpkin spice latte!). Every year around Halloween, I like to pull out my own recipe for a fall favorite...chocolate chip pumpkin spice cookies! It's a very simple recipe and the baking time is less than 15 minutes. Whether you're looking to gorge on the cookies yourself or share them with your friends at a Halloween house party, these cookies are a great way to get into the fall festivities.

Ingredients (makes about 30 cookies):
1/2 cup oil
1.5 cups sugar
1 egg
1.5 teaspoons vanilla essence
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz can can of pumpkin puree
Semisweet chocolate chips to taste
Chopped walnuts to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat oil and sugar in a mixing bowl, and then add the egg and vanilla essence. Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together. Then add to the mixing bowl that contains the sugar-oil mixture. Alternate adding the flour mix with the pumpkin puree, beating well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop teaspoonfuls of the batter onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy with a hot drink like cider or coffee :)

Haunted houses are open for the season, pumpkins are being carved into ghoulish shapes, and candy is being sold by the pound…You know what that means – Halloween is almost here! As fun as dressing up can be, the process of deciding what to dress up as can be difficult. Most people want to have a clever costume concept that is relevant and cute. Each year, I notice how it's the current events and popular culture that drive costume ideas. Remember the year every other person dressed up as a Colombian miner? Or the Joker?  Or Lady Gaga?

Since it is soo lame to dress up as clichéd fairies and witches (though we’re guilty of this too), here’s a handy list of top costume ideas, driven by current events in 2012. What do you think will be the most popular Halloween outfits this year?