This one is good and easy to make -- not sure if you want something this casual Chill Chasers 1 20 oz box devil's food or dark chocolate cake mix (tested with Duncan Hines) 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ancho chili powder 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne (I used 3/8 tsp) 1 egg 1/4 c water 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup sliced almonds, very finely chopped Stir spices into cake mix in mixing bowl. Add egg and water, then stir in chocolate chips. Divide dough (a bit sticky) into half and shape each into a roll about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Roll each roll in the finely chopped almonds, then wrap in waxed paper and chill or freeze several hours. Slice chilled dough about 1/4" thick and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees about 12 min. Makes about 3 dozen. I was thinking that a Texas Sheet Cake would also be good made with a similar amount of chili and cayenne in the cake batter. I want to try that. Here's the classic recipe -- Texas Sheet Cake 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup butter or margarine 4 Tbsp. cocoa 1 cup water 2 eggs ý cup buttermilk 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla Prepare a 9x13 pan or a sheet pan (11x15 �" cake will be thinner) by greasing and flouring or spraying with nonstick spray. Measure flour, sugar and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Place butter, cocoa and water in small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn off heat and pour hot mixture over flour mixture and stire to blend. Add eggs. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and add to mixture with vanilla. Blend together. Bake at 350 until cake tests done in center (about 25-30 min for sheet pan and about 35 min for 9x13). Make frosting while cake is still hot and pour over warm cake. Spread just enough to cover cake and let cool without disturbing. If you want to use buttermilk powder, add the powder (2T) to the flour and sugar and mix well. Dissolve the baking soda in ý c water and add with vanilla. Chocolate Fudge Icing 1 cup sugar or 1 lb powdered sugar (1 box or ý large bag) ý cup (1 stick) butter or margarine 4 T cocoa ü cup milk 2 tsp vanilla 1 cup pecans (optional) Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Mix well from beginning to avoid lumps. Stir constantly and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and beat until thick enough to spread on cake. Spread over warm cake, spreading just to move into corners. Icing will cool and form a skin that will crack and crinkle if you continue to spread, but it will usually settle over the warm cake on its own.

Well shoot! That puts a wrench into my plans! I really just wanted to get rid of the fruity marshmallows! I guess I'll either make plain ones or try the fruity pebbles? My neighbor made yummy ones once with PB chips and drizzled chocolate on top? Thanks for the answers!

We live on a long, dark dirt road and have never really had trick or treaters except the neighbors' kids. I was home alone last night and super nostalgic for the days we used to take our kids out. My mom would have a small party and we'd take the kids around her neighborhood where we know a lot of the people from my sister's restaurant. Our kids aren't big candy eaters, but we always had fun with everyone dressing up. (and maybe a red cup). I resorted to stalking facebook and texting my friends for photos of their kids and grands. I just found out the Health Center I work at sponsors a table at a Trunk or Treat event. I will be volunteering next year for sure. It's a great option here where neighborhoods are far apart and many homes are seasonal.

new floor is ripped up and he's now screwing the old floor down. i asked how he knows where the joists are (absent crawling in the crawlspace). he said from when the other guy cut open the floor he can tell where 2 pieces of plywood joined together and that should be over a joist. i asked if he could use stud finder and he said no cause is more metal under the house. i guess it makes sense but unsure it's really the way to tell where joists are. he's doing 2 rows of screws on each joist. sadly now in winter the floor isnt squeaking as much as summer. so my plan to walk all over it before the new floor went in will not be a good test. sigh. this guy is so much better than the other 2. he's doing the patch that should have been initially done because of the slope. maybe thats why the other 2 arent here.