The Moonlight Witches

All images by Moonlight Journey:  http://www.moonlightjourney.com/

Vintage Pin Up Witch with Cat

I love this one.  The scary cat is great.

**Please feel free to save and use**

~Enjoy!~

POE

Ode to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven"

Warlock Postscript

summer reading

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I've never actually read the original text of Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow. My knowledge of the story comes from its myriad of modern incarnations. Most prominently, Disney's classic cartoon.

But finally, I can put my shame to rest. Because on my recent vacation stop in Sleepy Hollow, I picked up a copy in a local museum gift shop. Along with a print and a Christmas ornament created by a local artist specifically for the museum. After all, nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a tin representation of a pumpkin-wielding headless horseman hanging on the tree.

The book is at the top of my reading list for the approaching long weekend.

Bat Hair Ornament!

Loving Cut Out and Keep this week! I guess I just haven't browsed around there in awhile. ...haven't had much time to do any interneting for fun in awhile, come to think about it.

But oooo! Bat headband. It's like a bow, only much, much cuter.

The creator also has a cute blog (leastofways I think this is from the creator): http://gothicallyyours.blogspot.com/; it reminds me of the good-ol' babybat days of my youth.

And oo neat look! Cleopatra eyemake-up tips. Very cute.

a beer by any other name . . .

So while planning the drive back to Nova Scotia from Tarrytown, it seemed best to break it into two days. Sixteen hours of non-stop driving wasn't terribly appealing. And completely contrary to the word "vacation". So I booked a hotel in a spot we've visited often and always enjoy. The town of Rockport on Cape Ann in Massachusetts. And since the drive took us within five minutes of Salem, it was unthinkable that we wouldn't stop for a visit. Salem in July is a completely different experience than Salem in October. Much quieter. Much warmer. Much less Halloween in the air. But it is still a lovely little city and we enjoyed our afternoon wandering around the streets and shops.

There was more, however. I had an ulterior motive for stopping in Salem. On our last October visit, three years ago, we ate at the Salem Beer Works. And whilst devouring our nachos, onion rings, and chicken wings, I noticed that the brewery had its own line of Salem/ Halloween themed beer. I was beyond excited. What was more, they were available in bottles that could be purchased at the adjacent brewery store. Perfect. Or so I thought. Sadly, my joy was short-lived. I had made this discovery on a Sunday. The beer store was closed on Sunday. And we had to leave early the next morning.

Someday, I promised myself . . . someday . . .

And finally, "someday" had arrived. "Someday" was now. After wandering the city, we all converged at the statue of Samantha in a town square and made our way to the beer works.

DIY Skully Tee

Cut Out and Keep has this neat, easy skull-shirt  tutorial.

Oooo! Fashionable. :) In a way I can get behind.

Needs: t-shirt, scissors, some idea where to place the holes (I was going to direct you to Chic Steals for this... but that blog seems to be SOL for me. Try this instead).

wax

Arriving in Times Square on the first day of my recent New York City trip, it was hard to miss the giant golden hand beckoning visitors to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. I had been to Madame Tussaud's in London many, many, many years ago and was curious to see how the New York version measured up. When I went inside and saw the price of admission, however, I decided I would be content to simply relive the memories of my London experience.

But my teenage children, who hadn't been alive during my trip to England, were eager to experience Madame Tussaud's wax collection. So I paid their admission, gave my daughter the camera, and instructed her, when taking photographs, to include anything that might interest me.

She knows me well.

sleepy hollow by sunlight

So I'm home from a week's vacation in New York City. And one of my favourite parts of the trip had nothing to do with the city itself.

Not wanting to drive in Manhattan, we opted to stay in upstate New York and take the train into the city. And quite naturally, as I was exploring a map, looking for a suitable spot, my eyes fell upon Sleepy Hollow.  Perfect, I thought.

Alas, not quite so perfect. There was no hotel in Sleepy Hollow itself, so we stayed in nearby Tarrytown.  And my dreams of a lantern-lit ghost walk through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery evaporated when I discovered that most of their ghostly activities take place in the fall.  Ah well, I now have an excuse to return.

But despite the fact that it occurred under the intense light and heat of a July sun, it was a worthwhile visit. The spirit of Ichabod and his headless pursuer was everywhere.

From the orange and black street signs . . . 

. . . to the stone carvings . . .

 . . . to the metal statue near the original bridge . . .

. . . to the site of the famous bridge. Now a busy and somewhat dangerous intersection. Fortunately, I survived.

Perhaps because of the possibility of sight-seers being mowed down by speeding cars, the original bridge has been re-created in a quieter and safer location.  Deep in the heart of Sleepy Holllow Cemetery. 

Where the greatest danger is being mowed down by passing joggers.

From the Old Dutch Church . . .

 . . . to Washington Irving's grave . . . 

. . . to the looming front gates, this cemetery is massive.  Easily the largest I've seen.  With hills and valleys and winding paths and mausoleums.

There are bound to be more than a few ghosts lurking in there.  Time to begin planning an autumn trip.

Devillish Shoes

Brilliant idea for customizing shoes... though I wish I actually knew what "sugru" was so I could make them.

Devil shoes (men and women's ideas posted at Instructables).

Pictures From a Recent Trip

Family vacation several weeks ago took us to the Carolinas to stay with my aunt and her super-fun boyfriend, as well as to take a tour of the Biltmore Estate.

It was silly-expensive to get in the American castle, but always fun to marvel at the opulence of my nation's "royalty."

Plus: fun photo opportunities. Which is all I'm really here to blog about right now.

They aren't big on allowing cameras indoors at Biltmore, but I managed a few decent shots in the gardens. The skull in the succulents greenhouse was one of my favorites. You'd think around a house that big, with all the statuary and imposing buildings I would have captured a few more spooky pictures, but looking back this is really the only creepyish one worth sharing from the Biltmore itself.

The neatest thing I saw was this really nifty property near my aunt's with a road sign that reads "Hell for Certain," with a suit of armor (yes, that is a candy cane sticking out of his helmet).

Other highlights: we had dinner at the Grove Park Inn and I took the elevator up to the haunted floor, and we had a nighttime bear visit not once buy twice during our stay. Which was exciting, but terrifying when we finally caught sight of how BIG the guy was.

:) And that's how I spent my early-summer vacation.

Halloween Cocktails

Hostess Blog has some fantastic Halloween ideas, not the least of witch which are Halloween Cocktails.

I love a good drink; I love it more when it comes with a fantastic pun and a little bit of scare. :)

visitors

It seems I have some unwelcome visitors in the pumpkin patch.  And they're hungry.  Very hungry.

Potent Potter Potions (i.e. HP-themed Cocktails!)

I'm going to borrow heavily from the internet, because there are people out there with much better stocked cabinets than me and they have made some AMAZING Harry Potter-themed cocktails. I will not post other blogger's recipes here, but I will like out like crazy and give descriptions where appropriate.

ACCIO COCKTAILS!

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As this is by far the most ample selection of cocktails I have seen, we'll start with the drink stylings of one "Little Pink Blog," where there are whole themed posts on the subject.

The pictures alone are worth following one of all of the links below. I'm impressed, amazed, and will likely be having a Bellatrix Lestrange in honor of the movie this week:

from Little Pink Blog

DEATH EATERS COCKTAILS:

• Death Eater Cocktail - a caffeinated shot with an ominous red hue; sounds tasty
• The Bellatrix Lestrange - think creamy, chocolately vodka martini (see picture)
• The Lucius Malfoy - this is that rare combination of slightly manly but girl-drink friendly: it uses a mildly masculine liquor at its base, but a sweet citrus for mixer ... mmm...
• The Peter Pettigrew - rich, mouse-colored dessert-in-a-glass

THE GOBLET OF FIRE - CHAMPIONS COCKTAILS:

• The Goblet of Fire - FIRE DRINK! What more do you want?
• The Fleur Delacour - dainty and refreshing-looking
• The Viktor Krum - Beer-based and simple, yet intriguing 
• The Cedric Diggory - This is a must-try for me: kind of like a margarita, but without the tequila. Very tempting to see if it would layer with Blavod and call it a "Hufflepuff"

WIZARDING WORLD COCKTAILS:

• Butterbeer - an adult version of the popular Hogsmeade brew
• Firewhiskey - FIRE DRINK! And almost exactly what you'd expect from the name
• Pureblood - clear, sweet, bloody-looking drink that sounds delicious
• Mudblood - muddy, creamy, and (I can tell without even trying it) delightful

MY FAVORITES (not what the blog-author calls this page, but since that's exactly what we have here... my favorite characters minus Severus and Bellatrix... let's go with it!):

• Fred and George Weasley - look, if you are a fan of the brothers this is just brilliant -- the rimming "sugar" is inspired. 
• Luna Lovegood -- lovely, and includes Elderberry
• Neville Longbottom -- oh how I had hoped that Neville would be the one to kill Voldie! But he does well in this final installment, and he definitely deserves his own drink. Herbology-focused, just like my man Neville!
• Draco Malfoy - dirty martini -- very fitting, but I'm wondering if there is a way to work green in there... maybe some absinthe (yuck, but.. .you know?)

That girl is brilliant. That takes us to the end of our first stop on the Harry Potter Cocktail tour (and what a stop it was!).

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Next up is the Backyard Bartender, who puts a lot of thought behind the drinks created for the Potter cast of characters named in the post. I like that. It's lovingly thorough.

The Backyard Bartender Main Character Themed Drinks:

• Hermione Granger - I'm very Hermione-esque, so I guess it makes sense I would drool over a cocktail named in her honor; gin-based and  fruit-filled
• Ron Weasley - the poster describes this one as 'potent' and 'manly,' but a hit with the guys. It is red, and it sounds pretty intense... 
• The Harry Potter  - the one we've all been waiting for (and seriously, how did it take me this long to find someone blogging a drink with this name?), and it sounds well considered: like candy in a glass, but with just "a hint of something sinister" (to borrow the poster's phrase)

HISTORICAL BUTTERBEER

• Butterbeer - and not just any butterbeer, but a 400 year old butterbeer recipe; desribed in the blog as "hot, buttered heaven. Like liquid french toast..." Well, don't mind if I do, then!

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If you like theme parks (Disney/Universal) and drinking, Party Through the Parks wants to be your guide. As someone who enjoys those things, I am happy to let them walk me through some Harry Potter drinks that don't yet exist, but I can make at home.

Party Through the Parks Suggestions:

• Golden Pumpkin - warm and pumpkiny
• Pumpkin Cobbler - requires you to have/make pumpkin juice (a recipe is at the site linked above), but could be quite good!
• Potterpolitan - I'm noticing a Pumpkin theme developing here, and that makes me happy...
• Potterita - Margarita with Pumpkin juice? I could get into this!
• Hot Buttered Pumpkin - A drink that involves melting butter and will happily blow my diet
• Spiced Butterbeer - adding spiced rum to butterbeer isn't my personal cup of tea, but then I don't like cream soda

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And finally, some general witch-and-wizard appropriate fare:

Merlin's Love Potion

2 oz watermelon schnapps
1/2 oz lemon vodka
1/4 oz strawberry brandy
Read more: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink5511.html#ixzz1Rj2P0mJd

Polyjuice Potion

1 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 splash Coca-Cola®
Read more... the directions are important: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drinkrq15460.html#ixzz1Rj2wMnDa

Frisky Witch:

1 part black sambuca
1 part vodka

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Well, I hope you've all enjoyed this educational mixed drink journey as much as I have. Now, if you'll excuse me ... it's getting close to celebration time!

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UPDATE (7/15/2011) : For those who don't know that I sometimes post my blogs in advance... surprise! I do! Which, in this case, led to already being out-of-date. Little Pink Blog added some more niceties to enjoy...

THE HOUSES:

• Gryffindor House - sweet and rightly colored
• Hufflepuff House - sugary sweet, kind of like Hufflepuff... I still think we need a layered drink with some Blavod for them
• Ravenclaw House - Simple, clean, and full of blueberries!
• Slytherin House - a champagne drink with a little bit of a green tinge

THE TEACHERS:

• Albus Dumbledore  - I just wish this had a lemon drop in it somewhere...
• The Remus Lupin - Luxurious coffee drink; maybe a little rich for Remus, but it would surely delight me
• Minerva McGonagall - It uses tea! So nice for one of my favorite Hogwarts teachers
• The Severus Snape - hahaha. Bitters

OUR HEROES:

• The Rubeus Hagrid - Very fitting bit of beer and mixer for this big, lovable guy
• The Hermione Granger - Very ladylike drink with a touch of toughness
• The Ronald Weasley - A little too girly for Ron, if you ask me, but the drink sounds delicous
• The Sirius Black - Beautiful. Will have to give this one a try (while toasting my dearly departed Sirius)

THE BOY WHO LIVED, THE WIZARD WHO WOULD KILL HIM, AND SOME RELATED DRINKS:

• The Lord Voldemort - He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must have his own cocktails; and this one sounds like pure, delightful basilisk poison
• The Horcrux - 7 ingredient drink that sounds just dark enough to try 
• The Harry Potter - Apparently, the Boy-Who-Lived just begs for a sweet and creamy drink; sounds like something you'd enjoy on a trip to Hogsmeade
• The Golden Snitch - quick shot; maybe not my favorite, but see what you think?

DIY Spectrespecs

Luna is kind of my Harry Potter fashion hero.

Make your own Spectrespecs! They won't help you with the 3D, but they'll look really radical.

Little Pumpkin Pasties

Perfect for fall, Halloween, or a Harry Potter party, you should totally try to keep in mind the recipe for Little Pumpkin Pasties!

You will find no end of inspiration on the internet for this dish. Pumpkin Pasties are a stand-out food item in the Harry Potter series, IMHO because that sound darling and tasty. My particular version is envisioned as a sweet little snack with mild creamy punch, just bite-sized enough.

Here's the recipe, which makes about 24 pasties (up to 28 if you're thin with the dough):

• Step 1: Turn on the soundtrack to "Goblet of Fire," because HEY: Weird Sisters.
• Step 2: Spin around like a crazy elf
• Step 3: Bake

Filling:

• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1 TBS brandy (optional)
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1/2 cup (or a little less) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Whip cream cheese. Add brandy (if you are using it), whip some more. Add everything else and mix until fully combined. Filling fulfilled!

Pastry (or you could go pre-made route)

• 1.75 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp salt
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 3 tbl unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tbl cold water

Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the oil. Stir (or mush with your hands) until crumbly. Add milk and water, and mix until a nice dough forms

Roll out until thin (1/8" is typically recommended ... I just make it thin, but not unworkable). Using a large-ish biscuit cutter, cut out 24 - 28 circles.

Pre-heat over to 350 degrees F.

Dab 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp in the center of each circle of pastry dough. Wet the edge and fold over to make a half-circle; crimp the edge with the prongs of a fork to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 to 3 small slits for venting.

Place all pasties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them lightly with a mixture of whole egg and a pinch of salt (this will make them shiny), and bake for 30 minutes.

The outcome is a slightly sweet, slightly savory collection of pasties that will be eaten in two bites. If you like pumpkin pie and a mild cheesecake flavor, I think you'll enjoy them. :)

More Pasty Recipes from Around the Web!

• Britta.com (the original Potter-recipe place, at least for me) -- also found at The Leaky Cauldron -- and they sound GOOD
• The Geeky Chef -- practically the same as above. But with a really pretty picture.
• Diamonds for Dessert -- another with ingredients similar to the above (adapted from Geeky Chef, in fact, but this time with an illustrated guide to filling them!
• Dumbledore's Vegan Army - VEGAN, and slightly more savory
• Food.com - well rated, but not with many ratings. This one looks safe, if not a little like pumpkin-pie pockets
• Instuctables - I love it when Instructables does things.
• Anticraft - Anticraft does it in the round! Nice touch.
• Mugglenet - this version is probably the down-right easiest, as it uses canned Pumpkin Pie mix and pre-made pastry crust
• Good Food (?) - I don't even know what this site is, but BLESS THEM: this is a non-Harry Potter, non-American take on Pumpkin pasties. It has CHEESE and it is SAVORY and I am going to try it soon.

Mmm... I hope by this year's trip to Hogsmeade that the Three Broomsticks will add Pumpkin Pasties to the menu.

headless

I have a deep-seated fear of feathered creatures.  I wouldn't go so far as to call it a phobia.  More of an intense aversion.  The touch of feathers.  The flapping of wings.  The quick, arbitrary head movements.  Creepy.  I've long tried to isolate the origin of this aversion.  And I believe I have found it.

I lived for the first thirteen years of my life on what had been a farm. In a sense, it still was. Barns were still standing. Although many of them were rapidly falling into disrepair. Empty shells of their former selves. The days of the property's existence as a real farm, however, were over. They had ended with the death of my grandfather, two years before I was born.

The last animals to go were the chickens. I can remember the chickens. I can remember the barn they called home and the nests on which they sat. And while I would like to recall wonderful early childhood memories of feeding chickens and collecting eggs, it would be far from the truth. Instead, the memories I have of our chickens are traumatic ones. It would have been horrific enough just to bear witness to the headless bodies of chickens being brought into our house to have their feathers plucked. (I shudder to think of what I ate for dinner those nights). But the horror didn't end there.

The barn in which they lived was behind our house. Past the garage and across a small field. Easily within sight of the house. Not far. As a small child, I walked past the barn often. Even wandered inside occasionally. I watched the chickens as they sat on their long narrow nests. Clucking softly. Alas, they were not always so calm. So settled. So non-threatening.

I might have been standing just outside the barn door that day. I might have been simply walking past. I don't recall. I only recall that, suddenly, the barn door flew open and a horde of chickens rushed out. Obviously delighted to be outside. Free. Unsure where to run first. And run they did. All around me. I was surrounded within seconds. And I was terrified. Everywhere I turned, the creatures were there. Moving awkwardly. Clucking noisily. Flapping their feathery wings. Pecking for food. Seemingly oblivious to my presence. I couldn't move without brushing against them. Without feeling their thick feathery bodies pressing against me. I could see no means of escape. Except to push through a sea of chickens.

I eventually got past the chickens. But I have never gotten past the trauma. The touch of birds' feathers. The sudden gawky movements of their heads. The sound of flapping wings. All of these profoundly disturb me. I have been able to repress my fear over the years. Through careful avoidance. And by ensuring that any chicken I encounter no longer bears any resemblance to the terrifying creatures of my childhood.

But when I saw this article on one of my new favourite websites, it all came flooding back.  This is true horror.  Mike.  Mike is the face (or in his case, the headless body) of fear.  I may not sleep for a week.

Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

I broke down over the weekend and bought the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz after sitting at the bookstore thumbing through it for 45 minutes. I'd been avoiding this purchase for some time, and it turns out that was just silly of me.

My assumption was that this cookbook was going to be the something in the vein of the Star Wars Cook Book, which is to say: all gimmick and little substance.

That assumption was totally wrong!

Here is a book written by a true Potter fan who also likes to cook; it's just loaded with recipes to accompany every explicit food reference in all 7 stories! There are explanations about why she chose each recipe along with factoids on the food-stuff in question. What it lacks in pictures (which, incidentally, there is a page for on the website) it more than makes up for in thoroughness.

Are the recipes any good? That I'm not sure yet. So far they look heavily researched, so I'm going to assume it's full of solid and tasty starting points, but not seared with true foodie panache. The book was worth it to me if for nothing but it's thoroughness.

Expect some Pottery treats, posted soon to a blog near you!

We Are On Harry Potter Lockdown, Witches!

You best be respectin', because it is Harry Potter Countdown Week, and I am ALL IN.

There will be SNAPE. And lightening SCARS. And PARSELTONGUE. And sexy, sexy BELLATRIX LESTRANGE. There may even be some WIZARD PEOPLE, DEAR READERS as part of the self-inflicted pre-show.

And I will be reading DAN BLOGS HARRY POTTER all, week, long, yo, (!). Dan is pictured, and I did not know until last Thursday that he was starting up this particular blog series.

How stoked am I?! The man who gave us the laugh-riot that was "Blogging Twilight" now approaches, comedically but respectfully, Potter-mania.

And I'm gonna be reading it. Because this coming Friday: I'll be crying my eyes out. Bring me the laughter, Dan!

Showing Off (Sweet New Key Chain -- Mathematical!)

♫ Oh Marceline, why are you so mean? ♫


♫ I'm not mean, I'm a thousand years old and I've just lost track of my moral code... ♫


Some days cool things happen to me: one of those days last week, someone gave me a Marceline the Vampire Queen key chain.

Excellent! A super-sweet key chain featuring my favorite character from Adventure Time with Finn and Jake (on Cartoon Network, Mondays at 8/7c).

Since you did not get this radical keychain, the best I can offer you is the place to get downloadable, printable paper toys:
Adventure Time Cutouts


Shameless plug for an awesome show? Maybe. But seriously you guys, this is a cool one. And new episodes start tomorrow night.

antidote

After all the complaining I've done about the cold, wet, miserable spring and early summer we've had, I'm happy to say that the weather has done a complete reversal. The past week has been almost unbearably hot and humid. So I still get to complain about the summer weather, just for different reasons.


And the perfect antidote to all this heat and humidity?

A journey to Michaels to wander through their emerging autumn merchandise.

So far, it still appears that glitter will be dominant this season.  But there also appears to be an abundance of feathers . . .

Crochet Mummy Gloves

Oh oh look! Crochet mummy fingerless gloves.

I wish my crochet ideas were this good. I also wish this wasn't distracting me from my current crochet project (a blanket for my father in law... wooooo, boring).

Halloween Cookies in a Jar

Cookies in a jar make cutesy gifts, and what holiday deserves gifts more than everyone's favorite (Halloween)?

Halloween Cookies in a Jar

And it comes with free printable labels for the jars!!

Realistic Spiders

Quick! Everyone needs to stop what you are doing RIGHT NOW and make one of these for the Frog Queen.

She'll love it: trust me. :) Just don't tell her I gave you the idea, okay? And maybe leave off your return address when you send it her way...

(Thank you, Intructables.)

Pudding Cauldrons

Instructables has a great project for Pudding Cauldrons.

Balloons, pretzels, black candy melts, pudding and food coloring... and you're good to go. Rad, no?

Summer Break Time - Vintage Beach Picture

It's July and time for me to take my Summer break.  I'll be back shortly with more Halloween fun.   

maybe He won't notice

It's not that things don't look promising in the pumpkin patch.  They do.  Eight plants have sprouted and they look healthy. I have every reason to feel optimistic.

But then . . . I was at my local garden centre on the weekend.  Taking advantage of some discounts.  And I saw them.  There on the vegetable shelf.  Between the tomato plants and the summer squash.  A few remaining pumpkin plants. A bit tired and pale.  But certainly capable of surviving.  Maybe even thriving.  I had seen them earlier in the season of course. When they were more plentiful.  But I passed them by then, preferring to begin this year's pumpkin adventure directly from seed.

Now, however, I began to have second thoughts.  They appeared to have a head start on the recently sprouted plants in my yard.  It wouldn't hurt to buy a few.  For added variety. And to increase my chances of pumpkin success.  They were smaller varieties.  But then again, my "large" pumpkins didn't grow particularly large last year. So four new plants accompanied me home.

I hope the Great Pumpkin doesn't interpret this as a lack of sincerity.

Harry Potter Pole Dance

Pole Dance to "Harry Potter and the Half-Dub Remix" by Terabyte Frenzy.

Safe. but not suitable, for work:

Crispy Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Hypothetical conversation that could be happening RIGHT NOW for all we know:

Party Goer 1: Hey! Who brought the delightful, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookies?
Party Goer 2: Are they oatmeal with chocolate and/or other non-raisin-y goodness?
Party Goer 1: It would seem so.
Party Goer 2: Are they on a skull plate?
Party Goer 1: Why, yes!
Party Goer 2: Hmm... that's a tough one.

Mmm... oatmeal cookies are my favorite. And I hate, hate, hate fruit it my cookies. So 4th of July Party means I get to make the darned cookies as I danged well please. Take that, sunny holiday of patriotic origins!

Ingredients

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbs granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup toffee Chunks
• 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 2 tbs flax seeds

Directions

1. Cream butter, then add sugars using an electric beater
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla
3. Whisk dry ingredients together (except toffee, chocolate, flax seeds and almonds) then beat into the butter mixture
4. Lick the beater (be sure to wash it before you use it again)
5. Stir in almonds, chocolate, flax seeds, and toffee
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
7. Refrigerate batter for a minimum of 30 minutes
8. Bake 16 minutes, cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then move to cooling racks to cool completely

Harry Potter Wedding Theme

I don't know why a Harry Potter wedding has never occurred to me before, but it simply hasn't. (go to that link right away if you don't believe it could be stunning)

Any manner of dress would do, from a Fleur-imitation to your customary bridal gown decked out with an elegant accessory (say, a Golden Snitch Necklace? Tell me that isn't gorgeous):

The wands are a great thank you gift for guests, or you could make little broomstick treat bags:

At the reception, you could have hanging candles -- reminiscent of those floating ones in the great hall:

• Another Great Harry Potter Themed Wedding
• More Inspiration for an HP Wedding
• Just for fun: check out Pottervore to get inspiration for clothing and accessories to all those pre-wedding parties