3c flour (I use rice flour)
4tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp grated nutmeg
1c sugar or other sweetened
4Tbsp ground flaxseeds  (or sub with 2 eggs, or do a mixture of both)
1.5c water
2.5c pureed pumpkin
1c raisins or choc chips (I used carob chips)

Oven to 350F. Mix first 7 ingredients and set aside. blend flaxseeds and 1 cup water on high in blender for 1 to 2 minutes. add to dry ingredients along with pumpkin, the rest of the water, and raisins or choc chips.
 Stir until just mixed. Spoon into lightly sprayed/oiled muffin tin. Bake 20-30 minutes or until top of muffin springs back when pressed lightly. Let stand a few minutes in muffin tin. Place on rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container. 
Delish!!

**flax seeds are very high in fiber, so if you are not used to having high fiber, use sparingly. They don't affect you like bran though.  They are very good for you, high in omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Cause the stores are full of crap....

fortunately, this mama is crafty, and we are opting for the buy-as-little-as-we-can-to-pacify-the-extended-families.  With the world wide web at my fingertips, I have found websites on recycling and crafting just about any ol household object and/or container.

The kids and I got inspired, made a trip to the Dollar Tree, helping to condone exploiting third world country laborers to get our bargains on, then to Michael's to get some really pricey Sharpies.

What do you get when you mix plastic soda bottle, markers, and a hairdryer?  Really awesome, funky beads for the ahem, KIDS to make into necklaces to give to friends.  Kids didn't fight ONCE. It's worth a few hours of no battles to thrash the kitchen.

The money we saved today on avoiding buying useless junk to throw at family for the holidays I blew on gluten-free pizza delivered to my door.  My lazy ass is now nearly comatose from the carb rush.  Coffee sounds good.

Dressing up like a pirate for Halloween is cheating.  I already own the Ren Faire garb, just add some shiny tall boots, some black eyeliner and a black scarf to my head and tada! Sexy pirate with boobs up to here.
Butterbean is going as Snow White, and Squirrelygirl is going as Supergirl. We are hitting a small town carnival, where I hope the amount of FUN STUFF TO DO by far exceeds the amount of CAVITY CAUSING CANDY given out.  Would it be weird to wear my pirate outfit the day before Halloween too?  Maybe drizzle it in rum for authenticity?