Soft and Sweet

 

I love the one for one rule. 

When somebody brings you a treat, you take them a treat upon returning their serving dish.  To me it’s always a chance to try to new recipe!  So upon returning my friend’s dish that was given to me stacked with Chocolate Chip Cake, I replenished it with Soft Sugar Cookies.

Although I am not a huge cookie fan, I have been eyeing several different versions of this recipe for the pillowy soft, thick, sugar cookies for a while and couldn’t wait to try it out.  The recipe seemed super easy – and it didn’t disappoint.  I would make these over and over again!

 

 

Soft Sugar Cookies

Print this recipe!

1 18 oz box white cake mix with pudding in the mix*
2/3 cup flour
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 T sour cream (I used reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together cake mix and flour.  Add eggs, oil and sour cream and mix on medium speed until incorporated.  Batter will be fairly stiff. 

Use a cookie scoop or roll into approximately one inch balls and bake on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.  This will help keep the bottoms of the cookies from browning. 

Use your fingers lightly dusted with flour to gently flatten cookies to about a half inch thick.  You don't want the bottoms to be browned or you've over baked these.  Bake approximately ten minutes until just set.  Let cool about one minute on the pan and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Frost with desired frosting when cooled (I used store bought vanilla frosting for convenience).

 

 

*it will say there is pudding in the mix on the front of the box (however usually in small print!).

 

Top with sprinkles or use food coloring in the frosting for a more festive feel!

 

Enjoy!

Birthday Cake

If you were to ask me what my favorite birthday dessert was, I don’t know if I’d have an answer.  I like desserts, but I don’t have a “go to” recipe that I have to have as my birthday cake.

As I got to work yesterday, however, I did have a pretty darn good “birthday cake” waiting on me from my co-worker Monica.  This recipe came from her family cookbook that I blogged a couple of months ago.  Well, this Chocolate Chip Cake recipe is her family’s go-to dessert (they have this instead of pies at Thanksgiving) and I couldn’t wait to get home and try a piece.

The verdict?  Amazing.  It’s the perfect balance of sweetness and cake-i-ness and unbelievably moist; and yes, I still hate that word, but there’s no other way to describe this cake. I can’t wait to make this to take to my next gathering – it got rave reviews in our household!  Thanks Monica!


Chocolate Chip Cake
Print this recipe!
1 box yellow cake mix
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 C oil
1 bar German chocolate
1 (6oz) pkg. chocolate chips
1 C. water Grate chocolate in blender or grater. In bowl, place cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil and water. Mix 5 minutes. Fold in with spatula, 1/2 of grated chocolate, all the chips. Pour in 9x13 cake pan and bake 45 min at 350. Pour remaining grated chocolate over cake and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Menu Monday

Happy Monday!

After a relaxing weekend I am officially getting geared up for Christmas!  I did a bit of shopping yesterday while Mike was fishing (he caught 15 fish!) and wrapped a few presents while listening to Christmas music.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

As I turn 32 years and our baby turns 29 weeks (in utero) I am so thankful for all of the blessings I have.  Thanks to all for the birthday wishes - I know this will be a great year!!!



M:  Chicken Pesto Pizza
T: South Africa Farewell/Birthday Dinner
W: Pot Roast Baked Potatoes
Th:  Cheesy Ham & Broccoli Noodle Casserole
F:  Palatka Christmas Party!
Sa:  Creamy Veggie Pasta
Su:  Sausage Bean Soup w/ Rice

Have a great week!

Just Click Print

 

Nursery planning is so fun, but can also get very expensive very quickly!

We really have repurposed most of the items in our nursery, (with the exception of our “rocker” and crib – thanks dad!)including the dresser/changing table, frames, lamp, mirror, etc.  However, with Etsy being one of my favorite online shopping sites for unique items, the nursery wall art/prints seemed to be becoming my weakness. 

After I ordered this print for above the crib, I knew that I couldn’t order many more.

 

 

 

They were all so cute, yet getting expensive as I was making my wish list.  At around $20-$25 a piece, I wanted to find a better, more cost efficient way to decorate the nursery walls – and then I found it. 

Digital prints.  Mostly free.  Easy peasy.

 

 

I came about it as I was searching Etsy one night and found this “print” (above) listed for $4.50.  I love the book Where the Wild Things Are and knew that this had to go in the nursery…and wondered why it was so inexpensive.  It just so happened that it was a digital print that would be emailed to me to print on my own printer.   In essence, that meant no wait time and no shipping costs.  Double score.

I ordered it and fell in love with the idea of finding more digital prints.  I started searching online using Pinterest and Google and ended up finding much more than just inexpensive digital prints…I found tons of free options!

From kitchen prints to many, many nursery options I was hooked!

Most of the websites offer the free printables, with some of them asking you to sign up to their blog and verify your email before granting you access (which only takes a second).  I just save them on my computer and simply click print.  It’s literally as easy as that.

Here are some examples that I have found so far (websites listed below):

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Crafter

Questionable Domestique

Anything But Perfect

MR Printables

TipNut

Over The Big Moon

Sprik Space

 

 

Check out this Christmas subway print that I printed to go in our kitchen (above).  The site Simple Crafter has every season/holiday available so you can just switch out the print for each occasion – all completely free!  I just backed my print with some leftover gingham fabric and love the final result!  It’s so festive!

 

Another way to create custom prints for free is by using Wordle.  I heard of Wordle for the first time at a teaching conference a few summers ago and love it.  You can type in any words you want and make this collage in any color, font orientation you want.  They are so fun.

 

 

 

You can really put any text you want in the box and create a custom piece of art.  I did both of these in about 5 minutes.  I love them – for any occasion!

 

 

 

One of my favorite finds from MR Printables.  A is not only for Alexander…also for adventure!  This print looks even better in a frame that my maternal grandfather “Pop” made. It will definitely have a special place in the nursery!

 

 

 

Have a great weekend full of fun and creating!