Cake Mix Cookies!!

My girls helped make ginormous devil's food cake mix cookies with mini chocolate chips this morning. Super easy and especially budget friendly when the cake mix is on sale for less than $1.00. I try to always have a few boxes in my pantry.

BASIC RECIPE:
Cake mix + 1/2 cup oil + 2 eggs.

Mix in chocolate chips, nuts, whatever you want.

DIRECTIONS: Scoop with an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure and place on parchment lined cookie sheet (I use a silicon mat). Flatten to 1/2 in thick w/ the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Leave plenty of space - I put 6 cookies per baking sheet. Bake @ 350* for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

They go from smallish on the left to HUGE on the right:

They make great cookies for ice cream sandwiches. The cookie stays crispy in the freezer & does not get soggy.

This recipe is so versatile! Any flavor cake mix works. I've done spice mix and added finely shredded carrots & made "Carrot Cake" whoopsie pies using a cream cheese frosting as the filling. I've also used red velvet cake mix and dipped the cookies in melted chocolate then dipped them in crushed candy canes for a fun holiday cookie. And you can use any size scoop, just watch the time for smaller cookies.

Leftover Spuds

I had a leftover baked potato in the fridge and some leftover bacon from breakfast - these two were crying out to be united... So I obliged! Sliced up the tater, topped it with cheddar cheese & said bacon, then zapped it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Topped it with sour cream & BBQ sauce. And TA-DA - lunch!! I felt the need to for some sort of healthy addition and thus the handful of cherry tomatoes.

Monday Morning Breakie

 
I like simple.  I also like embellishment. I guess I am a little schizophrenic that way.  This morning while my oldest two were munching their preferred breakfast of choice, cold cereal, I was pondering something different. The question at hand was "What can I do with a toaster waffle?" Here is the labor of all that thinking...

multi-grain waffles + 
non-fat strained yogurt + 
blueberries + 
strawberries + 
a sprinkle of brown sugar = 
_________________________

TASTES like SUMMER!!