Lynn's 15-Minute Cake Batter Cookies

This is such a smart concept, and one that I wouldn't have learned about if not for my co-worker Lynn's southern hospitality when she brought a batch of cake-batter cookies into work one day. Now, I love cookies as much as the next person, but I typically stop at one. I ate four with no remorse. These things are delicious! Cake-batter cookies are fast, easy, and strike just the right chord between the tastiness of cake and the portability of cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 box of cake mix (any kind; I recommend Pillsbury Funfetti mix to start with)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together cake mix, oil, and eggs thoroughly.
3. Take spoonful-sized lumps of your newly-made dough and place on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Unlike cookie dough, cake-batter cookies will not become golden on the top when they are ready, so use a toothpick through the center of a cookie to test if it is baked thoroughly. Bakes 18-20 cookies.

These cookies will be softer then an average cookie when they come out of the oven, so be sure to give them plenty of cooling time! Then enjoy. 

 
Lynn also suggests the following variations: yellow cake mix with chocolate chips and pecans; devil's food cake mix with white chocolate chips; and red velvet cake mix with cream cheese frosting.

Be well!
Laura

Chalkboard Paint

I finally bought some chalkboard paint and have had many fun ideas! Two easy ones were my bulk food jar labels and my charging station labels.

Materials:

Chalkboard paint

Chalk

Painters tape

Paintbrush

Almost any surface you can paint on!

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Step One:

-Tape off label area-

This is my charging station box, which is actually a ribbon box from the Container Store.

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Step Two:

-Paint two coats of chalkboard paint in taped off area (wait one hour between coats)-

-Let paint dry for 24 hours and slowly peel off tape-

My bulk food jars

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Step Three:

-To "condition" the chalkboard area, rub entire piece with chalk and wipe away-

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Step Three:

Label away!

Charging station

&

Bulk food jars

I love chalkboard paint.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken

I have a 2-qt slow cooker and have had to adopt many of my favorite recipes to its size. This dish consists of a few simple ingredients to create an amazingly flavorful and filling meal for two!

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Ingredients

Two organic chicken breasts

Teriyaki sauce

One can pineapple chunks

Red pepper flakes

Powdered ginger

Garlic powder

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Always remember to spray your slow cooker with oil first (I prefer canola)

Place chicken breasts into cooker, pour teriyaki sauce over chicken until almost covered

Pour entire can of pineapple chunks (including juice) over chicken

If cooker is not at least half full, add more teriyaki sauce or water (remember to fill it between 1/2" and 3/4" from the top)

Sprinkle spices on top of pineapples to taste (I add equal amounts of each, about a teaspoon)

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Set on LOW for 6 - 8 hours

When it's done I shred the chicken in the pot with a fork and serve it over Quinoa!

xox Enjoy xox

I've Been Locked Inside Your Heart-Shaped Box for Weeks...

Inspired by a little lyric by Nirvana I thought of a cute idea for another Valentine's Day gift. Using a heart shaped box (found at any craft store) as a container for messages to each other, this is a gift that keeps on giving. You could fill it with messages your partner could read all on Valentine's, or give the box as an invitation to fill throughout the year then read them on a special day like an anniversary (or any day you need a little mood boost - what better way than to read all the unique reasons why you are loved!).

You could decorate the box anyway that reflects your relationship, like adding special dates or significant places. I like collages so I used the magazine I have stacks of and started cutting! I used Mod Podge to glue it all on, then carefully sliced a slit in the top for messages to be inserted after the Mod Podge was dry. Lots of room for personalization with this one :)

Materials

Cut cut cut! Glue Glue Glue!

Careful slicing!

Date of first kiss? Where you met? Favorite meal? Photos of each other?

I love you because........

xoxoxo