Candy Cane Cake Mix Cookies

The other day I had a craving for cookies! Actually just some kind of baked good. I wanted to bake something but didn't want to work too hard at it. I've had this boxed yellow cake mix in my cupboard for a while. I've been seeing a lot of "cake mix" cookie recipes on Pinterest. So I thought I would try my hand at making some. I honestly didn't think they would be as good as they turned out to be! Yum! Yes, they are from a pre-packaged, processed, boxed cake mix. But if you are looking for a quick easy cookie recipe just try it out!

Everything I used in these cookies I had on hand. I just improvised! That's what makes these so great! You can substitute your favorite add-ins to make them your own.

I used 1 box of yellow cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter, 2 eggs, and about half a package of Hershey's Candy Cane kisses. (I didn't use the regular chocolate chips that are in this picture)

I put the kisses in my food processor to chop them up. (They will chop easier at room temperature.) I dumped the cake mix in a bowl, added the eggs and melted butter and mixed it up. Then I added the chopped Candy Cane kisses.

Melody helped stir!

Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Don't let them get too brown or they will end up too chewy.

You can't eat just one!

Candy Cane Cake Mix Cookies

Makes about 42 cookies

Ingredients:

I box yellow cake mix

1 stick butter, melted (unsalted)

2 eggs

1/2 package of Hershey's Candy Cane kisses- chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl, mix cake mix, melted butter, and eggs. Add chopped candy cane kisses and mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Enjoy!

WIAW- What I eat when the hubby isn't home...

My husband is what you could call a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy. All of his meals must have a meat! This can get a little expensive with groceries! So when he goes out of town or isn't home for dinner, I will usually take that opportunity to make a meatless dinner.

When hubby went hunting a couple weekends ago, I decided to make a veggie pasta. Being 8 months pregnant, I like quick, easy meals! I can say I have digressed to more pre-packaged foods than I am usually comfortable with. I honestly just am way too tired by the end of the day to do all the work of making meals from scratch! This meal however was super easy, I used a bag of frozen mixed veggies (steam bag variety), some linguine, and made a simple cream sauce to go over it all. Yum!

Speaking of pre-packaged foods... On the first night DH was gone, we had a "girls' night" and made some brownies from a box mix. Mind you, I haven't made a box brownie mix since before I was married! I forgot how simple they are. Melody helped stir the brownie batter!

I recently acquired a new cook book... The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I have made a couple different recipes so far from this book. It is not a "light", or "healthy recipes" cook book. They aren't necessarily unhealthy recipes but they are definitely "meat and potatoes" types of recipes. I was looking for something different for breakfast and came across the recipe for Migas. I didn't have all the veggies she puts in hers so I improvised a little and just used onions. I'm sure they would be much better the correct way but these were still awesome!

Another thing we eat when hubby isn't home is left-overs! This was yet another Pioneer Woman recipe, Chicken Spaghetti. This recipe made a TON of food for our little family! It was so creamy and good!

Yes, yes I did! While at my dad's house, I heard the notorious sound of the ice cream man coming down the street... Melody had never experienced the awesomeness of this wondrous event! So, of course, being the good mom I am, I had to introduce her! And also get my favorite ice cream, the ninja turtle with gumball eyes!

Do you eat differently when your significant other isn't home?

-Don't forget to link up for WAIW!!

Baby Shower!- Part two of last month's happenings

We wanted to get Melody's new room finished before my baby shower. We were having it at our house this time. It was actually the first time we held a large gathering at our own home! We have had most of our other parties at my in law's house! Thanks guys! I thought it was time we grew up a little and did this on our own. Getting our little home ready for as many people as we have in our family was definitely time consuming! My husband had to clean up the back yard and garage, while I had to get the inside ready. Thank goodness we finished Melody's new room in time! The party turned out great, and we all had a blast! My mom and a friend helped me decorate and cook, which was a big help! I guess I will just let you take a gander at some of the pictures to see for yourself!

We found this cake at Sam's Club! I was going to make my own but I decided this would be easier! I did make chocolate cupcakes though. (yes, from a box mix, don't judge me!)

I love this picture! We played a few games and to settle a tie this is how my family handled it! I'm telling you, we know how to have a good time!

Because our family is so large, there are a lot of kids! So we decided to rent a bounce house. What a good idea! They all had a blast, especially Melody! Here she is bouncing away. For the next week she kept asking to go outside and "bounsh!" 

The cutest little cowboy boots!

My mother in law got us this swing and bouncer in one. I'm excited to try this thing out! It's already put together in my living room.

Here is me, my mom, my Aunt Vickie, and my Grandma Brenda

And for good measure a pregnant belly pic!

And after much deliberation... the baby's name will be Lyric William. I don't know why it took us so long to decide what to name this baby! I swear we had Melody's name picked out before we even knew I was pregnant!

Overall, the party was awesome! A whole lot of work for a pregnant girl, but awesome none the less. To be honest, the clean up process didn't start until two days later. I needed to take a day to rest! I would have loved to make more of the food from scratch and not processed box mixes, but I figured I didn't want to over work myself. I can definitely say, what I did do, was enough. 

Thank you to everyone who came and also everyone who helped make my shower amazing!

I'm Back!- part one of last month's happenings

Yes, I know I've been gone from the blog scene for about the last month. I'm sorry! There were just more important things to attend to. Plus being 8 months pregnant is pretty tiring on it's own! So I decided to focus my attention elsewhere and give blogging a break.

I am happy to say I am back now, though. I know you missed me! (Insert sarcasm) I don't get as many nap times anymore, though, so my posts may be slightly sporadic at least for the next couple months. (Yes, I am blogging during a much needed toddler nap time! Praise the Lord!) I would like to fill you in on what has gone on in the last month. (Seriously I have been busy!)

We finally got Melody's new big girl room put together and she is in there 24-7 now! I no longer have a living room full of toys! Well, not all the time anyways. DH scraped the popcorn ceiling, and then we painted the whole room, put in a fan and new blinds.

In the midst of painting

I also refinished her new toddler bed and dresser. The toddler bed was pre-owned and purchased a few months ago and the dresser was also pre-owned and gifted to us by a friend.

Dresser before, and after

Toddler bed before, and after

Here is the end result. (I didn't have the dresser in the room yet in these pictures)...

And how does Melody like her new bed? Well she is adjusting... She took her first nap in her toddler bed last week. That same night we were able to get her to sleep over night in it. The second night she slept the whole night as well. Since then she has been back and forth. Some nights she wakes up and wants to get in our bed. I have been trying different things to get her to stay in her bed the whole night. I put up a baby gate on her door at night so she can't just run down the hall to our room. When she wakes up I've tried to sit with her until she goes back to sleep, that didn't work. I tried reading to her again but that involves turning the light on, which wakes her up more. Then I tried turning on her little tv with a movie with the volume on low. (It wasn't my first choice, believe me. But at 8 months pregnant I was trying anything just to get sleep!) That worked but she woke up a few more times that night and woke up early that morning. I just think she wasn't able to get to a good deep sleep with the tv on. (I know I can't) Last night seemed to be better. (Or I could have just gotten lucky!) I heard her wake up and immediately went to her room BEFORE she got out of bed. I tucked her back in, gave her her dolls, and turned on her pillow pet night light (Dream Light, she loves that thing!) . I went back to bed and she went back to sleep until 7am! Hopefully she gets better and more comfortable. As for naps, well that's give or take. Some days she will and some days she wont. I still try to put her in her room with the lights low and a movie on so she can at least "take a rest". We both need our alone time for a little bit! I am trying to come to terms that maybe my 21 month old just is done with naps.

Did your toddler give up naps at an early age?