chocolate fudge cookies

i was going thru my printed recipe binder yesterday & found this. luckily, i have the exact cake mix on hand so i went ahead & baked.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz) package devil's food cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a bowl, stir cake mix, eggs & oil until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls & place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
2. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated oven @ 350F. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

after i took the cookies out of the oven, i added more chocolate chips on top.

hmmmm! chocolate rush! chocolate overload! one bite & i'm done. don't get me wrong. it's good [but just too sweet for me]. maybe next time i'll try a different chocolate cake mix [like dark chocolate].

my shopping brag bag [3]

days go by so fast when the weather gets warm. march felt like spring & summer this year. and as a result, winter clearance items came early as well.

these were my clearance finds:

@ Target

*girl's ankle boots - $6.88 [70% off]

*women's sweater tights - $0.60 each [after $3/1 tpc] (orig price $12)

@ Kohl's

got this gift card in the mail

*girl's sundress - $2.99 [after $10 gift card] (orig price $26)

i also received a $10 *printable coupon in my email

*girl's leggings, denim pants & cargo pants - $1.00 [after $10 pc*] (orig price $55)

@ Macy's

*junior girl's faux fur sleeveless vest - $2.98 (orig price $34.99)

*junior girl's knit sweater - $7.99 [orig price $29.99]

*junior girl's knit tights - $3.99 [orig price $19.50]

*2 women's tights - $4.99 each [orig price $20]

*women's ankle boots - $12.15 [orig price $49]

*girl's sweater - $2.98 [orig price $19.99]

*girl's ear muffs - $2.99 [orig price $14.98]

*girl's winter hat - $3.48 [orig price $16.98]

and my grocery savings:

@ Walmart

*3 huggies slip on diapers - $7.97 each [after $1.50/1 mic]

*4 glade air freshener - free [after $2/2 mic]

*1 pampers soft care wipes 72 ct - $1.22 [after $0.75/1 mic]

*1 reynolds wrap 85 sq ft (heavy duty aluminum foil) = $1.98 [after $1.50/1 mic]

@ Target

*3 huggies pull-ups = $7.49 [after $2/1 tpc]

*1 huggies pull-ups (night time) = $7.49 [after $2/1 target catalina]

*3 pamper's soft care wipes 72 ct = $1.22 each [after $0.75/1 mic]

*4 up & up facial tissue 100 ct = $0.49 each [after $.50/1 tpc]

*2 reynolds wrap 50 sq ft (100 recycled aluminum foil) = $1.49 each [after $1.50/1 mic]

> mic - manufacturer's internet coupon (coupons.com)

> tpc - target printable coupon

checkout my brags from previous months

|january| |february|

my homemade applesauce

all the healthy pancakes & muffins i cooked & baked always included applesauce. and i'm proud to say, i make my own applesauce. it's very easy to prepare and i'll show you how....

ingredients:

6 lbs gala apples (16 medium sized), cubed & washed

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon juice

put all ingredients in a crockpot & cook on high for 2-4 hours. stir occasionally. [that's it!]

after the applesauce cools down, place it in quart size freezer bags [each contains 2 cups]. store in the freezer.

DIY - upcycled wipes container (yarn dispenser)

QUESTION:

what's the solution for a ball of yarn that was strewn all over the place by a two year old?

ANSWER:

an empty wipes container, a pair of scissors & self-adhesive paper (or any paper)

and there you have it.

my quick, easy, eco-friendly solution

yarn dispenser

french toast

french toast was the very first breakfast that hubby cooked for me. he prefers it over pancakes because it's easier & faster to prepare. but this doesn't mean i cook it everyday though. this is our favorite brunch treat on a lazy weekend.

serve hot, top with fruits & drizzle with warm maple syrup. and of course, the beloved bacon on the side. no wonder hubby loves french toast.

DIY - gift wrapping in a minute

crumpled brown paper + green crepe paper + white ribbon = gift wrapping in a minute [or less] =)

chocolate chip cookies

wowee! i finally bought a kitchenaid mixer! all that baking i did last christmas "triggered" my need for a better mixer. i'm so excited to use it. and per hubby's request, i made him his favorite - chocolate chip cookies (kitchenaid recipe).

ingredients:

1 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c (2 sticks) butter - softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsps vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 c all-purpose flour

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

directions:

1. place sugars, butter, eggs & vanilla in mixer bowl. mix for about one minute & scrape the sides of the bowl.

2. gradually add baking soda, salt & flour to the mixture & stir for 2 minutes. scrape bowl & add chocolate chips. stir for another 15 seconds.

3. drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. in a preheated oven, bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes. remove from baking sheet immediately & cool on wire racks.

note to self: next time, make the cookies smaller. other than this minor glitch, the cookies were perfect & approved by hubby.

******update march 26, 2012******

i made another batch today & my cookies were impeccable! see for yourself....

and the taste & texture? hubby can't hide his excitement & kept saying: "this is it! this is it!" he likes it thin & a little chewy in the middle.

my additional tips:

-> butter should be in room temperature (between 60-70F) for about 12 hours or more

-> scoop a teaspoon of dough, anything more will make the cookies puffy

-> don't overcrowd the dough since there won't be enough room for each cookie to spread

-> watch your oven closely as temperatures vary [this batch was done in 6 minutes only]