Cake Mix Lemon Cookies

Cake Mix Lemon Cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter

3 oz cream cheese

2 large eggs

1/3 cup King Arthur’s flour

1 box Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix

1 cup Ghirardelli white chocolate chips

Powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Tin foil cookies sheet with non-stick tin foil.

Melt butter and cream cheese in microwave for 30 seconds.

In the mixing bowl pour in cake mix and flour. Add melted butter and cream cheese.

Mix briefly – Just a minute or 2. Add eggs and mix well.

Add 1 cap full of orange extract and mix for another minute or 2.

Add chocolate chips and mix.

Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl of powdered sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 -10 minutes or until the tops look set. Bottoms will be light brown. Let cool before removing from pan. Makes about 24 cookies

Snow-Topped Chocolate Mint Cookies

Our family volunteered for several summers, taking in Japanese students from a student exchange program. Our older daughters were taking Japanese language classes at college during this time.

This is a family favorite cookie recipe from 2008 translated from Japanese.

Kris Krinkles (or Snow-Topped Chocolate Mint Cookies)
2 C. mint semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 ½ C. flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
confectioner’s sugar

1. In microwave, melt 1 c. chocolate chips: set aside to cool.
2. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate chips and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Stir remaining chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls, then roll in confectioners sugar. Place 2 inches apart on non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 10-12 min. or until edges are set.

Cool for 10 min. before moving.

Chilly Morning Tea Time

I have bee playing with tea the last couple of months. My current favorite is the above!

One tea bag of each, seep in my favorite cup, add some milk. It was prefect this morning.

S’more Cookies – For a Fall Day

I found a great little recipe I want to share.

I used it to make S’more Cookies, but I have also used it with other bags
of yummy add – in from the baking isle like the Andres Mints bits and the Butterfinger Bites, Mini M & M’s.

Basic Cookie Mix (to add stuff to)
½ C soft butter
2/3 C white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 Bag Hershey S’mores for Baking

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Tin foil cookie she with non-stick tinfoil.
In large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Add vanilla and mix well.
Add baking soda, salt and flour. Mix until creamy. Add your yummy candy of choice and mix.
Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 24 (2 dozen).

Glorious Saturday

I am stuck home today. The 2009 Kia Rondo had a breakdown. I had to leave it at the mechanic until next week.
The air conditioning compressor went out. On this car, it can not be by passed. I am not sure I would want to – the heat is on here in the central valley, California. 100+ days until October.

My husband had mandatory over time (and we can use the cash for the car repairs) and took the other car.

I spent time outside early this morning cleaning up two flower beds Henrietta clawed and pecked through.

Here she is looking at me like I am the cause of the problem.

We went to the California State Fair last week. I found out Henrietta is a Blue Gold Duckwing Phoenix.

The fair was fun as always!

We celebrated 2 more birthdays this week. Lots of cake and cheesecake too!

Henrietta

That is what we named the above chicken.

She arrived early one morning, just flew over the fence and there she was.

I checked with the neighbor who has pet chickens thinking she had ran away.

The neighbor came over to get her, stopped and said “My chickens are white”.

We waited 2 days to see if she would stay. I gave her a bowl of water right away and she ate all the snail and slugs and other bugs she seemed to like.

We went to the Tractor Supply store and bought her laying feed. We looked at coops and enclosures. I just don’t have the heart to fence her in. My flower beds are suffering for it. Right now she is sleeping in the apple tree at night. We will probably get a coop before the rain and winter get in full swing.

Henrietta lays eggs. They are a white/light cream color and small.

She has gotten used to us. We are in our yard a lot and she no longer runs away and even gets fairly close to us if we stand still.

I have always wanted chickens. 13 years now I have had thought of chickens but would push it out of my mind.

Everyone loves her. My husband has made it his job to collect the eggs on the weekend.

I hope she stays. We have no idea where she came from.