Sleeping Through Surprises

Tonight was supposed to be my surprise birthday dinner with Ryan. I knew we had dinner reservations somewhere,  but Ryan wasn’t telling me where until tonight. 

After our drive back to Orlando, I was pooped. I think my lack of sleep from last night really caught up to me because while Ryan was watching the Bulls game, I fell asleep on the couch.   

About 20 minutes before we were supposed to head out the door, Ryan woke me up and asked if I wanted to go out to dinner still to celebrate. I felt exhausted and we both decided that a night in would suit us better. 

I went back to sleep for a bit and when I woke up Ryan said, “Dinner is baking.” 

He then turned his lap top toward me to show me the Domino’s Pizza Tracker which offers a play-by-play of your pizza order. Ryan ordered us two pizzas, which sounded 100 percent perfect to me. 

Pizza Time!

When they arrived we dug in! Between the two of us, we polished off a small and a medium pizza. I definitely held my own! 

Cheesy

 

Dessert 

For dessert, I baked up a batch of funfetti cake mix cookies. 

Funfetti Cake Mix

Though the cookies are sugary and delicious, the batter is the best part! 

Funfetti Cookie Dough

I ate one too many spoonfuls of cookie dough though and am feeling a little ill at the moment. Eek! 

Despite eating lots o’ dough, I still had room for two smallish freshly baked cookies. 

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies

Cookie Monster

Now that I have a full belly, I’m hoping to hop into bed early tonight because I am still a little sleepy. 

Goodnight! 😀 

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies 

Ingredients: 

• Funfetti cake mix
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1 egg

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients and place by rounded spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are slightly golden.

Cookie Sunday

I know Tina is a big advocate of Cookie Friday, but in mi casa, today is definitely Cookie Sunday!

I’m in a bakin’ kinda mood. 😀

My kitchen bake-fest started with oatmeal almond chocolate chip cookies.

Rather than use plain roasted almonds in the cookies, I stirred in chopped Emerald cocoa roast almonds for an extra punch of chocolate.

Chopped Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds

I mean, let’s be honest, who doesn’t need a little more chocolate in their life? 😉

Ready for the Oven

The cookies didn’t flatten out like I hoped they would, but they were still tasty and that’s what really matters, right?

Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

I ❤ Full Cookies

Naturally I had to have one (and by one, I mean three) right out of the oven.

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chips

Round Two

The second round of cookies I made were super easy!

At dinner last night, I told Tina about Funfetti cake mix cookies that you can make using a box of Funfetti cake mix and altering the amount of oil, eggs and water. Apparently she and her husband share my intense love for Funfetti cake!

Though I didn’t have any Funfetti cake mix on had (Blasphemy!), I opted to make cake mix cookies using a box of spice cake mix.

The beauty of cake mix cookies is that you can make them using any flavor of cake mix!

Spice Cake Mix Cookies

Before putting the cookies into the oven to bake, I topped them with a sprinkle of sugar to make them appear more “professional,” and therefore look like they’re much harder to make than they really are. The secrets of PBF… 😉

The cookies turned out moist and very tasty.

You can bet your sweet behind I had a couple of these fresh from the oven, too.

The Cookie Monster Strikes Again

Lunch, what lunch???

Odd little fact: Sadie loves spice cake cookies.

"Gimme the Cookie!"

Nom, Nom, Nom

Sunday Plans

Yesterday Ryan and I drove 45 minutes to pick up a full-size mattress and box spring set from a guy advertising the combo on craigslist for our spare bedroom. Unfortunately we brought it home only to realize it was an extra-long full. Not fun.

Today we’re heading out to pick up an actual full-size mattress. We made sure to ask for the measurements this time. 😉

After mattress and box spring fun, I’m cooking dinner to bring to a friend’s house tonight! Sunday night meatloaf, here I come!

Recipes

Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 6 tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/8 c. water
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 3/4 c. old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 c. chopped cocoa roast almonds
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugars, butter, water, egg and extracts until creamy. Combine oats, flour and baking soda and add to the creamy sugar mixture. Stir in almonds and chocolate chips. Drop by small spoonfuls on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and drop by spoonful on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for approximately 10 minutes.