6 Yummy Cookie Recipes

I am watching what I eat so all I can think about is... cookies!  While this is semi-torturous for me, it is good for you. My sudden obsession  interest in cookies inspired me to check out some of the great links submitted to the Tell Me About It Tuesday linky party hosted right here on Sweet Silly Sara and compile a small roundup of mouth watering temptation- cookie style.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bars from Bakewell Junction have me tempted to bake now and use the elliptical for an extra hour tomorrow.

A while ago I made something yummy and easy that I have been dreaming about...Donut Balls.

Bitz and Giggles made these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites just to make me drool. I am sure of it.

Homemade Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies... hmmm almonds have protein... so that makes these health food right?

This Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches recipe from A Few Shortcuts is dairy and gluten free.

Unicorn Poop Cookies? If the name didn't draw you in, maybe the knowledge that this recipe comes from the coolest blog ever {Kids Activities Blog} will.

When you are dieting, what do you crave? I can't wait to hear from you. If you are one of those lucky people that never diet, tell me your secret ;)

Play Dough Ghost Ornaments

This easy Halloween craft is perfect for anyone who wants to add a little boo to the holiday without having to spend any cash! You already have the ingredients to make the Play Dough Ghost Ornaments in your pantry! 

With the kids being at home this year, it feels like old times, we have time to craft in the afternoons again, and I LOVE it! With Halloween coming up, we decided to add a little boo to our decor with this easy homemade play doh ghost ornament craft. This is such an easy craft to make! It is perfect for all ages, from kids to adults.  You can make about a dozen of these (or more depending on your cookie cutter size) from a batch of dough.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup salt

2 cup flour

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Slowly add water, a few spoons at a time, until dough is smooth.

You will know you haven't added to much water if your dough is easy to handle and isn't sticking to your hands messily.

Knead by hand for 5 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2 an inch thck.

I used a cookie cutter to cut the shape of ghosts.

Next, poke a hole thru the top of the ghost so you can hang it up.

I used a BBQ skewer.

After cutting my shapes, I used a black crayola marker to make the face of the ghost, on the raw dough.

Place  the dough on a cookie sheet and place it in a cold oven, turning up the temp to 200 degrees. Allow your ornaments to bake for about 90 minutes. Check them frequently to make sure they are not browning (if they are pull them out.)

Allow the ornaments to cool then feed a section of bakers twine or a string into the hole and hang.

Add a variety of faces to your ornaments for a boo-tiful variety of economical and adorable DIY Halloween decorations.

You can find all of my Halloween crafts here.

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Cake Mix Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

This is the easiest cookie recipe yet. It is perfect for those times you crave a chocolate peanut butter treat, but maybe don't have all of the ingredients for a totally homemade recipe. This recipe only needs 4 ingredients.

I used a triple chocolate fudge cake mix, but you can use whatever chocolate flavor you prefer! 

1 box of chocolate cake mix

1 cup of peanut butter

1 egg

¼ c water

¼ c granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly cooking spray. 

Combine the cake mix, peanut butter, water and egg in a mixing bowl.

Use a hand or stand mixer to combine.

Blend for 3 minutes.

Form small balls of dough and roll them in the sugar.

Place the cookie balls 3” apart on a prepared baking sheet.

With a fork, press into the balls of dough to flatten them.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges look lightly crackled.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

This is the recipe I pull out when I have not been shopping and find myself out of an ingredient I might need for cookies, or when I just simply don't want to fuss with too many ingredients.

These have a great texture and a lot of great peanut butter flavor! You are sure to love them.

Have you ever made cake mix cookies? So easy and tasty!

You can find more recipes here:

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Paper Cookies A Preschool Food Craft

My kids are so cute! They always want to help in the kitchen! When I do dishes, my daughter Harper will push a chair into the kitchen and climb up to the sink. She will say "I can do this Mom!" or she will want to help make coffee and push all of the buttons. If there is cooking involved my son dashes in, ready to help! I welcome their company in the kitchen 90% of the time. But, as any mom will tell you, there are times when having small kids in the kitchen is not the best idea.

On those rare times, I feel bad to deny their help, so I came up with a few fun food crafts that the kids can make while I am occupied with a complicated recipe.  The first one we did as you might recall was a pizza craft. The kids had so much fun making pizzas! We have made several of these since the post!

Tonight I was frying chicken, a rare thing that I admit, I am not so great at. I didn't want the kids to get splashed with hot oil so I entertained them with a paper cookie craft. It was a huge hit!

This was incredibly easy for the kids to make, the materials were super simple making preparation a breeze for me, and best of all- this craft does not require anything special. Seriously, you are going to have the supplies in your house!

Materials Needed to Make Paper Cookies

Several Brown Paper Bags or brown or yellow construction paper
Glue
Sprinkles
A Paper Plate

Instructions

To begin, cut circle shapes in the brown bags or construction paper as your cookie base.
{I cut about 30 circles at a time so that we can do this craft multiple times}.


Place as many circle cookie shapes as you like on the paper plate.
Drizzle glue onto the circle 'cookies'
Decorate with sprinkles
Allow to dry.

This was so fun for the kids! We will be making these again soon I am sure! Do you like to do paper crafts with your kids? I would love to hear about your favorites!

Grape Nuts Bark

The holidays are here and it is time to savor the moments with family! My family has been crafting, decorating, watching Christmas cartoons and movies and of course, eating all of the yummy holiday goodies we can get our hands on!

We can't help but be a little excited, thanks to all the peeks we have been getting of the trailer for the new film hitting theaters, SING©. My kids think this should be one of the films we head to see this holiday season, and I can't agree more. Taking in a few movies as a family is one of our many holiday traditions!

I can't help but agree with them. We have to go see SING© and I have made a treat that the kids are singing in delight for. The adults I know also sang with pleasure and appreciation for their waistlines. With the help of Grape Nuts© at my local Kroger I was able to make an incredible and easy snack that indulges the sweet tooth while packing a wholesome punch that is downright crunchy crave-able!

To make your holiday traditions a little sweeter, head out and grab a box of Grape Nuts so you can try this yummy Grape Nuts recipe. It is so easy, all you will need is chocolate candy coating and Grape Nuts.

First, melt your candy coating in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stirring often.
Second, line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Third, spread your melted chocolate on the wax paper lined cookie sheet.

Last, sprinkle Grape Nuts over the melted chocolate. Place the cookie sheet into the fridge and allow to harden, it will take about 20-30 minutes. When the chocolate is hard, break it into small chunks for an incredibly delicious and wholesome Grape Nuts Bark!

If you are excited to see SING© starting on 12/21, you are going to want to  redeem this coupon on your purchase participating Post Cereal Brands and enter the SING© Sweepstakes for a chance to win the $100,000 grand prize plus the chance to instantly win lots of prizes including movie tickets, speakers and more.



NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Promotion starts 11/1/16 at 12:00 PM (noon) ET and ends 3/31/2017 at 11:59:59 PM ET. Open only to legal residents of the 50 US/DC, 18 years of age or older. See Official Rules for instructions on how to enter, how to obtain codes without purchase, prize details, restrictions, odds of winning, etc. Void where prohibited by law. Sponsor:  Post Consumer Brands, LLC.

Gifts for Foodies

Are you stumped on what to get a foodie on your list for Christmas this year? I have found some really tasty options that I know will be received with lip smacking delight! 

Samples were provided for original photography. Affiliate links may be used.

Foodies naturally love to sip on tasty beverages while they munch on all of the goodies. This Christmas give a gift that is stylish, eco friendly and travels easily with a Verdelix collapsible stainless steel drinking straw. These are awesome for on the go sips and will drastically reduce your plastic straw consumption. 

Give a coffee lover in your life a new way to indulge. These tasty  Eat Your Coffee bars are like a cup of good coffee to go, that never gets cold! Find them in an assortment of flavors, priced about $15 for 6 online.

Give the gift of flavor with an assortment of tasty K Pops sauces. Foodies will love the range that these sauces can bring to sandwiches and assorted dishes in the kitchen. I loved the Honey Glaze sauce which complimented stir fry wonderfully. Find it online for about $9 a bottle.

Alpine Start makes having a great cup of coffee possible, no matter where your favorite foodie might be this holiday season. With flavors like original, dirty chai lattee and coconut cream latte, there is a flavor for every foodie waiting to be discovered. Find it online for about $9 a box.

Subarz make for  tasty treat worthy of sharing this holiday season. These are bar cookies at their finest with flavors like Lemon Thyme and Chocolate Chip. They are like a cookie and a biscotti combined for a one of a kind, totally craveable goodie. Get them online for about $6 a box.

I like wine, but I can't always drink a bottle when I want to open one. That is why I love ICan Wine. Available in Rose and Chardonnay, this is a surprisingly good wine for something from a can. Add a few cans to a gift basket for a great gift anyone will appreciate. It is perfectly sized portions for adding a glass to dinner.

Protein Puffs by Shrewd Food  make a great way to snack without adding lots of carbs to the diet. Available in flavor from savor cheddar or nacho cheese or pepperoni pizza, to sweet cookies and cream, any foodie will dig these protein packed puffs for guilt free snacking.

I love the gift of healthier treats during the holidays when it is so easy to overindulge at your every whim. Burl Barley Granola offers some good for you granola that taste amazing. Gift a few bags of this made with barley goodness now to make turning over a new leaf easier at the first of the year or to add a crunchy bit of cheer to any holiday moment. Find it at select health food stores or online.

This holiday season add a handy gadget to the home bar with Drink Perfection. This contraption works with wine, tea, coffee, alcohol and more to make drinks the ideal temperature for consumption. Simply add ice and your favorite drink. Let the Drink Perfection work its magic and you can enjoy the flavors of your drink at the intended temperature. Get it online for under $50

Looking for a one of a kind gift this year for a pickle fanatic? Pickle Sips gives the flavors you crave save the indignity of sipping out of the pickle jar. This is interesting and a fun gift for a foodie or a unique addition to the home bar. Retailing at $6 a bottle and available in Sweet Heat and Dill varieties, this is sure to be an unforgettable gift for a foodie. Find it on Amazon or the Cin Chili online shop.

Winter is the best time to curl up with a cup of tea. Why not give your favorite foodie a subscription to excellent brewing opportunities with Free Your Tea. This subscription box starts at about $20 a month and gives a user influenced experience complete with adorable little empty tea bags for steeping. Order online 

Add a sweet and savory touch to a variety of dishes with Persian Gulf Baharat Spice Blend. This is so versatile it can go from a stew, to a chicken dish to a stone fruit based cobbler. Get this generous size bottle for serious foodies who love spices from Rumi for only $10.

Ice Cream Lovers rejoice at this gift idea. Get perfectly portioned cups of amazing ice cream delivered to their door in a delicious advent style countdown to the holidays with eCreamery. Get personalized options of gourmet ice cream starting at about $90. 

My favorite gifts are always the ones I can eat. Passion Pickles by Cin Chili are a great snack, or hostess gift this holiday season. Available in 2 varieties; Ghost Pepper and Habanero, these offer the ideal blend of crisp, sweet and heat. Add them to a relish tray, or just snack on them right out of the jar. Find them online for $6.

Foodies love to snack, so offer them something new to satisfy the palette this holiday season. Moziacs are popped chips that are made with so much more than potato. Each bite has bits of veggies in it for a wholesome snack that satisies. I love how these look like stained glass windows. Order online from Moziacs or Amazon.

If you want to give a simple gift with global flair, let me tell you about Loacker Quadratini Cookies. These are decadent little cubes of wafer cookie that are perfect for a foodie who loves coffee and sweets. Not into coffee? No worries, you can enjoy numerous other flavors like lemon coconut of vanilla. Order them online and spread a little Italian decadence with your holiday cheer.

Going to an event and want to spread a little cheer without straining your budget? Grab a dozen of these perfect for fall and winter flavors from Pure Ice. I love the Crisp Apple as a booze free option to toast this year. Find it at major retailers like Walmart, Kroger or Target.

Appetizers are always worth celebrating. This 8 pack of simply adorable plates from the Corelle Celebrations line features simple messages in cute script like "enjoy", "love", "share" and "gather". These make a perfect addition to the holiday table. Gift them to your favorite foodie for $30. Find them online.

Let your favorite foodie go green with these compostable utensils. No more guilt over throwing out single use plastics with a few of these from Twenty Fifty Fork. Get 4 boxes of 12 for under $50 online from Twenty Fifty Fork.

Shopping for an adventurous eater? These mini kicker cricket snacks are the way to go. in favors like cotton candy and Italian Lasagna, who could resist trying one? Get a few tubes from EntoLife online for about $6 each.

 Add a brain teaser to the house with these one of a kind puzzle coasters. These are perfect for adding something different to the coffee table or the home bar.

These aren't just glasses, they are maps too. Get these unique glasses as well as a number of other items like water bottles from Well Told and tell a unique story with each sip. Get a map of your town, or a special place that you have visited together.  Glasses come in an assortment of styles starting at $16.

Gummy Burgers make for a fun gift for foodies of all ages. These massive gummy burgers are made with an assortment of other gummy candies. Get these from Wicked Uncle Gifts for under $7 to add a sweet fruity smile to someone you loves face this holiday season.

Foodies like to be precise with their favorite recipes. This battery free kitchen scale helps them to find the perfect amount of seasonings, spices, veggies and more without dealing with dead batteries.  Find this model from Elessi for under $26. Get it from amazon for a green approach to precision in the kitchen.

Whipping up a batch of chili has never been easier with this chili cook off winning spice blend. Add this to your ingredients and take the wow factor up a notch with this mix from Cin Chili. Get it online for under $6.

Shopping for a coffee fanatic? Give them the gift of on the go indulgence for those mornings that they don't have time to hit the drive thru. Get all three flavors of McCafe Frappe's for about $3 a bottle at retailers nationwide.

Encourage celebration this holiday season with a fragrant, fruity and floral extra dry rose by Mionetto. This is a beautiful rose that has the ideal blend of fragrance and flavor. Find it at retailers for about $15 a bottle.

If you need a gift for a mushroom lover, this Mushroom Jerky is the way to go. It is distinctly unique and has a ton of flavor.  Find numerous varieties at the Pan's Mushroom site for $9 a bag.

Give a gift worthy of toasting this holiday season with another fab for any foodie offering from Mionetto. The DOC Processo is bubbly, brilliant and pairs beautifully with so many dishes. Find it retailers for about $15 a bottle. You will be delighted by the wonderful quality of this brand.

Anya's Real Fruit Licorice are a really tasty and healthy snack to gift a foodie this year. These are chewy yet soft, packed with real fruit and a hit with kids young and old. Get it online at the Anya's site in 20 packs for $36

The Chocolate Chip of the Month Club is the ideal gift for any chocolate chip cookie fan. Send a box of comfort with a delectable twist right to their door. Prices start at $12 a month and feature great flavors and the cookies are HUGE! Order from the Chocolate Chip of the Month Club website.

Offer a little assortment to someone you love that loves chili flakes on their food or in their recipes. This trip from The Chili Lab has 3 different chili flake blends that are sure to tickle the tastebuds. Find this trip for under $25 at the Chili Lab site.

Got a condiment craver to find a great gift for? Why not gift the new greatest condiment ever, Must Ketch? This blends the two flavors we love on sadwiches, burgers, dogs and more. Get it from Amazon in great bold flavors that everyone will want to try,

Give the foodie in your life a special flavor for all their foods with this beautiful hand harvested french sea salt. Available in 4 flavors, this is truly a unique gift! Get all 4 online for $48 from Louis Sel.

If you need a gift for a Italian food fan, then this all occasion collection from Cookies Con Amore is the way to go. Featuring delectable treats like a jelly filled cookie and biscotti, this gift box has something for everyone. Get it for under $20 for a flavorful gift with global flair.

Wouldn't everyone be happy to score some dough on Christmas? With Eastern Standard Provisions Pretzels you can give the gift of some incredible pretzels, pretzel rolls and delectable salts for those goodies, which technically all come from dough, so your favorite foodie will delight in their gift! Order online, and let me know which offering you found irresistible!

The holidays are definitely a time of over indulgence, so why not try to balance things out with Mom's Best Granola? They have some tasty flavor options and granola is always a good snack. Visit the site for info on where to find your favorite flavors in stores for under $5 a bag.

If you want a simple gift for a foodie that you can feel good about, knowing it is going to be snacked away in no time, check out these really good cheese puffs from Barbara's.  They are about $2.50 a bag and are quite addictive! Use the store locator on the Barbara's website to find near you.

A true foodie has a fondness for fresh, so wrapping up a box of Food Vacbags for the holidays is like giving the gift of fresh for months to come.  Get a 100' roll of food storage bags that work with all vacuum sealers for about $24 online from the Food Vacbags website.

Need a gift that keeps on giving? Why not order a 6 month subscription to Bean Box? Your favorite foodie can get 4 sampler bags of excellent coffee for $19 a month. This is the best way to spread holiday cheer all year long for coffee lovers. Order online and explore the blends.

Give a of legal drinking age chick in your life a cocktail that is perfect for popping open to share. Two Chicks makes some really delicious options that get the conversation flowing! Find your favorite flavor and where to buy near you online.

If you need a little something for someone who loves craft salts, the salts from Mason's Market are the way to go. Starting at about $9 a tin, they have some awesome flavors and several grains. These are a welcome to any pantry and the tins are perfect for easy storage. Order online for adding some flavor and variety to dishes and dinners.

Find more awesome Christmas ideas here
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Mickey Mouse Gift Tag Ornaments