. . . Valentine's Day Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Sprinkle Cookies and a free treat tag . . .

I know this is a very last minute post for ♥Valentine's Day♥ but it's worth making these cookies any time of year so I wanted to share how you can adapt them for any occasion.  Also, if you are like me there are a lot of times that you are rushing to find something cute to make right before the upcoming holiday or occasion and these are your cookies!  I made these cookies once before but didn't change anything like I did this time around and they were great both times.

I am supposed to take cookies for my son's class celebration for Valentine's Day and even though my Hot Pink Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my most popular posts I wanted to make something a little different for the kids. I remembered that I had made these Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies before and figured it would be so easy to just change a few things and have the perfect Valentine's Day Cookie.  These have such a great vanilla flavor and are both chewy and crunchy.  

Add a cute tag saying "You are one Sweet Cookie...Happy Valentine's Day" and you are all set for the last minute treats you might need.  You are in ♥LUCK♥ because I just created a cute tag for you to download for free and attach to your cookies.  Scroll to the bottom to download.  Enjoy!

. . . You will need:

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cup yellow or vanilla boxed cake mix

1 teaspoon baking soda
3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup shaped sprinkles or plain sprinkles

In a large bowl combine flour, cake mix, and baking soda then set aside.

In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until nice and creamy.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  This is going to be very sticky but don't overmix it.  If you are using food coloring this is where you would add it.  If you want the cookies to be bold in color I highly recommend the Gel Food Coloring from Wilton.  It makes a big difference in the intensity of the color.  I used Rose Pink this time but you can use any color to work with your occasion.  Once food coloring is mixed in add the chocolate chips and sprinkles.

Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.  You won't want to skip this step because it makes a huge difference in the way your cookies turn out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Form dough into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet.  **Sally's Baking Addiction recommends shaping your cookie dough balls to be "taller" than they are wide but I don't find that this makes a big difference.  Place a few sprinkles and chocolate chips right on top of the cookies to make them look extra colorful when baked.  It's worth the time to do this so you can actually see the pretty colors of the sprinkles.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes but make sure you don't over bake them.  Mine were perfect at 11 minutes but every oven will vary.  You want the centers to look soft, but the cookies will set up more as they cool.

*Be sure to keep the cookie dough chilled in between batches. 

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.  She is pure genius and I highly recommend her blog for wonderful recipes!

 In a large bowl combine flour, cake mix, and baking soda then set aside.  In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until nice and creamy.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  This is going to be very sticky but don't over mix it. 

 If you are using food coloring this is where you would add it.  If you want the cookies to be bold in color I highly recommend the Gel Food Coloring from Wilton.  It makes a big difference in the intensity of the color.  I used Rose Pink this time but you can use any color to work with your occasion.  Once food coloring is mixed in add the chocolate chips and sprinkles.

This is a box I bought at Michael's and it has 12 different colors of gel in it.  I also buy them individually in the cake decorating aisle if I don't have the color I need in this box.

Once food coloring is mixed in add the mini chocolate chips and sprinkles of your choice.  For Valentine's Day I used Heart Shaped Sequin Sprinkles but you can use any sprinkle you choose.

Once you have refrigerated your dough for at least an hour you will roll cookies into a ball or a tall ball shape and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. **It is worth placing a few sprinkles and chocolate chips on top of each cookie so they look extra pretty once they are baked.

 . . . Pretty in PINK!

 . . . Valentine's Day Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Sprinkle Cookies. . .

. . . Holy Yummy, Batman!

Sweet Cookie Valentine's Day Tag 2x2

. . . white wine sauteed mushrooms . . .

I am ah-bbb-sessed with these mushrooms.  Mushrooms are one of my favorite things to eat but let me tell you now that I have made these several times they are my go to when I want them as a side dish.  So yummy and they have a little bit of a tang to them because of the wine and lemon juice or Balsamic Vinegar.  They also get this nice glaze over them thanks to the butter.  Yum!  I think you are going to really enjoy these.

 You will need:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package whole white mushrooms, wiped clean
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons lemon juice OR a splash of Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine

 In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium to high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer. Do not move the mushrooms until they have caramelized on the bottom--this is an important step if you want them browned nicely. If you toss them too soon, they will get too watery and will start to steam instead of browning. When the bottoms turn brown toss them and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

 The hard part for me is to not touch these while they are browning but believe me it is worth it so resist the urge to mix them around.

Add the butter. Cook and toss for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are nicely browned. 

Season with salt and add the minced garlic. Saute another 2 minutes to 3 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and white wine or if you are using balsamic in place of lemon juice do that now. 

 

 Simmer until the liquid starts to evaporate and you get a glaze.

I don't let all the liquid evaporate because I like them a little saucy but you can do it the way you like them.  I know you will love these!

I usually serve these with burgers from the grill and a baked potato but they would be great with just about anything!  I find that I have to double the recipe so I have plenty of leftovers.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

. . . On The Go Breakfast with Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick . . .

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Jimmy Dean, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #onthego http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

Every night when I tell my son goodnight I ask him what he wants for breakfast the next morning.  It may seem silly but he is picky and doesn't always want the same old same old and if he has something more than once or twice a week he's bored so I stress over it.  I don't want him going to school hungry and I also want him to eat something somewhat healthy.  I stress that he will be hungry at school and I stress that the teacher will think I'm a bad mom and then I stress that she'll call child services and I will have to explain that I really am trying to be a good mom...oh yes, I mean it when I say I stress over it.  Worry is my middle name.  That all being said I am so excited about Jimmy Dean's Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick because my son loves them and they are SO EASY!

 We picked up a box of these from Walmart in the frozen food section of the store in the Breakfast Food area.  As soon as my son saw them he was all over that box like white on rice!

I love how these come individually packaged with the directions printed right on the package!   This makes it super simple for my son to make them himself.  Storing them in the freezer is easy too because I can eliminate the box since the instructions are on each package.

 I heated one of these up in less than 1 minute and put the only two kinds of fruit he eats on a plate and I felt like a really good mom.  I knew for sure I wasn't sending him to school hungry!

 We liked these dipped in some syrup but honestly they were really good without it too.  For mornings when we have to eat on the go they will be perfect without syrup.

He doesn't really have a happy face at this age so this is as good as it gets!  Ahhh the teenage years are quickly approaching and we are getting a preview of what's to come.

 Doesn't that look so yummy with that warm syrup!  You will for sure be wanting to keep these as a staple in your freezer.

A very successful breakfast for sure and besides, who doesn't love food on a stick?

Next time you are at Walmart be sure to hit the frozen breakfast food section and pick up a box of Jimmy Dean Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick!

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Jimmy Dean, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #onthego http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

. . . Painted Chest of Drawers . . .

I am really not sure how long this chest of drawers has been in our family but I can tell you it's been a really long time!  I also can tell you it's probably been painted about fifty million times.  It first started out in my sister's room when we were little and it was painted purple, then it came into my room and it was painted pink and pale blue with hand painted flowers on the front, then when my husband and I bought our house we painted it two shades of plum purple for our spare bedroom, then when our son was born we painted it pale blue and navy blue and NOW it's lime green and pale blue.  I don't know where this chest was bought but I am so glad it's lasted all these years and is so adaptable to being painted any color we choose.

Recently we did a makeover on my son's room, which was long overdue!  He is 11 now and we hadn't painted since we decorated his nursery and believe me it was time.  Anyway, we did the walls pale blue and orange and the bedding is green so I decided this chest of drawers needed another coat of paint and why not do the drawers a different color so it is more fun!  I used a bright green paint for the dresser itself and then used a pale blue for the fronts of the drawers and then brought it all together with the bright green drawer pulls.  At first I thought it was too big of a contrast but now that it is in his room I love it.  

This just proves that a little paint can make anything new again! 

• • •

 As you can see this chest of drawers was really beat up so it was more than ready for some paint to revive it.  I first sanded the entire chest and the drawers as well and then I chose to use a Glossy finish to the paint so it'd be easy to wipe down and it would add a little more pop to the room.

 I used Behr Semi-Gloss paint for both the dresser and the drawers.  The green is called Japanese Fern and the blue is called Misty Surf.  I panicked at first because I thought the green was going to be way to bright but after it dried I loved it and really want to paint something else with this color.  I think it would look so funky to have a cabinet or a big dresser painted in this color for the pop in a room.  Once the frame of the chest was painted I then painted the drawers the pale blue color and then painted the knobs the same green.  I am sorry I have no photos to show you but I was so anxious to get the project finished I forgot about pictures.  Ooops--bad blogger!

 Finished and Love it!  It's just the pop this little area needed.

 Perfect for a boys room!

 My aunt gave us this piggy bank back when our son was born and he loves it.  We thought maybe he would want it put away since he's older now but he sure didn't.  He was like, "Um, no" when we asked if we should put it away now.  Guess it's because we fill it all year and then let him cash it in for summer vacation money.

And, done!

Easy as can be but the paint certainly made a big change!

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