When restless...I bake.

I have so many things to do tonight for work, home, kids, etc,  But - I want to take a baked treat into the office tomorrow.  I try to this every once in awhile.  I truly enjoy doing this for my office - a simple thank you and acknowledgement that my co-employees are appreciated.  Added benefits for me (1) have a perfect way to try a new recipe and get feedback.  (2) I can have a few of the treats I make and not feel guilty.  If I was to eat all of what I make - YIKES!  I have a friend - yes you Elizabeth - who is making cookies for her office tomorrow and this inspire me to whip up something quick. 

Pineapple Dream Bars (From 101 More Things to Do With a Cake Mix book)

Bars:
1 White or Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine, Melted
1 Egg

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 Can (8 ounces) Crushed Pineapple
1 -1 1/2 Cup Coconut

Glaze:
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Tsp Vanilla
3 - 4 Tsp Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With a spoon, mix cake batter, butter and egg together.  Press into lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, milk, vanilla and egg together in a separate bowl until smooth.  Stir in well-drained pineapple.  Spread evenly over dough.  Sprinkle coconut over top.  Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until coconut is light golden brown.  Cool completely. 

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla and milk together in a small bowl.  Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled dessert.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and cut into bars.  Store in refrigerator.

Oh It's Friday Night...

Congratulations to all - another Friday night.  In my opinion - Friday night is the absolute best time of the week.  Tonight - here in Canton Ohio - our Friday night has been made a bit nicer due to the phenomenal weather.  There is something about working hard all week - in whatever you do - hitting 5 pm (or when the school bus drops the kids) and taking a big deep relaxing breath.  Friday nights for me usually means taking in easy.  Even if there is something on the calendar it is typically something fun and light. 
The kids head back to school on Monday - I look forward to the routine.  I will try hard to pack as much into this weekend as I can.  So to this - I will make the most of my loved and cherished Friday night - tonight.  Have a wonderful weekend! 

Cowboy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Courtesy of Former First Lady Laura Bush - These are one of my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes.  Different than the normal Tollhouse recipe and you can mix it up a bit with deifferent add-ins.  Enjoy!  By the way - you can definately stick with the Tollhouse recipe if you have these ingredients. 

Ingredients


3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon. baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Directions
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 17 to 20 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies (see note below)

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl.
3. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.
5. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.
6. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
7. Bake in 350 F oven 17 to 29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool.

Note: For 6 dozen small cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes.

When all else fails...

I have realized something interesting about myself - My motto is "When all else fails...make chocolate chip cookies."  So many times when I have just finished a stressful project, have one of my sons' friends over to spend the night, looking forward to a night of relaxing, wanting to make the kids or my husband feel happy, etc. I will bake some homemade chocolate chip cookies.  I have been this way all the way back to my teenage years.  This was not a great thing for my waistline.  Now - I will try to eat tthe cookie and then take a walk to burn the calories off.
There is something about hanging out in the kitchen and basic chocolate chip cookies.  Of course, taste testing chocolate chip cookie dough is alot of the fun too but in light of the warnings currently to not do so due to the egg recall - I will skip this part tonight.  I have worked hard this week, played hard this week, the week is winding up (YEAH) and the boys have a sleepover tonight.  A "perfect storm" for some home baked chocolate chip cookies.   Thank you to my mom and grandmother for the gift of baking.  Love that I can head in to the kitchen and feel the joys of baking.  Remember - "When all else fails...make chocolate chip cookies."

The Beginning of Something New

Welcome to the first posting on my new blog - Mommy Minutes.  Why am I doing a blog?  I am already busy and short-handed sometimes.  It is always good to reach beyond what you know to try something new. 
I spend alot of time reading what others have to say in their blogs about their daily life, what they baked for the kids or fellow employees/friends, a new recipe they tried, a new item they purchased at the store or what new adventure they reccomend.  I hope to reach out to family and (old and new) friends in a new way.  I hope to be able to grow this blog and maybe share something with you.  But - even better - I would love to learn new things from all of my readers. 
I have many things I can share with you - cooking, baking, shopping, local finds, a working mother's perspective, dealing with growing kids, maintaining a household, my day-in-day-out activities as a mom, wife and woman, and the list goes on and on.
Please follow my new blog - Mommy Minutes and by all means - add comments along the way.