September is here which means it's back to school and back to regular routines in this and so many other homes across America. Summer is fun with it's lazy days and schedules, however, Fall is and always will be the season I hold dear to my heart. This is the time that we start penciling in the lacrosse games, orchestra concerts, confirmation and all the other events we can squeeze into one school year. We are also dusting off the crockpot and getting back to planning dinners and baking comfort foods when time allows.
All of this planning and scheduling makes me think back to when I was a kid and the only thing I could think about after school was running home for a snack. I was fortunate that my Mom was a piano teacher so she worked from home. We had to be really quiet when we came in from school in case she was in the middle of a lesson, but we could always forage a snack for ourselves from the pantry. I was not involved in after-school sports or activities like my daughter is today. I had my snack while doing homework and if I got done quickly enough I might have time for 30 minutes of cartoons or get a life lesson in from watching the ABC after school specials. After that, I pretty much played outside till the dinner bell rang. I sometimes wish it was still as simple as I remember it, but the kids today seem to have so much more to keep them busy and because of that we tend to start looking for shortcuts where we can find them. I work part time from home which means on some days I have time to create snacks and dinners that are more labor intensive. But like many busy moms I sometimes have those days where I'm just happy when my kid grabs a protein bar and a bottle of water on her way to practice.
For the most part I always try to be an advocate for baking from scratch, however, I am also a realist and know that there is not always time to go that route. Today is one of those days. I wanted to have a snack for my daughter and her friends when they came home so I grabbed the box of cake mix that I keep in the pantry for emergencies and baked up some super quick double fudge cookies. They are quick and easy and at the end of a busy day for both of us, I'm just happy to see the smile it gives her and not whether or not I get the Betty Crocker Mom of the Year Award. However, if I used Betty Crocker Cake Mix, does that count? I'm jus' sayin'!
Cake Mix Cookies
1 box of your favorite flavored cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge)
1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup of Dark Chocolate Chips (you can omit these if you are using a different cake flavor)
Mix all of the above. Scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350ยบ for 9 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! Yep, that easy. Feel free to experiment with different cake flavors and add-in's. I would love to hear about your favorites.
