Strawberry CoolWhip Cake Cookies

Yum! I am really glad I tried a recipe pin this time. I chose a simple recipe from Sweet Jeanette. This recipe only calls for 4 ingredients (my kind of baking) and looked super simple (and super yummy!)





I don't really like the idea of powdered sugar, so I skipped this step and instead, added mini chocolate chips. Also, the original recipe had a bake time of 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, but I found that they were still lukewarm at that point. Mine took 20 minutes.

I have to say, these cookies are probably one of the best I have ever had. They are moist, flavorful and (again) really easy to make. This is my version:

This shows the before and after baked versions. I did opt to use the food coloring so they would turn out a little more pink, but the baking browned them up more than I expected.

So, here is my modified recipe:

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 box Strawberry cake mix
1 8oz. tub of CoolWhip (from refridgerator)
Mini-choco chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, add the slightly beaten egg, cake mix, tub of CoolWhip and mini-chocolate chips to your liking. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes then scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl. Finish mixing until all of the whipped topping is incorporated.

Drop your dough onto parchment paper (about a heaping tablespoon's worth) and bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Scarf Camera Strap

Today's Pin is the camera strap made from a scarf. The original pin takes you to an awesome blog called stars for streetlights but the instructions come from In the Loop by Scarves Dot Net.




I have more than a dozen silk scarves from my maternal grandmother. She collected them while selling Avon in the fifties and sixties and had multiple scarves in the same pattern. My version is not as complex as the one by In the Loop. I just bought my new "camera for dummies" and needed a colorful, inexpensive strap ASAP so I didn't spend the time looking for the rings or making the leather cuffs. Also, all of my grandmother's scarves are large square scarves.

I started by rolling it diagonally to create a long scarf. I then tied a knot right in the middle to prevent it from unrolling. Next, I tied the long skinny ends into the camera's strap-connector holes. Viola! Cute, colorful, inexpensive strap for your camera. I have gotten many nice comments on mine.



My next post will be a recipe! These Strawberry CoolWhip Cake Cookies look too good to pass up!

Picture Frame Jewelery Holder

Good Monday, all!

This week's pin was one of the first I did. I had excellent results and I love them. The original pin can be seen here (Cup Hooks and Old Frames) and comes from laurencondrad.com.




I really liked the original idea, but already had some old gold colored frames lying around and they went well with my blue bedroom. Screwing in the cup hooks was by far the hardest part of the project, but that only took me ten minutes. The whole re-do only took me about a half-hour start to finish.

This is my version (Picture Frame Jewelery Display)! I may add a couple smaller ones after we paint.

 

Next week, Scarf Camera Strap. HAPPY PINNING!

New Blog!

Happy Monday, everyone!

This is my new blog centered around my Pinterest tests. Last week, I tested out the pin for Coffee Sugar Scrub. You can see the original post at http://www.thehangefamily.blogspot.com/. This week I tested out the pin for the Window Frame Picture Display as seen on greenupgrader.com.



This one turned out quite well, but took a really long time to get it the color I wanted. I bought the original window frame at a barn sale for $5.00. It originally was the color of the one in the original pin, but I wanted it to match my kitchen so I used a black stain that I bought from my local farm and garden supply store for around $4.00. I applied it with some painter's rags. The first coat was too lumpy and dark, so when it dried, I sanded a lot of it down to get a distressed look. I applied a very light second coat to get the desired effect.

I then put my pictures in and matted them with coordinating scrapbook paper. Since it was so heavy, I screwed in a wire picture hanger to hang.

This is the finished project. (Window Frame Picture Display) Overall, definately a DIY project worth doing!!

Next week, I will do the Picture Frame Jewelry Hanger.