Cake Mix Cookies

A few months ago our local Safeway had cake mix on sale for 59 cents a box, so of course I picked up a dozen boxes! We are moving in less than three months and I still have like 5 boxes left, so I need to use up a couple other than the cakes I have planned for birthdays. I remember, years ago when I sold Pampered Chef (no longer) that we made cookies really quick for the cookie press demo using cake mix, so I just googled "cake mix cookie recipes" and found TONS of sites!

After reviewing a few different recipes I came up with my own in the kitchen:

1 box cake mix (this time I used devil's food chocolate, 18.25 oz)
2 eggs
1/2 cup really soft butter
2 Tbls water
1/2 package chocolate chips

preheat to 350 degrees, bake in rounded teaspoons size about 11 minutes, they stayed fresh and chewy as long as they lasted, which wasnt long!

You can check out what is out there on your own, but one site struck me enough to share: The Recipe Godlmine! Here are dozens of recipes you can make from cake mix! So, take advantage of those big sales and go to town!

Mrs. Murphy

Picky Eaters?!

I got a different resource request today, it was suggestions for picky eaters! I did some research and found some good articles about dealing with you picky eater, one is from The Mayo Clinic, it has 20 tips for picky eaters, another group of good tips is from Healthy Living Today, and another good article is from The Baby Center.

Ok, so now you've got your child psychology on picky eating in check, let's get to what you really want, ideas on what to FEED THEM! Here is are really cool site from CDKitchen with loads of kid - friendly recipes and fun ideas. Here's 10 recipes from About.com.

About.com has another article on Cooking For Kids with some more recipes, and if the problem is more sever, like a Sensory Processing Disorder, this site can help bunches, and has a whole slew of menu ideas and recipes at the bottom.

Now, a couple of basics from Mrs. Murphy are: if you have ravioli or left over spaghetti, even mac n cheese, cut it up small and mix with steamed veggies, add some extra cheese.

Another is a basic tortilla with cheese and some shredded leftover meat, toasted. My girls also love veggies with Ranch to dip, and for non-milk drinkers, go ahead and get some Strawberry Quick and make "strawberry milk", works every time!

I hope this helps some! Please send me more ideas to share if you have them!

You can also click on the little boy above to go to another good site!
Good luck!
Mrs. Murphy

Banana Blueberry Muffins

mmmmm..... go here for this yummy recipe. I'm glad I did!

Mrs. Murphy

Happy Epiphany!

Well, a late mass and a much needed nap for me....no major Epiphany celebration happening in the Murphy home! The kids know what the day is about, and the wise men have moved around the home to the baby Jesus, and for a sweet treat my eldest graciously made cakes for all (minus mom) in her Easy Bake Oven. For dinner? Leftovers soup! So easy, and it's SO COLD here, perfect with some biscuits tonight, plus I need room for the leftover New Year's ham!

But, I did remember this recipe for my Hawaii days with the Military Council of Catholic Women for a super yummy and fun Epiphany Cake:

ROSCA DE REYES

Whoever discovers a little sugar Jesus or a bean in his "rosca de reyes," or king's crown, has to organize and pay for the Candlemas party on February 2, when all the guests will be invited to pray the rosary and eat tamales. It is whispered that anyone who is a bit stingy won't hesitate to swallow the baby, but since the party takes place with family and friends, the subterfuge is quickly pointed out with laughs and good-natured taunts.

Sweet Dough

3 eggs (room temperature) 5 cups all- purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter 2 packages dry yeast

1 cup milk 1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees)

Egg Wash

Beat together one egg and one tablespoon of water.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

1. Sprinkle yeast in warm water. Mix. Let soften. Stir, then let sit about 5 minutes, until light and bubbly.

2. Scald milk. Remove from stove. Melt butter in warm mild.

3. In large bowl beat eggs.

4. Add sugar, salt and dissolved yeast to eggs.

5. Add milk mixture. Beat well.

6. Stir in flour. Beat well. Dough will be soft.

7. Place dough into large buttered bowl. Cover with a towel, put in a draft-free place and let rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

8. Turn dough out on floured board and knead 10-12 times.

9. Roll dough out to 24 x 10-inches.

10. Brush with melted butter.

11. Top with filling.

12. Roll dough with filling like a jelly roll. The roll should be 24 inches long.

13. Seal edges with egg wash.

14. Place on a large greased cookie sheet.

15. Push baby into Kings’ Cake.

16. Pressing ends together seal.

17. Brush Kings’ Cake with egg wash.

18. Cover with a towel, put in warm place to rise until double in size - 45 minutes.

19. Bake in the middle of preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

20. Remove from oven and cool.

21. Top with frosting.

22. Sprinkle with colored sugar over top of cake

FILLINGS FOR KINGS’ CAKE

Cream Cheese Filling

2 8-ounce packages cream 1 egg, beaten

cheese, softened 2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

1. Combine all ingredients until well blended.

Cinnamon and Sugar Filling

1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Combine all ingredients.

Pineapple Raisin Filling

1 can (1 pound 4 ounce) crushed 1 tablespoon cornstarch

pineapple, well drained

3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup raisins

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch. Add pineapple and raisins and mix well.

*You may also use pie filling from the store.

FROSTING FOR KINGS’ CAKE

1 box powdered sugar, sifted 3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water

1 stick butter 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add more milk, a few drops at a time, until frosting is spreading consistency or drizzling consistency.

Next year, right?? Don't forget to bless your home!
With good intentions,
Mrs. Murphy

Thanks Sherry!

Another awesome site has been given to me to share with you! Thanks Sherry (my middle school BF!) for the link for 365 days of Crock Pot Recipes! It gives a description of the meal, a picture of the ingredients and a picture of the dish when it's done, the recipe (of course) and often a review. How awesome!

I've also added a site for the ultimate e-cookbook which has, well, everything you could ever want the recipe for! You will have to check it out for yourself! Kudos go to my friend Poms for that one!

Happy cookin'
Mrs. Murphy

Merry Christmas!

Happy First Day of Christmas! Today begins the 12 days of Christmas, ending on Epiphany, January 6. I hope you all had a blessed day on this the day of Our Lord's birth. The Murphy family had a wonderful time, and although a modest gift giving, I'll say the girls weren't any less thrilled than in Christmases past. I say it every year, we could have done less and it would have been just as joyful!

Each year for Christmas Day I try to make 2 main meals, a breakfast feast and a dinner feast, usually featuring "roast beast" (ha ha, that rhymed!). During the day we nibble on smoked meats, cheeses, crackers, black olives and the sweet Gherkins that Daddy gets in his stocking every year from St. Nick! (The girls think that is just hilarious!) I'd like to share with you this year's breakfast feast, as it was a huge success.

As a miserly mom, of course I save my bread ends! I keep them in a big ziploc freezer bag and I had accumulated about a loafs worth, maybe more. This recipe has been adapted from the one my sister-in-law sent me from NH, that she makes for her family on Thanksgiving morning.

French Toast Bake:

Last night, I thawed my bread ends and tore them into about 1 inch by 1 inch, some smaller, pieces and spread them in a 9 X 13 casserole dish


In a separate bowl I mixed:
10 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup maple syrup
8 Tbls melted butter
1tsp vanilla

I poured this over the bread and then I stirred it all together to make sure all the bread was soaked. I covered it and let it sit in the fridge over night.


This morning I baked it at 350 for 45 minutes.

It came out all golden and yummy and mapely...oh so good! My husband and kids added more syrup to it, and next year I'll have on hand some powered sugar to shake on top!

We also had Sausage Balls, one of my favorites as a kid. My mom made them every year.

3 cups Bisquik
1 lb HOT sausage
8 oz shredded SHARP cheddar cheese

Let the sausage and cheese come to room temperature. Since I don't like to touch meat so much, and I'm not into hand mixing, I put everything into the Kitchen-Aid and let it do all the mixing work for me!
Roll the mixture into small balls (about 1 inch) and place on baking sheet (I only use stoneware). Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
I did this last night and put them in the fridge when they were cooled. It was so easy to pull a big glass casserole of them out and put them in the oven to warm after I pulled out the french toast bake.

I hope your Christmas morning feast was as yummy as ours, I'd love to hear what you have for traditional foods! So much comes from family, handed down generation after generation. Enjoy the season and God Bless you all!

Now you can sing "On the first day of Christmas Mrs. Murphy gave to me...some awesome Christmas recipes!"

With Much Love,
Mrs. Murphy