Easy Snickerdoodles (from a cake mix)

While we were on vacation in Florida, I saw this simple recipe from Cindy at Skip to my Lou. Since I already had a yellow cake mix on hand...I couldn't resist making these.  I have a real love for making something other than cake from a cake mix. Cindy found this one on the side of a Duncan Hines cake mix.

(Believe me when I say...I took a real break in the kitchen during the 2 months we enjoyed FL. I baked about 4 times (have you ever tried baking in an 18-qt. electric roaster?  I'm amazed at how nicely that works!) and made a meal about 3 times. NICE!)

These had a bit different texture than traditional snickerdoodles, but they were gobbled up quickly.  I don't think it mattered to my taste testers. 

(Update: You can add 1/2 tp. cream of tartar to give these tasty 

cookies a little 'tang' that is common in Snickerdoodles!) 

When you need something quick, I'd suggest you try these tasty cookies. Other delicious cake mix creations I love are Gooey Bars, 3 (or 4) ingredient (Jello) Cake mix cookies  and Luscious Lemon Sheet Cake..more links below

EASY SNICKERDOODLES 

1 (18 ozs) yellow cake mix

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, optional

1/3 c. oil

2 eggs

5 Tb. granulated sugar

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray cookie sheet.

In large bowl, combine yellow cake mix (and cream of tartar if using) with oil and eggs. (I stirred by hand...no mixer needed). Roll into 1" balls.  In small bowl, mix together  sugar and cinnamon. Roll balls into cinnamon and sugar mixture until evenly coated. Place balls on cookie sheet; slightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for about 8 minutes. Let stand about a minute; remove to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Linked to Weekend Potluck

You might enjoy these other desserts using a cake mix...

Double Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Individual Cheese Cake Cups

Caramel Apple Toffee Cake

Lemon Poppyseed Bread (or Muffins)

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German Chocolate Zucchini Bread & Weekend Potluck #166

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK! 

So glad you joined us today...pour yourself some coffee and sit a spell....
We're always happy you stopped by to party with us today!

AND....

When I share something worth sharing...again...

If you like coconut and chocolate....

This is the 'ultimate' in zucchini breads

German Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~

Bacon and Egg Pasta Salad by With a Blast

Recipes that caught our attention ~

Pistachio Crusted Salmon by Running in a Skirt

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos by Kleinworth & Co

And, a personal favorite ~

Peanut Butter Cup Mini Muffins by Everyday Mom's Meals

Your hostesses ~

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Frugal Family Favorites ~ Tabitha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional video Please use a direct link within your post.

When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!

An InLinkz Link-up

3 Awesome Crockpot Desserts {Blast from the Past}

As delicious as it looks...moist and fudgy!  Company-worthy dessert!! 

Crockpot Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Cake

Oh I am so impressed with this simple recipe that turns out an amazing dessert.

Serve with ice cream and get ready for OOHHHs and AAHHHs....

Crockpot Peach Crisp

Bakes while you're at church...appropriately named.

A simple and amazing dessert ready when you are...

Minister's Delight

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Cheesey Potato Breakfast Bake: Guest Post - Sunflower Supper Club

I am SO tickled to get to introduce you to today's guest...

Kim...co-owner of Sunflower Supper Club

I first became acquainted with her when she joined our 'crew' of Weekend Potluck hosts. 

And I am so pleased to tell you...I'VE MET KIM IN PERSON!! 

I'll let her tell you more about that...and a little more about herself...

TAKE IT AWAY KIM!!! 

Hello! I am Kim from Sunflower Supper Club and I am so excited that Marsha asked me to stop by and do a guest post here at The Better Baker.  I “met” Marsha when I became part of the Weekend Potluck link party. I really got to meet her when she came out to Kansas to visit Tonya from 4 Little Fergusons. I feel really blessed to have met such a special lady and have her in my life.

I am a busy married mom of 4 kids. Our oldest daughter is a freshman in college attending The University of Kansas. We have a son who is a junior in high school and two younger daughters who are in 6^th and 7^th grade. My husband is an airline pilot and travels quite a bit.  Needless to say, we stay pretty busy and I’m always on the lookout for delicious and wholesome food that is simple to prepare.

Five years ago, my friend Julie and I started a meal delivery and catering service. We knew each other from church and were both in the same chapter of the women’s organization PEO. Julie has since become a close friend and I love that I get to do something I love with a great gal! We try to prepare foods for our clients with minimally processed ingredients. It is the same kind of food I try to feed my family.  

In my family, egg casseroles are not limited to breakfast. We are a big breakfast for dinner family. In my opinion, this dish I’m sharing with you today could be enjoyed anytime. Sometimes I change this up and use cubed ham or cooked and crumbled bacon.

I’d be honored if you would stop by and visit us over at Sunflower Supper Club. We’d love to get to know you!

 

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Bake

1 package (28 ounces) cubed hash brown potatoes with onions & peppers, thawed

1  pound breakfast sausage, cooked and drained

8  eggs

1 ½  cups cottage cheese

½  teaspoon kosher salt

¼  teaspoon black pepper

2  cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the thawed potatoes in a greased 9" x 13” dish. Evenly spread the cooked sausage over the potatoes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, kosher salt & pepper until combined.

Pour over the top of the sausage. Top with cheese. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until set. Tent the bake with foil if it starts to brown to quickly.

Sounds and looks amazing Kim...can't wait to try this dish.  I love easy dishes like this with protein! Thanks so much for sharing! 

Please do stop by and check out all the delicious-ness Kim and Julie share...she's my kind of cook. 

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Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal

I think you all know HOW MUCH I love oatmeal...in any form.  I have shared many varieties of baked oatmeal right here.  You can do so many things with oatmeal.

My good friend Veronica of Veronica's Cornucopia made this version, after trying my recipe for 
Healthy Cookie Dough Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal. We have fun like that making each other's recipes...and revising them to our own tastes. 

This oatmeal can be reheated for breakfast...eaten for dessert...enjoyed chilled as a bedtime snack...for a mid afternoon pick-me-up...any time..any way..you choose. 

And it has protein! so you'll stay full longer.

Enjoy every tasty bite.  I enjoyed mine with milk, but that's also an option.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH BAKED OATMEAL

2 c. quick cooking oatmeal

4 pkts. stevia (or 1/3 c. brown - or white - sugar)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. peanut butter

2/3 c. milk

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

(or a single serving cup)

1 egg

2 Tb. melted butter or (coconut) oil

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. chocolate chips, divided, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8" X 8" square pan.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except for a handful of chocolate chips. Stir until blended.  Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the top.  Bake about 30 minutes.  Serve warm or cold. 

Linked to Weekend Potluck
                Full Plate Thursday

You may also enjoy these dishes using oatmeal...

Overnight No-Cook Yogurt Cups

Oatmeal Cinnamon Scones

Crockpot Peach Crisp

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Kansas Cornbread Salad & Weekend Potluck #165

WELCOME BACK TO WEEKEND POTLUCK!  Thanks so much for taking time to spend with us..

AND....

When I share something worth sharing...again...
I've been thinking about this salad SO much. It's packed with veggies, bacon, beans, tomatoes, cornbread, cheese and a ranch dressing....OUT.OF.THIS.WORLD.DELICIOUS! It will keep nearly a week too.... if it lasts that long!  Kansas Cornbread Salad

Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~

King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese by Spicy Southern Kitchen

Recipes that caught our attention ~

Banana Bread Bites by Syncopated Mama

Homemade Frozen Meatballs by Recipes that Crock

And, a personal favorite ~

Coconut Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies by Table for Seven

Your hostesses ~

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Frugal Family Favorites ~ Tabitha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional video Please use a direct link within your post.

When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!

An InLinkz Link-up

Book Review: In the Shadow of Jezebel by Mesu Andrews

(I gasped to see I hadn't posted this a year ago when I should have...
just found it in my drafts...YIKES!)


I have loved, and devoured, each of Mesu's books. She has such an amazing talent for writing. I believe she's like an artist, who 'paints' with words, and brings to life many details I hadn't even considered in reading the Biblical accounts of stories like this. I truly appreciate her in-depth study of facts and that she builds each chapter on a passage of scripture. I came to appreciate Sheba, the granddaughter of Jezebel, a woman known to be very wicked. Imagining what Sheba lived through, and seeing how the power and grace of God affects her life, and mine...this is definitely a story you'll want to absorb. I'm very grateful that Mesu's books always drive me to the Word to check out the story for myself. She leaves me anxious to get my hands on her 'next one'.

(The covers of Mesu's books have such gorgeous models, don't you think??)

Released in March 2014

You can go to Amazon here to purchase a copy for yourself...

​

3 Dishes using Hard Boiled Eggs {Blast from the Past}

These seem to be expected at every family meal...and they're the first thing to go!

Tasty Deviled Eggs

A fun way to 'dress up' traditional deviled eggs...MMM good! 

Bacon & Cheddar Deviled Eggs

This recipe is the ULTIMATE in egg salad.  It's creamy and lasts a long time.
You won't ever go back to an old recipe after trying this one! 

Special Egg Salad (cream cheese is the key!)

​

Our Florida "Vacay" 2015

Hey Y'All!!

We just returned home last week after getting to spend 2 lovely months of 
R & R in Florida. 

(Don't miss reading my 'hint' at the bottom of this post)....

It was an awesome time of sharing in fellowship, fun, food and faith! 

Just thought I'd share a few special photos with you...in case you missed seeing pics on Facebook. 

We celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary on March 10...

After all these years, I still have to say I love how he loves me...

and I'm so blessed to be the woman on the arm of this man of

steel and velvet....

Very dear friends joined us on a nature/dolphin boat tour on our anniversary day.  What a charge! 

We enjoyed a couples pedicure TWICE...and I had 3 body massages during our 2 month stay!
Talk about feeling pampered! These kinds of things are very reasonably priced down there. (And truthfully...my hubby is diabetic and gets a monthly pedicure here at home...it was fun to be able to do this together!) 

We went to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City twice...these sundaes are huge! MMMMMM! 

(Why yes...we did eat it all!=) 

We enjoyed seeing nature while there...so much to enjoy...besides sunshine!

I'm totally 'gaga' over palm trees....this first shot is over the pool at the Bay Aire RV Park, in Palm Harbor, where we were blessed to stay during 

February and March.  

                   

I sat on a bench right here on the Dunedin Causeway and read while I sunned...lovely!

My hubby read EIGHT books while we were there - he's an avid reader. 
He would oftentimes go to the Causeway...drive on the beach...and read, while I was busy doing something else. 

(Be still my heart...seeing the Old Glory AND palm trees flying in the breeze was such a charge!!! 

My dear friend, Becky, is a great seamstress.  I took one of my dad's (passed away in Jan. 2015) shirts to her...she used one of my own and added the contrasting pockets and ruffle to make me a treasured keepsake apron!  Cool huh???

This is just a glimpse of our fun in the sun...I got to have breakfast with my dear cousin, Vanessa....also enjoyed lunch with a blog follower, Cydnee Knoth, for the 3rd year in a row..made some amazing new friends....and so much more.... 

I do want to pass along a 'hint' for you...I slept like a LOG while I was there...it was fantastic.  And I do believe a big reason for that was because I slept without an alarm clock in the bedroom! You know how you wake up...look at the clock, and think about how much longer it is until you have to get up?  

I haven't even plugged my alarm clock in since we've been home...

RETIREMENT IS SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPEALIDOCIOUS! 

​

Book Review: The Pharoah's Daughter: Author - Mesu Andrews

(This is the 4th book I've enjoyed by this awesome author)

Such a stunning photo of the woman isn't it???

THE PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER 

A TREASURE OF THE NILE NOVEL 

From back cover: 

"You will be called Anippe, daughter of the Nile. Do you like it?" Without waiting for a reply, she pulls me into her squishy, round tummy for a hug.

I'm trying not to cry.  Pharaoh's daughters don't cry.

When we make our way down the tiled hall, I try to stop at ummi Kiya's chamber.  I know her spirit has flown yet I long for one more moment. Amenia pushes me past so I keep walking and don't look back.

Like the waters of the Nile, I will flow. 

This is an amazing story written by a mastermind, Mesu Andrews. She has such an amazing gift for making Biblical characters come alive! Mesu helps us to consider a different perspective from the Pharoah's Daughter herself, who drew baby Moses out of the water. VERY interesting how she adds twists and turns and exciting surprises.

I am in awe at how much research she does before writing her books of 'what could have been' and how she brings together such beautifully written ideas and stories. I love how each chapter begins with a scripture passage, and how she builds on each one. She's brilliant! Mesu's writings are so God-honoring. They make me want to dive into the Word of God to further my thinking. She uses such detail that my mind can easily picture what she's trying to convey. 

A very strong theme in this book is "Fear is the most fertile ground for faith". It made me think of my own fears and how God wants to use them to grow my faith. I love how Mesu expresses God's willingness to woo us to Him, even when we're ashamed and muddling through the messes of life. 

I truly appreciate the 'lineage outlines' at the front of her books and I often refer to them, as I read and get to know the characters. I highly recommend each of Mesu's books, and can't wait for more. 

To purchase a copy of this wonderful book, go to Amazon

To see my review of Mesu's first book (my favorite!..about Biblical Job)...
Love Amid the Ashes