the only cookie recipes you'll ever need

have you ever wished for a perfect & simple cookie recipe? like, really simple? one of these recipes is made from boxed cake mix with altered ingredients - can you say effortless? while the web is full of cookie recipes, these two are my favorite, tried and true, consistently delicious and easy.

first, chocolate chip, the classic. this recipe might be a little familiar to most - its the one on the back on the nestle tollhouse chocolate chip bag! i swear to you, you do not ever need another recipe. don't google chocolate chip cookie reipes. this is the holy grail, and rightly so. these cookies are always just the right amount of soft and crusty.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (or a little more) vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

• 2 & 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 bag chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 350. mix together flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. in another, larger bowl, beat together softened butter and sugars with an electric mixer. add eggs and vanilla extract. once incorporated, slowly add flour mixture in batches until combined. add chocolate chips. spoon onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown.

this second recipe is even easier and delicious! these taste really impressive, but the secret is that they barely took any effort at all. lemon and white chocolate is also a killer combo. who knew?!

• 1 box of lemon supreme cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• one bag white chocolate chips

mix all your ingredients up, and voila! instant cookies. bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes. note that following this directions is different than what it says on the bake of the cake mix. that's how you're getting the cookie texture.

these are way too simple not to bake. get to it!

soft snickerdoodle cookies

after a crazy week of papers and internship insanity, i settled down on sunday & baked for the fist time in a while. these cookies have been on my "to bake" list forever, & i'm glad i finally made them - they're delicious! these are a definite do over, & true to their name, very soft & chewy. the only thing i changed was adding a dash of vanilla extract. recipe courtesy of food.com.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• dash of vanilla extract
  
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

preheat the oven to 350 degrees f & begin to chill a baking sheet in the fridge. combine the butter & sugar & beat with an electric mixer until fluffy, then add the eggs & vanilla. whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda & salt in another bowl. add the dry ingredients to the butter & sugar mixture & mix until just combined. chill the dough in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. during this time, combine your sugar & cinnamon with a whisk or fork. grease your baking sheet & form the dough into balls with your hands, then coat them in the sugar mixture. bake for 10-12 minutes.

winter break at last!

on friday afternoon i drove to my parent's house for christmas break. finals week wasn't that bad! & i got to spend a few days with a special someone before driving to fairhope on friday night i went to my grandmother's birthday, & i spent all day saturday baking with my mother, grandmother & aunts. we made tons of cookies, including pecan sandies, sugar cookies, cranberry pistachio, peanut butter blossoms, peanut butter truffles, martha washington balls & lemon bars. i personally made chewy lemon snowdrop cookies & peppermint meringue! the meringue turned out way different than i expected but it's yummy!


it feels SO good to get a break after this semester. it was a difficult one as far as academics go, but i'm feeling totally refreshed already & ready for next semester's classes. i've got so many things i'm looking forward to, including cooking my heart out, shopping & spending time with family. oh, & netflix. & naps.

love like woah

hi everyone! long time no update, & for totally valid reasons! school is eating me alive, i've got midterms in 2 weeks. currently, i'm at my parent's place for the weekend. it's been a wonderful past few weeks & i'm so excited for the rest of this month, despite my exams. let the recap begin!

school, internship, homework, repeat. as i mentioned, i've been the busiest ever academically. i've done a lot of thinking about my minor, &... i think i'm going to cut it out with the graphic design & switch to creative writing. i'm looking to brush up on my indesign skills for my portfolio, but i don't feel like my heart is in graphic design. i've been writing since i was a child, & i really think that means something. JUST A THOUGHT. will i stick with this sentiment? who knows.

i made my very first bread! if you follow me on twitter you probably already know about this endeavor. i started with sourdough - i let the starter ferment for a week, then i got right to work on baking & it turned out great. it was so much fun to do & i'm looking to experiment with french bread next.

spent tons of time with my girls, went to football games, had football parties (made a taco ring!) & have literally been cooking my ass off simply because i love it.

i used my incoco nail strips that i got in my september birchbox, & i was actually pleasantly surprised. although i'm not the biggest fan of blue glitter, i wanted to try them out.

i attended bayfest in mobile this weekend, the first time i've been since i was 14. i went simply for a throwback - 3 doors down, hinder, theory of a deadman, korn, drowning pool... yep, all the music i enjoyed as an 8th grader. i couldn't resist. had a great time, felt nostalgic & was sort of reminded why i stopped going to bayfest - it's a sweaty alabama mess. however, i knew this ahead of time & i'm cool with it. seeing ludacris was also a (classy) highlight.

because i was at my parent's place this weekend, i did a little baking, just some simple chocolate chip + cookies & cream cookies to satisfy the baking fix.

my birthday is this week (!!!!!) & i'm looking forward to turning 21 so much - not just for obvious reasons. yes, i'm still mulling over what my first legal drink shall be. a cocktail? champagne? wine? i have no idea, but i have a feeling it will just come to me when the time is right. besides that, i'm looking forward to spending time with my family & friends. in 21 years, i've learned that that is what's most important.

the reason i'm able to make this post is because i'm sick. last night, after arriving home from bayfest, i started to feel kinda off & thought i had a cold. within a few hours it progressed into a full blown virus & i've been running a fever all day. hopefully i'll be feeling better by my birthday on thursday, & if i'm not... well, i'm still going out, i only turn 21 once. here's to hoping i'm better by then.