Cool Whip Cookies...Who Knew?

Last week, pretty much the entire East Coast was getting ready for Hurricane Irene, including me. The newscasters, mayors, governors, and everyone else were all going into complete panic and as a Mom, instead of being excited...well, I went into panic too.

After stocking up on water, running out to buy unscented candles (do you know how hard it is to find UNSCENTED CANDLES!!! I mean, really...scented candles are nice, but I don't need the house to smell like vanilla boiled crisped linens dried on grass in the clouds when there's a MAJOR storm coming), gathering all flashlights and batteries, moving outdoor crap indoors, tying down the larger outdoor crap, and cursing Irene who I renamed "The Bitch".....after all that, I remembered that I needed to make ice, in case we needed to use a cooler. In order to make ice, I needed room in the freezer.

I have one of those side by side refrigerators where nothing fits. It's the only regret I have when it comes to my kitchen. I love EVERYTHING about my kitchen, I designed it myself. It's large, it's fun, it's colorful, it's different (who else has a jukebox in their kitchen?)...but that fridge? That fridge looks so big, but fits nothing. Biggest kitchen related mistake I ever made. If anyone out there is thinking of buying a new refrigerator, do NOT get the side by side fridge/freezer. You won't be able to fit a darn thing. Especially if you either have a large family or like to entertain most holidays and celebrations, like I do.

As I was rummaging through the freezer and trying to decide what to toss, what to make my kids eat, and what to defrost to make dinner, I came across a big tub of Cool Whip that was just taking up unnecessary space that I needed for storing ice. I remembered reading a long time ago that you can make cookies out of Cool Whip and Cake Mix.

I took it out to defrost and did a quick Google to see if I remembered correctly and if I needed anything else. I'm almost always stocked up on Boxed Cake Mix, because I'm not much of a baker. So I figured: it's rainy, I don't want to waste the Cool Whip, the kids are bored, we can have cookies to snack on during our little Hurricane Party.

After googling, I was right. Cool Whip Cookies are a real thing. All you need are:
a box of the cake mix flavor of your choice
8 ounces of Cool Whip
1 egg
powdered sugar
2 bored kids stuck in the house on a rainy day (optional)

I had a large tub of Cool Whip (16 ounces), so with two bored kids, it made sense to make two batches. I let them choose what flavor cake mix each, and off we went to have some kitchen fun while we awaited Irene's Wrath.

This is a GREAT project for kids because it's so simple. It's also quick, so they won't get bored with it. And they taste great!!

First, mix the Cool Whip with the egg. Then dump in the cake mix of your choice. Mix it all together and you will have a really sticky, almost glossy dough. It's really, really sticky. So we stuck the bowl of dough in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to firm it up a bit.

Then, with a cookie dough scooper (or very small ice cream scooper) we scooped out little balls of dough and dropped them in a bowl of Powdered Sugar. Gave the dough ball a little roll, then moved it to a cookie sheet.

We baked them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. When we took them out, we transferred the cookies carefully to a cooling rack (the cookies are very soft). On the rack, they firmed up a bit more.

They look great. All crackled like old fashion, home baked cookies. And they taste great. I thought the rolling of them in Powdered Sugar was a bit of an overkill, so next time, I'm just going to give the cookies a light dusting of sugar and call it a day.


The kids LOVED them! The funny thing is, my daughter chose to make the Yellow Cake Mix and she really liked the Devil Food Mix that my son picked who in returned loved the Yellow Cake Mix that my daughter picked....did you get that?


You can tell two different "chefs" made them too. The vanilla ones are bigger and spread out more. The chocolate ones were higher and smaller. I wonder why?

The cookies are soft cookies. Very moist. Almost like a cross between a blondie/brownie and a cookie. They go awesome with a cold glass of milk. And the best part (besides being an awesome snack) the home baked smells and taste were so comforting. They made the house feel safe and cozy even with a big storm headed our way.

Craving Taco Bell? Try my Mock-O Bell!

I will admit it. I LOVE Taco Bell!!! It's so far down on the food scale, but it is sooo good. For Mother's Day, I don't want reservations at a fancy restaurant. I just want my hubby to go out and get me Taco Bell. And then I'm pretty happy.

Like 95% of pregnant women out there, Taco Bell was high on my cravings list. I don't know what it is about pregnant ladies and Taco Bell...they just go hand in hand. Seriously, the next time you go to Taco Bell, take a look around. I bet you spot more than one pregnant lady. And if you don't, they just aren't showing yet. Or they don't know it yet. But they are there. I guarantee it.

Over the weekend, I was craving Taco Bell, but I'm really trying to get a healthier view on my life. You can read about it here in my brand new blog: www.themoviejunkieloses.blogspot.com

Anyway, since I'm watching what I'm eating and trying to make better choices, Taco Bell was out of the question. Sure, I could just order one Taco, Chulupa, Gordita, Mex-Melt, or whatever strikes my fancy, but let's be honest here...NO ONE goes to Taco Bell to just order one item. Taco Bell is like a Stoner's Heaven. Pure gluttony.

So, I threw together a quick and easy, and somewhat healthy Mock-O Bell dinner on Saturday night. And I gotta say, it was pretty darn tasty and completely satisfied that Taco Bell craving.

And the best? It was made in one pan!! Yeah! Served it up on paper plates. Easey Peasey. No Muss No Fuss!

What you need:
One deep pan
Ground Turkey
Taco Seasoning
Ranch Seasoning
Onion, diced
Green Bell Pepper, diced
Can of Corn
A little bit of Tomato Puree
Fat Free Refried Beans
Taco Shells/ Tortilla Wraps

In the pan, brown the Ground Turkey. Then season with Taco Seasoning and Ranch Seasoning. How much? Depends on how you like it. You know your taste buds. Trust them. I like about 1/4 to 1/5 of the envelope of Taco Seasoning and the entire envelope of Ranch Seasoning.

Throw in the diced Onions and Peppers and mix it all up. Let it cook for a few minutes, to get a little soft. Then dump the can of Corn in. The whole can...including the water. It gives it a nice, sweet flavor in contrast with the Taco Seasoning's spices.

Add some Tomato Puree. A few tablespoons should do. Enough to bind the mixture a bit and to mellow out the saltiness of the Seasonings. Let it cook a bit more. Then drop the Refried Beans in and work at it. Mix it all in so it will thin out as it heats.

When it's all incorporated and hot, it's done. For the kids, I served it with taco shells. My hubby actually ate it over Yellow Rice. I had it in one of those low carb/low fat tortilla wraps.

And it was GOOD!! The only fat comes from the Ground Turkey. You got your veggies between the corn, the onions, the peppers, and the beans. And it's got that sloppy, fast food way about it.

It ain't a gourmet dinner, but it's an average fast food taco place American meal. I admit, when you cook it all up, it ain't much to look at, but neither is any Taco Bell meal.


Make it the way you like it. Serve it with chips, as a dip. Add some jalapenos or hot sauce to kick up the heat level. Add lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole. I'm telling you...it's a pretty darn good alternative to the real thing.