cake batter pudding cookies

The name alone sounds like a party, right? And that's the perfect way to describe these little treats.

I needed to make cookies for a Relief Society activity & I cast aside the usual tendency I have to make something with chocolate in favor of a "more festive" summer treat.

I took the recipe from Chef-In-Training via Pinterest. They were a hit!

cake batter pudding cookies.

If you want to make them, here's the recipe:

1 1/2 sticks of butter (I used unsalted)
1/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix (I used sugar free)
3/4 c. yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
sprinkles (I used the nonpareil kind but I think the rainbow jimmies would be fantastic too!)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Cream butter & sugar together in a large bowl.
Add in pudding package and cake mix. Beat until blended.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Add flour mixture until well incorporated.
Mix in sprinkles. (There was not a given amount of sprinkles ... I just poured them in to my liking)
Roll into 1" balls and place on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

I love excuses to try new recipes!

breakfast of champions (part 1)

Did you see the title of this post? It clearly indicates there will be a part two. That's how much I love my breakfast. 

And I've always loved breakfast. And that's good since it's the most important meal of the day, right? I used to be a cereal addict -- Raisin Bran, MultiGrain Cheerios, Honey Bunches of Oats ... then I discovered Kashi (because of Jen) and loved trying the many varieties. I think the Toasted Berry Crumble is my favorite.

But, this last semester, I was introduced to Greek yogurt. I eased my way into the Greek yogurt world, experimenting first with Dannon's "Oikos" in key lime. It was delicious -- I loved the creamy texture & flavor. I tried Chobani. I tried Yoplait's Greek. I tried Fage. I tried Greek Gods Honey Vanilla -- umm...totally delicious, but it has 9g saturated fat per serving and nearly 300 calories...so, I decided to try Kroger brand in both plain & vanilla. Eventually I tried Fage again, but with fresh fruit & granola while in California. 

I became sort of addicted & have had a Fage supply in my fridge since that trip. It has no added sweeteners or preservatives & is packed with protein -- all things I really like. In Cedar City, the option is Fage 0%, so the taste is a little more bitter, but for some reason I really, really love it. Too bad it costs almost an hour of work for 35 oz. Oh, the price for healthy food! 

And because my roommate Amanda calls me the "Greek yogurt expert," I thought it was only fitting that I dedicate an entire post to it. But, seriously. Doesn't the above picture look tasty? It consists of: 

1/2 c. Fage (a serving is 1 cup, but when I add other things to it, 1/2 cup is what I use), cherries (picked from the neighbor's tree that morning), and organic vanilla almond granola -- another addiction. 

Have you ever tried Greek yogurt? 

Watch for my next breakfast post featuring quinoa, cinnamon, & lots of goodness!

weekend getaway

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. I hadn't been home for three months & it was definitely time to visit. I met my new niece Lucy, who is simply adorable. There is just something precious about a newborn just holding on to your finger. I love it!! And I had a blast exploring City Creek with my mom on Saturday, eating gelato, making delicious chicken enchiladas, and going swimming in her pool Saturday night. Now back to reality!

music monday.

Music Monday sort of died this past month. My apologies. But, I have a few songs for you today!


"Why Ya Wanna" -- Jana Kramer
Introduced to me by my roommate ... the more I listen to it, the more I like it.


"Payphone" -- Maroon 5
This song is great to run to, so you should take a listen.


"Standing Outside the Fire" -- Garth Brooks
An old song, but one that I (still) love.


What are your favorite summer '12 hits?

indecision.

Kanarraville Falls hike yesterday -- also, this photo has nothing to do with this post :)

Sometimes, I am terrible at making decisions. I overthink, overanalyze, ask for opinions from everyone, and wonder, and wonder, and wonder what to do. I make pros and cons list, measure out costs, think of possible consequences. I envy those people who can make a decision without all this hassle, even if sometimes it is necessary to take a little longer to decide. I'm certain I take longer than almost anyone!

As you might remember, a few months ago I was trying to figure out my summer plans. I had a few different options, even if the top two choices I had hoped for weren't options for me. I still had other options. I wondered what to do and where to live. Eventually the decision was made to stay in Cedar City.

It was scary. It was a new thing for me to not move home. To not visit home in 3+ months. To dive in to this small, quiet town.

And I've had a lot of adventures (like hiking Kanarraville Falls yesterday & making wonderful memories) and I can say this house is probably my favorite out of all the places I've lived. I've become even better...best friends with Amanda (and I'm so lucky to have her as my roommate this summer). So, that's great, right?

But why do I feel...frustrated? Anxious? Why do I panic sometimes about being here? Wonder if I made the right decision?

I was preparing a talk for church today and I came across a quote that went something along the lines of -- sometimes we make right decisions but at the wrong time. Anyway, all day, I've been trying to figure out a few things about the upcoming semester. Like graduating in December & moving home or going to grad school in the fall or ... so many choices.

Here I am again. Forced to make some decisions. And eventually I know I'll make a choice. I need to have confidence that I'm able to make good decisions for my life. And it's a little scary.

Rant. Over.

Also, check out Ben Rector. He's one of my favorite artists this summer. I especially love this song:

snapshots of my life.

I'm back to reality after a week in California and a day in Las Vegas. It's nice to get away once in a while, right? Even though I was exploring the world in Spain last year at this time, California was a nice getaway. Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip.

First mountain biking adventure

We started out on Monday morning with a trail called "Top of the World." I had never been mountain biking for real ... let's say, there were a few spots on the way up that made me a little nervous. You look up and see a giant hill ... but somehow, we made it to the top! And the view was beautiful. Definitely worth the work. Then on the way down, just breezing down, realizing you'd come up those same hills. Kind of like life, right? Looking back and seeing things you've accomplished that you never thought you could do.

Slacklining in the park

This ferris wheel had names of cities in Spain -- i loved it! 

Sushi with Rebekah & her dad. YUM! 

We even tried "real" sushi -- sashimi. It wasn't my favorite. The texture is quite interesting. But I love sushi rolls!

My favorite part of the trip -- Balboa Island. Great typography :)

The beautiful Newport Beach Temple. We did baptisms here!

We made a stop by an animal rescue. No, this is not a real seal.  

Tide pools! 

Saying goodbye to Reba at the airport. Thanks for the fun trip!  

Las Vegas Temple. I've never seen it in person before either! 

Amanda was waiting for me at the airport. So great.

Shopping at H&M in the Forum Shops. Amanda had never been to an H&M before.

So, all in all, it was a great week. It's hard to be back to Cedar City, where the stores are limited & the wind is constant. But,  there are so many adventures day-to-day here too. Amanda and I even had some great adventures getting lost in road construction in Vegas ... but we had fun, even with the lack of knowing where we were going. I love having such great friends. Blessed, I tell you!

Alright, until next time.