I had visions of myself as Incredi-Mom who made birthday cakes from scratch and never turned on the TV and sewed my own Halloween costumes. But then actual children and real life arrived and all those grand plans went out the drive-through window. You can, however, reclaim a spot in the heart of all the neighborhood kids this summer by making the easiest, most delicious cookies ever that require only 3 ingredients (4 if you add some stir-ins): Cake Mix Cookies.
I found the recipe on some Web site somewhere and ever since we first made them I've been telling all my mom friends to stock up on cake mix when it's on a buy-one, get-one sale.
Personally, I think the chocolate cake mix works best. I tried butter cake mix with chocolate chips and the kids raved but they can't replace my friend Jan's buttery bombs of Tollhouse bliss. But then we tried the chocolate cake mix *swoon* they had me at the fudgey, chewy cookie that's just too good for mere mortals. My friend Sherry made some with mint chocolate chips stirred in (yum!) and I made some for the kids with mini M&Ms that had them dancing in my honor. Last night I made some for a girls' night out with white chocolate chips and macademia nuts stirred in that looked so girly and fancy. No one would have guessed I was pulling them out of the oven 20 minutes after I got home from work that night.
So here's your summer gift from one slacker mom to another, a way to fool anyone into thinking you slaved for hours in the kitchen.
CAKE MIX COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 box cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1-2 cups mix ins such as chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit.
Directions:
Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs until well blended. Add in mix ins. Roll dough into walnut shaped balls and place on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.
-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
Amy Hollyfield is a workaholic mother of two young
daughters, blessed to have a work-at-home husband who makes their life possible. She was born in Detroit and moved around a lot as a kid (read: Air Force brat). She has lived in Florida since the month after she
graduated from Northwestern University. She lives for the yelps, hugs and kisses that greet her on nights that she makes it home before bedtime.
Sherry Robinson was born in the Sunshine State but she feels more comfortable inside a mall than outside at the beach -- thank goodness her husband is the outdoorsy type. He takes their two sons on night hikes, beach runs and bug hunts while Sherry does her best to take care of the homestead -- and find out what is new on the store shelves. A graduate of the University of South Florida in 19noneofyourbusiness, Sherry has been at the Times for nearly 20 years. And with nearly 10 years of parenting experience, Sherry is eager to offer up some great dish on raising kids and keeping your sanity.
Guest blogger Tracey Henry, a.k.a. Suburban Diva, is a frantic, slightly frazzled mother of four. She is a freelance humor writer and author which is the only thing that parenting four children ages 12-1 trains you for, except perhaps court jester and professional bull rider. She and her husband have lived all over the country, but settled in Florida eight years ago because the beachcombing is so much better here than on the banks of the Mississippi. Their family time includes a lot of sport -- both watching and playing -- and fun in the sun and surf. Catch her in Whoa, Momma! and on her site, 
Sherri Day and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world in early 2008. So far, she describes parenthood as exciting, exhausting and exhilarating. A self-described Southern belle with small-town values and big-city idealism, Sherri was born in rural Georgia. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from Clark Atlanta University and her master's of journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. She is the Brandon bureau chief for the Times. Sherri moved to Tampa from Brooklyn four years ago.
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