Diet Cupcakes?

Diet Cupcakes?

Doesn't that seem like two words that contradict each other? 

Over the past few weeks I've seen lots of pins about cupcakes using a diet soda and a cake mix so tonight Madison and I decided to try it!

I used a Funfetti cake mix and 1 1/2 cups of Diet 7UP- 

mixed together in the mixer. 

Baked at 350 for 18-20 minutes and  

we had 12 super yummy, super moist cupcakes! 

I seriously don't know if anyone would notice 

the lack of eggs and oil! 

So so so so so good and super easy!

Orange Crinkles

These are super easy cake mix cookies!

1 (18.25 ounce) package orange cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 t grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring mixture well. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Luby's Macaroni and Cheese

1, 2, 3 Cookies

These cookies are as easy as 1, 2, 3!


1 1/4 packages of Nabisco graham crackers (not the entire box)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (any kind or a combination of kinds)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Break the graham crackers into crumbs . Add sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and nuts. Pour into a buttered, small oblong or 9x9 square pan or lined with waxed paper. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely before breaking or cutting.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Oreo Truffles

Here's another EASY and YUMMY candy!


1 package regular size Oreo cookies, crushed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 package white almond bark
1 package chocolate almond bark

Cover cookie sheets (with sides) with waxed paper. Set aside. In large bowl, mix Oreos and cream cheese together. Roll into walnut size balls. Chill or freeze for one hour. Melt approximately 3/4 package of white almond bark. Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark. Allow to harden on wax paper. While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark. When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: White Peppermint Snowballs

Quick Sticky Buns

I found this recipe in my Real Simple magazine last month. What a fabulous and EASY way to fix a yummy breakfast for your family!

1 1/2 T butter, sliced into 10 pieces
1 medium banana, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
3 T brown sugar
1 (7.5 ounce) tube buttermilk biscuits


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop a piece of butter in the bottom of each of 10 compartments of a muffin tin. Arrange the banana slices on top. Sprinkle the pecans and brown sugar over the bananas. Top each compartment with a biscuit. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Place a baking sheet on top of the tin while the buns are still hot. Carefully flip the tin over, tapping the bottom to release the buns. Serve warm.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Black Walnut Cake

White Chicken Chili

Although I love to cook and make many things from scratch, I also use some ready made products to help me get good meals on the table fast. This white chicken chili starts with a mix made by McCormick that is spicy and absolutely wonderful! This is a meal that I can have on the table in less than 30 minutes and that my family adores!


1 T canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 package McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning Mix
1 cup water
1 can northern beans
1 can canelli beans


Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken- cook and stir for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in seasoning mix, water, and beans. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.


TIP OF THE DAY: To make this super simple meal even more simple- use pre-cooked diced chicken that can be found near the deli meat at the grocery store.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Apple Pie Bread

Butter Pecan Cream Cheese Cookies

These are a quick, soft, yummy, and easy cookie to make with very few ingredients.

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/2 t maple flavoring (or vanilla)

1 box Butter Pecan cake mix

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add egg and maple flavoring and blend well. Add dry cake mix 1/3 at a time. Mix well. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just lightly browned. I drizzled mine with a powdered sugar, milk, and maple flavoring icing.

TIP OF THE DAY: To change this recipe use a devil's food cake mix and vanilla flavoring for Devil's Food Cream Cheese Cookies.

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Tony's Taters

SUPER EASY Dump Cake

This recipe is so easy that the first time I read it I thought- that will NOT be that good. I was also hesitant because I like pineapple but just wasn't sure it would be good in a dessert. But I made it and boy was I wrong. It's SUPER EASY and so yummy out of the oven with ice cream or cool whip. You do not taste the pineapple at all because it's so mixed in. The best part about it is that with only a few ingredients it's easy to have all these things on hand in your pantry when you need to make a last minute dessert.


1 yellow cake mix (I usually use the butter recipe yellow)
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
1 can any flavor pie filling
1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
Chopped nuts (optional)
Coconut (optional)
Vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray. Dump can of pineapple (juice and all) in pan. Next dump pie filling over pineapple. DO NOT MIX. (That's why it's called a DUMP cake :) Sprinkle cake mix over pineapple and pie filling. Slice butter into pats and place over cake mix or melt butter and pour over top. Sprinkle nuts and coconut on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes until browned and bubbly. Best served warm!


TIP OF THE DAY: To totally change this cake, you cake use different kinds of cake mix and pie filling. Chocolate cake mix and cherry pie filling is yummy as is spice cake mix and apple pie filling. Don't be afraid to experiment.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Cinnamon Roll French Toast

Eclair Cake

This is one of the easiest desserts I know how to make and is perfect for taking to a potluck dinner. It's so yummy and tastes just like an eclair!

2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
3 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) package graham crackers
1 (16 ounce) can chocolate frosting

In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the pudding mix, Cool Whip, and milk. Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers. Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. Cover, and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

TIP OF THE DAY: To make frosting easier to spread on a 9 x 13 inch cake that you are planning to leave in the pan, simply place the frosting in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. It easily melts and you can simply pour it on instead of using a knife.

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches

Quick Apple Cheesecake

This is another great summer-time dessert that is quick and easy to make!


1 Keebler Ready Crust 2 Extra Servings Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling, chilled
2 T toasted chopped pecans
1 T lemon juice
Dash salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Mix until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Place crust on baking sheet; pour in filling. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean. Spread out apple filling evenly on top of cooled cheesecake. Garnish with toasted pecans.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes


TIP OF THE DAY: When cream cheese in on sale, buy several packages and keep them in your refrigerator because they have a pretty long expiration period. There is alot you can do with cream cheese so I always try to keep some on hand.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Shrimp Dip

Chocolate Covered Cherry Pie

This is a yummy and quick dessert perfect for this time of year when it's so warm outside!


1 box (8 oz) chocolate covered cherries, quartered
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (9 inch) purchased chocolate crumb pie crust
8 maraschino cherries with stems
Chocolate sprinkles to garnish

In a medium bowl, stir chocolate covered cherries into ice cream. Spoon ice cream mixture into crust. Dip maraschino cherries in chocolate sprinkles and place on pie to garnish. Add additional chocolate sprinkles. Place in freezer until firm.

TIP OF THE DAY: Ice cream can be softened in the microwave. Just be sure to use the defrost mode and 30 second increments.

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Quick Apple Cheesecake

Cool Whip Cookies

I got this recipe from a student's mother during my first year of teaching 16 years ago. I can NOT believe it's been that long because I remember the boy- Brandon- and his mother- and her cookies- just like it was last week. She brought these cookies to our Christmas party and they were so good I HAD to have the recipe! When she gave it to me, I could NOT believe that they contained Cool Whip. But they do and are so simple that you can always have the ingredients on hand. By simply changing the cake mix, you can make a ton of different varieties!

1 box cake mix any flavor (I usually use lemon, strawberry, or chocolate)

1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

2 eggs

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix first three ingredients together in large bowl until well mixed. Chill in refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes. Using a cookie scoop (see Tip of the Day) scoop a ball of dough into a bowl of powdered sugar and roll around until the entire ball is coated (I use a spoon to do this so my hands don't get sticky). Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Cool for only 2 minutes and move to wax paper or these cookies will stick!

Prep Time: 40 minutes (including chilling time)

Bake Time: 15 minutes per batch of cookies

TIP OF THE DAY: The BEST tool for making cookies hands down is a cookie scoop. They make dropping cookies super simple and super quick! You can purchase one at Wal-mart or Target or a Bed, Bath, and Beyond type store. They come in both a large and small size (I use both depending upon the kind of cookie I am making) and are a must have when making cookies!

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Oooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Super Simple Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These are so simple that I almost didn't post this recipe but decided that sometimes we all need super simple ideas so............here it is! My grandmother always kept the two items for these cookies in her refrigerator and when we visited she would make us a few to enjoy while we played SkipBo. There was nothing better than a few fresh out of the oven with a glass of milk! YUMMY!


1 tube peanut butter cookie dough (of course you could use any kind of cookie dough)
1 package Reece's Peanut Butter Cups


Spray mini muffin pan cups with cooking spray. Cut off one an approximately 1/2 inch slice of cookie dough and then cut into two equal pieces. Place one piece in each mini tin. Bake at 350 degrees for between 7-9 minutes. Immediately upon taking the cookies out of the oven, press one peanut butter cup into each cookie. Do this quickly so the peanut butter cup won't melt onto your hands. Cool for about 5-10 minutes before taking cookies carefully out of the muffin tin.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Baking Time: 10 minutes per batch


TIP OF THE DAY: Place Reece's Peanut Butter Cups in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you need to use them. When they are frozen, it's much easier to peel the papers off.


Tomorrow's Daily Special: Cool Whip Cookies