30th Birthday Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

My sweet, sweet husband is turning 30 on the 26th of Jan. He's getting so old, right?? :) Just kidding. Anyway, I made him some cupcakes to take to work that I was pretty excited to try out. I'm really an awful baker but, I love sweets and really, I enjoy baking. I really need to perfect my icing skills and my "fill the cup up half way with batter" skills...haha. {You'll see!}

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES

What you need -

• 1 box of Chocolate Cake Mix - I love Moist Deluxe
• 1 16oz Sour Cream
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/4 Cup of Water
• 2 Lined Cupcake Pans
• Homemade icing or Store bought {I used store bought but, will definitely make my own next time!}
• 1 Package of Refridgerated Pre-cut Cookie Dough {I used the minis and mine were more cake than cookie...so decide which you love more. I bet the regular size pre-cut cookie dough would make it more 50/50!}

Directions-

Combine cake mixture, eggs, water, and sour cream - mix 2-3 minutes

Fill each cupcake wrapper halfway with the cake mixture

Separate and press 1 pre-cut cookie dough piece into each cupcake wrapper filled halfway with batter

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes then check {I have a gas stove and mine were ready in 20!}

Let cupcakes cool some then frost with your favorite icing! {I used just regular whipped fluffy white icing - maybe a little too rich?}



All done - see how I need to pratice filling the cups halfway?? Haha!





YUM! I liked them and Jerry said they were really good! :)



Crockpot Potato Soup {SO good!}

OMG! This soup is really, really, really good! I personally believe it has loaded baked potato soup from O'Charleys beat!

Crockpot Potato Soup 

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns {I used Ore Ida}

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped {we didn't use the onion}

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. regular cream cheese

I used 1 can of cream of celery instead of the cream of chicken, omitted the onion {not many people in this house like onions,} added onion salt, and garlic powder to taste {I'm usually generous with the garlic!}

I combined everything except the cream cheese on low for about 8 hours then added the cream cheese about 30 minutes before serving, melted and combined, then served.

We ate ours with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits! SO good. Even Jerry liked it who really isn't a "soup for dinner" kind of guy. We're now making brownies for dessert! :)

Enjoy! Visit Pearls, Handcuffs, & Happy Hour for the original recipe.

Spaghetti Casserole

• 1lb browned ground beef
• 1/2 box cooked multi grain spaghetti
• 1c moz cheese
• 1c parm cheese
• 1 bottle spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 block cream cheese
• 1 can tomato sauce

1. Put beef, spaghetti and tomato sauce, and cream cheese in sauce pan and simmer until cream cheese is melted and smooth
2. Mix noodles with 1/4 spaghetti sauce mixture
3. Layer half of noodles in 8x8 glass, greased baking dish, then layer sauce to cover, layer of cheeses then repeat
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
5. Broil at 500 degrees for 5 minutes {or so}
6. Serve with garlic bread and side salad

{Jerry and my bro-in-law Kevin really liked it! I should have taken a picture of it too, dangit!}