Bug Goes to School! {Recipe & School Printable}

And, clearly, he’s ready for it.

Our Bean starts Kindergarten today, and little Bug will be going to preschool twice a week.  To say he is excited would be an outrageous understatement.  Since getting his “poop in a group” – if you follow my drift – he’s been asking frequently when the beloved transition would begin.

The day has arrived, crazy eyes, it has arrived.

He is scarily good at peeing 4 feet across the grass, devouring large quantities of food in a matter of minutes, and crossing his eyes. 

His father is very proud.

We decided it would be fun for the kids to take some treats to school for their teacher – in celebration of this new school year – so amidst the hussle and bussle of prepping and packing, we made some cookies.

And it just so happens, being as gosh darn lazy efficient as I am, I decided to forgo the from-scratch technique and break out a box of cake mix.  I’ve never made cookies with cake mix, but I’d heard rumor of it’s yumminess {not to mention simplicity}.  The lone box : red velvet.  I’ve also never baked an R.V cake before, nor am I a fan of the massive amounts of red food coloring therein, but a rushed mama’s got to do what a rushed mama can.  I found these babies on Pinterest, and despite my sad lack of white chocolate chips or plain apple sauce and shortage of butter, I forged on.

Clearly, I need to grocery shop.

Red Velvet {Cake Mix} Cookies

              Ingredients:

• 1 box of red velvet cake mix
• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce {I used strawberry, unsweetened}
• 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips {original calls for white chocolate}
• 1/2 cup {stick} of butter, softened
• 1 large egg

Directions:

• Leave butter out to soften for a couple of hours.  Once softened, beat until fluffy {preheat oven to 350*}. 
• In a bowl, sift flower and stir in cake mix.
• Slowly add flour and cake mix into butter bowl and mix until incorporated. 
• Next add your egg and mix completely. 
• Fold in the chocolate chips and drop tablespoon-sized ‘blobs’ onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes. 
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. 
• For a little extra kapow and artery-clogging goodness, slap some frosting on those babies and fashion up some red whoopie pies.  Whoopieee!

{don’t forget that handy little “Print Friendly” button at the bottom of this post which allows you to delete the drivel and keep only the essentials of a recipe.  Why you would want to delete the nonsensical babbling I throw your way is entirely beyond me…but I won’t judge.}

Recipe adapted from Peas & Crayons

And, because I’m a sucker for fun packaging, I whipped out our two Wendy’s salad bowls from our lunch-on-the-run the day before, pulled up this fab little template, and created this baby here…

Click right here for the download.

**Today we’re also celebrating our little man’s precious life…yet again! 

I know, I know…his birthday was 2 weeks ago, but…three years ago, today, we stood paralyzed against thick, cold hospital glass watching while 9 medical workers poked, prodded and finally cardioverted our 10 day old son as he fought for his little life.

The doctor’s words, without knowing I was pumping behind the curtain, were, “this little boy’s heart is toast”.

Today we celebrate what God has done in his 3 vivacious years of life, and the fact that he’s been off his heart medication – with no sign of SVT – for over 18 months.  You would never know, looking at this healthy, hilarious, solid little guy, that there was ever a day we wondered whether he’d be able to pull through.

But he’s a fighter!  Read all about his journey here.

Bug is so delightful. God is so faithful.  Life is so sweet!

{and those cookies – I hear – were pretty darn good}