When you hear “homemaker” you probably don’t think “box mix” do you? Well we do! *smile* We all have different seasons in life and if you are a busy momma a box mix can be a great help. (I know cooking from scratch is much healthier and can be cheaper…I say “can” because I never buy a mix without a sale and coupon!) We love to use cake and brownie mixes in different ways. I’ll share two recipes that my girls love to make using box mixes.
Cake Mix Cookies
1 package yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
Chips of any type…mini chocolate chips, butterscotch or peanut butter works great, too!
Drop rounded teaspoons onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree pre-heated. Check on them at 6 minutes. You don’t want them to get too brown so check often. Like I’ve said before…ovens vary!
*Note: if the mix still seems too dry, add another Tsp. of oil.
Poke Cake
1 package white cake mix
water, vegetable oil and egg whites as called for on cake mix package
1 package (4-serving size) strawberry, or raspberry-flavored Jello (you can use lime or orange…any flavor, really)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip
fresh berries or fruit as a garnish
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Make and bake cake as directed on package for 13×9 pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Poke cake all over with a fork. Stir Jello and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth; stir in cold water. Ladle it over the cake. Refrigerate 2 hours. Frost with Cool Whip; garnish with fruit. Store covered in the refrigerator.
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A box mix is the easy way I got my girls (ages 11, 10, 6, and 2) started in the kitchen “on their own”. They are reading a recipe, but it’s short and simple. They are measuring, but just a few things. They are baking and have an end result. It peaks their curiosity and pulls them in…makes them want to create more lovelies in the kitchen!
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Whether it be a box mix or from scratch the end goal is to “…provide food for her family…” (Prov. 31:15) and to “watch over the affairs of her household” (Prov. 31:27). Let’s help our daughters see the final goal.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Confession time:-) I love a good “box mix” brownie! I haven’t met a homemade brownie I like yet:-( I will stick with the Pillsbury Dougboy or Betty Crocker for my brownies…LOL!
Now that it’s just me and the Hubby at home, and I’m not chasing after a kid and running him all over the planet for his activities, I find I have a lot more time to cook, so I don’t use the box mixes the way I used to. But you are absolutely right – they are PERFECT for certain seasons of life! And what an easy way to introduce your girls to cooking and homemaking! It’s all about the final goal, just like you said!
Great post!
We’ve recently discovered a very tasty blueberry cake using a cake mix also. Since we’ve been blessed with lots of free blueberries this year, guess what we made for the last church social?!
You’re right about blessing each other with good things and not getting too stressed out about if we’re using “boxed” mixes or not, though we don’t want to make a regular practice of it.
Poke cake favorite here is chocolate cake mix, cherry jello. For topping buy Dream Whip powder and use the frosting recipe on the bow that is dream whip and pudding mix. We use chocolate pudding on the chocolate cherry poke cake.
Oooh Michelle! That’s sounds amazing!! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made the cookies before and they are so good! They are very soft and chewy. Absolutely wonderful!
What great ideas! One question — can you use any kind of cake mix for the cookies? Does it have to be yellow cake mix?
Oh yes! You can use chocolate or lemon…we made some lemon ones the other day (minus any chips of any sort). They were delicious!
Another suggestion: if you have a favorite recipe measure all of the dry ingredients into zip bags or containers and attach the info for prep and wet ingredients (almost like a make your own layered jar mix I guess but in a bag).
Absolutely no judgement about the use of box mixes. We use them here too. And you are right, they are definitely helpful for certain seasons of life. Just wanted to share the idea of making your own box mixes if you have a favorite recipe, etc. For instance, I prefer the taste of my mom’s homemade recipe for pancakes to the yellow box version.
Yes, making your own mixes are great! I keep a bunch of pancake mix ready in a jar on the counter!
My grandmother used to let me help her make cake mix cookies when I stayed at her house growing up. I never knew anyone else to do it. At my bridal shower, each guest was supposed to bring a favorite family recipe to share with me. My grandmother wrote out the directions to Cake Mix Cookies. I still have it in her handwriting in my recipe book, Great memories.
What special memories!
Thank you for sharing these ideas, i never thought to add anything extra to a box mix- how clever and a little extra special! My DD’s are 13 & 3 and so I have a mixer and a bowl holder ( and 2 spoon lickers!!) but this is great
Thanks,
have a great week,
hugs
C
We LOVE cake cookies in our home! In fact, my husband has nick named them crack cookies because they are so addicting, especially when made with funfetti cake mix. The boxes of cake mix are less than a dollar at our discount grocery store and since one batch makes three dozen cookies, I make them often to take as gifts, because they are fabulous AND cheap!
This is another reason I look forward to having a daughter. It will be so nice to teach her how to bake as well as being hospitable and economical!
Yes they sure are addictive! Our family of 10 can gobble them up rather quickly!! : )
I never learned to cook from anyone. I had 2 children before it occurred to me that you could make a cake without a mix! Sad I know. So I always feel extremely guilty when I hear people say a good homemaker always makes everything from scratch. I try as best I can with what I have. There is a season for everything and my 3 little ones are perfectly satisfied with a boxed cake. I’m glad you reminded us that the end goal is food for the family and a woman who watches over her household. I feel I am doing that and I know God approves of my efforts.
A favorite at our house is a Bud’s Cake named because I always had one baked for my son (now 23) when he was at home. A pound cake. 1 yellow cake mix, 1 box instant vanilla pudding, 4 eggs, 1/3 c oil, 1 c water. Beat well. Bake at 350 degrees for 42min in 9×13 pan. I just glaze the top with a little warm cream cheese icing…yum yum easy and moist and good….
Ooh Becky! That sounds delicious! I’ll have to whip one up! Thanks for sharing with us! : )
Better yet…I’ll put it on my oldest daughter’s to do list for tomorrow! That’s a “chore” she’ll happily do! : )
I am already looking at the poke cake recipe and planning how to use no sugar added gelatin and whipped topping, and adding no sugar added pudding folded in with the whipped topping for extra yumminess. The flavor combinations could be endless.