Chocolate Mint Cake Cookies

These cookies remind me of Girl Scout Cookies... they are so good, and actually addictive. They are the most requested cookie from my family!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 10 Minutes | Makes: 24 Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Betty Crocker SuperMoist French Vanilla Cake Mix
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
10 drops green food colouring
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate Drizzle:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions:
- In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, margarine, oil and eggs, then remaining ingredients.
- Drop 1 inch balls onto cookie sheet.
- Bake @ 350° for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet.
- Melt chocolate chips, margarine and milk together in microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in mint extract. Drizzle over cookies.
- Makes 24 cookies.

Omelette Muffins

These little morsels of yumminess are full of flavour and easy to make ahead of time and then reheat for breakfast, brunch or snack! And of course you can mix it up and try different fillings if you like!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup diced ham (or sausage)
1 tablespoon margarine
1 cup diced peppers (red, green, yellow)
3/4 cup cheese, grated

9 eggs

20-25 vegetable crackers, crumbled (or Ritz crackers)

Instructions: 
- Line muffin tin with liners.

- In saucepan, fry onion and ham with margarine. Add in peppers.

- Add a spoonful of filling into each muffin paper using about 3/4 of filling. Save some for top.

- Add 3/4 of the cheese. Save some for top.

- Beat eggs together, adding in crumbled crackers. 

- Fill each muffin paper with egg mixture, then top with remaining filling and cheese.

- Bake @ 350° for 30 minutes.

Haystacks

I finally found my Haystacks recipe! This is totally kickn' it old school for me.... I remember one of my classmate's awesome mom would make these for our hot dog days at Domain Elementary. Oh the memories from our little 3 room school on the prairie. Anyway, feel free to make it with just chow mien noodles, just pretzels, or combo of both!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 0 Minutes  |  Makes: 24 Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup chow mien noodles

1 cup stick pretzels

1 cup salted peanuts
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Instructions:
- Combine noodles, pretzels and peanuts in bowl. Break up noodles and pretzels into smaller lengths. Set aside.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In microwave safe bowl melt together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter until smooth.
- Pour chocolate mixture over noodle/pretzel/peanut mixture and combine until covered.
- Dollop on baking sheets using spoons. I try to make them stand up a bit to look like haystacks.
- Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until they set up.

Pantry Reveal

I'm happy to report that not only have I completed my Pantry Challenge, but I was able to get it all done much quicker than I had anticipated. Here's the BEFORE:

BEFORE 

Here's what I did:
1. Took a quick inventory - This was funny. I seriously had 10 cans of kidney beans, a few bags of quick oats, chow mien noodles that I hadn't used, and enough pancake mix to feed an army.
2. Tossed out any old, stale and expired items - Yep, sadly lots went into the garbage. Some very old cans of veggies, some stale flour, and other dried goods that I knew I had had for an eternity.
3. Planned some meal around what I found - I made a big batch of chill to use up some of the beans, a chocolate pie to use up some pudding mixes, and chocolate Haystacks out of the chow mien noodles to mention a few.
4. Cleaned out and wiped down - done!
5. Organized into areas - each shelf now has a defined theme. Starting from the bottom shelf, cans because they are heavy; then crackers, cookies and snack food; then bread, pasta and other meal time foods; then baking; and the top for cereal and other large items.
6. Used containers and Tupperware to help organize and store.
7. Went grocery shopping to restock - I've made a trip to Costco and started to replenish mostly the snack shelf, with granola bars and fruit snacks for the kids.

Drumroll please... here's the AFTER. Now maybe it doesn't look like a drastic change, but I feel really good that I got the old and stale stuff thrown out, and have a system in place going forward.

AFTER 

A new addition to my pantry is this little step stool to help me easily reach items on the upper shelves.

Another new addition are my new Tupperware cereal containers. I find that we are going through cereal like crazy with kids, and buy the big bulk boxes from Costco. It only makes sense store them in these containers that you can easily pour into your cereal bowl, rather than fumbling around with a cut open bag that spills out all the time!

And lastly I got most of my dry baking goods into Tupperware Modular Mates, which keeps them fresh, but also really easy to scoop out of!

Pantry Challenge

Have you heard of the Pantry Challenge? Well, I'm about to take it, because my pantry is a MESS!!

A Pantry Challenge is when you make a concentrated, focused effort to "eat from the pantry" rather than buying groceries. Many do this as a way to lower the monthly grocery bill, some do it simply to make sure they use and get to those items that you bought once but haven't exactly found the time or a way to use them, and rotate stock. OR in my case, I know I need to do a major clean, organization and overhaul of my pantry, so why do that when it's full? Right? I'm going to try to empty it first by eating!

Also, I have recently noticed that there have been some of my pantry items that have gone stale or WAY past their expiry date. Gross, and what a waste. Anyway, I'm starting the challenge, and I'm giving myself a month to have a clean, organized pantry full of new, fresh food!

Care to join me? I'm not setting any real rules for my challenge other than having my "after" pantry be better than my "before" pantry! But here's what, I'll be doing:
1. Take a quick inventory of what is in my pantry.
2. Toss out any old, stale or expired items.
3. Plan some meals around what I find.
4. Clean and wipe down.
5. Organize into areas.
6. Use storage containers, and all that Tupperware I bought to store and group items.
7. Go grocery shopping to re-stock!

Let me know if you have done a Pantry Challenge or would like to join me by leaving me a comment below. For some inspiration, check out these other bloggers who have taken their own pantry challenges!
Good (Cheap) Eats: Pantry Challenge
Balancing Beauty & Bedlam: January's Pantry & Freezer Challenge
The Vintage Butterfly: The Pantry Challenge
Going Crazy Wanna Go: Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge

So, time to start going into the deep, dark corners and planning some meals around what I find. This should be interesting!