PROTEIN POWDER COOKIES

“Wanna get rock hard abs, but still enjoy soft cookies?  Bite into these protein packed morsels and feel that body get ripped.”

1 cup Butter

1/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

3.4 ounce package Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 cups Flour

1/4 cup Protein Powder (I prefer Muscle Milk vanilla flavored protein powder)

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.

Mix in pudding mix.

Mix in eggs and vanilla extract.

Mix in flour, protein powder, and baking soda.

Mix in chocolate chips.

Place Tablespoon sized balls of dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 8 minutes or until bottoms have browned.

Makes about 40 cookies.

PROTEIN COOKIES

“Wanna get jacked?  Wanna eat a cookie?  Well, now you can do both.  Enjoy!”

1 cup Butter

1 cup Crisco

2 cups Sugar

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

4 3/4 cups Flour

1/4 cup Protein Powder (I recommend vanilla flavored Muscle Milk Protein Powder)

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar

Sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, Crisco, and sugar.

Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Mix in the flour, protein powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Roll Tablespoon sized balls of dough in sugar.

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Flatten the balls of dough slightly with the bottom of a glass.

Bake for 8 minutes or until the bottoms have just browned.

Cool on wire baking rack.

I look out the office window and I saw it.  A dead ringer for a cloud that looks just like a dolphin.  No, really.

See it?  No?  Look closely.

There it is.  No?  Not yet?  Fine.

Okay, it’s just a little cloud.

As a rule of thumb, innovation should be encouraged, but in this case, it may have reached its limits.

My boys, plus a Sharpie, plus Bacon Ranch sunflower seeds, plus Dill Pickle Nacho Cheese Fusion sunflower seeds equal a flavor combo capacity.

When you spot a weed in your driveway and your first thought is, “That might be good in a salad.”

My thought, when I first saw my son put Cheetos on his taco, “What’s wrong with my boy?”

My thought after tasting a Cheetos covered taco, “Someday that boy is going to find a cure for cancer.”

My 9-year-old son Ben’s baseball season came to an end.  We finished with a winning record (barely) at 5-4-1 and many of those four losses could have easily have been wins.  In the end, however, it was an average season.  Good moments, a few nice highs, some downers, a little heartbreak, and some dashes of frustration.  An “Every Season” if there was one.

This was my ninth season as a Little League coach (next year, “Pension Eligible!”).  There have been lots of happy memories and good stories to tell, but the season finale victories were few.  Just like life, which is sprinkled with countless forgettable Thursdays, very few days can be described as “Wow, this is the top of the mountain!”

As Ben’s team hustled off the field and hoped that their final turn at-bat would generate a tying run, I smiled.  I smiled, because they were approaching an average season, like all of us should tackle life’s forgettable Thursdays.  Keep hustling.  Keep trying to score that tying run.  Keep attacking the day.

Live each day with the enthusiasm of a nine-year-old coming to bat and soon those forgettable Thursdays will be filled with memories that fill your days with the extraordinary.

As the nine-year-old baseball tournament played on, two sights especially made me smile.

The opposing player named Cash, who placed a $ sign on his jersey.

Nice touch.

And another happy moment, as I glanced at Third Base and saw my youngest son reaching third and my oldest son pinch hitting as base coach.

A beautiful day for baseball and a moment that makes a dad smile.

As I drove home, I tried to think of wise words to pass along to my team of nine-year-olds as they enter the playoffs.

The words mirror baseball, but fuel life.

First Base – Have fun.  Joy is the fuel for all that follows.

Second Base – Good sportsmanship.  The Golden Rule in action, who knew that Jesus was a closer?  (Sure was, He saves.  Ha!)

Third Base – Do your best.  Try your hardest and you will go a long way.

Home – It’s about the team.  Cheer on others.  They need encouragement, as much as you.

Round those the bases and the final score won’t matter.  You will have already won.  Now, play ball!

DEVIL’S FOOD COOKIES

“Oh, you are such a naughty baker for using a cake mix, but they taste so right.  Enjoy!”

1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

Sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the cake mix, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs until the dough forms.

Take Tablespoon sized balls of dough and roll in the coating sugar.

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 9 minutes or until set.

Cool completely, before eating.

Makes about 32 cookies.

Revised Source:  “Cake Mix Chocolate Cookies” recipe on www.BettyCrocker.com.