I had visions of myself as Incredi-Mom who made birthday cakes from scratch and never turned on the TV and sewed my own Halloween costumes. But then actual children and real life arrived and all those grand plans went out the drive-through window. You can, however, reclaim a spot in the heart of all the neighborhood kids this summer by making the easiest, most delicious cookies ever that require only 3 ingredients (4 if you add some stir-ins): Cake Mix Cookies.

I found the recipe on some Web site somewhere and ever since we first made them I've been telling all my mom friends to stock up on cake mix when it's on a buy-one, get-one sale.

Personally, I think the chocolate cake mix works best. I tried butter cake mix with chocolate chips and the kids raved but they can't replace my friend Jan's buttery bombs of Tollhouse bliss. But then we tried the chocolate cake mix *swoon* they had me at the fudgey, chewy cookie that's just too good for mere mortals. My friend Sherry made some with mint chocolate chips stirred in (yum!) and I made some for the kids with mini M&Ms that had them dancing in my honor. Last night I made some for a girls' night out with white chocolate chips and macademia nuts stirred in that looked so girly and fancy. No one would have guessed I was pulling them out of the oven 20 minutes after I got home from work that night. 

So here's your summer gift from one slacker mom to another, a way to fool anyone into thinking you slaved for hours in the kitchen.

CAKE MIX COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1-2 cups mix ins such as chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit.

Directions:
Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs until well blended. Add in mix ins. Roll dough into walnut shaped balls and place on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.

-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne