Ok, where did this weekend go? I want another one right now!! 
It was such a fun weekend. Let’s quickly recap the highlights:
1) Finishing a 12 mile run and feeling strong. Average speed exactly 10.0 minute mile. I felt amazing, and can’t wait for the race now, which is less than 2 weeks away. I AM READY. Bring it on!!! 
2) Going shopping with my sister and parents. My parents were so generous – they bought every single thing we liked! I got really cute going out clothes and did some real damage at Lululemon. I put my new shirt to test on the 12-miler and I’m obsessed. I’m buying one in every color. I’ll post a pic online. Every runner should have one!!
3) Brunching with my girlfriends. It’s been months, and it was time! We vowed to never go this long without seeing each other again.
4) Spending time with my parents in law, who brought us cheesecake and helped us put up track lighting. We have light in our living room now, and for a little over $200. Go Home Depot! Forget you, lady from the ghetto looking lighting store who quoted us $2,500 for lights. Psh! 
5) Running for 12 miles straight!!! Oh I mentioned that already? Oh well – it deserves a second highlight! 
And now onto something sweeter. Somehow this weekend ended up sweeter than usual – literally. I have 5 sweet highlights for your enjoyment (I ate some “real food” too but it was nothing to write home (err blog) about 
).
1) My Saturday morning started with a brunch at Acquataine. Brunching is really a great way to get a weekend going, don’t you think?
Sweet numero uno: warm house made cinnamon bun, as part of Acquitaine’s Saturday $9.99 pre-fixe menu. I was happy this thing wasn’t the size of my head, and enjoyed about 1/2 of it with a nice cup of coffee (or 3!).
A beautiful egg white spinach and feta omelet (light on cheese, light on oil) was perfectly fluffy and light
2) Next up – Tatte! My sister has read about this bakery on my blog several times and requested that we go on her next visit to Boston. I couldn’t pass up my favorite – mixed nut box. Shortbread box with lots of nuts and buttery caramel. How can you go wrong with that?! Mmm, that was Saturday’s “lunch”
3) Mom’s cherry filled “gorka” cake. Gorka means a little hill in Russian – can you see why?
I ate a slice sometime on Saturday, and then this guy after my run on Sunday. Most delicious post run fuel ever!
4) Cheesecake sample pack from Alden Merrel Fine Desserts in Newburyport, MA my parents in law brought for us. Geez, I think people were trying to kill me with all these sweets this weekend. Good thing I burnt 1,600 calories on my run Back to cleaner eating this week…
The turtle cheesecake was to-die for. The caramel was just so sweet and gooey. The slice is on the smaller size and clocked in at 330 calories (21 grams of fat though – eek) so I didn’t do that much damage. 
5) And now we’re getting close to the giveaway! A few weeks ago I emailed The Lazy Baker and asked if they’d send me one of their cookie mixes to review. I’m often in a situation when I’m craving cookies, but don’t have the energy to look for recipes and start a full-on baking project. There are 3 alternatives to this problem – 1) going to a bakery (expensive, time consuming); 2) quick trip to the grocery store for something sweet (way less tasty and often unsatisfying); 3) ignore the craving (boo!). The Lazy Baker mixes seemed like the perfect solution (and the ingredients are all natural!!). So what did I think?
I received in the mail the oatmeal cherry raisin spice mix – although these sounded delicious, the chocaholic that I am I would of course choose one of the other cookies with chocolate if I were to buy the mix. Here is the package, and everything else you’d need to make the cookies.
Inside the package:
After preparing the dough as per instructions, and rolling them into little balls:
I came out with 27 balls. Instead of eating 27 cookies right away, I put about half away in a ziplock bag and froze them. I think these will be great when I just want 1 or 2 cookies. Hopefully it works!
Post baking (took about 15 minutes in my oven):
I had to taste 2 right away!
Wow. These were absolutely amazing fresh out of the oven!!! As you can see they didn’t spread too much, so they were plump little balls of oats and spices with cherries and raisins. Again, I’d normally go for cookies with chocolate but these blew me away. My husband and parents in law absolutely loved these too. They tasted so wholesome, yet rich and buttery (but not in a greasy way). Yum!!
Overall I thought The Lazy Baker mix wasn’t that lazy. I still had to pull out my Kitchen Aid mixer to whip up the butter and eggs and mix the dough. Basically the mix let me skip 1 step (mixing flours, baking powders, spices, etc.) but I still did some work for sure and still had some bowls to wash at the end of it all. Was it worth it? Absolutely! The cookies were amazingly flavorful, and if my freezer trick works, I did a bunch of prep work and will reap the benefits for weeks to come (if they last that long, hehe).
Do you want to win your own mix of The Lazy Baker cookies? Here are the rules:
1) Go to The Lazy Baker website and tell me which mix you’d like to try the most (if you win, I’ll nicely ask the company to send you that mix!).
2) If you have a blog, let others know about the giveaway and link back to this post. If you don’t have a blog, tell someone about this giveaway and let me know that you’ve done so (after they enter the giveaway by commenting). *This earns you 2 bonus points*
3) If you have a blog, add Healthy and Sane to your blogroll (if I’m already on your blogroll, let me know – it counts!). If you don’t, shoot me an email and give me some feedback on my blog. *This also earns you 2 bonus points*
The giveaway ends October 5th at 6pm EST. I’ll announce the winner that night! Good luck!!!
Oatmeal Cherry Raisin Spice–the cookies you made look amazing!
Definitely would love to try oatmeal cherry spice, I’ve never had a cookie with cherries before (I’m ashamed to say!)….
Hmm, tough call but I’m a chocolate chip mix lover, classic cookie all the way
You had me at brown sugar pecan shortbread, those would be killer at the holidays.
OMG, did I see a double choc chip mix–count me in puhleeze!!!!!!!!!!!
Chocolate chip.. you can never go wrong with those!!
Wow, they all look amazing, but I would love the shortbread mix, they could be on their own or would be great as a base for making caramel pecan bars…I’ll share the recipe if I win! Love the blog!!
Congrats on the run! I did 10.5 and felt great, can’t wait for the race now. I love brunch at Aquitane!
Congrats on the 12 miler! And brunch is definitely the proper way to start the weekend.
I would love to try pecan shortbread, yumm!
What a great idea freezing the extra dough! I don’t know why I never thought to do that, because it’s true, you always have too much leftover. I’m in a major chocolate phase right now so I would LOVE to try the double chocolate chip cookies!
And you’re on my blogroll! And I plan on linking back to this tonight! I really love bonus points.
I’d love to try the double chocolate chip!
Brown sugar pecan for sure!
I have you in my blog roll, too.
OATMEAL! =D i love your reviews of things by the way!
Yum! Those Brown Sugar Pecan cookies look amazing!! I love the idea of a natural cookie mix, which is perfect for me because I am definitely a lazy baker LOL
And I have already added you to my blogroll
Awesome run! And dare I say it…even more awesome eats all weekend long!
I was totally drooling at your mom’s cake! Looks unbelievable!
your eats look a-freaking-mazing! And I would love nothing more than to get to make some oatmeal cherry raisin spice cookies!
Definitely the double chocolate chip!
I would LOVE to try the Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread but it’s not out yet!
So I would have to stick with the regular chocolate chip for now…
OMG, I love Alden Merrell cheesecakes! they’re so delicious. A family friend is a baker for them, and every now and then she’ll bring over some delicious samples and new recipes for us to try. Yum!
I’m so glad you guys found lighting. I bet the place looks great now
I am normally all about the double chocolate but I think I’d go for the brown sugar shortbread because they seem so fall-like. Yum!
PS – I posted a link from my blog too.
what a fantastic weekend!! i’m a bit jealous, as mine was very low-key as i’m still recovering from a nasty cold…
that oatmeal cherry spice does sound yummy
double chocolate chip!!
[...] Win a Lazy Baker cookie mix here [...]
Chocolate chip sounds amazing to me! I can’t recall if you’re on my blog roll, but if you aren’t them I’m adding you, especially since I really like your blog
OMG! The brown sugar pecan shortbread sound so good. Thank you for the giveaway!!
I’m in love with chocolate chip cookies, so I’d choose the double chocolate chip kind! My friend, Laura E told me about this contest.
The oatmeal cherry raisin spice mix you tried looks and sounds awesome! Thanks for the opportunity. I told my foodie friend Rita about your contest for extra entries!
The brown sugar pecan shortbread.
on my blog roll
[...] Check out these amazing giveaways: Lazy Baker, Pirate’s Booty, Tropical Eats Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)breakfast of [...]
the brown sugar pecan for sure! great giveaway!
[...] Weekend full of sweets + The Lazy Baker giveaway [...]
oh, and you’re on my blogroll!
I’d like to try Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread (coming soon). My second choice though would be the classic chocolate chip.
[...] of cookies, have you guys seen Elina’s Lazy Baker giveaway? I’m a teeny bit desperate to [...]
Whoa, did I hear Double Choc Chip Mix?
I didn’t see the Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread, darn it…those look amazing!
double chocolate or oatmeal cherry raisin spice!
i love the pastry pictures!
I’d love to try the double chocolate chip! Thanks for offering a giveaway!
no need to enter me cause I am an uber lazy baker. But seriously you had some really creative and fun eats this week…oh and did I mention heck yah you go girl on 12 miles!!
oh and
Don’t forget to check out the yummy salsa giveaway http://runtothefinish.blogspot.com/2009/09/salsa-dancing.html
Great job on the 12 miles!!
I would love to try brown sugar pecan shortbread!
Hi Elina! Thanks for the giveaway. I would love to try the chocolate chip. thanks again and yay for cookies!
I’d love to try the Oatmeal Cherry Raisin Spice mix!
Of course I’ll add you to my BlogRoll.
(Actually, I my friend Chris sent me the link to your blog. He said you’re coming to his Healthy Tailgate Party onS aturday! See you then!)
i want to try the good old chocolate chip cookies!!
and of course adding you to my blog roll… even if i am barely a blogger!! Just a blog stalker
I would love to try the chocolate chip cookies.
Hmmm, chocolate. 
oh I’d love to try the Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread because it’s something I’d never make on my own
[...] Weekend full of sweets + The Lazy Baker giveaway [...]
chocolate chip for sure!
The oatmeal cherry raisin spice sounds uniquely yummy, but they all sound good!
This post makes me want a cinnamon roll in the worst way!!! I would LOVE to try the lazy baker cookies!! Esp the oatmeal cherry ones, or classic choc. chip!
You are already on my blogroll
This is amanda your “stylist” haha. I NEED that cherry cake…seriously.
Count me in for those oatmeal cherry you made–they look fantabulous!
[...] strawberry cheesecake (which reminds me – last day to enter the cookie mix [...]
[...] Lazy Baker giveaway winner is Madeline! I kept a separate spreadsheet with all the “bonus entrees” and [...]
[...] I wasn’t too crazy about this one (my mom was testing out a new recipe) so she brought me an old favorite – gorka! [...]
Ohhh it’s a toss up between Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread and Oatmeal Cherry Raisin Spice. I love a good oatmeal cookie.
I officially follow your blog too!
[...] Then it was time for dessert. GORKA!! [...]