Often, in everyone’s day to day lives, it can be easy to lose track of time throughout your day. Thus, it is often very convenient to buy pre-made desserts and meals instead of making a dish, and despite many being tasty and well-made, others are not exactly the healthiest options out there. Here are some simple recipes that can be made with very little effort or time that may provide an alternative to buying pre-made foods.   

Chocolate chip cookies are classic dessert that is easy to modify to any occasion by simply adding in different flavor fruits, nuts, extracts, food coloring, or chocolate chips without changing the steps needed to make them.

• Here is what is needed for the basic recipe:  
  • 1 bag of dark chocolate chips
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups of flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon spoon vanilla extract
  • ½ tablespoon of baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon of food coloring if wanted

To modify the recipe above, you can use other types of chocolate chips, or add just half a cup of chips and another cup of nuts or dried fruits. In addition, you can mix a half of a tablespoon of another extract with the vanilla, but if you use mint, only mix one fourth of a tablespoon in or the cookies will taste like toothpaste.

• Here are the steps needed to create the recipe and all modifications above:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).
2. Spray baking sheet with baking spray or grease a pan with butter.  
3. Place granulated sugar in a bowl.
4. Scoop up the brown sugar and pack more in the cup measure until there is no more space left in the cup.
5. Add the brown sugar to the same bowl with the granulated sugar.
6. Stir the sugars with a spoon until all the large chunks of sugar are broken and the mixture is even throughout.
7. Take your three eggs and add them to the mixture in addition to the vanilla extract.
8. Stir the mixture once again until it’s evenly combined.
9. Then add the baking soda and stir.
10. Place one cup of flour into the mixture at a time and stir it with a spoon until evenly combined with all the other ingredients.
11.  Add the chocolates to the mixture and stir once more.
12. Take the batter and roll it into three inch spheres then place each one about one inch apart from one another on the baking sheet.
13. Place the tray in the oven for 10 minutes/
14. Take the tray out and let the cookies sit for 15 minutes until they are cool and able to be picked up without breaking.

Fudge can be a messy treat, but an enjoyable one to both make and eat all year round, and the recipe below can be made using almost the same technique as chocolate chip cookies excluding the flour.

• Here is what is needed for the basic recipe:  

• 1 bag dark chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• 1 cups of brown sugar
• 1 cups of granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Baking soda

To modify this the recipe above you can use white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate or mix the vanilla extract with half a teaspoon of another fruit flavored extract like raspberry extract.  

• Here are the steps needed to create the recipe and all modifications above:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).  
2. Spray an 8-inch-deep dish baking tray with nonstick spray or grease the pan with butter.
3. Place granulated sugar in a bowl.
4. Scoop up the brown sugar and pack more in the cup measure until there is no more space left in the cup.
5. Add the brown sugar to the same bowl with the granulated sugar.
6. Stir the sugars with a spoon until all the large chunks of sugar are broken and the mixture is even throughout.
7. Take your three eggs and add them to the mixture in addition to the vanilla extract.
8. Stir the mixture once again until it’s evenly combined.
9. Place the mixture in the baking tray and place it in the oven for about 10 minutes.
10. Melt the chocolates in a microwave safe bowl.
11. Once the chocolate melts, take the mixture out again and carefully stir the chocolate into the mixture with a spoon while the tray is still hot until the chocolate is distributed evenly.
12. Place the mixture back in the oven at the same temperature for 5 more minutes and then remove it from the oven.
13. Let the mixture cool for about an hour. Then, it’s ready to serve!

Hot Toddys are a home remedy for the flu and common cold that uses everyday ingredients like tea, honey, and citrus fruit. Although nothing can beat taking medicine and resting from strenuous activities when sick, these simple drinks are an easy recipe to make for yourself or sick relatives when ill.

• Here is what is needed for the basic recipe:  
  • 1 teabag of green tea
  • 1 fresh mint leaf
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh honey
  • 1 lemon
  • 6 ounces of boiling water

To change the recipe, one could use a mandarin orange or lime instead of a lemon slice. If of legal drinking age one could also add a shot of whiskey or a shot of vodka to the mug before boiling the water.  

• Here are the steps needed to create the recipe:

1. Rinse the mint leaf and lemon under cold water to get rid of any dirt. Remove any stickers from the lemon if it’s store bought.
2. Place the mint leaf in a coffee mug with a tea bag, but don’t boil the water yet.
3. Cut the lemon in half down the center, so the top and bottom are separated, then cut both halves again down the middle of each slice. Finally, cut both slices in half for the last time, so that there are now eight slices.
4. Place all but one slice in a Ziploc bag for later use.  
5. Remove all seeds from the remaining lemon slice that could be a choking hazard, then place it in the mug holding the tea bag and mint.
6. Boil the water in a kettle, and let the mug rest as the kettle goes.
7. Once the water is boiled, fill the cup with water.
8. Add the honey to the mixture and stir the cup until it is dissolved.
9. Wait about two minutes then take the teabag out, but leave all the other contents in the cup. Finally, serve the drink!

Chicken soup is a classic feel-good comfort food that is often associated with the warmth of taking care of someone (including yourself) while creating heart-warming memories with friends and family. However, it can be just as easy to make the recipe at home if you’re just looking for something good to eat!

• Here are the steps needed to create the recipe:
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 containers of chicken broth (64 ounces)
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • A pinch of salt
  • A pinch of pepper
  • 6 ounces of rice noodles

To modify this recipe, you can add multiple other hard vegetables such as carrots and onions. One could also add baby potatoes cut up into eighths an hour before serving and other seasonings such to spice up the recipe a bit more. This recipe can also be used to make a chicken noodle dish if someone adds a whole container of noodles instead of the normal half.

• Here are the steps needed to create the recipe:

1. Add the chicken breasts to the crock pot without cutting them up.
2. Wash the herbs then dry them and add the whole sprigs and bay leaf to the crockpot.
3. Then, add the chicken broth to crockpot and set it to high heat with the lid on for three hours.
4. Come back to the pot and carefully take a large fork and shred the chicken into small bits inside the pot.
5. Set the crockpot to keep warm and let it be until a half-an-hour before serving.
6. Add the noodles and take out the sprigs.
7. Finally, season with the salt and pepper to your liking!  

Going to restaurants or buying pre-made meals can be an easy and convenient solution when someone loses track of time, and having such a treat occasionally can lead to an enjoyable experience. However, there are a multitude of easy recipes that can be made with very little effort that also save time later when in a rush. Enjoy these recipes, and have fun!