A Request for Too Much Chocolate Cake for the Hubby's Birthday Today!

I made this cake for my hubby's birthday today. He says, "There's no such thing as too much chocolate!" Here's the recipe. It's my kind of baking... simple, easy, very little measuring and just plain good! I did use Cream Cheese Icing at his request! 

Too Much Chocolate Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mix, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well-greased 12 cup Bundt pan.* Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

* I didn't have my Bundt pan so I used 2 8x8 pans. 

Beat the Heat Snow Cone Syrups and Peach and Tutti Fruitti Smoothies

This summer heat is really taking it's tole on many of us. With school back in, these syrups are a really treat to use on snow cones for the kids to cool down after school!

Snow Cone and Slushie Syrups

Lemon: 1 Cup Lemon Juice (fresh) + 1 Cup Sugar

Peach~Mango: 1 Cup Peaches (fresh or frozen) and 1/2 cup Mango mashed + 1 Cup Sugar + 1/3 Cup Water

Cherry: 1 Cup Cherries, pitted + 1 Cup Sugar + 1 Cup Water

Watermelon: 4 Cups Watermelon Juice + 1 Cup Sugar

Add selected ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat on medium high and mash the fruit with a spoon or potato masher while mixture comes to a boil.

Boil syrup over medium high heat, watching carefully so it doesn't boil over. Boil for 5-10 minutes, or until syrup starts to thicken.

Remove syrup from heat and pour through a strainer and into a bowl.

Place bowl in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until completely chilled. Then transfer the finished syrup into a squeeze bottle. Store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Peach Smoothie

1 8oz can peaches and syrup
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/4 tsp almond extract

Combine in a blender and blend until smooth.

Tutti-Frutti Smoothie

1 8oz can fruit cocktail
1/2 cup grenadine syrup
2 cups strawberry ice cream
2 cups milk

Combine in a blender and blend until smooth.

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Bites

Yesterday, my goofball of a hubby hacked my Facebook page and left this post...

"I just want everyone to know how much I love my husband. He is the sexiest, most compassionate, caring, loving man I have ever meet. I am truly blessed to be able to call myself his wife. I live to make his life better in what ever way I can."

He should have posted it on my business page because it got more hoots and hollers than any food post I've ever made. I was even laughed at when I walked into the local bait, tackle and grill shop! I'm still getting comments and jokes! LOL

Well, he had the guts to ask for a special meal of the Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Bites. I'm not sure he deserves them! What do you think? 

Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Bites

4 chicken tenders, cubed
1 package Bacon (not thick cut), cut in half
Kikkoman Teriyaki marinade
Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
toothpicks

Wrap bacon around chicken cube, stretching the bacon to fit, if needed. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining chicken cubes, bacon and toothpicks. Pour teriyaki sauce over chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours, but no more than 8 hours. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place chicken on grill. Cook until bacon is done on the bottom, about 7 minutes, and flip. Brush with teriyaki glaze and cook for another 7 minutes making sure not to burn the bacon. Add more glaze to taste. Plate and serve.

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Well, I'm on my 3rd Strawberry Cheesecake Pie using Mr B's Carolina Dips and Dessert Mix. I made the first one, and the hubby polished it off in two days. It's a good thing I licked the spoon when I made it! LOL

This has got to be the easiest pie you can make! Only three ingredients and a pie crust, and boom, you are done! Check this out...

Mr B's Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Mix

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened

8 oz tub Whipped Topping

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Mix the cream cheese and dessert mix until smooth.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl,

and add the whipped topping.

Mix until combined.

Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate until set,

or freeze until set for an ice cream style pie.

I added a handful of strawberries I had leftover.

I mashed them and added them in for

a little extra texture and color.

You can order Mr B's Mixes by clicking on this link (website), or you can visit him on Facebook by clicking on this link, (Facebook) OR you can find him (and me,  PyroArt by Southern With A Twist) on Fridays from 1-6pm at the Sumter Farmers Market if you are local! 

If you can't get the mix for some reason, you can make a pie from my recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie.

Happy World Chocolate Day!

It is World Chocolate Day! Is there a better way to celebrate than with chocolate? Check out some of my favorite recipes featuring chocolate. Happy World Chocolate Day!

Four Layer Chocolate Dessert

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Cheesecake Brownies and a Cheesecake Brownie Sundae

Chocolate Potato Chip Cookies

Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate Drizzled Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate Cream Pie

Banana Cream Chocolate Eclair Pie

Mama's One Minute Chocolate Icing

Chocolate Caramel Brownie Tartlets

Enjoy and Happy World Chocolate Day!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Yesterday, I bought a pre-marinated Pork Tenderloin. I ordered the Garlic and Herb, but came home with the Garlic and Cracked Pepper. Wow! Spicy for me, but a wonderful product! I grilled it on medium high for about 12 minutes on both sides. It was juicy, delicious and perfectly cooked! It is an easy product to prepare. Just open the vacuum sealed package and put it on a preheated grill. Done! I tented it after removing from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes. 

If you have a tenderloin and need a marinade recipe, follow this one and marinate for a few hours or overnight.

1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt 
1/4 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

Put the tenderloin dry with paper towels. Combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, onion, salt and pepper in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloin and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight is best.

Preheat grill on medium high. Remove tenderloin from marinade and place it in the center of the grill. (protected from flare ups) Grill it on medium high for about 10 minutes on both sides. Tent it after removing from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before carving. 

 Farm Fresh Corn on the side!

... and home grown tomatoes!

Tuscan Soup... requested by a guy that hates soup!

Last time... "My guys don't eat soup. One night I was making this soup for my step-mother who wasn't feeling well. My son and husband were in the back of the house playing the play station. They came into the kitchen asking what the terrific smell was... Needless to say, I had to make another batch of soup!"
This time the hubby actually asked me to make this soup!  I decided to make it a little heartier. I used Kielbasa because that was all I had on hand. I added large chunks of mushrooms and a teaspoon of minced garlic. I also a cup of evaporated milk. The basic recipe is listed below. Fell free to add or take out what you'd like!

Tuscan Soup

6 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
3 (3.5 ounce) links Johnsonville Italian sausage
3 large potatoes, cubed
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1/4 cup evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

Remove skin from sausage and crumble into frying pan. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Place meat in a large pot; add stock and potatoes. Boil until potato is cooked. 
Add spinach. Continue boiling until spinach is lightly cooked. Remove soup from heat, stir in evaporated milk, and season to taste.

Chicken Wings!

I love fixing a big batch of chicken drummettes for any casual event. I give my guests a choice of plain or three sauce options. These are a favorite for kids of all ages! 

6-8 chicken drummettes 
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Oil for frying

Make an egg wash by beating the eggs, buttermilk and hot sauce together in a shallow dish. Mix flour and spices in another shallow dish. Dip drummettes in egg wash then dredge in the flour mixture. For a thicker crust on the chicken, repeat that step again... egg then flour. In a heavy skillet, heat about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch of oil to 365 degrees. (Or heat a deep fryer to 365 degrees) Place chicken in hot oil. (If the oil is not up to temp, the coating will not stick. Do not crowd the chicken in the pan or it will boil in the oil and not fry crispy.) Fry for about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and no longer pink inside.

Lemon Pepper Sauce

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp minced garlic

lemon pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for a couple of minutes. Toss wings in sauce and serve.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Mix all but the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of cold water, in a sauce pan over medium heat. Mix cornstarch and water. Stir til dissolved. Add to sauce pan. Heat until thickened. Toss wings in sauce and serve.

BBQ Hot Sauce

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp oil
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Texas Pete hot sauce*
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large pan. Drain any excess oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes.

*Add more or less to your taste.

Fish Fry... with two sauces for dipping!

Thanks to my brother Charlie, I am stocked up on catfish once again. 

He is my main source, and why not? He brought in this 42 pounder!

I have already baked some in the oven with onion and lemon. (my favorite way to bake fish) So now on to frying some! 

Easy Fish Fry

• Fish... catfish, cut into nuggets
• Oil for frying
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

Mix flour, cornmeal and seasonings in a plastic container with lid (big enough to fit fish inside). Place fish in the flour mixture and carefully shake. Remove fish and fry in deep fryer set at 350 degrees until golden brown and fish floats.

I didn't have any relish for the tartar sauce,

so I just left it out. It was still very tasty!

Cocktail Sauce

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

dash Worcestershire sauce

few drops hot sauce

salt to taste

Combine and blend all ingredients well.

Tartar Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

1 tablespoon minced onion (optional)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chicken Fajitas

At our house, we love tacos, burritos, enchiladas and fajitas! I have never made fajitas, and we don't care for bell peppers. I decided to try making some and substitute mushrooms for the peppers. It was delicious!

Filling:

1 large chicken breast, cubed
1 large onion, thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
8oz mushrooms, thick slices
butter
Fajita Seasoning

Saute the chicken in butter until no longer pink in the middle. Add onions and mushrooms and saute  until tender crisp. Add garlic and stir. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of water to lift any bits stuck to the pan. Stir in the seasoning and simmer until thickened.

For the fajitas:

Chicken mixture
Flour tortillas
Cheese, such as a Mexican blend
Sour cream
Fajita sauce

Heat the tortillas. Add the filling mixture, cheese and sauce. Add sour cream or serve it on the side. 

Chinese Takeout at home!

I had a craving for Chinese Takeout. I've made all these dishes separately, but I hadn't made them all at one time. So, I took on the task of all three at one time. SCORE!!! It was awesome, and no leftovers!

Egg Rolls (click here for the recipe)

These egg rolls are really pretty easy to do! I think the part about egg rolls that people think is intimidating is just the assembly... the rolling. It's more like folding them into an envelope shape. The most complicated part is rolling the wrappers and sealing them well, but that gets easy after you do it a couple of times! Don't work on the stack of wrappers while filling and rolling. Assemble each one separately to keep them from getting wet and sticking together. Keep your work space dry and neat. If you lay a wrapper down in water, the water turns to glue. The wrapper will tear when you try to pick it up or fold it. Give it a try! If you have kids, let them try too! It's a fun activity for everyone. I think it would make a great kitchen party with all the guests learning how you roll! LOL

Beef and Broccoli with Cauliflower Rice (click here)

Beef and Broccoli served over rice with a substitution of cauliflower rice for those on the New Year's Resolution diets is the casserole of the week! Comfort food doesn't have to be fattening or loaded with carbs! Cauliflower is a great substitution for carb loaded vegetables and starches. It has a neutral taste that blends well with any flavors it is teamed. Try using it in place of rice or mashed potatoes!

Mama's Tempura Batter for Sweet and Sour Chicken (click here)

Mama's Notes and tips: “Great for shrimp, fish, onion rings, mushrooms, eggplant, even fried green tomatoes!”
Use cold water to prepare the batter. Chilled light beer or Club soda can be substituted. For best results keep the batter cold by placing the tempura batter on ice.

Mama's Red Sauce (click here)
I got this recipe from my Mama's recipe file and modified it a little. When I made it, I realized it tastes just like the Chinese Restaurant's Red Sauce! I had been trying to duplicate that sauce for years because that's the main reason the hubby eats Chinese Food! LOL Stumbling on to this recipe was a real find! Mama called this Hawaiian Sauce!

Valentine's Day Sale

Valentine's Day Goodies for sale! I think there's a theme here. LOL

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velvet Truffles

Cherry Delight

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Macaroons with Chocolate Drizzle

Red Velvet Swirl Bites... and more.

Email me at southernwithatwist97@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing any of these Valentine's Day goodies! They can be shipped anywhere in the United States for reasonable shipping costs.

 Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

 Red Velvet Truffles

 Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Cherry Delight

 Macaroons with Chocolate Drizzle

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Red Velvet Swirl Bites