Turtle Cookie Balls - Valentine: I Turtle-y Love You + Printable Gift Tag

I am a sucker for a corny Valentine.  Especially if a food pun is involved.  Even though Little Devil is grown up and we are far removed from the days of school Valentines, I think I will always celebrate the day by making something fun and silly for friends and family.  In the past I've done Coca-Cola Cupcakes (Valentine I SODA Like You) Copycat Beaver Nuggets (I'm EAGER to be your Valentine) and Banana Crumb Muffins (Valentine I'm BANANAS for you).  In fact if you search "Valentine" on my blog, you'll see a lot of Valentine inspiration.  Valentine's Day is right up there with my favorite holiday: Halloween.  It's January 6th as I'm typing this and I already put out my Valentine's Day decorations.  January is dreary and boring and I'm ready for fun!   Last year, I made Turtle Cookie Balls with the theme of "I TURTLE-y Love You" and they were a huge hit.  This made a large batch for sharing and the little no-bake cookie balls were surprisingly easy to make.  They had all of the flavor of  delicious turtle candy with chocolate, caramel and pecans in a fun and giftable cookie form.   I found the cutest little containers for gifting and designed a little gift tag to go along with the theme.  Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I'm already brainstorming ideas for this years punny, funny Valentine idea so stay tuned.  In the meantime, enjoy a batch of Turtle Cookie Balls! 

These cookie balls, reminiscent of a
delicious chocolate-caramel-pecan
turtle candy are great any time, and make
an adorable gift or dessert. 

Perfect for Valentine's Day with the
theme, "I TURTLE-Y Love You"

All bagged up in the cutest Valentine 
cartons with matching gift bags.

Boxed up and ready to go.
All they need is a cute gift tag!

Feel free to use my Turtle
Valentine Gift Tag.  
Just click on the picture to enlarge
it, right click to save the image and
resize to your liking and print onto
cardstock.

Happy Valentine's Day!  
I would TURTLE-Y Love it if you made these
Turtle Cookie Balls.

TURTLE COOKIE BALLS

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
approximately 70 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed (2 and 1/3 cups)
3 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
16 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate (or chocolate almond bark) melted for dipping
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, crushed vanilla wafers and caramel topping until well blended.  Shape into approximately 42 (1-inch) balls.  Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.  (NOTE: I used my smallest cookie scoop to help me form the balls in the same size.) Remove the balls from the freezer and using a fork or dipping tool, dip into melted chocolate.  Shake off the excess and place onto a waxed-paper lined tray.  Sprinkle with the chopped pecans before the chocolate sets up.  Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the balls to firm up before serving.

"VALENTINE: Every Hour is Happy With You" Cocktail Gift

Last Valentine's Day was pretty lame because I was on week 6 of a 16 week recovery of hand surgery.  I've mentioned in posts past that Mr. Devilish Dish and I passed the recuperation time by watching reruns of "Bar Rescue" and creating cocktails.  Aside from the excruciating pain, and frustration of only having one hand to blow dry my hair, I have to say those few weeks were time well spent with my husband.  He took great care of me and went to great effort to keep me comfortable, sane and entertained.  In addition, we learned a lot about the art of cocktail making and when Valentine's Day rolled around I knew I wanted to get him the handful of tools I realized we were missing in our bar set-up.  We needed a cocktail mixing glass, a cocktail strainer and he asked for sugar cubes.  I also found a company that sells the most unique cocktail mixers, bitters and more.  El Guapo is located in New Orleans, which is dear to our hearts because my brother-in-law is a chef there.  I had already ordered gifts for him from this company in years past, and I knew their LOVE POTION BITTERS would be the perfect addition to a cocktail themed Valentine basket.  I also added a bottle of their Cajun Grenadine which features the famous Ponchatoula strawberries.  And of course no Valentine is complete without some chocolates so I added some of his favorites in there too.  Considering I put the entire thing together with one hand, I was pretty impressed with this little gift.  Even if I wasn't able to tie a bow on it.  And the best part, is I do love a Valentine Pun, so I was able to add a little homemade card that said, "Valentine: Every Hour is Happy With You." Which turned out to be very true, because My Valentine is the one that helped me get through that mess of a surgery recovery. 

Valentine: Every Hour is Happy with You!

These bitters are so unique,
and fit with my theme perfectly.

I filled the cocktail mixing glass
with a variety of his favorite candy.
(And mine too.  I ate that Reese's.)

Did you know that traditional grenadine
is made from pomegranate? THIS certified
Cajun version features Louisiana strawberries. 

Here's the whole basket.  Good thing
it didn't need a bow, because I couldn't 
tie one with one hand.

Hope this gives you some Valentine inspo!

Leftover Pork Posole Verde

So I've told you how we're big tailgate fans.  Some seasons, weather permitting we do a "SOUPS~STEWS~CHILE" theme for tailgate.  Everyone brings a big crockpot of their favorite and we have a spread of crackers, cornbread muffins, Fritos, hotdogs for chili dogs.  It's always a big hit.  Mr. Devilish Dish always makes either his famous Green Chile Stew, or his award winning chili.  Years ago he would literally make 2 (16 quart) stock pots full of Green Chile Stew.  As our tailgate grew, that began to be really hard to manage, not to mention the expense.  So in years past we opted for one crockpot full of Green Chile Stew and then I would supplement by making another crockpot full of another kind of soup or chili.  I made this Leftover Pork Posole and when I say it was a hit, I mean it might have outshined the famous Green Chile Stew.  It's not that pretty in the crockpot, (it looks much prettier in the bowl with all of the toppings) but once the first person had a bowl, the word got around the tailgate for how tasty it was.  I heard people saying, "Which one?" and the reply was, "In the red crockpot." It was then I knew our tailgate friends appreciated this recipe as much as we do.  I love it because it's an easy version, with some canned ingredients.  I know it's not the real thing, nor is it traditional, although I do serve it with a helping of traditional toppings such as sliced radishes, chopped green onions, cilantro and lime wedges.  I also love it because it frustrates me that pork tenderloins come two per package.  Since Mr. Devilish Dish and I are empty nesters, we do not need two pork tenderloins for one meal.  That's where this recipe comes in so handy.  We simply prepare both tenderloins and use one for this soup.  I've also used leftover pulled pork which is equally as delicious.  This has become both a tailgate and cold weather staple for us, and I hope it does for you too.

This is one of our favorite recipes
for cooler weather.  A great use for
leftover pork tenderloin, or pulled pork.

It's also a one-pot recipe that comes together
in about 30 minutes!

Warmed flour tortillas are a must.

Enjoy with all the toppings.
So colorful and tasty too.

LEFTOVER PORK POSOLE VERDE

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups leftover cooked pork (shredded or diced)
1 (15 ounce) can yellow hominy, drained
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1/2 cup roasted green chiles (peeled, seeded and diced - you can use canned)
1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/2 cup salsa verde
chopped cilantro to taste
salt & pepper to taste

TOPPINGS:

sliced fresh radishes
chopped fresh green onions
shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
chopped cilantro
lime wedges
fresh warm flour tortillas

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes, until onions begin to brown.  Stir in the garlic and cumin for 30 seconds, then deglaze the pan with the chicken or vegetable stock.  Add in pork, hominy, beans, green chiles, Mexican oregano, and salsa Verde. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings, and stir in chopped cilantro before serving.  Serve with warm flour tortillas and top with assorted toppings.

 

Homemade Salsa in the Blender

It's that time of year where we are either entertaining, going to parties or we are just so darned busy we don't even want to mess with cooking a full meal.  Sometimes we just have snack night and we will eat mini naan breads with hummus, or little freezer tacos with queso.  Or <GASP> pizza rolls.  I'm not too much of a food snob to hit the freezer snack section of the grocery store once in a while, BUT the one thing I am picky about it store-bought salsa.  There is really only one kind I like, and I swear everyone in town must like it too, because it is always out of stock.  Only a couple of stores around town even carry it, and on the rare occasion I do see it, I'll buy several jars.  When I can't find it however, I prefer to make my own.  I love this version because not only is it super easy, it's made with canned whole tomatoes.  Of course I love salsa made with fresh from the garden tomatoes, but now it is the time of the year the grocery store tomatoes are mealy and white in the middle with no flavor.  This version has much more flavor and you can control with spice with how many jalapenos you use.  It's great for Mexican food night, or company because most of the ingredients are items you probably have on the pantry shelf.  Grab a bag of chips and give this a try - it might just be your favorite (or in my case, my second favorite!)

This is so quick and easy to make.

Just a few ingredients.  Use as many or as few
whole pickled jalapenos as you would like to 
make your salsa milder or hotter.  I usually use
around 6-8 PLUS the juice from the can.

Grab some chips and enjoy.

HOMEMADE SALSA IN THE BLENDER

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 small can whole pickled jalapenos (AND the liquid from the can)-use as many as you want to make it hotter or milder

1 small red onion (or part of a red onion if it is larger)
1 garlic clove
handful of fresh cilantro (to taste)
juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (this helps the canned tomatoes not taste so canned)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)

Combine everything in a blender or food processor and pulse until everything is chopped and combined.  Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.  Will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Coconut Cake

 So Mr. Devilish Dish and I have never been big fans of coconut.  In fact our food tastes are pretty similar.  We love most of the same things and our dislikes are similar as well.  Last year, two friends at tailgate had upcoming birthdays.  One of them said, "How about a lemon cake?" Great!  Easy.  I love lemon cake.  Whipped that birthday cake right up.  The other request was Coconut Cake.  That took a little more effort, since I'm not a coconut fan.  What I realized after eating this cake is I am in fact a Coconut Fan!  Since that tailgate last fall, I've made this cake for several occasions.  It is similar to a tres leches cake.  But it only has two milks.  I guess that makes it a dos leches cake.  It is a very moist cake and honestly gets better with age as it sits in the refrigerator.  I changed up the original recipe to a whipped cream "frosting" versus a store bought dairy topping.  I love the flavor and texture so much better.  That is the only thing that keeps this cake from lasting for days in the fridge is the whipped cream frosting might get weepy.  Honestly though, it won't last that long.  You'll eat this cake all gone before you have that problem.  It's an easy cake too, basically a doctored up cake mix style cake.  The secret to the crazy good flavor is the two milks:  Cream of Coconut and condensed milk.  It is so decadent, it's made coconut lovers out of Mr. DD and I for sure!

This is the best coconut cake.
You don't even have to like coconut!

The ingredients...

The secret is the Cream of Coconut 
and the condensed milk.
Whisk these together and set aside.

Prepare the cake.

Poke holes in the warm cake with 
the end of a wooden spoon.

Pour the milk mixture allover 
the cake.

Allow the cake to soak up the milk
mixture and cool completely.

Prepare the sweetened whipped cream.

Generously frost the cake with the 
sweetened whipped cream.

Top with toasted coconut.
This is optional.  I did this originally so
folks would know this was a coconut cake.
Mr. Devilish Dish doesn't like the texture
of the toasted coconut as garnish on this cake.

Chill completely.
Overnight is better.

Most recently I made this for my Dad's 
birthday fish fry.  Big hit!

Such a good cake.  Enjoy!

COCONUT CAKE

1 boxed white cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can cream of coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
toasted coconut- optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch cake pan and set aside. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer combine the cake mix, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, pudding mix and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and creamy and pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 32-35 minutes of until a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean.  

While your cake is baking, whisk together the cream of coconut and the condensed milk.  When you remove your cake from the oven, immediately poke holes into the hot cake with the end of a wooden spoon.  Pour the cream of coconut mixture slowly over the whole cake.  Let the cake cool completely and soak this mixture up.  

When the cake is cool, whip together the heavy whipping cream with the tablespoon of sugar until it is thick and spreadable.  Use this mixture to frost the cake.  Top with toasted coconut if desired.  Cover the cake and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.  Even better the next day.

Slow Cooker Mexican Street Corn Soup

Well it's mid August and I'm just now getting around to blogging this recipe.  My tardiness should not reflect on this recipe.  It is freaking delicious.  More than that, I made this recipe with ONE HAND.  Back in January when I had surgery on my right hand because my dang thumb was falling off...I was sitting around with Mr. Devilish Dish playing pretend Bar Rescue (See Hillstone Crisp Martini Recipe) and I was miserable and bored.  I do not do well when I am not the queen of my domain - cooking and cleaning.  It was a rough 12 weeks of recovery.  The very first recipe I made with one hand was Mississippi Meatball Sub Sandwiches.  To which I say cooking with one hand is a true accomplishment, even if it is only 6 ingredients.  The second recipe I made after climbing the walls with boredom was this recipe: Mexican Street Corn Soup.  Mr. Devilish Dish wasn't even home and I was determined to conquer this cooker recipe all by myself.  And I did it!  If you ever doubt your cooking abilities, just remember at times - there are recipes on this blog I've made with one hand or literally standing on one leg.  That all being said, this recipe is so good.  Easy or not, one handed or not, I am a sucker for a slow cooker recipe.  Throw it all in and go on your way.  This recipe is perfect and I am so happy fall is approaching so I can make this a million times this winter.  Just like everyone's favorite "elote" this has all the flavors of street corn with the heartiness of chicken.  Mr. DD loved this and was amazed I pulled it off with one hand.  You know what you can't do with one hand?  Wash dishes.  That's what he got to do.  Too bad it was only one slow cooker and two soup bowls.  Seriously.  Try this one out this season.  Whether you have one hand or lots of hands to help, this is so hearty and delicious, and simple to put together.

This is so good.  Like Crazy Good!

Top with all the toppings.  Be extra.

We served it with leftover quesadillas from
the MexiMart. Authentic lol.

Sliced avocado is the key topping to this.
Seriously what isn't better with fresh avocado
on top???

SLOW COOKER MEXICAN STREET CORN SOUP

To the slow cooker add:

2 pounds chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
(1) 4 ounce can green chiles
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low depending on the accuracy of your slow cooker.  When chicken is done, remove and shred and return to slow cooker.  Then:

Add:

2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Monterrey Cheese

Combine with the slow cooker contents.  Cook for another hour

Spoon into bowls and top with:

Toppings:

Cotija Cheese
Sliced Avocado
Sliced fresh jalapeno
Tajin seasoning
Fresh lime wedges
Tortilla chips

Southern Pecan Praline Poke Cake

As I've told you before, my brother-in-law is a chef in New Orleans.  Which works out great for me because I love that city and I love that cuisine.  He came home to visit the family for Thanksgiving.  The Saturday after Turkey Day, the Oklahoma Sooners played the Louisiana State Tigers.  Obviously our tailgate was Cajun-themed and we put the chef in charge of gumbo.  Legit Louisiana gumbo with andouille sausage and leftover smoked turkey parts.  My contribution to the day was dessert.  Finding a dessert that would stand up to to the quality of the gumbo was no easy task.  I've been told that King Cake outside of Mardi Gras is bad luck and a big no-no.  I settled on this Southern Pecan Praline Cake because not only was it simple to make, but the sugary praline layer is reminiscent of that delicious Pecan Praline Candy.  Bonus, it tasted great even though I made it the day before.  It was such a hit at the tailgate, I had several requests for the recipe.  As usual, tailgate is so hectic I never even ate a piece of cake, nor did I get any pictures of it.  Then I had the brilliant idea to re-create the same menu for our family Christmas meal.  Afterall we still had a freezer full of andouille sausage and my side of the family will never turn down a good 'ol Southern meal.  We enjoyed Gumbo with Potato Salad (the authentic way) but we also served rice to appease Little Devil.  My brother brought a big batch of Jalapeno Cornbread, and I shared some spicy saltine crackers and homemade bread & butter pickles gifted to me by a coworker.  The highlight of the meal was truly this cake.  As anticipated, it brought down the house.  An easy crowd pleaser for sure, and the tastiest finish to any home cooked meal.  

This is the best finale to
any Southern meal.

The ingredient line up.

Bake the cake according to the box mix
directions.  While it is baking prepare the 
praline mixture by boiling together butter,
brown sugar and pecans.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, 
poke holes evenly over the warm cake.  
Spread the praline mixture over the cake,
allowing it to seep into the holes.  
Spread the remaining mixture evenly 
over the entire cake.

Whip together the softened cream cheese,
heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract
until very fluffy.  Spread over the praline
layer carefully frosting the entire cake.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the frosting.

Top with remaining toasted pecans.
Cover and refrigerate at least two hours 
to allow the flavors to meld.

This is the yummiest cake.  
The tangy cream cheese frosting is 
the perfect counterbalance to
the sweet praline layer.

Enjoy at the end of any Southern meal,
especially if you have a brother-in-law
that can make gumbo!

SOUTHERN PECAN PRALINE POKE CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix + the ingredients called for to make the cake (eggs, oil, water)
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup prepared caramel sauce (I used a good quality ice cream topping sauce)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare the cake mix according to the box directions.  Pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake the cake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in to the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking prepare the praline filling.  In a skillet over medium heat, melt the stick of butter and add the brown sugar and 1.5 cups of the toasted pecans.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat until you have a thick, sticky mixture.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly allover the warm, baked cake.  Pour the brown sugar mixture over the cake, carefully allowing it to seep into the poke holes, and then spread evenly across the surface of the cake.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until smooth and very fluffy.

Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled praline layer on the cake.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the frosting and garnish with the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped toasted pecans.  Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving to let the flavors meld.

Enjoy,