Bittter Sweet Life and Andes Chocolate Mint Icing-Devil's Food Cake

Hello to all my foodie friends out there in Web Land and I hope that you have been having a great time cooking with new recipes or even making a few up along the way of this thing called life.  Life can be bitter sweet like Chocolate filled with all the antioxidants that life brings you.  That said I have two children and two grand children.  They all four are a joy to have in our lives however as a parent you raise your kids and hope you do the right things by them.  You never really know that for sure until they are grown and leave the nest and have children.  Kids don't come with a book of instructions when they are born.  All you can do is read a few books, which by the way are written by people who never even had children if you know what I mean.  Who's to say is the right way or wrong way to raise them.  Each child is different and each child has their own way of doing things.  I have no advice about raising Children except when they are little they walk on your feet and when they are grown they walk all over your hearts.  Its easy when they are still under your roofs because they are more likely to heed the advice that they are given but when they are grown they seem not to listen or mine seem to not listen.  As a parent you get the blame for anything that may go wrong in their lives but I say once they are out of your house then they are reponsible for their own actions.  Does that make any sense to you?  Any who am just sayin enjoy them while they are young and at home because when they are grown sometimes they still act like your little child but you can't controll what they do with their lives.  They have to make their own mistakes and live their lives the way they want too.  No matter how bitter sweet that life may seem to you.  Let's talk about the hearty antioxidant food called Chocolate.  I went to a St.Patty's day party and made up this Chocolate Mint Cake and it was Yummm.  So I hope that you enjoy it as well.

Andes Chocolate Mint Cake

1 Boxed Devil's Food Cake, Baked according to box directions

Icing

1 stick Butter, Softened
2/3 Cup Cocoa
3-4 Cups Confectionary Sugar, Sifted
1/3 Cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. Cream
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Box Andes Creme De Menthe Thins, Melted

Bake your cake according to box directions and cool.

Cream butter and cocoa tegether till smooth. Add to that the sugar and milk alittle of both at a time and mix.  Repeat process untill all the sugar and cream are blended.  Then add your vanilla and melted andes mints.  Blend till smooth and frost your cake when it has cooled down.

Well I hope you foodies enjoy this cake recipe and please come like my fan page on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingwithMadjon.  Please watch the Tv show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95,  "Cooking With MadJon and Friends".  Send me some recipes to try for the show at madjon51@aol.com because I always enjoy hearing from you all.  I wish you luck with your children and grands out there if you have any to love on.  Give them lots of hugs even when you are upset with them.  Happy Trail to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

When Life Throws You A Curve Eat Some "Carrot Cake" Yum Yum

Hello to all you foodies out there in webland I hope all is well.  Well you know this thing called life is full of surprises for you.   You have everything going for you, you have a family who needs you, a job, grandkids a nice home and then you are ready to retire and you get hit with a bomb.    You go to the Doctor and they find cancer in your body and you go and have the surgery to remove the cancer but they may not have removed all of it.  So your waiting to hear back from them and it takes like weeks to hear.  Well that is where my husband sits now in a waiting period.  If he still has cancer then the only thing they can do is prolong his life.  Life sucks sometimes and what a bitch, its easier to just not know when your time is up.  We've been married for 41 years now and it will be 42 this September and that is alot of years to spend with someone.  We have also had our Ups and downs just like life itself.  I have gone round and round with him when I believe in something and his learned to just to let me do my thing and am alot happier that way.  Any who time will tell what is going to happen and there is one thing I've learned over the years time is something that waits for no man.  It just keeps hoping right along.  Well that is enough talking about this part of our lifes.  Its springtime and getting really close to Easter and am ready to start making my Coconut Cake dressed up like a rabbit.  However we are going to give you a recipe for my famous Carrot Cake that people here in South Carolina enjoy so much.  It has a Cream Cheese Icing which is one of my favorite's.  Carrot cakes have been around for a while now however they became really popular in the 1970's.  Here is the way I make my Carrot Cakes.  I hope you give this a try.

Carrot Cake

2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground Ginger

Sift these seven ingredents together.

1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Buttermilk
2 cups grated Carrots
1 cup Coconut
1 Cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1 8 oz. can drained Crushed Pineapple

Mix all ingredients together till well blended.  Pre- Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake in 3 greased cake pan for about 35 minutes or until done.

Icing

1 stick Butter, softened
1 8 oz. Cream Cheese Softened
1 16 oz. Confectionary Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Cream the butter and cream cheese until well blended.   Slowly add the sugar.  Then add your vanilla and beat well.  Then fold in your pecans or walnuts.  Ice your cake when it is cooled.

There now I hope that you enjoy your Carrot Cake and please email me at madjon51@aol.com and come like my fan page on Facebook at, "Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  You may watch the TV show and get recipes by going to http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95.  Send me some recipes to try because I always liek hearing from you.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Bona Y'all.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Some Texas Old Folks Stories and Texas Chicken Tortilla Soup "Nothing Better"

Well hello to all you foodies out there in web land, I hope all is well.  Yes, am still in the great state of Texas.  However we should be heading back to our home state of South Carolina Next week some time after my hubby sees the doctors.  I've been busy cooking with my sister-in-law and trying some new recipes.  We made a Caramel Cake this evening but am going to have to work on the Icing recipe some before I put it out there.  The test kitchen is still testing.   We also fried some fish and made some Apple Cole Slaw.  We have been feeding my poor in-laws to where they will not be able to wear the cloths they own.  Any who yesterday my hubby says I don't feel like going out to eat with Aunt Ene can you go to the kitchen and whip up something for all of us to eat and I said well we do have some left over roast and I'll see if mom's kitchen is stocked for some home made Beef Vegetable Soup.  Well it was and I made some Corn Bread to go with it.  My father-in-law hates soup but he managed to scoop that down and tell me that he liked and ate all of his.  I made so much and was going to pass some around and mom says NO, am going to freeze it and you are going to make me some more corn bread.  I love it here, am needed!  Any who while Aunt Ene was here she started telling stories about her aunts which they have all passed now but any who she said one day that Pop, Mike's grandfather has some flase teeth and they never did fit right and oen day he was sitiing with Aunt Lou at the table eatting and he said he couldn't take them any more and took them out.  Well Aunt Lou didn't have any teeth and she put his teeth in her month and they got stuck, she could not get them out, so they fit her just fine.  Then one Christmas Aunt Vene was going to play Santa Clause for the kids and she got all dressed up and dared anyone to tell who was playing Santa.  Well she walked into the room and before she knew it everyone was yelling her name Lou, Lou and then she realized that her hair had caught fire from the candles in the room.  So much for not telling.  Then at Hockley Texas, near Doctor Flechers house is a gate and Aunt Vene and Uncle Charley were just getting home and Aunt Vene got out to open the gate and the cemetary is at the gate and when she cloed the gate and black dog started circling her around and around and she couldn't leave and she yelled out< Oh God, and the dog disappeared, vanished right in front of her.  Alot of my hubby's family is buried there.  My hubby and his dad Hal went to Wal-Mart yesterday and Mike turned around to ask Dad what time it was and Dad is hoilding a drink in his hand and just turns the drink upside down to see the face on his watch.  I guess he forgot he had something in his hand.  Well that is all the stories for right now and am sure I'll be hearing about more of them later.  Funny, Funny I think.  Any way let's make some Tortilla Soup.

Texas Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 pounds boneless Chicken Breast, cut up
3 Tbsp. Cooking Oil, for browning
1 Onion, Chopped
4 cloves, Fresh Garlic, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp, Ground Cumin
2 tsp. Chili Powder
2 Beef Cubes
2 tsp. each Onion and Garlic Powder
1 packet Ranch Dressing
1 Carton Chicken Broth
2 cans Ranch Style Beans, with juice
1 Can Black Beans, with juice
1 can whole Corn, drained
2 cans diced Stewed Tomatoes with juice
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes with green chiles
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 Jar Salsa

Cilantro, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Tortilla Chips for topping and a sliced Avacodo is you wish.

Heat the oil in a large crock pot.  To that you add the onions and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes.  Then to that you brown the chicken with some salt and pepper,  and cumin.  Then add the chicken broth and all of your spices and beef cubes.  Then when it comes to a simmer you add all your canned goods and the ranch packet.  Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes and serve with your toppings.

I hope you give this recipe a try and email me with any questions at madjon51@aol.com and send me some recipes to try.  Send me a story or two would you I love hearing them being passed on.  Go like my fan page at https://www.facebook.com/aolmail#!/CookingwithMadjon on facebook.  Watch my Tv show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95, Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Happy Trails to you until we meet again, Eileen Hutson, MadJon.