Happy Heavenly Birthday to my Mom

Happy Heavenly Birthday to my amazing mom Shirley Mills. If you have been following me on social media, then you know that this entire week I shared my mother’s favorite foods in honor of her birthday which is today September 3rd! My mother is the person who taught me how to cook and is the reason why I have a passion and joy for cooking. I started my food blog Spilling the Sweet Tea back in 2017 to not only share my love for Southern food but to also share quick and easy recipes with busy working parents. I had a wonderful mom who not only taught me how to cook but raised me to be an independent and confident woman who puts God first in everything that I do. I am forever grateful to her for the life lessons, the words of encouragement, the discipline, the prayers, and our time in the kitchen. It is because everything that she poured into me that I am the woman that I am today.

If you missed my posts this week, I am sharing the videos and the recipes for her favorite foods in this blog post. I hope you enjoy them! Thank you for all of your love and support of me, my content, and my small business.

Love,

Carlena

Day 1 - Hostess Snoballs (Copycat Recipe)

Ingredients for Hostess Snoballs

1 box of Devils Food Cake mix

3 large eggs

1 cup of water

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

6 Tablespoons of butter, softened

1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

¾ cup of marshmallow fluff

2 Tablespoons of heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon of light corn syrup

Marshmallow fluff for topping

1 bag of Flaked coconut

Red food coloring

Directions to Make Hostess Snoballs

1. Make cake according to the box instructions.

2. Spray hot cocoa bomb mold with cooking spray.

3. Add batter to mold and bake on 350 for 18 mins.

4. Allow the cake the cool. Using a sharp knife, cut excess cake to allow the cakes to lay flat.

5. In a medium bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff, heavy whipping cream and corn syrup. Mix on high until completely smooth.

6. Using a food processor, add flaked coconut and blend until the coconut is fine. Add a few drops of red food coloring to turn the coconut pink.

7. Using a piping bag or cake decorator tool, pipe the filling into the bottom of the snoballs.

8. Top with more marshmallow fluff. Sprinkle pink coconut flakes on top and refrigerate for an hour to set.

Day 2- Watergate Salad Recipe

Ingredients to Make Watergate Salad

1 3.4 oz package of instant pistachio pudding mix

1 8oz can of  crushed pineapple, with juice

1 cup of miniature marshmallows

½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

4 ounce of frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions to Make Watergate Salad

Combine crushed pineapple with juice, instant pudding mix, mini marshmallows, and walnuts in a large bowl. Mix until well combined, then fold in whipped topping.

Chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Day 3- Chick-fil-A Carrot Raisin Salad (Copycat Recipe)

Ingredients to Make Carrot Raisin Salad

4 cups of carrots, grated

2 cups pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapples

1 cup of raisins

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon of sugar

½ teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Directions to Make Carrot Raisin Salad

Combine all ingredients and mix well until incorporated. Chill for an hour before serving.

Day 4- Shirley Mae’s Homemade Chicken Salad

Ingredients to Make Shirley Mae's Chicken Salad

1 whole chicken, boiled

5 stalks of celery, divided

1 whole onion plus 2 tablespoons of a grated onion

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Garlic Powder to taste

4 eggs, boiled

1/4 cup of sugar

2/3 cup of Mt. Olive sweet salad cubes

1 cup of Dukes mayo

Directions to Make Shirley Mae's Chicken Salad

1. In a large pot, add whole chicken and cover with water. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Boil chicken until tender. Discard onion and celery and save broth for another dish.

2. Remove skin and bones from the chicken and cut dark and white meat into bite size-pieces and add to a bowl.

3. Finely dice three stalks of celery and Grate 1/2 of a small onion and add to the bowl with chicken.

4. Add sugar, Mayo, sweet salad cubes, salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

5. Top with paprika and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Day 5 - Raisin Pound Cake

Ingredients to Make Raisin Pound Cake

1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup of sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups of cake flour

½ cup of milk

1 teaspoon of lemon extract

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 ½ cups raisins

2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

Directions to Make Raisin Pound Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan and set aside. Sift dry ingredients together.

3. In large bowl, cream butter and gradually add sugar.

4. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

5. Add eggs one at a time to the bowl, beating them after each addition.

6. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and make sure to mix well after each addition.

7. Add in lemon and vanilla extracts and continue mixing.

8. Coat raisins in a bit of flour and then fold the raisins into the batter.

9. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Once the cake is done, make sure to cool it for 5-7 minutes.

11. Remove the cake from its pan and set it on a cake plate. Enjoy.