NO REGRETS. Chocolate Chip Marble Swirl Cake

My daughter turns 20 this year.

It's inconceivable to me that she is almost a grown woman.

I made this cake for her on her 10th birthday. I remember that day like it was yesterday.  She jumped up on the kitchen counter and watched me, as I carefully swirled the chocolate on top of the white frosting.

She begged me for "just a small piece" before her friends came over. 

As all mothers know, I would have given her a piece in a heartbeat.  But you know how it goes.  Can't very well have a birthday cake with a piece missing now can you?  Or can you?

Looking back I think to myself , "what would be the harm"?  Her 10 year old friends who were coming over for a slumber party wouldn't have cared.  They were more excited to show off their sticker books, and to paint their nails, and use their glitter paint.

Since that birthday party, 10 years ago, every single time I make this cake, I always remember that darling little girl, sitting on that kitchen counter wanting "just a little sliver, please please please". 

I still have a little pang of Regret not giving her just a little piece.  What fun that would have been - her and I sneaking a teensy tiny piece before the festivities.

So to all you mothers out there, with a 10 year old, or even a 10 month old -  I wish you no regrets in life over little things like this.

Sneak a piece of cake a time or two.  It will be a little special memory between mother and daughter.

1 Box White Cake Mix

1 1/4 c. water

1/3 c. oil

3 egg whites

1/2 c. mini chocolate chip morsels

1/4 c. chocolate flavored syrup

Extra chocolate flavored syrup for drizzling

1 tub Vanilla Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cake mix, egg whites, water and oil. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.

 Scoop out 1 cup of the batter and set aside.

Pour remaining batter into a 9 x 13 inch pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

Put the 1 cup batter back into the original batter bowl (always trying to save a dirty dish.  Less is good).

Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate syrup into the 1 cup reserved batter and stir stir stir it up. 

Voila!  Chocolate cake batter!

Now carefully take a heaping tablespoon of the chocolate batter, and dot the white batter with 6 mounds.

Two. Two and Two.  Kinda something like this.

With a butter knife, swirl "S" shapes right through that chocolate batter, into the white batter.

Swirl away.  One direction, then the other direction.

Don't blend it in so much that it's one big blurr.  Make sure it looks all swirly and stuff.

Bake for about 35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Be sure to watch it.  Ovens really do vary.

Your cake should turn out all pretty and marbled like this.

Let the cake cool completely.

Frost cooled cake with the tub of white frosting.

With your creative flare, drizzle chocolate syrup in sweet little designs all over the top.

If you are using the chocolate syrup that is in the can (Hershey's) , just take a spoon, dip, and drizzle away.

If a little certain someone asks for just a teeny sliver before guests come over, remember No Regrets.

Just tell your guests that a mouse must have ate it.

California Style BREAKFAST BURRITO

Growing up in the Midwest in the 60s and 70s, and then moving to Southern California in the early 80s was quite the Culture Shock.

Spiked blue hair.... Surfer Dudes.....Valley Girl Accents....... and Breakfast Burritos.

I soon grew accustomed to the fashion styles and funny California accents, but  was still simply amazed  with the whole Breakfast Burrito concept.

Growing up in Kansas, our breakfasts consisted of, Waffles, Biscuits & Gravy, and of course Pigs in a Blanket.

My trips to Del Taco drive-thru became more and more frequent.  Each time, leaving there thinking "Breakfast in a Burrito form, Amazing!"

Man, California is light-years ahead of the Midwest.  Nothing like that existed in my Kansas world growing up in the 70s.  Nothing.

Moving back to Kansas in 1992, I proudly carried back my recipe for California Breakfast Burritos.

It's been 20 years since I've moved back, and I still make these for breakfast OR for dinner. 

Moving back from California, I now thought I was all cultured & stuff.  After all, it was "I" who brought the Breakfast Burrito to the Midwest!  (Well not really, but let's just go with it for the sake of this blog post)

Note: I completely forgot to put several items in the photo above, so just just ignore my memory loss.
1 roll Jimmy Dean Regular Breakfast Sausage
5 c. frozen cubed hash browns
1/2 stick butter
9 eggs
Splash of Milk
1/4 c. diced onions
1/8 c. diced red bell pepper
1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
6 small flour tortillas (taco size)

In a large pot, preferably non-stick, throw in your half stick of butter and your 5 cups frozen hash brown cubes. Turn your stove to the 6 dial (medium heat).

This part is the slowest, trickiest part of the whole recipe.  These little frozen potato cubes tend to burn quickly on the outside, while remain hard on the inside, and tend to stick on the bottom of the pan if you don't pay close attention.

I find it best to cook them slowly, with the lid on for steam reasons, and stir them quite often.

Once they are tender all the way through, take them off the stove and throw them into a large bowl to hang out.

Now in the same pan, throw in your sausage, onion and red peppers.  Turn your heat up to Medium High and cook until sausage is brown.  While browning, take a wooden spoon and break up the sausage.  Break break break it up until there are no large clumps.

When browned, throw it in the same bowl as the hash browns, and let them just hang out.  Like California surfers do, waiting for that big wave.

In a large bowl, crack open your 9 eggs, and throw in a splash of milk.  Whisk away like you're making scrambled eggs.

Throw in the egg mixture into the big pot.  There should be enough oil in the bottom from the sausage so the eggs won't stick.  If not, then just spritz it with a spray of Pam.

Scramble those eggs, and once they are done, toss back in the sausage and potato mixture.

Now is the time to put in your shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.

Turn the heat down to low, and stir until cheese is melted.

To assemble the burritos, I like to pop the tortilla in the microwave for about 8 seconds, so it gets all soft and bendy.

I also like to use the small tortillas.  I know I know, they are called Breakfast "Burritos", but that's what they did in California in the 80s, so just do it.

Place mixture down center of tortilla and roll er up.

You can be like the Californians and top with Salsa, or be like me, from Kansas, and top it with Jelly (can't take the Midwest out of the girl, sorry, I love jelly on my breakfast burritos)

Breakfast Burritos might not be a "new" concept to people anymore, but to me they are still a delicious change-of-pace to the boring old breakfast.