Loaded Chili

A warm bowl of chili loaded with lots of good stuff is just what we need with more snow expected tonight. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef
2 onions, sliced or diced
3 celery stalks, sliced or diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 - 540 ml (19 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 540 ml (19 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup kernel corn
284 ml (10 oz) Rotel chopped tomatoes and green chilies
              or any canned diced tomatoes
680 ml (24 oz) tomato sauce
2-3 cups broth (beef, vegetable or chicken)
2-3 tsps chili powder (3 if you don't use Rotel tomatoes)
1  1/2 tsps cumin
salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pot brown the ground beef until no pink remains then add the rest of the ingredients. This was the first time I used Rotel chopped tomatoes and green chilies and I love them! Just a nice amount of heat.

Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

You could serve your chili topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese for an extra layer of flavour.

And these Flaking Buttermilk Biscuits were great for sopping up the juices!

Here's the link to the biscuit recipe:
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2019/02/flaky-buttermilk-biscuits.html

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Warm biscuits right from the oven makes my mouth water!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2  1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsps cold butter, grated
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbsps honey

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together, then add the butter. You can use a pastry blender or use your hands, but if you use your hands work quickly. You don't want the butter getting warm and melting. Whisk the buttermilk and honey together and add to the flour mixture. If you don't have buttermilk then milk with 1 tsp vinegar will work.

Flour your work surface and bring the mixture together. It's a little messy and crumbly at this point. Don't worry.

Gently gather up and roll out to roughly 9 X 5" and 1/2" thick.
Fold it in three and roll out again to 9 X 5 X 1/2".

Using a 2" round cutter press down and lift up each biscuit. Do not twist when cutting. Transfer to a parchment lined pan leaving 1" between each biscuit.

Bake at 400F for 11-13 minutes.

Makes 10 - 2" round flaky biscuits that go great with chili!

Check out my Loaded Chili here:
https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2019/02/loaded-chili.html
Biscuit recipe from: http://traceysculinaryadventures.com

Healthy Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

No one will even know it's good for them ; )

Ingredients:

1 cup dark sweet cherries (dried, frozen or freeze-dried)
1/2 banana
1 handful spinach leaves
1 heaping tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 - 2 cups your choice of milk

If using dried fruit, first re-hydrate by pouring hot water over for 10-15 minutes then drain and use. I used a mix of half cherries, half cranberries here.

Toss everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Adapted from Jessica Victoria NourishingMomsMtl.com

Light and Fluffy Apple Cake

A quick little snackin' cake!

Ingredients:

5 apples, peeled and sliced
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsps baking soda
1/4 cup water

In a large bowl mix the eggs and sugars together, then add the oil. Add the apples and stir to coat. I used Cortland, but Gala or Fuji would be good too.

Mix the flour, baking soda and cinnamon together and add to the apple mixture. Add the water.

Grease 2 - 9" square or round pans (or one of each like I did)
and bake in a 350F oven for 50-55 minutes. 

One to serve and one to put in the freezer for another time.

Asian Sweet Chili Sauce

Like the sweet chili chicken sauce in your local Asian grocery store, except by making your own sauce the heat level and consistency can be adjusted to your preference. Great as a marinade, stir-fry sauce, glaze or dipping sauce!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 long red chilies, finely chopped with seeds
2 tbsps cornstarch
2 tbsps cold water

They might be a little awkward to use, but try wearing gloves when chopping the chilies. 

In a saucepan combine sugar, water, rice wine vinegar, garlic and chilies. Bring to a boil, then simmer rapidly for 10-15 minutes. Take about one third of the mixture out and blend with a stick blender then return to the pot.

Mix cornstarch and cold water together and pour into chili mixture while stirring through. Gentle boil 3 minutes.

Remove from heat for 5 minutes. In that 5 minutes you can sterilize your jars.

Stand a piece of cutlery in each jar to help disperse the heat then pour in boiling water. Remove the cutlery, give the sauce a stir and pour into hot jars. Pour boiling water over lids and rings then make sure the rim of the jar is clean and seal with the sterilized lid.

To process jars in a hot water bath:
Place jars in a pot of boiling water enough to cover top of jars. Boil 10 minutes then carefully remove the jars to cool on the  counter. The lids should pop down in the middle overnight. If they don't you'll have to start the process over again. That means putting the sauce back in the pot and heating it up, cleaning and sterilizing jars, re-filling and re-processing in a hot water bath. Or just keep refrigerated.

Note: This recipe is a pretty good copycat of the store bought sweet chili chicken sauce, but if you want to play around with it using hotter chilies will give you a hotter sauce and using more or less cornstarch will give you a thinner or thicker consistency.

Makes about 3 cups

Valentine Popcorn Hearts

Show someone you love them ♥

Ingredients:

1 - 400 g bag large marshmallows
2 tbsps butter
8-9 cups popped popcorn
sprinkles
melting wafers

The same as you would when making rice krispie squares, melt the marshmallows and butter in a large microwavable bowl, 20-30 seconds at a time until melted.

I used buttered popped corn, but you could use unbuttered too. Toss the popcorn into the melted marshmallows and stir to coat.  Then with buttered hands take a good softball-sized bunch and form into the shape of a heart...easier to do than you'd think.  Place on a parchment lined pan and add sprinkles.

Melt the wafers and pipe some pink over the top. Place in the fridge 10 minutes to set then package for gifting.

Makes 8-10 large popcorn hearts

Karma's Cosy Crochet Sweater

At long last... a sweater to fit my "big boned" girl !

So many patterns are for little dogs but this one is great for Karma at 50 lbs.

She has a wide chest and because this pattern can be adjusted through the chest and shoulders it was perfect!

Find the instructions here:

https://crochetitcreations.com/doggy-sweater-size-large/

Finished it just in time before a 40cm snowfall !!