Prize Winner!

Well, this was unexpected. I volunteered to make chili for a chili cook-off at church just to make sure there would be enough to feed everyone. It was a fund raiser for our youth group. Made the same recipe I've used for the last 30 years. I figured I'd bring home whatever was left and get a photo then. But yesterday instead of bringing home leftovers, I brought home the First Place medal!

We've always said this recipe is the best. It's not an original recipe. It came from the Presto pressure cooker people. You can see the original recipe from a 1977 ad here. I found it in the recipe book that came with the pressure cooker--but I have never actually made the chili in a pressure cooker. 

Since this is not some secret family recipe, I'm happy to share it with you. Hope you like it as much as the folks at church.

D*#% Good Chili

2 lbs. extra lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1 8-oz. can water

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used the refrigerated jarred kind)

1 teaspoon salt

1 16-oz. can light red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

**1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

Brown meat, onion and green pepper in large skillet. Put into large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 hours.

**I add a single 15-oz. can of diced tomatoes to the recipe whether I'm making a single, double or triple batch. The original recipe didn't call for this but I thought it needed to look "redder." Other than that, I never stray from the original recipe.

I always make a double or triple batch of this. It freezes well. Yesterday I did a double recipe and it just filled a 5-qt. Crockpot. I did not cook it in the crockpot but used the crockpot to keep the chili warm for serving at lunch.

I find this recipe easier to make when I measure all the spices into a small cup before I get started.



Just for the record...this is blog post #200. Who would have thought it? 

Sugar 'n Spice

Big Sister's dinner on Thursday ended with this very simple dessert. She popped it into the oven while we were eating. Big Sister may have invented her own twist shape. It was perfect. Sweet. But not too sweet. The only thing lacking was a cup of coffee. This would be a nice breakfast treat, too.

SUGAR-AND-SPICE TWISTS

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 package (6-count) refrigerated breadsticks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Combine sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish or plate. Divide breadstick dough into six pieces. Roll each piece into 12-inch rope. Roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Twist into pretzel shape. Place on prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings.

She's Got It Going In The Kitchen

I posted the photo below of our last night's supper on Facebook last night after we got back home. And as of a couple of minutes ago, 14 people had liked the photo and about a dozen had commented on it. What made this meal remarkable--besides the fact that it was beautiful and delicious? Our 11-year-old granddaughter planned the menu and cooked it! A 5th grader prepared a meal that I would be proud to serve to anyone. 

When I stayed at their house last year, she and I cooked together. We spent a good bit of time talking about what made a good meal--different colors, different textures, etc. And she learned how to chop, how to stir (without everything hopping out of the bowl) and other kitchen tricks. It was an unique experience for all of us---to have (or be) a "grandmother-in-residence" for about 9 months. And this "little grasshopper" learned her lessons well. 

After I came back home to stay, Big Sister became the regular chef once a week. She plans the menu and does the cooking. Last night Big Sister invited us to dinner. I was her sous chef (mainly to speed things up since she got a late start) but she was in charge of the kitchen. 

I love that this afternoon when I picked her up after school, she said, "Next time I think I'll add a little more broth to the pasta." She's becoming a confident cook, learning to trust her instincts. 

Here are a couple of her recipes. Like her grandmother, she didn't exactly follow what was in the cookbook. I'm giving you her version. I wouldn't change a thing. (Except maybe add a little more broth to the pasta sauce.)

Creamy Mushroom Bow Ties

Serves 8

1-lb. box uncooked bow tie pasta

8-oz. sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 package (4.4 ounces) garlic-herb cheese spread (find it near the cream cheese)

1/4 cup chicken broth

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, salt, and pepper in butter until tender.  Add cheese spread and broth; cook and stir until blended.  Drain pasta; add to skillet and toss to cook. 

Big Sister said today that she didn't really like mushrooms but that these were good. She ate all of hers.

Green Beans with Garlic-Herb Butter

Serves 4

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

3-4 tbsp. butter

1 small onion, minced

1 1/2 tsp. jarred minced garlic

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

3/4 tsp. salt

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a large saucepan; add beans, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain.  Rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté 5 minutes.  Add garlic, and sauté 2 minutes.  Stir in beans, rosemary, salt; sauté 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

These were SO good. I'll be adding this recipe to my collection.

Stay tuned. The dessert recipe is coming next. Extra simple and completely yummy.

Milestone

Baby Sister got her first haircut today.

The stylist was a master with wiggly babies.

And Baby Sister got an afternoon pacifier--a rare treat. 

Anything to up the odds of her sitting still.

There were no tears. 

Not that we really thought there would be.

The hair dryer was not her favorite part.

The only thing worse was the booster seat she tried at the beginning. 

Mommy's lap was a much safer place to be.

And quick as a flash, it was over. Just the barest trim. 

But enough to keep the hair out of her eyes. It looks so cute.

What did we forget to do? 

Get a really good photo of Baby Sister looking all spiffed up.

I'm sure you'll get to see one of those very soon.

Way Back Then

When I was growing up, this was one of my favorite suppers. I always thought we were having something special when Mother cooked this. I loved it. Still do. After I was grown, she told me it was her "busy day" supper. When she was busy with housework, laundry and two little girls, she could throw everything into one pot and just let it cook itself. Think that far back and laundry involved a wringer washing machine and a clothes line. No permanent press clothes either, so ironing came next. And we think we work hard.

She called it Brunswick stew. I think most other recipes are made with chicken. Or squirrel. (You can look it up on Wikipedia. It really says 'squirrel.') And maybe have lima beans in it. But THIS was Brunswick stew in our house. 

So for your busiest day or the day you can't think of anything to cook, give this a try. You don't even have to brown the ground beef for this recipe. (Which means you cannot do it in a Crockpot.) Every time I make it, it reminds me of my mother's good cooking and my childhood. Good memories.

Brunswick Stew

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 15-oz. can whole tomatoes, broken up (use your hand and squish it up)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

1 8-oz. can whole kernel corn

salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a pot and mix. Cook medium heat until it starts to simmer. Turn to low, cover and continue to simmer for about 60-90 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve over rice. 

We usually had Texas Pete on the table for Daddy to add a little zip to his serving. Kids got ketchup.

Today at the grocery store there were no whole tomatoes except in huge cans, so I used a can of diced tomatoes. I have discovered that diced tomatoes don't have as much juice as a can of whole tomatoes so I added a 6-oz. can of tomato juice to the mix. Adjust as you need to. There is nothing in this recipe that is very precise.

In the interest of full disclosure, my sister does not have such fond memories of this recipe. She didn't like it. I did. You can decide for yourself.

Rain, Rain, Rain

It rained Friday. We had photos made for the church directory. We were a little soggy.

It rained Saturday. *Granddaddy fed the cows. He was a lot soggy.

It rained Sunday. We went to church. We were only damp.

It rained hard on Monday (today.) And it was cold. We were wet and freezing.

But in the midst of this rainy season--a ray of sunshine, we did get to play with Baby Sister. Her great-grandmother would have never thought that the butter molds she used for making butter are now building blocks.

But I think that when she took one look at Baby Sister, she would say it's okay. 

This afternoon--day #4 of rain--all I wanted to do was sit by the fire. I wanted to share a new recipe today. But that would have required a trip to the store. In the rain. In the cold.

Instead we are having leftover roast tonight. (3-Packet Pot Roast...it's better with a chuck roast or sirloin tip roast) I did bake Pumpkin Bread this morning for a breakfast meeting tomorrow. So there is cooking going on here--I'm just stuck on the same favorite recipes. 

In my head I'm singing, "The sun will come out, Tomorrow." And I think it will. I really do. We get a day or two off before it rains again.

*Granddaddy feeds the cows every day. I don't mean to sound like it's an occasional thing.

On The Move

Baby sitting is one of the best parts of the grandmother gig. But unless it's nap time, I never get to sit down any more. Seems like Baby Sister is constantly on the move.

Sometimes heading this way,

and sometimes heading that way.

But nearly every trip around the house ends up at the piano.

She loves music as much as her grandmother! That makes me happy.