Tag Archives: chili

Rummage Sale

A random pile of facts from our weekend…

1. Made {Baked Oatmeal} for our Saturday breakfast.

{followed the link above, but subbed almond/coconut milk and coconut extract}

Such a fun twist on regular ‘ol boring oatmeal…next time I’m adding some fresh berries to the mix.

2. We had an impromptu garage sale on Saturday morning. It was more like a rummage sale. I just threw a bunch of stuff out there and came up with a price when they asked!

Made about $20 an hour for stuff that I would have driven to Goodwill…I’ll take it!

3. Holden cried when a woman walked off with his Baby Bjorn potty chair. He said, “You’re selling all my stuff!” About broke my heart, but he wasn’t about to coax me into keeping stuff that I’m trying to get rid of, so he went inside and watched a movie while mama purged!

4. Fun bowling birthday party with this delicious pizza for lunch.

5. Little Church and my scripture study were cancelled for Sunday morning, so we went to Saturday evening mass instead.

6. Made Rachael Ray’s Buffalo Chicken Chili Mac for dinner.

Super yum and lowfat. I used reduced fat cheeses for the top ~ blue cheese and mexican blend.

7. Sunday morning was lazy with clouds, rain and Pioneer Woman’s Super Sonic breakfast burritos!

I think I got a little too aggressive with the fillings, but they were to-die-for.

8. Kids talked me into taking them to Elliott’s new dance studio’s grand opening in the POURING rain just to jump in the germ infested bouncy….

Chaos.

Waste. Of. Precious. Gas.

9. Jay didn’t like the quote the dealer gave him for new brakes on his Jeep, so he did it himself.

{We did have to make one minor trip to a “professional” for a quick fix-it, but other than that we saved a ton of cash. Thanks Pep Boys for the parts and YouTube for the brake changing tutorial!}

10. Had the Sushi Bake again for dinner last night. We’re hooked.

*****

And that was our weekend, folks.

Hope yours was just as random and nice!

XO

Hot Chili Nights

The weather hasn’t quite given us the green light for chilis, roasts and crock pot comfort meals, but I say “so what!” I spotted this sweet potato chili recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens at dance class last Friday and jotted down the main ingredients, but kind of did my own thing as far as preparing it.

3 large sweet potatoes {I guess you could also use yams}, peeled and cut into medium sized chunks {aka not too big and not too small!}

1/2 pound ground turkey, browned {this was not part of the recipe ~ I added it, but this would also be perfect as a vegetarian meal}

onion, chopped

red pepper, chopped

garlic, minced {however much you like…we like A LOT}

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with jalapeños

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

dash cayenne

chopped cilantro and sour cream for garnish

I used 2 large sweet potatoes ~ peeled and cut them. Chopped a brown onion, red pepper and massive cloves of garlic. Sauté onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until soft, stirring often. I browned the ground turkey in a separate pan, but you could brown it along with the veggies I suppose. Add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes {I ended up using a big fat can [28 ounces, I think] of petite diced}, and about 1-2 cups water {depending on how thick or soupy you like it}. Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer {covered} for about 20-25 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Add the cooked meat and beans, heat through. Ladle it up and serve with cilantro confetti, a dollop of light sour cream and several dashes of Tabasco.

I love chilis because you can make a big pot and eat it throughout your busy week for lunches and dinners. The flavors also seem to get better the second and third day {can you tell we’re totally OK with leftovers over here?} 😉

Since this has the starchy taters, I didn’t serve any cornbread with it. It was a hearty, filling one pot meal ~ perfect for the {upcoming!} cooler weather. I also recently discovered a chicken basil chili that I will be making next week….stay tuned for that yummy recipe.

*****

Happy, happy weekending!

Ancient {Filipino} Secret

I think it’s safe to say that {everyone} knows what lumpia is…but if you’ve never had it, well, I’m sorry, but that can change. They are just a Filipino egg rolls I guess is the best way to describe them.

And they are DE-LISH!

*****

Lumpia Shanghai Recipe

{from my mother-in-law, Lucy AKA “Lola”}

1 lb. ground pork

½ lb shrimp, chopped

2-3 stalks green onions, finely sliced

½ cup water chestnuts, chopped

(The shrimp, water chestnuts and green onions can be chopped all together in a food processor or chopper)

¼ cup soy sauce

½ tsp salt

Mix all together.  Add 1 slightly beaten egg and 3 tablespoons corn starch to hold the meat together and mix again.

Look for square, thin wrappers brand Spring Home TYJ Spring Roll Pastry or something similar.

Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a wrapper diagonally across.  Fold the pointed edge over the meat and then the sides of the wrapper.  Roll tightly and seal edges with warm water.

Here comes the bad part…shallow fry:

When golden brown on both sides, remove and place onto a paper towel lined plate.

We like to cut ours in half before serving. I found this sweet chili sauce {brand: Maggi} at Albertson’s in the Asian aisle. You can also use plain ‘ol sweet and sour sauce for dipping.

Tip: after the lumpia are all rolled, you can freeze them for future enjoyment. So make a lot of them because, trust me, they will fly off the plate.

Many people have asked for this recipe….so glad I can share this {secret} with you!

Happy Sunday!

{Simple} Sunday

Today was a simple, family day.

: Hot coffee with hazelnut creamer :

: Bike ride to Albertson’s :

: Grilled cheeseburgers with crinkle fries and Sriracha Ranch :

: Quick Slip N Slide action in the backyard :

: Outdoor play-doh fun :

: Football and more football :

: New dinner recipe :

*****

My sweet, now in CO friend, Alicia, was so kind to send me a subscription to “Real Simple” magazine. I forgot just how much I love this publication. Full of ways to simplify, but still thoroughly enjoy life. Since I am currently obsessed with purging, this mag fits the bill perfectly. Thanks again, Leesh! I love the monthly love in my mailbox.

This month’s issue had a recipe that caught my eye. We’ve been talking about grilling up a pork tenderloin for weeks and when I scouted this one, I knew this was it.

Chili-Glazed Pork With Sweet Potato Hash

Uh, chili powder and maple glazed pork with sweet potatoes? Yes, please!

It was the perfect recipe for our maiden {pork tenderloin} voyage! Jay grilled the pork instead of broiling as the recipe suggested.

The sweet potatoes paired with the Sriracha sauce?

Perfection.

And I love that there is some spinach thrown in to make you feel extra good about this dish. Next time I will add lots more spinach and maybe half the sweet potato to reduce the starch in the meal.

Love. Love. Love.

*****

And here is some proof that you can break out the water slide in January in So Cal…

*****

Hope your weekend was full of all things {simple}.

All Hallow’s Eve 2010

Phew!

Halloween was lots of fun, but I am pumpkin’d, witch’d, goblin’d and candied out!

I’m so glad I decided to dress up this year…it added so much to the night. I spent a grand total of $8 on our costumes this year ~ Elliott reused her dance recital costume, Holden borrowed his and I spent $5 on handcuffs and $3 on a cheetah print beanie that I fancied up with some orange rosettes to match my inmate threads!

A gal stopped me on the street and commented on my rosettes…why thank you! She asked me if I sell them…well, no I don’t, but maybe I should. Which got me thinking….stay tuned!

Getting back to trick-or-treating…we decided to go to our friends’ neighborhood this year as they have a street that goes all out and has haunted houses and stuff. There were swarms of people, my goodness!

Holden was finished before we even started:

10 minutes before we were to leave!

He rallied and we were on our way…

Perpetual mouthful of candy!

LOVE, love, love the red door on this house…

Holdy was always about 3 houses behind the group, but would catch up every now and then…

We had a great time and all was well and good until we got separated and Elliott began to worry about me {she was with her friends and my mom and Jay and I were with Holden}. Apparently she thought I was “lost” and then saw a Sheriff’s car and thought that maybe I’d gotten picked up since I told her I was an escaped inmate! Oops!

We had our annual Halloween chili and cornbread for dinner and enjoyed cobbler with the fresh peaches we picked a couple weeks ago. The cobbler was a breeze to make and turned out much better than I thought it would. Here is the recipe I followed.

This year’s ghoulish cocktail was “swamp water“…

{via}

We kept ours green, but you can add a touch of grenadine or blue curaçao to change up the color {as seen in the above pic}. Personally, I thought it was just fine the way it was. This is the perfect group cocktail to make in a big bowl with lots of ice and a ladle and people can serve themselves.

Already looking forward to next year and planning my costume! I’ve been missing out all these years…

Tuesday Tidbit

{Photo courtesy of Google Images}

I’ve been putting this stuff on eVeRyThInG lately…

It’ll perk up a Whole Grain Turkey, Ham & Cheese Lean Hot Pocket like nobody’s business.

Add a kick in the pants to a Lean Cuisine (preferably Sesame Chicken) any day of the week.

Possibly some spicy tuna rolls and California rolls with a kick in our future?

YES, indeed!

Quick Chili

I’ve been using this chili recipe for years. It’s from my good friend, Christina! It’s super quick, easy and a healthy lowfat Fall comfort food.

Here’s what you need:
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 big can chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes (I use fire roasted with garlic)
1 can corn, drained
1 small can tomato sauce
1 package chili seasoning
1 poblano or red pepper chopped (optional)

Here’s what you do:
Saute the onion and garlic (and peppers if you’re using) in a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil for 5 minutes, add the ground meat and brown breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add the package of seasoning mix with a little water (maybe 2 TBSP) Stir in seasoning mix to cover meat and cook until browned. Add in the beans, tomatoes (undrained), drained corn and tomato sauce. If you like a thinner chili, add another small can of tomato sauce. Simmer on low for an hour or so, ladle up a bowl and top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. I like to serve with Marie Callender’s corn bread and honey butter. Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry I don’t have a “finished product” pic. ;-(

chili