Family Favorite Chili

by penji1

Bob’s sister Laurie and kids are here visiting tonight from California.  Made this Betty Crocker chili and another soup for dinner and some tasty cornbread (recipe for other soup and cornbread to follow soon).  Good snow day dinner!

2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce (I ended up using three 8 oz cans so a total of 24 oz)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (15 or 16 oz) can kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed  (I used 2 cans of pinto beans)

shredded cheddar cheese and Fritos if desired

Cook beef and onion over medium heat until brown.  Mix beef, onions and all ingredients except beans, cheese and Fritos in crock pot.  (I just add the beans here as well instead of waiting for later like the recipe says.)  Cook on low 6 – 8 hours or on high 3 – 4 hours.  Stir in beans.  Cook on high 15 – 20 minutes.  Top with cheese and Fritos to make “Frito boats” if desired.

Halloween Cinnamon and Sugar Chips

by penji1

These are already on the blog called Sugar Chips under Appetizers and Desserts along with a recipe for Fruit Salsa from my friend Tesla but I was thinking how cute they would be in Halloween shapes for my Glitter Toes Party so I experimented and the experiment went pretty well.  Here’s how to do it!

1 package uncooked tortillas (I use the uncooked ones from Costco)

cooking spray

cinnamon and sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray baking sheets or stones (stones are my preference) with cooking spray.  Using Halloween shaped cookie cutters of any size of your choice, cut shapes out of tortillas and place on stones sprayed with cooking spray.  When stone is full (do not overlap), spray all tortilla cutouts with cooking spray and then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake in oven for about 5 – 10 minutes or until tortillas start to puff up and brown slightly.  (How easy is that?)

I was thinking that these would go well with a dip but didn’t have time to do it for this party but here’s the combo I was thinking of – one tub of Cool Whip mixed carefully with some caramel ice cream topping (don’t know if you’d need the whole jar or not so you’d have to experiment).  I think the flavor of the cinnamon and sugar chips along with the Cool Whip and caramel would taste great together.  Have to try it next time!

Quick Bean Soup

by penji1

Another “Cooking Light” recipe.  It was a little spicey for me and Courtney but Bob and Zach were ok with it.  I think next time I’ll used mild salsa instead of medium.

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 cups prechopped onion (didn’t have any onions so used 4 tablespoons dried onion)

3/4 cup prechopped green bell pepper

1 cup refrigerated fresh salsa

1 teaspoon cumin

1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1 (14 oz) can fat free, less sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegan)

fresh flat leaf parsley leaves (optional)

Heat oil in soup pot over medium high heat.  Add onion and bell pepper; saute 4 minutes or until tender.  Add salsa and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes.  Garnish with parsley if desired.

10 servings, each serving 1 cup = 128 calories per serving

Waffle Iron Brownies

by penji1

I’m telling you right now – make a double batch!  One batch will not be enough!  In fact, I’ve given you a single batch ingredient list and a double batch ingredient list to make it easier for you.  These go fast at our house.  I made these for my Glitter Toes Party tonight and had to keep chasing Zach and Courtney away from them.  I think this might be a Hershey recipe but I’ve been making them for so long that I can’t really remember where the recipe came from.

single batch:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup cocoa

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon water

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup walnuts (optional)

double batch:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup cocoa

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons water

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups walnuts (optional)

Heat waffle iron to medium.  Melt butter in saucepan then blend cocoa into butter.  Remove from heat.  Let cool for a few minutes then stir in sugar, eggs and water.  Add flour and salt then nuts if desired.  Drop about 1 teaspoon batter into each section of waffle iron and bake for 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove carefully to cooling rack.

Winner of Pampered Chef Fall Colors Prize Pack Announced!

by penji1

The winner of the Pampered Chef Fall Colors Prize Pack is

Julie Balvin of Bellingham, Washington!

Congratulations Julie!

And, as for the rest of you, stay tuned because next month I’m going to give away a Dove Chocolate Discoveries product or maybe even two!  Haven’t decided what yet but you can be sure that it will be tasty!

Thank you Julie for subscribing to my blog and thank you everyone else who subscribes; you guys and your feedback make it fun!  I love it when someone tells me that they made one of the recipes and that everyone loved it!   And thank you all who shared soup recipes with me; I’ll be trying several of them out over the next few months and will post them here and give you credit for the recipes.

Until next time, happy cooking and happy baking!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

by penji1

Cupcakes for the Sunday School class.  Recipe from “Real Simple”, they send me emails with recipes and stuff.  These were so cute!  And even the teenagers who didn’t like pumpkin ate them!

1 (18.5 oz) box yellow cake mix (plus ingredients to make cupcakes)

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (these were not in the original recipe but I added them)

2 (8 oz each) bars cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

24 pieces candy corn

1  Heat oven to 350.  Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners.  Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following changes:  Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin for the water called for in the package directions.  Stir in chocolate chips if desired.

2  Divide the batter among the prepared muffin pans and bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 – 22 minutes.  Let cool.

3  Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy.  Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

by penji1

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  Nobody at my house likes pumpkin so I’ve never made pumpkin bread or pie or anything before but felt like giving it a try this year.  It smelled really good baking but no one here will eat it so I’ll have to give it away!  (Perhaps a little gift for two certain ladies that I visit every month?)

3 cups sugar

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

1 cup oil

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup miniature chocolate chips (I used regular size and added 2 cups because 1 didn’t look like enough)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans or three 9 x 5″ loaf pans.

2  In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water and eggs.  Beat until smooth.  Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Fill cans/pans 1/2 – 3/4 full.

3  Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

Bread Bowl Artichoke Dip

by penji1

This is a super yummy Pampered Chef recipe that was requested by my friend Kathie for her sister Verenda’s baby shower today.  (It’s her first and she’s having a girl!)

2 (16 oz) sourdough bread rounds (about 6″ in diameter), divided (I prefer to use 1 sourdough round and 1 sourdough baguette)

oil or cooking spray

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup milk

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts in water, drained

1 (1.4 oz) envelope or 1 (1.8 oz) box (2 envelopes) vegetable soup mix

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 lemon

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 450.  Slice top off of 1 bread round to create a lid.  Carefully remove center of bread round to form a 4 1/2″ wide and 2″ deep well for dip.  Slice center of first round (what you’ve pulled out to make the well) and entire second round (or baguette) into 1″ cubes for dipping.  Place bread bowl in center of large pizza stone.  Arrange bread cubes around bread bowl and spray with oil or cooking spray.  (I spray bread bowl and lid too.)  In microwave safe bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth.  Add milk to cream cheese and whisk until smooth again.  Chop artichokes with Food Chopper.  Add artichokes, soup mix and garlic to cream cheese mixture and mix well.  Microwave on high 5 – 7 minutes or until hot (do not allow to boil).  Juice lemon to measure 2 tablespoons juice.  Stir in lemon juice and sour cream then pour entire mixture into bread bowl.  Grate cheese over bread bowl, dip and bread cubes.  Lean lid against bread bowl.  Bake 13 – 15 minutes or until bread and top of dip are golden brown.

Hershey’s Best Brownies

by penji1

It was my friend Belinda’s birthday yesterday and so I made her some brownies from scratch and gave her a jar of Pampered Chef’s new Chocolate Raspberry Sauce so that she could make brownie sundaes for her bday.  I sampled the pieces that fell off while cutting them up and they were delicious!  Another great thing about this Hershey recipe is that it only takes one bowl to do the whole thing, one bowl brownies!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa or Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (I used the regular kind)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)  (I was going to add walnuts but forgot that I was out of them)

1  Heat oven to 350.  Grease 9 x 13″ pan.

2  Place butter in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high 2 – 2 1/2 minutes or until melted.  Stir in sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition.  Add cocoa and beat until well blended.  Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.  Stir in nuts, if desired.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

3  Bake 30 – 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.

Pampered Chef Fall Colors Prize Pack Giveaway Reminder!

by penji1

Tomorrow is the last day to enter to win the Pampered Chef Fall Colors Prize Pack!  You can get up to two entries by doing one or both of the following:

1   subscribe to the blog

2  comment on this post and share your favorite soup recipe with me

I was looking forward to some new soup recipes and don’t have that many yet so come on!  Don’t be bashful!  Share!  Share!  Share!  And maybe, Win!  Win!  Win!