Sarah's Chili

This is a variation on our traditional Brunson Chili.  It's sweet but spicy :)

Sarah's Chili

2 c. dry anasazi beans
30 oz. tomato sauce (2 15-oz cans or 4 8-oz cans)
1 c. water
1/2 c. sugar

A shy 2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1 lb ground beef, cooked (I use less)
1/2 c. chopped green pepper  (half of a large)
1/4-1/2 c. chopped onion (1 medium)

Soak beans overnight (12-20 hours).  In the morning, drain and put in crock pot on LOW with the rest of the ingredients until dinner time.

Homemade Baby Food

After buying plenty of Gerber baby foods, I had a lot of plastic containers on hand for making my own baby food.  So far I think he likes #1 and #5 best.

Ingredients-

Leftover mashed potatoes
Leftover steamed carrots
Little bit of frozen spinach (I microwaved my frozen spinach about 30 second...long enough to chip off a 2 TBSP chunk)
1 Head of Cauliflower, Steamed in the microwave
1 can of peas, no salt added
1 can of corn, no salt added
1 butternut squash, cooked in the oven at 325 for 1 1/2 hours in a dish with a glass lid and a little water in the bottom
Leftover spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti Squash, cooked same way as butternut squash

Optional-
 Zucchini (add to recipe2 or recipe 3), removing seeds
Crookneck squash (add to recipes 2, 3 or 4), removing seeds
Broccoli  (in place of spinach in recipe 4)

Makes-
These ingredients make 15 containers of 3.5 oz each.  Just blend the ingredients in a 1/2 c. food processor, using the excess juices from the vegetables until it is smooth (I always used my corn and cauliflower juices and never my peas juices).

Recipe1- Peas, Squash, Carrot

3.5 oz of butternut squash (I filled a container worth then dumped into the food processor)
Handful of peas
Handful of corn
Handful of cauliflower
A few chunks of carrot

Recipe2- Lots of Carrot, No Peas

3.5 oz. carrots
About 2 oz of butternut squash
Handful of cauliflower
Handful of corn

Recipe3- Whites with Chunks (No Peas or Carrots)

3.5 oz. potato
Any amount of squash(es)
Handful of cauliflower
After blending, put in some shredded leftover crock pot beef and a handful of corn.

Recipe4- Whites and Spinach

3.5 oz. potato
3.5 oz. cauliflower
Small Amount of squash
Handful of corn
2 TBSP defrosted chopped spinach

Recipe5- Spaghetti Squash (not pictured)

Scoop out the baked spaghetti squash into the container and spoon spaghetti sauce over top.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

This is great for when you don't know when you'll eat, and makes good leftovers.

1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can tomatoes with green chilis
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (or two little cans)
1/2 lb. ground hamburger, cooked
1/2 can black beans, optional
1 TBSP taco seasoning (I add more if I used 2 cans tomatoes instead of one with green chilis)
2 TBSP dried onions, or some fresh onion that I've diced and grilled

Put everything in a pot and simmer for half an hour.  Not as yummy but 15 minutes if you're in a hurry.  OR put on low in a crock pot or simmer on the stove for an hour if you don't know when the guests are coming.

Serve with tortilla chips and cheese and maybe sour cream.



Easy Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips

1 tortilla per person
oil
garlic salt or regular salt
pizza cutter

Rub oil and sprinkle salt onto tortillas, cut with a pizza cutter.  Bake 10 minutes on each side at 325 degrees, preferably on a oven-safe rack.

Cream Puffs

I learned to make these for a bake sale in high school.  This recipe from college is a little better than the BH&G. 

Cream Puffs

3/4 c. water
1/2 c. margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. flour
4 eggs

Boil water and butter and salt.  Add flour all at once and mix until it's a blob that sticks together.  Wait a minute or two, then stir in eggs, one at a time.  Drop onto cookie sheet and bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.  Turn off oven and let them sit for an hour.  Cool and fill with vanilla pudding and top with chocolate frosting.

Skillet Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

1/2 lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 lb. hamburger, cooked
1/2 TBSP onion flakes
2 c. water

1 c. uncooked rice
2/3 c. chopped green pepper
1 can stewed tomatoes (diced!)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, combine all ingredients. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. May add small amount of water while cooking if needed.

Spinach Tortellini Soup

It doesn't get any easier or healthier or faster than this, and it doesn't use anything fresh so you can have the supplies on hand always.  I make this through a big batch of Costco tortellini (quality tortellini is important), then we take a break for a while.  We eat it with crackers and lots of parmesan cheese on top.  The only downside is price.

Spinach Tortellini Soup


2 cups chicken broth
1 can italian style diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen spinach
2 c tortellini

Bring broth, tomatoes and spinach to a boil. Add tortellini and simmer 10 min. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Recipe Review: 7 Layer Bars

If you like butterscotch chips, this is definitely a 5-star recipe!  I ate the whole pan myself!  This recipe is from Cookie Madness.  Get it here.