Chili Con Carne with Beans

We stumbled onto this chili recipe a few months ago. It is our all time favorite new recipe. We make it ALL.THE.TIME. The first time we made it, we did it all on the stove top. Then I wanted to take it to some potluck dinners, so I adapted it for the crock pot. Each time, the crockpot is literally scraped clean.

I think the ingredient that makes this so good is the Chorizo sausage link. Roosevelt has two grocery stores and sadly, my favorite doesn't carry it. They have it in ground sausage only, but the links are by far better. But we've been able to find it at the other store in town. You can also use beer in the recipe, but when I have made it to take to the potluck dinners, I did beef broth instead.


Chili Con Carne with Beans
1 pound hamburger
1 pound chorizo sausage links, cut up into slices
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can light red kidney beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomatoes, diced
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomato sauce
12 oz. beer or beef broth
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cumin
1/4 basil
1/4 oregano
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
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Brown the hamburger and drain. Set aside. In the same pan, brown the sliced chorizo sausage links with the onion and bell pepper until the veggies are tender.

Return all the meat to the pan. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes. Serve with cheese.

To make in the crockpot:
Brown meats as directed. But I don't add the bell pepper. I just add it to the crock pot with everything else. When the meat is cooked, mix everything together in the crockpot. I turn the crockpot onto high about 4 hours before I need the meal to be ready.

Recipe was adapted from Grilling.com

Raspberry Lemon Pie

 

Raspberry Lemon Pie

1 (10-oz.) package frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed

1 T. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate
1 (6-oz.) packaged graham cracker crumb pie crust
Whipped Topping

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 Preheat oven to 350°. In small saucepan, combine raspberries and cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened and clear. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour into crust; bake 8 minutes. Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over top. Chill 4 hours or until set. Spread with whipped topping and serve.



Cranberry Cherry Nut Pie

Cranberry Nut Pie

Pie pastry for double crust pie (9 inches)

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. 2% milk

1 Tbsp. coarse sugar

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Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom pastry; trim to 1 in. beyond edge of plate. In a large bowl, combine the pie filling, cranberries, sugar, walnuts, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and all spice. Spoon into crust. dot with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents. Place pastry over filling; trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. cover edges with foil during the last 30 minutes to prevent over browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.



Valentine's Chex Mix

 

Valentine's Chex Mix

4-1/2 cups Rice Chex Cereal

1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup red, pink & white M&M's

2 Tbsp. red or pink sprinkles

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Microwave vanilla chips, peanut butter and butter, until melted. Be sure to stir every 30 seconds. This will take 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.

 

Pour cereal into a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir until evenly coated. Remove half of the cereal mixture to a large, resealable bag. Pour in powdered sugar. Close bag and shake until cereal is evenly coated. Spread onto tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread out on tinfoil or wax paper until cooled, about 15 minutes.

 

After both mixtures are cooled, stir all back together in a large serving bowl.

White Strawberry Lemon Sangria

White Strawberry Lemon Sangria

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 apple, cored and sliced

1 cup strawberries, hulled & sliced lengthwise

1 750 ml bottle white wine

1/2 cup white rum

4 cups lemon-lime soda

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Add all the fruits to a large pitcher. Pour in wine and rum. Cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours. Remove from fridge just before serving and add the lemon lime soda. 

Thin Pizza Crust

A few weeks ago, a coworker told me about this pizza crust she made. And she told me again a few days later. It sounded good, so I asked for the recipe.  It was DELISH!!! The recipe makes enough for 2 crust.I tried to mix it in my Bosch mixer, but ended up having to knead it on the counter for a few minutes. Still worth it.

Pizza Crust
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. water
Pizza sauce
Pizza toppings
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Mix together, will be dry. Knead until forms ball. Make 2 balls of dough. Roll into 12-inch crust. Cover with pizza sauce and toppings. Bake at 475°  9-12 minutes.

Moist Chocolate Cake

Moist Chocolate Cake
1-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup cocoa
approx. 3/4 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
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Cream sugar with shortening. Add eggs yolks, slightly beaten. (Save the egg whites for later.)

In a small bowl, add cocoa and then enough water to make it one cup. I added about half a cup, but after stirring the cocoa powder, I needed more water. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix cocoa mixture into sugar mixture.

In another bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Then alternating with the milk, mix the dry ingredients into the cocoa mixture.

Beat egg yolks until stiff peaks form. Fold into cocoa mixture.

Pour into greased cake pan. Bake at 350° for 35 mins.

Pork Medallions with Cranberry Sauce

This recipe is from a Weight Watchers magazine, "Best of Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes". 

Pork Medallions with Cranberry Sauce
1 lb. park tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. sage
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Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place pork between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle both sides of pork evenly with salt and pepper.

Combine cranberries, broth and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil 6 minutes or until berries burst and sauce is reduced to 2/3 cup. Stir in sage.

While sauce cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve pork with cranberry sauce.

*Serving size: 2 medallions and about 3 Tbsp. sauce 5 points

Trash Mix with Worms

Trash Mix with Worms
16 oz. pkg. candy corn
16 oz. pkg. pretzels
12z. pkg. caramel popcorn with cashews
15 oz. pkg. M&M's
12 oz. pkg. gummy worms
15 oz. pkg. banana chips
15 oz. pkg. dried mango
15 oz. pkg. dried pineapple
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Stir together all ingredients. Store in airtight container.

*I didn't add all the dried fruit to mine. Also, I couldn't find enough sour gummy worms, so I used some sour gummy bears too and called them mummies.

Dripping Blood on Glasses

Blood for drinking glasses
1/4 cup honey or corn syrup
red food coloring
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Combine honey or corn syrup with food colroing in shallow pan; mix until well blended. Dip rims of gobles into mixture one at a time, coating rims. Turn upright and let stand to allow mixture to drip down sides, resembloing blood. Place paper towel around base of glasses to catch drip. Serve with drink.