Water Dragon Weekly Sunday Post: Recipe

MOM’S CHILI

Chili makes a great meal no matter what time of year it is!  It’s perfect for a camping supper in the summer, a nice hot dinner in the winter, and a one-pot dish on a cool spring or fall evening.

This is another of my mom’s recipes.  It’s been in our family for many decades.  
You can give this dish your own “signature style” by adding or subtracting ingredients.  Use it as a base and get creative!
It’s easy to control how spicy our Chili is.   The only spice is chili powder.   Add more or less, as you prefer.
In our house, my husband gets the chili powder bottle with his meal, so he can add as much as he wants!

Mom's Chili...hot and ready to eat! Yum!

 

RECIPE FOR MOM’S CHILI:

2 lbs ground beef
5 or 6 onions, chopped or sliced
1/2 cup celery  (we omit this)
1- 28 oz can stewed tomatoes (or crushed, diced, Italian, etc)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder, (add more to taste if desired)
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained.

Brown meat, drain fat.  Sauté onions & celery in same pot with beef, until onions are starting to get soft.  Add other ingredients, cover and simmer for 30 minutes on top of stove.  Add beans, continue to cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Topping suggestions: *if desired:  sour cream, light sour cream or plain yogurt, shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar or American), crushed tortilla chips, jalapeno  peppers.

Thanks for viewing Mom’s Chili RECIPE!
***If you would like to join the 2012 Water Dragon Weekly Sunday Post , go to:   https://jakesprinter.wordpress.com
 You’ll be able to sign up there and get the Water Dragon logo for your blog.  Then you’ll receive weekly emails advising you of that Sunday’s challenge.  It’s fun!  Join us!

Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

 

Advertisement

Recipe: Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

A big thank you to Jessica of The Novice Chef blog for the recipe for Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies!   She has a free printable recipe on her site.  Click here for the recipe.

The Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies would make a great Valentine’s Day treat!

I made the Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies today and they are delicious!  They are rich, so you can eat a small piece and feel like you’ve had a triple treat!  This recipe also makes a lot of brownies, if you cut them into small squares, so it’s a great gift for relatives, neighbors, friends and anyone who passes by your kitchen window!

It’s fun to use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter too, as Jessica, of The Novice Chef did on her blog, and I did here.  You won’t get as many pieces this way, however.   Note:  The Novice Chef even has ideas for the leftover scraps if you use cookie cutters!   It’s your choice as always!  Use your wonderful creativity….make these ‘your own’ by changing up the recipe or using decorations.

 

One last thing……I think people would eat this brownie at any time of the year.  It’s not just for Valentine’s Day!

Happy baking and eating!

Judy   ❤ 
All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain. 

Recipe: Sloppy Joes

My dear blog readers…..I should have said: NEON ORANGE Sloppy Joes!  I have trouble shooting food photos! (I’m sure you’ve noticed!)  This is an area of my photography I’m working on, desperately!  I even created a make-shift light box this time…..and you can see how well it worked!  😉  So…apologies to all of you….the recipes I post REALLY ARE delicious!  They just look awful!  😉  Bear with me….I’ll tackle this project and hopefully you will see food that looks like real food someday!

*********

 Sloppy Joes

* a recipe from my mom ❤

1.5 pounds ground beef
1 ¼ cups ketchup
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard (ground)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons white granulated sugar

Brown the beef in a frying pan and remove any fat/grease.  Add the ketchup and the remaining ingredients.  Mix well.
Cover and cook for 20 minutes on simmer/low.  (check to make sure the flame isn’t too hot, as it can burn)
Traditionally, sloppy joes are served on hamburger buns.  But try soft flour tortillas for a change.

This recipe has been a favorite in our family for a long time.  I can remember eating it on camping trips when I was a child!

Enjoy~ and have a great start to your week!

Judy 

All text and images are copyright © 2005-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

Comeback Sauce

Hello dear blog readers!  Thank you for coming to visit.
I have a great recipe link for you!  It’s called “Comeback Sauce“.   I made some today and it is quite delicious.  According to the website where the recipe came from, we are to leave it alone until the flavors have had time to mingle or “become acquainted”…..which is just overnight!

Comeback Sauce has just ten ingredients and goes together quickly.  It’s good on fish, meat, chicken, salads, sandwiches……in fact, the website says it’s good on everything except: Cheerios!  My husband and I tried some tortilla chips with the leftovers in the bowl and it was very good.   One recipe will fill a pint canning jar.  (on the left in photo)

For the recipe, I’m giving you the link to the website, which is: SyrupandBiscuits.com

Click here and it will take you to directly to the recipe.

This makes a great gift for Christmas.  Because it calls for catsup and chili sauce, it will last in your refrigerator as long as those items will.
Thanks to Syrup and Biscuits for the recipe!

And thanks to you for stopping by!
Judy

 

Can’t leave these bars alone!

Good evening loyal readers…..
I’ve got a scrumptious recipe tonight!  These “Can’t Leave Alone” bars are so yummy….they won’t stay in your house long!   Six ingredients and less than 30 minutes baking time also make it a winner.  Originally published in Taste of Home magazine in 2006, the recipe was given to me by a friend after I tried them.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
1. 1 box (18.25 oz) white cake mix
2. 2 large eggs
3. 1/3 cup oil
4. 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
5. 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
6. ½ stick (1/4 cup) butter, cut small

Assembly:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ pan.
2. Beat cake mix, eggs and oil in a large bowl with mixer until blended.  Press 2/3 mixture in pan.  Put the rest of the mixture aside.
3. Microwave condensed milk, chocolate and butter in a bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until mixture is smooth when stirred.  Pour over crust.
4. Top with teaspoonfuls of reserved cake mixture.
5. Bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool; cut into bars.
**The bars will look wet, even when done.  Don’t over-cook, although I know all ovens are different.  I’ve kept the time just slightly under 25 minutes.  That way the bars stay soft and moist.

These would make a great football Game Day snack, as well as a holiday dessert (sprinkles on top??).
Give them a try!
Good night and thanks for stopping by~
Judy 

Hamburger Soup~easy and delish!

Good evening dear readers~
I have a great recipe for you tonight.  Hamburger Soup is one of our family’s favorites.  It’s easy to put together and it simmers for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.   It’s a good one to make after coming home from work; add bread and a fruit salad and you’re ready to eat!   If you do some of the chopping ahead, it will go even faster.   It’s simple and delicious!

Recipe:

1. 1.5 lbs hamburger (ground beef)
2. 3 cups water
3. 3 medium carrots, chopped, about one cup (we leave baby carrots whole)
4. 2 medium stalks of celery, chopped, about one cup
5. 1 large potato, cut into 1/2″ pieces, about one cup
6. one cup chopped onions
7. 2 teaspoons salt
8. 1 teaspoon bottled brown bouquet sauce.  (I’ve never used that….instead I use Worcestershire sauce and put more than 1 teaspoon in…put it in “to taste”)
9. ¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper
10. one bay leaf
11. 1/8 teaspoon dried basil leaves
12. one 28 oz can whole tomatoes (we use stewed)

Cook and stir hamburger in Dutch oven, or at least a 4 qt pot, until light brown; drain.  Stir in remaining ingredients; break up tomatoes with fork (if you use whole tomatoes).  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer just until vegetables are tender, about 20-30 minutes, depending how small you cut them.   Serves 6.  (about 1.5 cups each)

*this is another recipe that lends itself well to variations.  If we don’t have carrots, we’ll toss in green beans.  We sometimes use what we have in the fridge….I guess it could be called: Leftover Soup!
I gave you the original recipe from my very old Betty Crocker cookbook.  I also gave you our adaptations.  We sometimes add one or two cans of beef stock in place of the water.  If the soup tastes weak, I add a few tablespoons of ketchup.  Whenever I make something with tomatoes I always add a teaspoon of sugar.  This helps cut down on the acidity.
You can play around with the ingredients.  Add garlic, try ground turkey….be creative!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Good night and thanks for stopping by~
Judy 

Peach Pecan Kuchen

Dear Readers~PEACH PECAN KUCHEN  is today’s recipe.
I love peaches.  However nice, juicy fresh peaches are not available where I live in November.  Lucky for me, canned or frozen peaches can be substituted in this coffee cake recipe.  Yay!
So, no matter where you live you can enjoy this cake!   The recipe is from this author’s site:
The Cake Mix Doctor, but I could not find the recipe on her site.  Click on her link, enjoy the good recipes on her blog and I’ll write the recipe out below.

Peach Pecan Kuchen
Ingredients:
Softened butter for greasing 9×13″ pan.
1 pkg. 18.25 oz. plain yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
10 Tablespoons butter, melted (1 ¼ sticks)
1 large egg
3 cups ripe, fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced ¼” thick, or 4 large peaches
**Note: frozen or canned peaches may be used. Drain well, pat dry, slice thinly.  If using frozen peaches, use the reg. 1/2 cup sugar.  If using canned peaches, only use 1/4 cup sugar.
__________________________________________________________________

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Recipe:
1. Rack in center of oven, temp @350 degrees.
Lightly grease pan with softened butter.
2. Put cake mix, sour cream, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and egg in a large mixing bowl.
Blend with an electric mixer on low, just until mixture forms a thick dough, 1 minute.
Using fingertips, press dough evenly over the bottom of the pan, so that it reaches all sides.
Bake for 10 mins.  (Note: my dough was sticky. I sprinkled a little flour over the dough so I could press it into the pan easily)
3. Mix sugar & cinnamon in a small bowl.  Remove pan from oven, but leave oven on.
4. Arrange the peach slices in rows on top of the warm cake.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the peaches, then drizzle the remaining 6 Tablespoons butter over all.  Finally, sprinkle the pecans over the top of the cake.
5. Return the cake to the oven and continue baking for 30-32 more minutes.  The cake should look golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted in the center, it should come out clean.  Place on a wire rack for 20 mins.  The cake is best when warm, according to the
recipe….but we like it at any temperature!

**Storing: Covered with plastic wrap on the counter- up to 3 days.
In the refrigerator-up to one week.  Wrapped in foil in the freezer-up to 6 mos.
Reheat: in a preheated 300 degree oven until warmed through.

Enjoy your Wednesday evening everyone!  Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you to Anne Byrn, author of The Cake Mix Doctor.

Corn Chowder

Six ingredients!

Boil together: 1 pound potatoes, cut into 1/2″ chunks.  Any kind of potato: white, red, Yukon gold…

2 cups baby carrots, sliced

2 cups chicken broth  (vegetable broth will work also)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in: 2 cans (15 oz) creamed corn

3/4 cup light cream, Half & Half, or whatever you choose.  (make sure it’s not boiling at this point)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Serve!  (serves 4)

If you need to reheat, do not bring to a boil.  Just return soup to a hot temperature.  Enjoy!!

Salsa Dip!

If you like easy meals like I do, you’ll love this dip!   It’s a family favorite.  All you need is cream cheese and salsa, and your choice of dippers.   Here’s the recipe:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Salsa Dip

                                                                                                                       *  2- 8 oz blocks 1/3 less fat softened Cream Cheese                                                                                                                                                      *  almost 2 cups Medium Chunky Salsa (to taste)

                                                                                                                        Mix both together with a fork until well blended.  Serve with                                                                                                                           chips,  crackers, vegetables, whatever you choose. 

                                                                                                                           You can vary the taste by using hot salsa.  Enjoy!