Mom's Chili

My Mom always made the BEST chili! The only problem is she rarely measured the spices. When I was still pretty young she gave me directions on how to make it for dinner one night while she was working. I can still remember the first thing she said to me when she saw my finished product - "Why is it so thick?" What Mom neglected to tell me was that she would fill a quart jar with water, use it to rinse the "good stuff in the bottom" of all the other cans and add it to the pot. A small trick really, but it made a big difference in my chili. Of course, it also included home-canned tomatoes. Now I know everyone has a favorite version - with beans, without beans, ground chuck or a chuck roast. But, I always enjoy seeing new recipes! Since we are experiencing our last cold spell (hopefully) of the season, it seemed a perfect time to cook up a pot. This recipe is pretty spicy, so you can adjust it to suit your taste.
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Check out more great recipes at the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.
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Mom's Chili
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1 pound ground beef, seasoned*

1 large onion, chopped

1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 cans dark red kidney beans (16 oz)
1 can beef broth (16 oz)
1 cup water
1 can hot chili beans (16 oz)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
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*Season ground beef with a little chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt & pepper. This is not included in the above measurements.
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Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet. Drain. In stock pot, add whole tomatoes. Break them up into smaller pieces. I usually just use my hands, but you could use a spoon or knife. Add beef broth, kidney beans, chili beans, crushed tomatoes, and spices. Pour water into one of the empty cans and continue to move it from one can to the other so that you rinse all the cans thoroughly. Add this mixture to the pot. (You can skip this step if you are trying to lower your sodium content) Bring to a boil, add ground beef mixture, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 hours.

Cube Steak in Mushroom Gravy

Minute or Cube steaks are great for a quick meal. Usually, I'll just use cream of mushroom soup for the gravy. This time I lightly floured the steaks before browning them. I had forgotten how good the gravy could be with flour added to it. If you want a lighter version, omit the flour and just use cream of mushroom soup with a can of water and simmer until the gravy is thick.

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Cube Steak in Mushroom Gravy

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3-4 minute or cube steaks

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 small can sliced mushrooms (4 oz)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup water or beef broth

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Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder & chili powder. Coat each steak with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. When hot, add steaks. Cook approximately 1 minute on each side. Add onion & mushrooms. Cook additional 2-3 minutes or until onions are tender and slightly caramelized. Combine soup and water. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

CranApple Crisp

Apples that needed to be used along with some frozen cranberries combined to make a really tasty crisp. All I'm missing is ice cream! For more great recipes, check out this week's Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.
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CranApple Crisp
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6 medium apples, diced
1/4 cup flour mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Core and dice apples. (I did not peel my apples) Toss apples in flour/sugar mixture and set aside. Bring cranberries and water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add raisins. Continue to cook until cranberries have burst. Combine sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to cranberries and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add apples and set aside. In a small bowl combine oats, butter, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon until well blended. Pour apple mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Top with oat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Coconut Chicken Fingers

There's a little restaurant near my office that serves Coconut Chicken Fingers as an appetizer. I absolutely love them, so I finally decided to try my own version. I didn't use any salt in this, so you might want to add a little when you try the recipe. I keep a big bag of frozen chicken tenderloins in the freezer for use in several different recipes.

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Coconut Chicken Fingers

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10-12 chicken breast tenderloins

2 eggs, beaten

1 & 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup coconut

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup flour

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Soak breast tenderloins in salt water in refrigerator until thawed. Combine 1 & 1/2 cups flour, coconut and cinnamon in shallow bowl. Place beaten eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Place 1/2 cup flour in shallow bowl. After rinsing, dip chicken in plain flour, then in egg, and finish in flour/coconut combo. Pre-heat oil in your skillet over medium-hot heat. You want about 1/4 inch of oil in the skillet. Fry chicken until golden brown, turning once- about 10-15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. I like this plain, but it is also good served with honey-mustard dressing for dipping.

and, the winners are...

And the winners are.....

Donna-FFW said...

Coffee, and a fiber granola bar.. every morning. Always helps too when kids get on the bus and I can breathe!!

Janelle said...

We plan breakfast and such the night before so it's easier to get everyone going in the morning. The kids get on the bus and then it's me time! Everyone can use a little of that to get the day started right! Thanks so much for the giveaway!!!

Susan Pahnke said...

What a fun idea.

CONGRATULATIONS! I'll contact you by e-mail shortly.

Contest & Review - Honey Kix

The contest has ended. Click here to see the winners. Thanks for entering!
Remember Kix? You probably do since it's been around since 1937! Well, General Mills has come up with a new flavor - Honey Kix cereal. I recently received a sample pack for a product review. It brought back a lot of memories, but I found that General Mills has really updated their product line. Honey Kix cereal has all the great taste you remember from your childhood along with a touch of honey. Not only is it a good source of Whole Grain (16g in each serving), but it tastes great. And, let's face it, if a cereal doesn't taste good, it will just end up going stale on your shelf. Have you noticed the Nutrition Highlights on General Mills cereals? This info is located on the top of the box and gives you a quick reference of the nutrition contents per serving. Honey Kix has just 120 calories per 1 & 1/4 cup serving, so it's a great way to start your morning with whole grain. I like to make my own trail mix to carry along as a snack during the day. I think Honey Kix cereal would be a great addition to my usual almonds and dried cranberries. So, the next time you're in the cereal section of your grocery store, check out Honey Kix. Your children will love it and you'll start a whole new generation of memories!

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Now for the really exciting news. I'm giving away 3 Honey Kix "Sweet and Simple" prize packs. Each pack includes a coupon for a free box of Honey Kix, a honey jar, a set of colorful cereal bowls, a container to take your cereal and milk on-the-go, and a great container to keep your cereal fresh at home.

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Entering is simple. Just leave a comment on this Post and tell me how you get your mornings off to a good start. Three winners will be chosen at random and the deadline is 12:00 midnight CDT, Saturday, March 7th. Winners will be posted on Sunday, March 8th, so be sure to check back!

The contest has ended. Click here to see the winners. Thanks for entering!

Susan's Chicken Casserole

My talented friend, Susan, sent me this Chicken Casserole recipe. I've had the pleasure of being served this dish in her home and it is delicious! It's great for a potluck or any special dinner.

For more great recipes, check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap - click here.

And, don't forget to enter my contest for a 'Sweet & Simple' prize pack from Honey Kix - click here - you can enter by just leaving a comment on my blog post.

Susan's Chicken Casserole

2 boiled and cut up chicken breasts

1 ½ cups Pepperidge Farm Stuffing (blue bag)

1 Jiffy Corn Muffin mix baked in a cake pan then crumbled

1 ½ stick of butter (use real Butter)

½ cup chopped onion

2 eggs beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of Campbell chicken soup

1 cup Chicken Broth

Combine the stuffing mix, crumbled cornbread, butter, onion and eggs. Mix the sour cream, soup and ½ cup chicken broth.

In a greased oblong (9 x 13) baking dish, place half the stuffing mixture on the bottom, then place the chicken on top of that, then the soup mixture, and then the rest of the stuffing mixture. Pour the remaining ½ cup of chicken broth over the entire casserole. You can put additional stuffing on top and drizzle it with more butter – for a crusty top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Judy of Judy's Kitchen sent me a Sisterhood Award for my blog. Thank you Judy! Check out Judy's Kitchen for some wonderful, healthy recipes.

I'm passing this award along to the following great bloggers. Check them out:

1) Betsy of Joyful Reflections
2) Kathy of Old Books & Vintage Paper
3) Gayle of The Grocery Cart Challenge
4) Judy of Recipes from a Southern Country Cook
5) Kathy of Whispering Moments
6) Melissa of Mo's Munchies
7) Ree of The Pioneer Woman Cooks
8) Carrie of Carrie's Cooking and Recipes
9) Ali of Divine Domesticity
10) Day of Cooking with Dawn & Family

The rules for this award are as follows:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 people who you think show great attitude and/or gratitude.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person who has nominated you for the award.