Grandma's Chili Recipe

Ever since I can remember my Grandma would make this Chili recipe for Halloween dinner. I grew up eating it every year, and have made it every Halloween since! I thought I would share it with you guys, it is a fun family tradition to have warm chili waiting in the kitchen after trick-or-treating! (especially when its freezing outside) -Have a great Halloween, I miss you all!

About 1 lb of hamburger
4 cans of red kidney beans ( you can use other beans as well, I just usually use kidney beans.
I c. onion
I c. celery
I c. red or green bell pepper.
I can of crushed tomatoes.
I small can of tomato paste
I c. ketchup
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. lemon juice.
spices:
2 teaspoons. ground mustard
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tsp chili powder,or a bit more to taste.

-Brown hamburger in a skillet.
-Chop veggies into small pieces, depending on how chunky you want the chili to be.
-I usually strain two of the cans of kidney beans, and dump the entire other two because the juice adds substance.
-Add all the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cook in crock pot on slow for about 7-8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

Pumpkin Alfredo

Don't be afraid of the word pumpkin.  It's not overpowering at all.

Tannon said this tastes like "a fancy restaurant meal".  I agree, it tasted like it should have been served at Macaroni Grill, or something.  I dare say this may be my favorite meal I've ever made.

P.S. I'm just now noticing it calls for 1/2 batch of Alfredo sauce, instead of 1 full batch.  No wonder it tasted so good.

Recipe from Our Best Bites.

Pasta with Pumpkin Alfredo

1 Package Cheese Ravioli
1/2 batch Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
1/2 T real butter
1/4 C Finely minced onion
1/2 C canned pumpkin
2 T Chicken broth
1T chopped fresh sage (1t dried leaves)
1/2 T fresh thyme (1/2 t dried leaves)

Follow instructions on pasta to cook. In a separate sauce pan melt butter on medium heat. When melted, add onion. Make sure your onion is really finely diced. Since you have a nice smooth sauce, you don’t want big chunks of onion, you just want little bits.

Saute until soft. Since they’re small it should only take a couple of minutes. Add chicken broth and herbs. 

Use a spatula to deglaze the pan a bit and get any cooked bits of onion off the bottom. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine, and cook until heated through. 

Donuts

Growing up my aunt made homemade donuts and homemade root beer every Halloween.  It's one of my favorite traditions I can remember from my childhood.  I don't make donuts very often myself, but I decided to make some this year and they did not disappoint.  I got the recipe from Buns in My Oven.  The original recipe says not to poke a hole in the middle, and to fill with Nutella.  The donuts I made with no hole were doughy in the middle, so I only made one like that.  The rest, I just punched holes, like regular donuts.

You can either toss them while warm in sugar, or dip them in some vanilla glaze.

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 2/3 cups milk, at room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 eggs
• 7 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into 7 pieces
• Canola oil, for frying

Instructions

1. In the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast and milk. Allow the yeast to dissolve, about 1 minute. Add the flour, 1/3 cup of the sugar, salt, and eggs and mix on low for about 4 minutes to develop the dough. Begin adding the butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing for 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 6 - 15 hours.
3. Lightly flour a baking sheet. Flour your work surface and roll out the dough into a 12 inch square about a 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2 to 4 inch round biscuit cutter, cut out the donuts. (I ended up with 11 total.) Arrange the donuts on the prepared baking sheet and cover in plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm spot for 2 - 3 hours or until doubled in height and feel poufy and pillowy.
4. When ready to fry, heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 degrees. Line a try with paper towels and add the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Add the donuts to the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry on each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on the lined tray. When cool enough to handle, toss in the sugar to coat. Return each donut to the tray to cool completely, about 3o minutes.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

I have a few wrap recipes that I make often, this is by far the best one I have ever tried.  The proportions and flavorings are JUST RIGHT! I thought this would be a fun recipe for a small girls luncheon, or shower. If you make the middle ahead of time, you could grill them up in no time.

Yield: 6 wraps

(perfect for 3 adults. For lunch I think one wrap per person would be perfect with a side salad or something)

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 can black beans

1 green onion

½ red bell pepper

¼ cup cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

½ Tbs chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp garlic salt

2 cups shredded cheese

Sour cream

6 flour tortillas

1. Mix rice with chili powder, cumin, and garlic

salt. Add all other ingredients except cheese

and sour cream.

2. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, then arrange

the chicken mixture down the center. Dot

with sour cream and roll up tightly.

3. Spray each wrap all over with cooking

spray.

4. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Arrange

wrap seam-side down in skillet and cook

each side until golden and crisp (usually

only takes a minute or two).

(sorry, not the best picture, I remembered to take it only after my plate was a mess from eating the first one!)

Rich and Moist Zucchini Cake

We had 2 HUGE zucchini's from our garden that I needed to use.  I decided to try a zucchini chocolate cake and I dare say this was one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had.  I even snuck some whole wheat flour in there.  Delicious and few healthy ingredients :)

{photo by Six Sisters' Stuff}

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional- I didn't use any)
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake springs back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled cake before cutting.

Better than sex cake, Carmel Delight, or simply Ty's birthday cake

Like the title of this post--there is many names this cake goes by. :) At our house it is more commonly known as Ty's birthday cake, because it's his FAVORITE. Per request I am putting the recipe out into blogger world. Know this-there is ABSOLUTLY no talent and time needed to make this...which is why I make it.

Needed:

1 box of chocolate cake.
1 thing of schmuckers Carmel
Between 8 oz and 16 oz of cool whip
Couple of heath bars. I'm not sure how many exactly. Maybe like 5? It depends on the size of the bar and the size of your cake.

Step one: make the cake.
Step two: as soon as you take the cake out start poking some holes in it. I use a fork. The more holes you make the more Carmel will seep into the cake. However...don't massacre the cake. ;)
Step three: squeeze the whole bottle of Carmel onto the cake. Or whatever amount of Carmel you deem sufficient.
Step four: let the cake cool. Once it's cool spread the cool whip over the Carmel. Use whatever amount you'd like.
Step five: break the heath bars up into little pieces. Like take a meat tenderizer and beat the crap out of the heath bar. ;) then sprinkle the heath bars over the cake.

Put it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.

Cream Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

this enchilada recipe, with this rice as it's side is delish.

I needed a new enchilada recipe that wasn't the same old same old...if you know what i mean.  I loved it with the white beans!...and you gotta follow the recipe, no skippin steps. 

p.s.  i have never had anything bad from this site, in fact it is one of our favorites to turn to for a new recipe.