Wendy/Larry's Chili

Hi friends,

I know...I know. Its been a long time since we've chatted. So much has happened in the past several months. This post would go on for days to tell you about it now but I'll share in future posts so stay tuned because for good or bad...I'm baaaaaaaack! :)

As my inaugural-sort of visit with you I wanted to share a recipe with you that has been popular around our house lately for a very special reason, which you'll understand in a minute.  My sweet mother-in-law, Larry has been in failing health the past couple years. She was in a skilled nursing center the last 18 months or so and just passed away in January.  It was such a huge loss for our family but a relief too that her suffering is over and we know she is exploring heaven on healthy legs that take her wherever she wants to go again.  Larry was an exceptionally special person. She was always cheerful, unless she was tearful with someone over their troubles (never her own) and she made friends wherever she went. I lost count of how many times I caught her walking flowers from her garden up to the dentist's office or homemade cake over to my parent's house, both over a mile from her house. She loved to walk! As a mother and grandmother, she was the tops. I remember one time we were getting ready to go on a fishing trip with my husband's family and we got to their house to head out. Her and my father-in-law were having a heated argument about putting her little red wagon on top of their little green Rabbit for walks with the grandkids while there. He said they absolutely were not roping it on top and taking it. Well, he did and they did.  Family and grandkids came first with Larry. This is Larry at my son and daughter-in-law's July 4th garden wedding at our house.

Losing Larry taught me one thing about death. You know how when people pass away, other people tell you they hope your memories will be a comfort to you? I've said that myself and meant it. But now, I understand it on a new level. I have so many wonderful memories of her, a lifetime of them since she came into my life when I was just 16. They randomly come to mind and I can't help but smile because SHE made me smile. Every day. I love her and I miss her but I'm happy thinking about her. My memories of her make my heart glad and I'm so thankful I got her for my mother-in-law. (By the way, for those who are wondering. Her name was Lorraine and when she was very little she told her parents she didn't like that name and wanted to be called "Larry" and so she always was our Larry. I laugh when I picture her 4 children giving their mother's name. )

When Larry was housebound or still eating at the nursing center, my husband and I took turns taking her whatever sounded good to her and eating with her. Nine times out of ten, she wanted Wendy's chili. She could have had anything she wanted but no, she wanted fast food chili. Simple girl, simple pleasures. She loved the stuff. So when I came across a recipe for it a couple weeks ago on Pinterest, I was tickled and wanted to give it a try. We like chili around here but I wouldn't say we LOVE chili. Well, we had this chili and it was life-changing if chili can be life-changing. It has a sweetness and a depth of flavor to it that is delicious. It makes a huge (2 really) pot but we kept eating it so none of it actually made it into the freezer the first time. Considering how much it makes and there's just two of us now, its safe to say we loved this chili! It wasn't a week before my husband was asking when we were going to have it again. I just made it again and froze 2 meals plus we ate it for dinner and had lunch leftovers.  One night, I had some brisket taco meat leftover and we threw that in. Delicious! I've made a couple minor amount adjustments but I'm so appreciative to April for sharing this recipe. She has a yummy looking blog - the French Dip Crescents are on my shopping list.


Chili (Wendy's Style)

4 lbs ground chuck, browned and drained
2 large onions, chopped small
4 green peppers, chopped small
4 celery stalks, chopped small
5 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 Tbsp jarred garlic)
2 cans Ranch Style beans, 15 oz, not drained
2 cans red kidney beans, 15 oz, not drained
2 cans Original Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, 10 oz
2 cans stewed tomatoes, 15 oz
4 cans plain tomato sauce, 15 sauce
2 packages McCormick mild Chili Seasoning mix (any brand really)

Lots of vegies! I tried it with even 5 green peppers and the vegie to meat ratio was getting off. Couldn't imagine using the 7 originally called for. Chop the vegies small or you end up with just a bite of vegie and not a combination of the chili flavors. I wish I would have chopped them a little smaller than in the picture here. I was experimenting with bigger pieces and I liked it better with smaller pieces like the first time I made it.

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. (I forgot to use my big lobster pot and ended up having to use a second dutch oven.) Simmer for 2-3 hours.

I served it with Tastfully Simple Beer Batter bread, something I always keep on hand. So easy to whip up and delicious!

I wish you all a big pot of this delicious chili and a wonderful Larry in your life!

Cinnamon Ice Cream - The Best!

A couple years ago I asked for an ice cream maker for Mothers Day and received it from my sweet daughter. 

I made room for it on my storage shelves and started tearing out ice cream recipes.  But <and insert your own imaginary cricket noise here> there it sat for at least 18 months!

Smooth and Creamy Seafood Pasta

I have been struggling with my crafts lately. Or rather I am struggling with the winter cold and how its affecting my crafting. I live in usually gorgeous Colorado which granted is not the Arctic front but it might as well be for my purposes. I have several things I'm itching to whip out but almost all of them call for spray paint.  I bet, unless you also live in a cold climate, you don't even know that you can't spray paint unless its above 50*F? I'm so jealous right now of all you southern and California DIY-ers who haven't even missed a beat. Oh spring, wherefore art thou my spring?  Please come soon. One area I'm not struggling in is the kitchen.  I've been working up a rosy glow making some super-deliciousness. Who knows, you might get all recipes until spring. Would you really mind that?

I've been craving this Seafood Pasta something fierce the last couple weeks. It's always been one of my family's very favorites and I'm sure you're going to love how quickly it comes together in under 15 minutes. It's a perfect weeknight supper! When the kids were all home, it wasn't too often that the budget had room for seafood for a family of 5. About the only seafood we had regularly was of the "pretender" variety. I'm a tiny bit hesitant to give you a recipe using fake crab. Don't judge us from being from the trailerhood until you taste this...deal? Please let me know how you like it.  Besides, it's still fish...ugh fish protein. Sounds good for you, right?

Rocky Mountain Crock Pot Pork Green Chili

Here in Colorado, we like our mexican food authentic and Spicy. In our house, that's Spicy with a capital "S".  Mr. Tasty especially can't get food hot enough for him. Whenever he's out to dinner, he will ask for a side of jalapenos with his meal, no matter how spicy the entree is.  Several times a year, I make this big batch of green chili and then freeze portions for meals and his hot fix throughout the week. When the freezer runs dry, he's johnny-on-the-spot to let me know.  I've been perfecting this recipe for too many years to say and have it just right where I want it. With a few minutes prep work, it's then cooked in the crock pot all day and thickened at the end.  For everyone else with sensitive taste buds, there's instructions for cooling the heat.

Ingredients:
3 lbs diced pork (I buy the pork already diced and value packaged for green chili)
1-1/2 onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
(2) 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
27 oz can whole green chilis
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
5-8 dynamite peppers (*see instructions for options)
salt, pepper
flour
3 Tbsp shortening

Melt 2 Tblsp shortening. Working in batches, coat pork with flour, shake off excess. I use a ziploc bag and my hands to shake off excess. Fry 1/2 of pork until brown. Salt and pepper pork. Don't crowd the pan or pork will steam, not brown.

Lay's Pound Cake

We are all pound cake lovers in our family. I think if we had bought stock in Sara Lee, we'd be set now. Years ago, I came across this recipe in our local paper that tops any pound cake I've had, including the ever-yummy Miss Lee's. To tell you the truth, the newspaper article credited this recipe to a former beauty queen, orange juice spokeswoman but I just can't make myself tell you her name. I just can't abide mean-spirited people. Sorry ma'am. Something else I can't abide...mace. The spice, not the creep repellant (of course I'm in favor of the repellant stuff.) . The original recipe called for a 1/2 tsp of Mace and I gave it an honest try but really? Yuck. How does anyone eat that stuff?  If you wake up in the morning with a hankering for this stuff, add 1/2 tsp in with the flour.

What I love about this pound cake besides the delicious flavor is the creaminess, super light texture, and crispy, kind of merangue-ey slight crunch of the crust. I have renamed this cake Lay's Pound Cake - I dare you to eat just one piece. Don't ask me how many I've ate this week, I'm thoroughly addicted to it.  Please please try this cake.  I love you that much, I want you to have the best.  I'm currently working on a little idea for including it in my Christmas cookie basket.

Mama Mia! World's Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

Buon giorno! I have a real taste treat that you're going to flip for.  You'll throw away all your other spaghetti sauce and meatball recipes once you try this. I did. My daughter turned me onto a similar recipe a few years ago. I've made a couple changes and added the best yummy meatballs to make it even more special. Both are wonderfully spiced as written in the recipe so don't hold back. A dear true Italian friend, Lu taught me years ago to always "fry" your tomato paste a few minutes before adding the other wet ingredients. She said true Italians never use "raw" tomato paste in their cooking. It adds a depth to your sauce. Lu, if you're reading this from heaven, ciao!

For browning the meats, have you seen this Mix 'n Choptool from Pampered Chef? It makes light work of breaking up meat for cooking. Even the men in the family freak out if they can't find their "meat tool".  I ordered mine on a recommendation and love it! Great gift idea for 10 bucks. Speaking of breaking up the meat, in general I'm kinda' of a "if less if good, then more would be better" girl. Don't do it. I've done it and it makes things mushy. You gotta' know when to stop.

Also, you know to never cook with a wine that you wouldn't drink, right? My parents weren't wine drinkers so I didn't grow up cooking with wine. But lo and behold, there isn't hardly anything that a good wine doesn't make better. And now I cook with it too. :)  Any decent red wine will do. I've used cabernet and merlot and like both those. Use your favorite robust red.

Can't Miss Cinnamon Rolls

Remember my excellent sew-er friend, Elizabeth? Elizabeth and I go wayyy back.  We used to work together at Penney's. I worked in the catalog dept. and she worked across from me in the more responsible credit dept. She is one of my all-time favorite people and I love spending time with her. She also thrifted before thrifting was cool. Now we go together and besides frugal daughter, she is the only one who will take all day in the same store besides me. For that alone, I love her. But last time we went she also made a treat for when we finished - the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had. I'm not embarrassed to tell you I am kind of a cinnamon roll snob, I like to make them from scratch. But no more. This is the last recipe you will need and they couldn't be easier, just 3 ingredients. Check this out:

Purchase Rhodes frozen Cinnamon Rolls (don't fret, we're going to jack them up.). I usually have a coupon for $1 off when you buy two. Take my word for it and go ahead and buy two. Your family will be asking for these again soon! Also purchase a box (or two) of COOK vanilla pudding.

The night before, spray your 13"x9" baking dish with cooking spray. Separate the cinnamon rolls and lay them in a single layer in the dish (reserve icing package that comes with rolls). Score!! Someone made a mistake at the cinnamon roll factory and put 13 in my bag! Swee-eet!