Sometimes when I start out with a recipe, I have no idea where I’m going. I have a basic idea in mind….but usually my basic idea falls to the wayside. I was going with a traditional chili when I started, but then I decided to switch it up a bit and add some more color – then Calico Chili was born…..and I added the name Texas on it because I used stew beef instead of ground beef. Stew beef is bigger. Everything is bigger in Texas. Can you see my reasoning here? [Read more…]
Crock Pot Curried Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
I’m just going to tell you, the name of this soup is really weird….and kinda gross. If I had seen it in a cookbook, I would have made a nasty face and passed it by as quickly as possible. Curried? Sweet Potato and Carrot curry? EWWW! My great friend, Erinn sent me this recipe with the recommendation that it was awesome. I trust Erinn. I trust her enough to make her nasty sounding Curry Soup – that’s love. And guess what? I loved it! It has an amazing blend of flavors and they all pair together wonderfully! [Read more…] |
Crock Pot Spicy Chicken Soup
I’m just going to go ahead and tell you. I love soup. I’m so excited when it’s finally soup season! I would eat it all year long, but Barry prefers it when it’s cold outside. I caved and made this recently….and it turned out to be 90 degrees that day. By the time we were done with dinner we were sweating like pigs and had to go get the box fan. Oops? But it was worth it! Chock full of veggies and beans, it will fill your tummy up quickly and keep you nice and warm…..or nice and sweaty. [Read more…] |
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
When we started out on this new journey of eating healthy, I knew a lot of things would have to change…….like canned soups.
They are chock full of MSG. I’ve known MSG wasn’t really good for you for a while. Barry’s grandmother would always get sick if she ate it.
BUT, even knowing that I held on to my little cans of condensed soup. I thought you’d have to pry them out of my cold dead hands……they are the base of so many of my recipes that I was having a very hard time parting with them.
And then, here comes Tammy with a great recipe for a homemade version. Tammy puts out some fabulous recipes and I’m thankful to her for that. After making her soup, I know I won’t look back.
It’s DELICIOUS! And easy. Have I ever told you that I like easy stuff? Bye, bye MSG. Hello creaminess. [Read more…]
Crock Pot Cowboy Beans
I love beans. Sometimes, I think beans get a bad reputation. Sure, they make you musical and you can start your own band, but they also have the magical power to clean you out and fill you up. Not many foods are like that.
If I eat a big bowl full of beans, they keep me satisfied for a long time. We’re a bean-loving family. When I ask Annie what she wants to eat for dinner, (just for fun) she always says “Bean!” Beans, beans, good for your heart. *Cough* [Read more…]
Homemade Chicken Stock
Okay, so we’ve conquered cooking a whole chicken without looking directly at it and pretending not to see his legs. And then we’ve used two of the four cups of leftover meat. What should you do now? Make homemade chicken stock of course!
When you make a roast or baked chicken, don’t throw anything away……anything! We’re going to use it all to make some amazing rich-tasting and healthy homemade chicken stock. Oh, and in case you were wondering, you can also use this same method with beef bones, any poultry bones, or pork bones.
Want a tip that you may not have heard before?
We’re going to get out our big stop pot and use up all the leftover bones and the innards to make homemade chicken stock. AND ARE YOU READY FOR MY SECRET TIP? We are going to add two tablespoons of cider vinegar to the pot!! Crazy, right? What does the vinegar do? It breaks down the bones and draws out the calcium into the broth. Let your pot sit for 45 minutes or so to help the vinegar do it’s thang before you start boiling it. Once the bones and water to a boil, I reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for a long time – we’re talking 12-24 hours!
About an hour before it’s done, you can add some veggies for flavor.
It will give the broth extra vitamins and minerals, plus, it’s very tasty. And guess what? You don’t have to peel anything if you don’t want too! Just wash and chop because we’re not going to eat them. They’ll be skimmed out.
You need a really big bowl and a colander to strain out the veggies and bones from the broth. Remember, you have 16 cups of liquid, so don’t underestimate your bowl size! Pour everything slowly and let the colander catch all the bones and veggies.
Never put hot stuff in your fridge.
Let the broth cool to room temperature. Never put hot stuff in the fridge Did I mention that? 😉 If you learn nothing else today, don’t put hot stuff in your fridge. It changes the temperature and can do weird things to the stuff you already have in there. When it’s cool, put it in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
If your chicken has a lot of fat, after a quick chill in the fridge, the fat will rise to the top. Some chickens have little or none others have more – just skim it off the cooled broth if you’d like. To store, I like to freeze in individual 1 or 2 cup-sized containers so that you have homemade chicken stock ready to go whenever you need it for a recipe.
How easy was that?
And in case I forgot to mention… not only is homemade chicken stock affordable and delicious – it’s also VERY GOOD for you – full of vitamins and minerals. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!
Homemade Chicken Stock
- Chicken bones and innards from a 2-4 pound chicken
- 16 cups cold water
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- Place bones and other goop in a large stock pot.
- Add water and vinegar. Let stand for 45 minutes.
- Bring to a boil on the stove. Skim any yuckiness that rises to the top.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 4 hours.
- One hour before it’s done, add the veggies.
- Remove from heat when done and let cool for 20 minutes.
- Strain and throw away bones and veggies. Let cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate until chilled. You may skim the fat off if you like.
- Put into containers for freezing or use in the next few days.
Deceptively Delicious – Turkey Chili
The second recipe I’m showcasing from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious is Turkey Chili. Please don’t run screaming from the room. I realize that a lot of people think that ground turkey is really gross – we are not among them. I use ground turkey a lot in our house…..especially when I find it marked down. My friend Kim will NOT use ground turkey because she tried it once and her family had nightmares for months. I keep telling her it was a loooooooooooooong time ago and she should try it again. Ground turkey has come a long way. It’s a great substitute for beef and pretty healthy to boot! However, if ground turkey makes you gag and fall down on the floor and have convulsions, then you can substitute ground beef. The verdict for this recipe? Not bad. I liked the finely chopped vegetables and the addition of cornmeal. Now ,it’s not the BEST recipe for chili I’ve ever had, but it’s great for sneaking in vegetables and getting your kids to eat healthy. Even my mom liked it and she’s really picky about her chili. So, let’s be sneaky shall we? [Read more…] |