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Best. Chili. Ever.

Easy, quick, smells so good when it's cooking all day.  I have a hard time deciding which chili recipes are my favorites but I have to say that I will be going back to this one again and again.  Everyone nearly licked their bowls cleaned.  And even Violet, who turned it down the first night, ate a baby sized helping of leftovers the next night. Go baby V!

If you like an extra spicy chili then feel free to add some extra chili powder.  I was incredibly pleased with the heat and the seasonings the way it is (but remember, we're not a "hot and spicy" crowd.)

*Adapted from Myrecipes.com*

Amazing Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic)
2 cups frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans rinsed and drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (1.25 oz) packet McCormick chili seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown turkey in a large nonstick skillet with onions and garlic until turkey is no longer pink.  Drain if necessary. Spoon into a large slow cooker, add remaining ingredients and stir.  Cook on HIGH 4-5 hours or LOW 6-8 hours.  Top with cheese and sour cream.  Serve with cornbread and a green salad.

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It's not often that I get the opportunity to make soup for dinner.  As previously posted, my husband is not big on soups.  It doesn't matter if all the ingredients of a hearty meal (meat? veggies? couscous?) are tossed into one big pot... to him, soup is not a meal.  Although, to give him credit, he did take leftovers for lunch.  Maybe he's changing his ways...

In any case, he was out of town and I jumped at the chance to try these recipes out.  The kids devoured everything... down to the last piece of kale in the bowl.  So good I had to offer up a next day drive-thru service to my good friend Tracey.  Packaged up a hearty serving of soup and a couple of scones that she picked up on her way home from running errands.  I get to treat a friend, she gets to savor my cooking... win win!


Mini Meatball Soup

Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced (I left this out since I forgot to add it to my shopping list!)
4 scallions, chopped
1 LARGE can (48 oz.) chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head escarole, trimmed cleaned and chopped (Fred Meyer didn't have escarole so I substituted kale)
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients.  Stir until evenly blended.  Form into 1-inch meatballs (about 40 total) and set aside.

Soup: In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, parsnips and scallions.  Cook 5 minutes, to soften.  Add broth, thyme sprigs and 4 cups of water; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.  Gently drop meatballs into simmering broth mixture.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 4 minutes.  Add escarole/kale in to batches, and the couscous.  Cook 8 more minutes, then stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.  Serve warm.

*Courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

Rosemary Buttermilk Scones

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
Coarse salt for sprinkling (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Cut the butter in with a pastry blender or two knives until pebble-size pieces form.  Stir in the rosemary then add 3/4 cup buttermilk, stirring until the dough begins to come together (don't overmix.)

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 7-inch round.  Cut the dough into 12 wedges with a sharp knife.  Arrange the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between them.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375.  Brush the scones with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt, if desired.  Bake on top oven rack until golden, about 20-30 minutes.  Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.

*Courtesy of Disney Family Fun magazine*

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I enjoy a good bowl of soup.  I'd even make it for dinner if I thought I could get away with it.  But my husband is a filling meal full of meat kind of guy so not only can I NOT get away with soup for dinner, I must also NEVER make anything vegetarian... minor restrictions I've been able to abide by for the last 10 years.  But it doesn't stop me from pulling out the recipes.  I see them... I long to try them... and I file them away.  Until recently when I thought to myself  "hey, why not make soup for lunch?"  I'm the only one I have to please (I didn't serve it to my kids) and the leftovers will take care of lunch for days.  I actually invited my good friend Tracey to lunch and baked some homemade bread (for what is soup without bread?!)  But her kids got sick the night before and she had to decline the invitation at the last minute.  It didn't stop me, I was determined.  I would make my soup and bread and I wouldn't be the only one to enjoy it!  I packed some up, warmed right off the stove and out of the oven and drove it to her doorstep... this girl aims to please and pleasing I did.

*Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking*


White Bean Italian Sausage Soup


1 lb. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
4 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup medium pearl barley
1 large carrot sliced
1 celery rib sliced
1 tsp. minced fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp, minced fresh rosemary (or 1/8 tsp. dried, crushed)
6 cups chopped fresh kale


In a Dutch oven, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Drain if necessary.


Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, barley, carrot, celery, sage and rosemary.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  Stir in kale; return to boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer another 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and kale is wilted.

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Joe has made it very clear that he is NOT a fan of soup for dinner. I can get away with chili or stew but soup gets pushed to the back burner. And still I tear out recipes that sound delicious. Ones that make my mouth water. Because I... lover of anything that creates an excuse to also eat BREAD... love soup. So when the opportunity arises (after all, he leaves town on several occasions) I attempt a new recipe or two. This one... fantastic. Although I have to say the kids may be following in their father's path... the looks that I got when I called them to dinner were of pure disbelief. So the soup was mostly mine and they ate grilled cheese. Oh well.

*rather than cooking 3 bacon strips, I used the Hormel Real Bacon pieces, saving prep AND clean-up time*

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(makes 4 entrees, 6-8 servings each)

6 pounds sirloin tip beef or other beef suitable for slow cooking
6 cups sliced carrots (about 12 medium)
6 cups sliced celery (about 12 stalks)
4 cups chopped onion (about 4 medium)
2 large green bell peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
4 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups basic red sauce (recipe follows)
4 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups (1 pound bag) pearl barley
8 one-gallon freezer bags
4 one-quart freezer bags

Rinse and trim beef as desired. Cut into bite sized pieces. Divide beef evenly among 4 of the 1-gallon freezer bags. Into each of those 4 bags measure 1 1/2 cups carrots, 1 1/2 cups celery, 1 cup onion, one-fourth of the bell peppers, 1 can tomatoes with juice, 1 cup red sauce, 1 tablespoon bouillon, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Seal.

Into each of the 1-quart freezer bags measure 1/2 cup barley. Seal. Label the remaining 4 freezer bags with name, date and directions. Place one bag of soup and one bag of barley into each labeled bag. Seal and freeze for up to 6 months.

Directions: Put frozen soup into crockpot (or thaw enough to remove from bag). Add 4 cups water and the bag of barley. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.


Basic Red Sauce (makes about 10 cups)

1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspon dried thyme
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
several 1-quart freezer bags

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. DO NOT COOK. Measure into appropriate proportions for immediate use. Divide remaining sauce into 2 cup portions among 1-quart freezer bags for later use. Seal, date and label each bag with amount of sauce inside. Freeze for up to 6 months.

*recipes courtesy of "Fix Freeze and Feast"

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