the best fall chili

This time of year I always get hungry for soups and chili. This recipe has been a staple in our household for years. It's easy to make (and freeze for later use) and is the perfect dinner on a cold evening. 

I just made a large double batch to send with my husband to a bachelor party at my aunt & uncle's cabin. My cousin is getting married in a few weeks so the guys are spending the weekend in the woods. This chili will go great with all the beer they'll be drinking. Here's the recipe in case you'd like to make your own batch:

Turkey Chili ...Ingredients... 2 lbs. ground turkey 1/2 large yellow onion (chopped) drizzle of olive oil palm full of chili powder palm full of cumin powder 1/2 palm full of salt 1/2 palm full of pepper 1 can tomato sauce 1 can tomato paste 2 cans of crushed or diced tomatoes 3 cans of kidney beans (drained - I use dark, light & white northern) 1 can black beans (drained) 1 can whole kernel corn

1. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot. Add the chopped onion and ground turkey. Cook until meat is crumbled and cooked. Drain some (but not all) of the grease.
2. Add in your spices: palm full of chili powder, palm full of cumin powder, 1/2 palm full of salt & 1/2 palm full of black pepper.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste & crushed tomatoes.
4. Add in your kidney beans, black beans & corn.
Cook on low for a few hours (stirring occasionally). Taste and add more spices if needed. Serve with a sprinkle of shredded cheese and some corn bread. Yum... happy Fall!
[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]

apple chips

As I mentioned in my last post, Adam and I picked 17lbs of apples on Sunday. Yeah... I think we might have gone a little apple crazy. Each row we walked up was like "Oh! Look at THIS apple..." and "Yeah, I think we need that apple..." You know how it goes.

Anyways, with all of these apples sitting on my kitchen counter I've been search for fun ways to eat them. I came across this recipe for apple chips and thought I'd give it a shot.
...ingredients... 2 large apples 4 cups water 1/2 cup lemon juice
Slice apples into really thin slices (about 1/8"). You can leave the skin on and the core in because it gives them really good texture and makes them look pretty (that's always important).

On a cookie sheet prepared with parchment paper, bake your apple slices at 200 degrees for 1 hour. Flip apple slices after an hour and bake for another 1-2 hours (depending on how crispy or soft you want them). Turn off the oven when finished and allow your chips to completely cool.

Eating chips can't get much healthier than this! Yum!

[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]

apple dumplings

Adam and I went to a local orchard this weekend to pick apples. The weather was beautiful and the day was perfect. Since we picked about 17lbs. of apples, I knew that I was going to be doing a lot of baking over the next week. First up... apple dumplings!

This apple dumpling recipe came from my great grandmother’s best friend and my mom taught me how to make them when I was a kid. There is so much to love about apple dumplings. They are gooey and delicious and one of the best “comfort foods” around. They are the perfect fall recipe and I always get hungry for them this time of year.

Here's what you'll need to make a batch of Apple Dumplings:

Apple Dumplings

download printable recipe card

3 apples (any variety you like)

Sauce:

1 ½ c. sugar

¾ c. water

¼ tsp. cinnamon

4 tbs. butter

Dough:

2 ¼ c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

⅔ c. crisco

½ c. milk

I usually start by coring, peeling and cubing my apples. This is the most time consuming part (it’s the part that my mom always did when we made apple dumplings together). Once your apples are cut into bite size pieces, put them in a bowl with a little bit of water to keep them from getting brown. Set them aside for later.

Next, you’ll make the dough. Combine the flour, baking powder and Crisco in a medium bowl. With a fork, cut the Crisco into the flour/baking powder mix until well combined and a little “crumby”. Gradually stir in the milk. Once all of the milk is added, use your hands to lightly knead the dough until everything is well mixed and sticking together. Form into a ball. Your dough should be slightly flakey. From here, divide your lump of dough into 6 smaller dough balls. 

One at a time, thinly roll the dough balls out with a rolling pin. Don’t worry about the shape of your dough. Mine looked sort of “amoeba-ish”… but it doesn’t matter once you fold them up.

Drain your apples well. Place a heaping ½ cup full of apples into the center of your rolled out dough. Lightly sprinkle with some cinnamon and sugar. You can add a pad of butter into this step if you’d like, but I leave it out (I don’t ever miss it). 

Fold your dough up around your apple mixture. Pinch together to keep your dumpling together. Place your dumplings into a 9x13 pan and lightly sprinkle again with cinnamon.

Now for the delicious sauce that gets poured over the dumplings! Combine sugar, water and cinnamon into a medium sauce pan. Over medium high heat, bring mixture to a light boil (stirring frequently). Turn off the heat, add the butter and stir until everything is combined and the butter is melted.

Cover your dumplings in the delicious buttery/sugary sauce you just made. Bake your dumplings for 30-40 minutes (uncovered) in a 350 degree oven. Baste at least twice during baking.

Dig in! No need to practice any patience here… I think they’re best when they’re fresh out of the oven. Serve with milk or ice cream and enjoy. Invite some friends over so you don’t eat the whole pan yourself. Oh, and don't forget to download the printable recipe card!

[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]

chicken & asparagus rolls

You know those days where you're just extra hungry for something REALLY good. When I have one of those days, it usually involves crescent rolls (or something equally yummy). Since crescent rolls on their own are not a very well balanced meal, I decided to try my hand at a new recipe. I got the inspiration for these rolls from a combination of recipes I found on Pinterest:

The first are these mini french dips. They’re quick and easy and are so yummy. My husband and I eat them about once a month (yum)! Then I saw this chicken & asparagus roll-up recipe . I'm sure these are very yummy but I thought I could tweak them to include crescent rolls. Crescent rolls are just the best (carbs = love). I know, I know...carbs are the enemy, but they’re oh so good.

Without further ado... Here’s what you’ll need to make your own batch:

Chicken & Asparagus Rolls

download printable recipe card

* recipe yields 8 rolls *

rolls:

1 package crescent rolls

4 slices of provolone/mozzarella cheese

16 asparagus spears

chicken:

1-2 chicken breasts

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup soy sauce

spread:

¼ cup mayo

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp dijon mustard

pepper (to taste)

a pinch of garlic salt

[1] Start by prepping your chicken. Cut your chicken breasts in half (to thin them out a bit) then slice into small, easy to eat strips.

[2] In a large ziplock bag, combine the extra virgin olive oil and soy sauce. Mix together well then add chicken. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (a lot of times I prep this the night before). I made 3 chicken breasts because I like to have leftover chicken for salads and wraps.

[3] Now it’s time to prep the asparagus. Roast the asparagus with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper for about 8 -10 minutes @ 400. Allow to cool for a few minutes. They should still be a bit crunchy.

[4] Cook your chicken (skillet, grill... your choice). I chose to use a skillet and cooked the pieces for a few minutes on both sides until done all the way through.

[5] Now it’s time to make the mayo spread. This goes on the crescent rolls during “assembly.” In a small bowl, combine the mayo, lemon juice, dijon mustard, pepper & pinch of garlic salt. Mix really well.

[6] Now that all the pieces and parts are prepped [whew - a little time consuming but totally worth it, I promise]...it’s assembly time! Roll out the crescent rolls on a cookie sheet then layer in this order and roll up like a normal crescent roll:

[6] Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (or until rolls are golden brown). Allow to cool for a few minutes before digging in.

You know what’s great about this recipe? Not only is it yummy... but if you prepped extra chicken, you’re already halfway to your next meal (it’s like killing two birds with one stone). Don't forget to download the printable recipe card.

[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]

guilt free blended coffee

I would love to walk into Starbucks everyday and order a grande caramel frappuccino without feeling guilty about the money I'm spending and the empty calories I'm drinking. They are like heaven in a cup. Seriously. 
When I was in search of a "homemade" blended coffee drink I wasn't impressed with anything I found. I'm picky. One day, I came up with this random concoction and I love it. It's yummy and coffee-y without being sickening sweet or pricey. It's also simple (which is key for mornings before work). _______________________________________________________
Guilt Free Blended Coffee 7-8 frozen coffee ice cubes 1 1/2 cups fat free milk a pinch of salt a splash of vanilla extract 1 scoop of Slim Fast "Chocolate Royale" powder

Combine all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Yields about 16 oz. Only 252 calories! _______________________________________________________
Since I've been making these, I always have brewed coffee in the fridge to re-fill my ice cube trays. It's easy to make a big pot of coffee at the beginning of the week and stash it in the fridge for later use.

Also, I've concluded that this is only 252 calories. 
As you can see on the side of the Slim Fast can, 8 oz of milk + 1 scoop of Slim Fast powder is 200 calories. With the addition of another 1/2 cup milk (40 calories), a splash of vanilla extract (1 tsp = 12 calories) and a small amount of brewed coffee (practically 0 calories) we're only up to 252 calories.

Yum! Guilt free goodness to start my day!
[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]

"fake" pops

You're probably raising an eyebrow at the title of this post...
... I didn't want to call them "cake pops" because I didn't actually use ANY cake to make these treats. For my nieice's 1st birthday I volunteered to make cake pops! Soon after, I knew that it was going to be A LOT of work (especially considering that there were 70 people going). My cousin gave me the idea of using donut holes to simplify the process and they were a hit!

The day before the party, I picked up 3 dozen donut holes from our local donut shop. I got plain cake donut holes (no icing). My sister-in-law also picked up a bunch of other goodies: marshmallows, brownies, rice krispy treats, etc. They were all store bought and ready to go. This REALLY cut down on prep time.

Here are some tips I learned about making cake pops (or "fake" pops, if you will). These same tips will apply to regular cake pops if you're daring enough to take on the challenge.

Tip #1:

Melt your chocolate with a little bit of shortening

Pure melted chocolate is delicious, but it can be globby (yes, that's a real word). If you add a little bit of shortening to the chocolate it thins it out a bit and makes your treats easier to dip.

Tip #2:

Stick your stick

Yes, this sounds funny. But I'm serious. You don't want your donut hole to flop off into your chocolate. Pre-poke holes in your treats, dip the stick in the melted chocolate & then put the stick back into the hole. The chocolate will harden and "glue" your treat to the stick. This is a huge time saver and mess preventer.

Tip #3
Let your chocolate dry a bit before decorating

Sprinkles, especially the larger "pearl" kind, tend to slip off the chocolate when it's still wet and drippy. Let your cake pops dry for a few minutes before decorating. It'll help your sprinkles stick for the long haul. I used a piece of styrofoam to keep my pops upright while they dried. It worked like a charm.

So when it was all said and done, I made almost 60 fake pops! It was a lot of fun and they were a big hit at the party. They were also really yummy... which is the most important part.

 

What I learned is that they don't have to be perfect. They don't have to look like cake pops in a magazine. If you have fun and put your little touch on them, they'll be perfect in their own ways.

[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]