Sara's Chili

It's day one of the biggest loser contest that my husband and friends will be doing.  I wanted to post a nice protein packed dish for ya today. 

 My dear vegan friend Sara, shared this recipe with me a few years ago.  I created my own version of it that I posted a while back. Worlds Best Chili .  Her recipe is much healthier.  We figured out that this dish has about 375 calories per serving.(1 1/2 cups) It's a filling dish and is a great way to get loads of protein without eating all of the calories that red meat has to offer.  This dish would even be healthier if you soaked your own beans and didn't used the canned ones.  This is a quick and easy version for ya though. 

Sara's Chili

2 Cans Pinto Beans

2 Cans Diced Tomatoes

1 Can Black Beans

1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 Can Light Red Kidney Beans

1 Can Red Beans

1 Can Chili Beans

Crushed Red Pepper to taste (I did about 1/4 tsp)

Onion Powder to taste (I used 1 tsp)

Pour all ingredients into a crock pot. Do not drain. Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.

Serve with your favorite toppings

Make a double batch and freeze it for a rainy day!!



Sopapillas

If you are a "Poncho's" lover like our family, you'll love these Sopapillas. They are super easy, and will surely melt in your mouth!

My husband and a bunch of friends are doing a "Biggest Loser" Contest starting tomorrow.  So the next 8 weeks I'm going to try to add a little more healthiness to the blog.  I'm on the lookout for some super yummy, super healthy recipes to try.  I've never been one to care much about calories etc.  But I really want to quit adding temptation and learn a thing or two.  So if anyone has some recipes that you would like to share, please feel free to email them to me. My email address is on the home page. Also, if you would like to submit it with a picture and something clever about the recipe, feel free. You can be my guest post for the day!! 

Don't worry, I'll make up for things with some super holiday goodies for you all in a few months. 

Sopapillas

1 C flour

1½ t baking powder

Dash of salt

1 Tbsp. Shortening (you can also use butter or margarine)

1/3 C warm water

Shortening or cooking oil for frying

Combine flour, baking powder and dash of salt.  Cut in shortening till mixture looks like fine crumbs.  Gradually add warm water stirring with a fork (dough will be crumbly).  On a lightly floured surface knead dough for 3 to 5 minutes or till smooth.  Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll dough into a rectangle. (it needs to be very thin)  Cut into 2½ inch squares.  Fry 2 or 3 squares at a time in grease heated to 425 degrees for 30 seconds on each side.  Keep warm in a 300-degree oven while frying others.  (I don't do this part... they don't make it long enough to get cold!)

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cups

A few weeks ago I posted the recipe Death By Oreo Cupcakes. Not only were they a huge hit by many of you, but it threw me into a oreo frenzy!  I have been craving oreos/cookies and cream ever since. I found this recipe for a Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes. They were pretty good!  I like how pretty they look.  And the oreo in the bottom has become a fun adventure.  It's like 2 desserts in one!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cups

42 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

pinch or salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt.

Stir in chopped cookies by hand. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.



Recipe Comes from Food Snots

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

We love ice cream in this house.  I have been wanting an ice cream maker for such a long time. We finally bought one from a friend, and really enjoyed our first batch.  The kids really enjoyed being able to help make it. 

We decided to make strawberry ice cream tonight. I found a recipe online but didn't have all of the extra stuff, so I created my own from it.  I'm pretty impressed with how it turned out.  I would add a little more sugar next time, but all in all... it was fabulous.  This one is a super creamy, delightful treat!

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

2 ½ cups Heavy whipping cream 

½ cup milk

1 cup sugar (I would add about ¼ cup more next time)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups chopped (fresh or frozen) strawberries

Pour ingredients (except strawberries) into a large bowl or into the ice cream canister.  Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Chop berries in a food processer  Freeze in ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions

Homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese

We have a winner!!! No you didn't miss a giveaway. Don't worry. I have been searching for the perfect mac and cheese recipe for a couple of years now.  My kids love the stuff, and It's not as cheap as it used to be.  I remember buying it for 15 cents a box back in the day. Not that its so expensive now, but hey...

Anyway, I love me some good ol homemade comfort food. And you can't get much better than this.  I had a friend ask me for a good freezer meal mac and cheese recipe the other day.  All of a sudden I remembered, this recipe has been right under my nose the whole time.  Years ago, a friend of ours was making some for our family.  I remember watching her pour the cream around the edge and thinking, yeah that's going to be Delicious!!!  So I decided to email her for the recipe and she sent it right back to me. 

All of the other ones that I have tried, have peen too pasty or grainy. The cheese never really melted right.  Ahhh, this one is creamier than ever.  Trust me, you will love it! 

 Homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese

1 bag  Large elbow macaroni

2-3 cans of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup ( I used 2)

2-3 (8 oz) bags of casserole mix shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

1 can of regular milk

1-1/2 cups Heavy whipping cream divided

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp White pepper (I just used black)

Boil pasta to al dente. Drain and leave in the colander.

Heat the Cheddar cheese soup with 1 can of milk in microwave bowl,

In a large pot (the same one you boiled the pasta in), pour the heated cheese in first then add the pasta slowly so you don't run out of creaminess. Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 of the bags of shredded cheese, 1tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper. Stir it up make sure its very creamy because otherwise it can dry out when baking.

Stir well until cheese is melted.  Pour into a 9x13 pan (this fills the pan, so you could stretch it and do about 3 9x9 pans and freeze them)

If it's not super duper creamy then pour more heavy whipping cream all along the inside edges of the pan (I used about a half cup more) Sprinkle the other bag(s) of shredded cheese all over the top Broil on high for about 3 minutes. Don't let it burn. You want it to be pretty golden brown. Turn the oven onto bake at 400 for another 30 minutes.

Tip:  you will want it to be extra creamy so that when it bakes, it won't dry out.

Freezing:  I haven't frozen this yet, but I would just do everything up until the baking process.  Wrap it with foil (make sure you are using an aluminum pan.) Then wrap it with plastic wrap.  Store up to 3 months. 

To thaw, allow it to sit on the counter for a few hours.  You can also thaw it in the fridge over night.  Then proceed with the baking instructions.



Green Chile Burritos

I've enjoyed taking a couple of days off the past few days.  I've been recovering from last weeks class! Wow what a success!!!  I've also been focusing on potty training my little one.

I've been working on my iron levels to get them back up to par again, so I don't get so wiped out.  I have been so blessed to be able to do so much more than ever this pregnancy.  I've really been enjoying all of the fun things I've been able to do.  My kids have never been happier, and I have never been happier. 

Our freezer meal class this past week was a burrito extravaganza.  We had a great turn out!  We made Green Chile Burritos, Chile lime Chicken Burritos, Breakfast Burritos and Bean and Cheese Burritos.  Each person walked away with at least 32 burritos to store for a rainy day.  Boy oh boy was it fun!  The downer to my little story is that I forgot to take pictures of the different burritos!!!  So if anyone has any pictures, please feel free to send them my way.  This one is one I took a while ago before I perfected my recipe. But you get the general idea.

All 4 of these burritos freeze really well and will last up to 3 months or more in the freezer.

Green Chile Burritos

1 Large pork shoulder roast

1 large Can of Green Enchilada Sauce (I use Las Palmas)

1 bottle of Salsa Verde (make sure the main ingredient is tomatillos)

1 large can (or 2 small) diced tomatoes (with green Chiles is preferred)drained

4 cans diced green chiles (drained)

Cook the meat in the crock pot on low for about 8 hours (4 on high) or until the meet is shredable. Drain juices from the meat and then shred the meat. Add all other ingredients. Scoop into burrito size tortillas, roll and serve. To freeze, roll each burrito in plastic wrap or foil.  Makes about 2 dozen burritos.  

To re-heat, cook on high (make sure to remove foil FIRST) in the microwave for about 4 minutes from frozen, until cooked through. 

Tip: You can use any type of cut for this.  The butcher told me shoulder is best for shredding, but all work. You can also use beef too. (pictured above) 

Scrumptious Peanut Butter Balls

Today, we get to have a guest post!  My dear friend Stephanie brought these little guys over to me last night.  They were the perfect bedtime treat.  I was feeling a little defeated yesterday, with sickness, house cleaning etc going on.  She was so inspired to bring them over. They totally hit my craving spot and made my day! Thanks Steph.  I asked her this morning if we could post it on my blog.  I'm so glad she said yes!  Here is our Guest Post-er Stephanie....(In her words)

This recipe tastes SO yummy!  However, it may drive some of you crazy!  You see, I just made it up and added this and that as needed, so the measurements are simply my best guess.  So, I apologize for that.  Had I known that my 'recipe' was going to be posted somewhere I would've been very meticulous in keeping track of the measurements.  But, here ya go:

Scrumptious Peanut Butter Balls

1 Box -- Graham Crackers (the box I used is 14.4oz)
3 Cups -- Creamy Peanut Butter (really anywhere between 2 1/2 cups to 3 1/2 cups)
1 Cup -- Powdered Sugar (this amount would be the minimum)
Chocolate (I used chocolate candy bars because I had them on hand, but chocolate chips would work great too)
Sprinkles (Obviously these are optional, but we like sprinkles at our house)
Wax Paper


First you crush the graham crackers.  I put mine in a large Ziploc bag and beat the crackers with a rolling pin!  Noisy, right!?  That was my plan.  My 3 year-old was taking a late nap on the couch (which makes bedtime a nightmare at this house) and he is very hard to wake up.  It took a while, but the rolling pin noise eventually did the trick : )  Then I poured the graham cracker crumbs into my fancy blender and within seconds there were 0 little lumps.  So, if you have some aggression to get out, need a work-out or need to wake someone up.....use a rolling pin.  Otherwise, your blender would probably do a lovely job.


Pour the graham crackers into a mixing bowl and add in the powdered sugar.  Stir this mixture until it is well blended. 


Then add the peanut butter.  Add about a 1/2 cup at a time and then stir it well to really work the graham cracker mixture into the peanut butter.  This is the hard part....you are going to need to taste it along the way.  I know, this is like torture, but you've got to do it.  If it is tasting like straight peanut butter, you need to add more powdered sugar to sweeten it up a bit.  The 'dough' is ready when you can form a ball without it crumbling to pieces.  You don't want it to be too sticky though.  If it feels a little too sticky, you can add some more powdered sugar.  It is important to make sure that it is very well blended.


Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet (or whatever type of plate or platter you'd like to use) and start forming your peanut butter balls.  I did mostly small nickel-sized ones this time.  But you can do golf ball or even softball-sized ones if you want....whatever makes you happy, hahaha!  You can easily get 140 small bite-sized peanut butter balls out of this batch. 


Next melt down the chocolate.  I used a large Symphony bar and one other medium sized chocolate bar and I didn't use it all.  I basically splatter-painted the peanut butter balls with chocolate.  That was fun for me.  You could also dip the peanut butter ball in the chocolate to cover it completely. 


If you want to use sprinkles, make sure you get them on there while the chocolate is still soft so that the sprinkles will stick.


I prefer to put them in the refrigerator before eating so that the chocolate can harden.


I hope you enjoy these as much as I have!  Let me know what you think : )

Here are two of her cute boys helping out.