Slow Cooker Chili

I've done it. I've finally made a chili that Matt will eat!! Woohoo!!!!!! It was so easy and I am so happy because I LOVE chili! This recipe made a lot of chili. We each had a big bowl for supper and we have enough for 3 or 4 more large bowls in the freezer.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
2 can chili beans
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 packet chili seasoning

Directions:
Brown ground beef or turkey in skillet.

Combine ground beef or turkey with all other ingredients in slow cooker.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Blueberry Mini Muffins

Yum! These will make a wonderful grab and go breakfast for the next few mornings. I found this recipe in a little cookbook my grandmother gave to me a couple years ago. It was made from recipes from all the women (and their families) at the nursing home her mother (my great grandmother) lived in. My great grandmother died two years ago this coming January. She was a wonderful woman and I love that I have recipes to some of her tried and true meals in this cookbook.

Anyway, these are basic blueberry muffins. The original recipe calls for brown sugar but I did not have any one hand so I used regular sugar and I think they turned out just fine. If you like a sweeter muffin, I'd add a bit more sugar than the recipe calls for though.



Blueberry Muffins
Yields: 24 mini or 24 regular sized muffins
Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 c flour
1/3 c packed brown sugar (I used white sugar)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 c fresh or 3/4 c frozen blueberries, thawed and drained

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*

Grease bottoms only or line 24 mini muffin cups or 12 regular sized cups

Beat egg in large bowl. Stir in milk and oil. Stir in remaining ingredients except blueberries just until flour is moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups with equal amounts of batter.

Bake until golden brown, about 11-13 minute for mini muffins and 18-22 minutes for regular muffins.

Immediately remove from cups.

Chicken Stuffed Shells

I stole this recipe from Cook Like a Champion, one of the blogs I follow. It was originally stolen from Annie's Eats. I modified the recipe slightly since I knew that making the entire thing would turn out to be WAY too much food for us. I also don't have a food processor big enough so I just stirred by hand. Also because, I only had half the amount of ricotta on hand ;-P. Next time, I think we will try this without the chicken but with a meat sauce instead. Even so, it was very yummy and made enough for dinner for and leftovers for lunch tomorrow for both Matt and I.

Chicken Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
About 30 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (slightly more than 1/2 box)
3 cloves garlic
1 chicken breast, cooked and finely shredded
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1/6 c Italian breadcrumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp dried parsley
3/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1/6 c half and half (I used 2% milk)
1 jar pasta sauce
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*

Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Separate onto a cutting board or cookie sheet to prevent from sticking together.

Combine ingredients garlic through half and half in bowl and stir until combined. Add more salt and pepper if necessary, to taste.

Spoon enough sauce into baking dish(es) to cover the bottom.

Fill the cooked shells with the ricotta mixture and place open side up in a prepared baking dish.

Spoon as much of the remaining sauce over shells as desired.

Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

*If freezing extra shells, to cook from the freezer, thaw in refrigerator overnight and bake as directed above.

Cookie Platter

This is just a picture of all the yummy cookies I made for the cookie platters this Christmas. All recipes are posted below. Enjoy!

Christmas Cookies!

These are the last of my Christmas baking. To fill out the platter, I made Russian Tea Cakes (aka Mexican Wedding Cookies), Chocolate Drop Cookies, and Snickerdoodles. I pulled all these recipes from the good ole Big Red Betty Crocker Cookbook. I love that thing. It was one of the two cookbooks my mother gave to me when I moved out and went to college. It has definitely came in handy in those 5 1/2 years.

Russian Tea Cakes
Ingredients:
1 c butter or stick margarine, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c finely chopped nuts
1/4 tsp salt
Powdered sugar

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*

Mix butter, 1/2 c powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts, and salt until dough hold together.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 -12 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes.

Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Chocolate Drop Cookies
Ingredients:
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter or stick margarine, softened
1/3 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or spray with cooking spray.

Beat sugar, butter, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and chocolate in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, and slat.

Drop by rounded tablespoons full about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cook completely, about 30 minutes. Frost with Chocolate Frosting (recipe below).

Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 tbs butter or stick margarine
2 c powdered sugar
3 tbs hot water

Directions:
Melt chocolate and butter in 2 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and hot water until smooth. If frosting is too thick, add more water 1 tsp at a time. If frosting is too thin add more powdered sugar 1 tbs at a time.

Snickerdoodles
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter or stick margarine, softened
1/2 c shortening
2 large eggs
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
Heat oven to 400*

Beat 1 1/2 c sugar, thebutter, shortening, and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Mix 1/4 c sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Gingerbread Cookies

Yum yum yum. I love these little guys. Especially right out the oven. The only problem I have with this recipe is that they get hard quickly. I prefer chewy, soft cookies. So, I will be looking for another recipe next year. But, it you like crunchy gingerbread, this is a great recipe for you.

Ingredients:

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. dark molasses

2/3 c. cold water

7 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and water in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in remaining ingredients (this got tough with all that flour!). Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350*. Grease cookie sheet lightly with shortening or spray with cooking spray.

Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on floured surface (this requires muscle, let me tell you!). Cut with floured cookie cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Decorate as desired. I used the same frosting that is in the post below (sugar cookies).

Source: Betty Crocker

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Nothing says Christmas goodies like a nicely decorated, delicious sugar cookie cutout. I don't know how nicely decorated my cookies are, but they sure do taste fabulous. I will work on my decorating skills with the next batch this weekend. But for now, I settled for the classic, delicious sugar cookie straight from Betty Crocker.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 large egg

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Granulated sugar

Directions:

Beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375*. Light grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with 2 to 2 1/2 inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Frosting (courtesy of allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. shortening

5 tbs. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

food coloring

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.