Blue Ribbon Chili

Anyone who really knows me knows that I don't like chili that much. As a child that was one meal I didn't have to eat and could have a bowl of cereal instead. I also didn't have to eat sweet and sour meatballs. The smell of those two meals cooking would send me gagging and running to my room to get away from the smell. Blech!

Now that I am an adult I do like some chili recipes. I have only ever made one chili recipe because I was afraid I wouldn't like it. Well, I overcame my fear and tried a new chili recipe. This chili, to me, is very similar to what you would order in a diner. It is a hearty chili and a great to eat on a cold winter night. I still like MY chili recipe better but I would make this again. For you chili lovers out there, definitely give this recipe a try!

I found this on allrecipes.com and used a slow cooker instead of cooking it on the stove. I also made Beer Bread in my bread machine to serve with this chili. I'll get that recipe up soon. :)

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
(I only used one can of beans b/c that is what I had!)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Using a slotted spoon, add the beef/onion mixture to a slow cooker. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, and cook on low 5-6 hours or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with crispy bread and a salad. Frito scoops also go nicely with this chili if you want something with a little extra crunch. :) Enjoy!

French Toast Bake

I found this recipe on the Pillsbury website when I was looking for an easy french toast casserole recipe. I was going to a baby shower for a girl I work with and needed to bring a dish to share. I stumbled across this recipe and decided to give it a try. How can you go wrong with cinnamon rolls?!

It ended up being very easy to throw together - I actually made it the morning of the shower, which started at 9:30 - and I had to take my daughter to preschool first. :) I don't like soggy french toast so I made a few changes to the recipe. My changes are below. Hope you give this one a try!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Butter, melted
2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
3 Eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (I didn't have a full cup so I just used what I had)
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions:
Heat oven to 375°F. Pour melted butter into ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into 4 pieces; place pieces over butter in dish.



In medium bowl, beat eggs. Beat in cream, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended; gently pour over roll pieces. Sprinkle with pecans; drizzle with 1/2 cup syrup.



Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. I checked mine at 25 minutes and baked for another 5-8 minutes. I wanted mine to have a nice golden color and I didn't want it soggy in the middle.



Cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove covers from icing; microwave 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle.

Drizzle icing over top and serve.



Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Pork

Harris Teeter had pork roasts on sale, buy one get one free a few weeks ago. I can't pass up a good sale so of course I bought two. ;) I didn't have any particular recipe that I wanted to make with them so I started looking on the internet. I found a recipe that looked okay on allrecipes.com. I wasn't thinking that I would put this recipe on my blog so I didn't take any pictures in the beginning. But this was sooooo gooood!!!! I accidentally over cooked it and it was STILL DELICIOUS! Definitely a winner with this recipe! :)

I changed the recipe a little bit. My changes are below.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon rubbed sage
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (5 pound) boneless pork roast or loin (I used a roast)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 150 degrees depending upon your desired doneness.

Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly.

Pour glaze over pork slices and serve.