Chili

It’s fall and it’s football season!  Chili reminds me of both these things.  You can cozy up with a nice, hot bowl of chili and a piece of cornbread at the table.  Or you can enjoy it while watching the big game, or even better on a hot dog!

I really enjoy chili and I love how there are SO many recipes for it.  You can change everything in it!  The kind of meat you want, if you want meat at all, the kind of veggies, the kind of beans, the kind of spices…you name it, the possibilities are endless with chili.

I had some ground turkey in the freezer that needed to be used, so I decided that chili was the way to go.  I used my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook and though it’s not the best chili I’ve ever had (that would be from Claim Jumper…they have a steak chili that is a-mazing), it’s still pretty good!  Obviously, I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, I added a can of white beans, and I also added additional spices: cumin, garlic powder and pepper. I cooked mine in the Crockpot all day long, but you can easily make it on the stove as well.  So easy and so good.

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients.

 

All finished.

Yum!

Chili, by Better Homes & Garden

12 ounces ground ground beef

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1  8-ounce can tomato sauce

1  15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1  14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

2  to 3 teaspoons chili powder

1/2  teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1. In a large saucepan cook ground beef, onion, pepper and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender; drain fat.
2. Stir in beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
3. OR
4. Throw it all in a crockpot before you go to work and then come home to a delicious smelling house and a pot of hot chili.

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

It’s September!  You know what that means, don’t you?  It means that it’s time to break out the yummy fall recipes that include things such as: pumpkin, apple cinnamon, cranberries and soups.  After all, Starbucks has started serving their Pumpkin Spice Latte already, so if Starbucks says it’s time…then it’s time!

Well, I LOVE pumpkin stuff!  When I found this recipe for Mini Pumpkin Muffins, I knew I had to make them…plus, they were so cute and pretty healthy.  I found this recipe through my emails from Very Best Baking.  In addition to recipes from Nestles, they have a bunch of recipes from Libby’s.  Perfect!  Chocolate and pumpkin recipes all in one place! 

These mini muffins are delicious!  They are pumpkiny with a crunchy topping of granola.  Plus, 3 of these little muffins only has about 100 calories.  So, they are a great and nutritious snack or addition to breakfast.  My only complaint is that mini muffins are so small!  Seriously, I could pop like 3 into my mouth at once and could easily eat about 10. :-)  Anyway, when I made this recipe I cut it in half, because 60 mini muffins is A LOT, used whole wheat flour and topped it with my homemade peanut butter and banana granola.  These mini pumpkin muffins are so easy to make and are the perfect start to fall.

Enjoy!

So tiny!

Mmmmm.

"3 for 100" Mini Pumpkin Muffins, by Libby’s

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat or all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups lowfat granola cereal, crumbled

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Paper-line or grease mini-muffin pans.
2. COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar and oil in medium mixer bowl until blended. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat well. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle each with about a 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled granola. Press granola lightly into batter.
3. BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store muffins in covered containers or resealable plastic bags.
4. Makes 20 servings, 3 muffins each