Chili, the anytime food...!

I have a great recipe for you this time, one that you can make anytime you feel the need for warm comfort food, and those of you on the cooler west side of the state probably feel that need often...

Get out your big pot, the one with the heavy bottom. Heat it up and saute a big, diced onion in a couple tablespoons of olive oil.

And three or four garlic cloves. And a diced green pepper. And even some jalapenos, if you wish. Saute it all up nicely.

Then add 1 lb. ground beef and cook it all together, with the lid on, until the pink in the meat is gone. Initially add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (you may need more later but this is a good start).

Then add one can (or jar, if you were good and canned some up last summer) tomatoes. And one can black beans.

If you need a bigger chili add two pounds ground beef, two cans of tomatoes and two cans black beans. The only adjustment you really need will be in the spices.

Cook over low heat as long as necessary (one to three hours is optimal). If your chili gets a little drier than you like, add a couple cups of beef broth.

Delightful. Serve with warm corn bread, honey & butter, or those biscuits I gave you the recipe for awhile back.

I love this so much. That's why I wanted to share it with you guys.

Take care.

Karma -- what you give is what you get returned.

Just about foraging time...!

Sunday I found three perfect calf brain mushrooms, and that was just me, stepping into the forest and looking down. Google says these are "false morels" and that they come out before the morels we recognize.

Of course, yesterday it snowed again (and this morning it is 32 degrees). Hopefully it will warm up and get back to spring! I am so anxious to forage for morels and work in the garden.

Yesterday I made these. First I searched "Carrots, eggs, cream cheese" since that's what I have a lot of. I had an inkling about what I'd get, but what the hay. Seriously, who can resist cream cheese & sugar? If you have a sweet tooth or care about someone who does, make these. They are easy and totally delicious.

Cream Cheese-filled Carrot Muffins
Oven Temp: 350 degrees 
Baking time: 20 min.

Combine in one bowl:

1 1/2 c flour                 1 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t baking soda    1/2 t nutmeg
1 t baking powder      1 c sugar
1/2 t salt

In another bowl:

Beat 3 eggs and 2/3 c vegetable oil until well mixed. Stir in 1 1/2 c shredded carrots and 1/2 c raisins that have been soaked for 10 minutes in hot water. This would be the time to add 1/2 c chopped pecans if you wish.

In yet another bowl:

Cream 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 t vanilla. (If your cream cheese isn't soft, put it in the microwave for 20 seconds first.)

Then, fold dry ingredients into egg/carrot mixture. Stir until just combined.

Grease each cup carefully with a little butter. Fill muffin cups 1/2 full. Plop a generous teaspoon of cream cheese filling on top of the batter in each muffin cup.

Bake 20 min or until wooden toothpick tests clean in the cake part. So yummy. Enjoy! I think I'll have one now with my coffee. :)

It's recipe day again!

WHAT can I say? It is raining, snowing, raining, snowing... And 40 degrees outside. No gardening today. And brrrrrrrrr!

What to do? Guess I'll bake a pineapple upside down cake. George loves those. And he is out building fence, so will most likely appreciate something yummy (besides me and a big steak) when he comes back this afternoon, cold and drenched.

Here's the upside-down cake I make most:

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

(Capital T means tablespoon, lower case t means teaspoon, c means cup. That's how my mom taught me). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 T butter
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 can (8 1/2 oz.) sliced pineapple in syrup, drained
1 1/2 c. buttermilk baking mix
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk or water
2 T butter (yes, again, for the batter)
1 t vanilla
1 egg

Heat butter in round cake pan (9 x 1/2") in oven until melted. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Place 1 pineapple slice in center of pan. Cut remaining slices into halves; arrange halves, cut sides out, around pineapple in center of pan. Arrange pecan halves around center slice if desired (pecans are Very good here).

Beat remaining ingredients on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping occasionally, 4 minutes. Pour carefully over fruit in pan.

Bake until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 - 40 minutes. Immediately invert pan onto heatproof serving plate. Let cool a bit. Serve your beautiful cake warm with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 8 servings (Ha, you think?!). Super delicious. I can smell it baking now. Enjoy!

Waterfall & rolls...

George and I went on a long hike across the canyon to check out this waterfall -- we saw it from our side and decided to figure out how to get over there. It's only here because of so much snow and rain. Really something incredible to be near. We want to hike up again and take photos from the right next time, so stay tuned for those...

Here's Tuesday's Recipe...it's an heirloom! My mom (Bobbe Locati) concocted the perfect cinnamon roll that uses one of her best friend's raised roll recipes (her name is Carol Markel). I'm sharing it with you.

The recipe makes a HUGE batch, but that's good. Your husband can eat a dozen and you can freeze a dozen for later, or take a dozen to work for Friday treat day, whatever you wish. But two big batches of these beauties is not a bad thing.

Start with:

Carol's Overnight Bun Recipe

Boil 4 cups water and 2 cups sugar for 5 min. Add 1 cup butter. Cool completely.

Then add:

2 well beaten eggs
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt (this large batch of dough really needs it, I've tried using less and I was sorry)
Flour to make a soft dough (just keep adding until kneadable -- you'll need at least 8 cups available)

Butter two 9 x 13" glass baking dishes (and a little square pan too, just so your big pans aren't overcrowded). Knead the dough. Grease a large bowl, place the dough in, cover it with a clean dish towel and leave it in a warm place. When the dough appears to have doubled, punch it down. Raise it again. When it appears to have doubled (again) punch it down. Push the dough out into a large rectangle. Spread it with 1 cup soft butter. Then 1 cup brown sugar. Then 2 tablespoons cinnamon. If you like raisins, now is the time to add them. Half a cup should do it.

Roll up as tightly as possible, like a jelly roll, and keep the roll tight and long. I cut these into 1 1/2" pieces with a heavy piece of thread. It cuts so much better than a knife. If you do use a knife though, make sure it's a sharp one. Place the rolls carefully into your prepared pans. These are going to raise a lot, so don't crowd them.

These can be super soft gooey delicious decadent rolls, or they can be healthy (just cut back on the butter and brown sugar and don't frost them). It's your choice. If you want them super good and gooey though, spread 1/3 cup brown sugar in the bottom of each of your buttered 9" x 13" pans before adding the rolls and don't skimp on the butter and sugar.

We raise these overnight and cook them first thing in the morning. Bake them in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Invert them immediately onto large sheets of aluminum foil. When they're cool, spread with cream cheese frosting (1/2 c. butter, 1/2 c. cream cheese, 2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1 t. vanilla). They're super good with or without. Enjoy!