White Chicken Chili

 

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• ▢1 small yellow onion , chopped (about ½ cup)
• ▢2 garlic cloves , finely minced (or 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder)
• ▢2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢2 4 oz cans diced green chilies
• ▢1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢½ teaspoon paprika
• ▢1/2 small lime , juice from
• ▢salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• ▢2 15 oz cans great northern beans
• ▢1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• ▢1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
• ▢2 heaping cups cooked chicken , shredded (rotisserie or left-over chicken*)

Topping Suggestions:

• ▢Fresh cilantro
• ▢shredded cheese
• ▢tortilla chips
• ▢green onions
• ▢avocado

• Heat olive oil in a large (5-6 quart) pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Drain and rinse beans in a strainer.
• Measure out a big ladleful of the beans and add to a food processor with a splash of broth from the soup. Puree until smooth (this step is optional but helps to yield the creamy and thick texture we want from this chili!) .
• Add pureed beans, whole beans and corn to the soup pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cooked chicken.
• Serve garnished with cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado slices and tortilla chips if desired.

My first baby quilt project

These fabrics are now becoming my first handmade quilt project.  In the last couple of years I have gotten back into sewing as a hobby.  When my kids were small I enjoyed sewing for them but when two small boys caused a sewing machine mishap the sewing ended.  I was soon too busy anyway with kid activities and running my design business to find time to sew.  Last fall John surprised me with a new sewing machine and I have certainly enjoyed getting back to sewing.  Grandkids are a great excuse to sew up some fun projects!  There have been craft aprons and overalls and frilly little pink dresses and of course there are many Christmas ideas on my project list.  

Learning to quilt has been something new to learn and I first experimented with a quilted bag that I call my "Gram bag".  It's a bag I can take on my visits with the grandkids and it's filled with craft supplies, snacks and story books.

Now I am on to my next quilt project which will be a crib quilt for my new little grandson.  It's been a learning process and it certainly has a few mistakes but in all I am quite pleased with my quilt.  Hopefully at Christmas it will be a gift that is loved and appreciated for a long time.

Let me know if you sew too!

~ Connie

                                My quilted "Gram Bag"                                 

                                            

Lemon Bundt Cake

 

One of my favorite cake recipes is my Aunt Jane's lemon bundt cake.  I love it so much I usually have it on my birthday every year.  This month my daughter Abigail is turning 27 and she asked if I would make that cake for her birthday.  She says it's her favorite cake too.

The recipe is simple and oh so delish!

Lemon Bundt Cake

1 lemon cake mix

1 box instant lemon pudding

1 c. milk

3/4 c. oil

3 eggs

Mix all ingredients as directed on cake mix.  Grease a bundt cake pan well.  Pour in batter evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan then invert on serving plate to finish cooling.

When completely cool glaze with a mixture of 1 c. powdered sugar and 1/3 c. lemon juice.  the glaze can be tinted with yellow food coloring if desired.

If you need an easy and delicious cake try this one.

~ Connie

Canning time!

 It's that time of year when I am up to my eyeballs in tomatoes!  The tomatoes are John's babies in the garden and he faithfully prunes, fertilizes and waters all season.  As a result we usually have a bumper crop and I am kept busy for weeks making salsa, making tomato sauce and making homemade BBQ sauce.  It's a lot of work but everything tastes so good when it is homemade!  And I really enjoy having a stock pile of salsa and sauces to use in recipes all year long.  So if you garden I hope you are enjoying this harvest season too.  Before too many weeks pass our gardening season will be wrapping up.  So enjoy all that fresh summer produce while you can.

~ Connie

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 

• Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• 
  
• Ingredients
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (vegetable or canola oil)
• ▢1 pound ground chicken
• ▢4 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢1/2 sweet onion , chopped
• ▢1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢1 cup carrot , shredded
• ▢1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
• ▢3 green onions chopped

    Sauce

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
• ▢1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)
• ▢1 Tablespoon chunky peanut butter , or smooth
• ▢1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• ▢2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• ▢crushed red pepper flakes , to taste
• ▢Boston Bib lettuce , or romaine lettuce leaves

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add chicken, garlic, onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.


• Add the carrots, cabbage, and green onions, cooking an additional 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• In a small bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce, ginger, chunky peanut butter, and soy sauce, and crushed red pepper. Stir until smooth. Add to pan along with chopped cilantro. Stir to coat.
• Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and enjoy!

        

In a Style Rut and feeling Frumpy!

 

As we roll into the last month of Summer, I am often feeling like I wear the same outfits on repeat.  So I guess I am getting tired and looking for new outfit ideas.  I know I have plenty of clothes and I just need to get in the closet and pull together some new combinations.  If you feel the same try this Style Tip ... and you won't have to do any shopping!

Go into your closet and select  a bottom you like and wear often (skirt, jean, pant, short etc.)  next pair with it 3 or 4 different tops.  Take a photo on your phone of each new outfit.  Do the same for 3 more bottoms so you end up with 12-16 new outfit ideas recorded in photos on your phone.  Now over the next week or two make an intentional effort to wear these new outfit combos.  When you have worn all the outfits repeat this process and come up with 12-16 other combinations.  This always helps me get out of my style rut and I hope it can do the same for you. 😊

~ Connie

Freezer Meals for new Parents!

 

One of my favorite things to do for the kids when they become new parents, is to prep several freezer meals for their families.  I did this recently for Ben and Mandy when they had their new baby.  And I will be doing it soon for Abby and Cole. 😋

One recipe that is easy and freezes well is chicken enchiladas.  

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

For an 8 x 8 pan of enchiladas (2-3 servings)

Dice 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts and brown in a skillet with 1 TBSP of butter.  when meat is cooked add 1 packet of taco seasoning and 2/3 c. water simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Rinse and drain 1 can of black beans.  Mix together 1 can tomato soup, 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 can mild enchilada sauce.  

On each flour tortilla spread 1 spoon of sauce, add 1-2 spoons of chicken, 1-2 spoons of beans and 1-2 spoons of grated cheddar cheese.  Roll up and lay seam down in a baking dish.  After all enchiladas are rolled top with remaining sauce and grated cheddar.  Cover with foil and freeze.  I write these directions on the foil before freezing.

" Chicken Enchiladas - - -Thaw and bake at 350 for 30 minutes"

I usually include a bag of frozen corn and a dessert to complete the meal.

Enjoy the yum!

~Connie

Baby Snuggles!

 

New baby snuggles are the best!!  My new grandson arrived near the end of July and the whole family is just in love with him.  This was the first child for my second son and his wife.  And he is our first grandson.  I have been busy this summer with baby showers and preparing some handmade gifts for this sweet boy.  It is so much fun to have littles to sew and knit gifts for.  My daughter's first child is due in September, so grandpa and I will soon have two new babies to cuddle! 💖

~ Connie

Green Bean Bonanza!!!

Wow!  In the span of just a few days my green beans have really taken off! 😀😀  I had picked just a handful last week and then we were gone for a few days.  I came home and checked the garden to find a bean bonanza!!!  So I thought I would share a recipe here for a Sweet and Sour Green Bean Casserole.  I really love a traditional green bean casserole, but this one is an awesome variation and a family favorite too!


SWEET & SOUR GREEN BEANS

You can make this with fresh, canned or frozen green beans.  If using fresh, I trim and clean about 3 cups of beans then saute/stream them in a large covered skillet for 3 minutes in 1/3-1/2 cup of water.

For frozen beans, I cook about the same quantity in the microwave.  For canned, use 3 cans.

Drain prepared beans.  Brown about 1/2 package of bacon with one chopped medium size white onion..  Drain well and chop bacon.  Mix together 1/2 cup of mayo, 4 1/2 Tbsp sugar and 2 1/4 Tbsp vinegar.  Mix everything together and place in a clean skillet to heat thoroughly and serve.


Hope you enjoy this one!  Share the YUM.

~ Connie