The Easiest Crockpot Chicken Chili Ever

I think everybody needs a good "go-to" chili recipe and this is it!

It tastes just like my mommas...except for the fact that she does not have a recipe.  She just pours and adds and tastes and adds and somehow it always turns out tasting amazing.
So, when I tasted my friend Leslie's chili, I was sure to ask for the recipe.  It turns out that she had tweaked hers a bit from the original recipe, too, but after making it twice...I think I can safely say there is practically no way you can mess this up!  And if someone could mess it up or burn it, it would be me...thus the reason that I LOVE my crockpot!

This easy little "throw and go" is perfect for entertaining.

I served it at our family's Christmas Celebration along with baked potatoes which was perfect!  A green salad, a veggie platter and cookies were also on the menu.

Sooo, the next time you are needing a quick crockpot dinner, you may want to give this a try.

Easiest chicken chili ever:

{adapted from Leslie}

2 cans white beans and 2 cans pinto beans (two drained, two undrained)

2 cups salsa (I like the Organic Kirkland kind from Costco)

3 large chicken breasts

Mix beans and salsa together and place in the crockpot.

Place chicken on top.

Cook on high for 5 hours.

Remove chicken & shred, then add chicken back into the beans.

Cook one more hour on low.

Top with avocado, green onion, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and green chiles.

Very filling and very yummy. 

Thank you, Leslie!

P.S.  I used my homemade crockpot pinto beans and it turned out so GOOD!


Now, go plan a little party and ENJOY!!

Christmas 2012

"Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light, the hopes and fears of all the years... are met in thee tonight."

Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches

Here you go! Short and sweet.

Favorite brownie recipe or box mix.

Bake brownies according to directions.

I baked mine in star molds, but you could make a thin batch and use cookie cutters to cut them out...after they are cooled completely. Make sure your pan is well-greased so they don't stick!  I do NOT need hate mail. :)

Freeze cooled brownie "cookies".

You will need two stars for each sandwich.

Scoop a small scoop of peppermint ice cream onto first star. Top with a second
star. Sprinkle edges with a bit of crushed peppermint candy {optional}.  Purchased peppermint ice cream is also totally fine and yummy!!!

Place in freezer until ready to serve.

If you have waxed sandwich bags, you could store them in the bags and place them in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Too messy? Too time consuming? Just make your brownies and fill with buttercream frosting with a bit of peppermint flavoring and food coloring or buy your peppermint ice cream. Whatever you do...you really need to make these.

You may also make brownies and use cookie cutters to cut out any template you like. I just love stars!

What is your favorite sweet treat for CHRISTMAS? Do you make it? Buy it? Enjoy it from someone else? Is it tradition? I would love to hear.

LIGHT in a Dark World

 

In light of this past week...I have nothing that seems okay to post. I don't feel as though I am able to post about Christmas crafts, cookie baking days or about a stove that is constantly "on the fritz". It all seems quite insignificant, to say the least.

 

As Scott and I have talked about our week and those that are in so much pain around us, we ARE able to go before our Heavenly Father who knows these things.

We are able to cry out to Him and plead for strength and comfort.

 We are able to trust Him.

We are able to seek His face.

May all of this evil around us drive us to Him and not away from Him.

 

As a child, I was always fascinated by the flicker of a candle. I loved candle light so much that I remember announcing to my parents, "when I grow up, I am going to have candle light every night!"...and for the most part, I do light a candle almost every night.

 

What is it about the dark? What is it about a dancing flame of light transforming the dark.dark room into a cozy, warm refuge?

 

It was a very cold winter night.

Our family lived in a tiny, little German town of Schesslitz on the outskirts of Bamberg.

The village was quaint and everybody knew everybody.  There were old buildings to play in, small creeks for skipping rocks, paths to hike, a castle to climb to and our very own Table Land for early spring picnics and daisy chain wreaths…but best of all…the soccer field and small lakes that would turn into the most amazing ice skating rinks when the weather got cold enough for SNOW.

 

This night was quite different from most.

Our parents got us out of bed, bundled us up…and took us on our sleds down to the “ice skating” rink all.by.ourselves.

Skating and twirling by star light was like a dream.

After we got our boots back on, and hot chocolate was had, we went home…but not back up the  hill by our school.

 

We went through town!  It was the looong way home.

As we wandered through the cobblestone streets covered with what could easily be mistaken for sparkling diamonds that I saw between the wooden slats of my old sled …there was a hint of light up ahead. It seemed so dark, yet, I remember thinking that it must be the light of the moon reflecting on the freshly fallen snow…but as we turned a corner, there it was.

It was the most beautiful Christmas tree that had been lit with what seemed like a million real candles.  The glow instantly cast out the dark shadows.  It is one of my favorite Christmas memories.  Never had it seemed so dark...and then suddenly, out of nowhere so bright!!

 

This afternoon, our home has been drastically quiet and a storm has been brewing outside.

It has been unusually slow and much quieter than I like...even for our Selah Sunday.

 

Today as I was reflecting on what feels like a deep.dark.night without any promise of light anytime soon, I was reminded of the fact that God is the LIGHT of the world.  It is He who calms the storms and heals the weak.  He is still worthy of our trust and it is He who can take our shattered lives and fix them piece by piece, fragment by fragment.

 

Like everybody else, we have been looking forward to snow-covered trees, Christmas concerts and carolers…and the JOY that comes along with celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus.

We anticipate students home from college, friends from out of town and the hustle and the bustle of Christmas.

 

But for now, there is what feels like a pause.

 

 It is quiet and still…very much like long ago…as our world prepares to celebrate our KING.  Jesus was God’s gift to the world.  His Promise.

 

Soooo, as we sit in what seems to be the dead of winter, let’s pray for those around us who are hurting.  Take time to thank God for His goodness in sending His son to us…and for providing us with His JOY…we must remember that perfect peace is ours.  “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”  Isaiah 26:3

 

Just like that tree so many years ago, we can be a simple warm beacon of light to those around us.

 

Thank you, Jesus for giving us peace and for sending us a LIGHT for this dark.dark.world.

 

Caesar Salad in a Cup

Happy Tuesday!  Hope you are all having a good start to the new week.

Our week started off with a day/night with our nephew and nieces.  Our guest room was filled with three little girls and their favorite pillows, blankies and stuffed animals.  The boys were last to hit the hay...but I must say that I peeked in on all of them several times just to take it all in.  We enjoyed them so much!
You just forget how little ones are so excited about the simple things like waffles, favorite syrups and mounds of whipped cream for breakfast... tiny tea cups and lemonade mixed with orange juice, hanging Christmas bulbs and snow globe night lights and window seats!

Since we are all about simple I decided to post this again.

It is one of my favorite, quick go-to's when I have little time, but want to add a fun element to a meal.


Caesar Salad in a Cup

1.  Wash and dry Romaine leaves.

2.  Place several leaves in the bottom of a cup, standing straight up.  Kinda like a bouquet of  flowers. Be sure to have the bottom of the leaves at the bottom of the cup and the pretty, curly edges at the top.

3.  Sprinkle a few croutons around..

4.  Pour Caesar salad dressing into a condiment cup and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Variations:  These can also be served in clay pots, a bowl lined with colored parchment paper or wax paper, little pails tied with a bell, a juice glass etc.

The best part about this?  Your guests get to eat their salad with their hands!  This is one sure way to get your kiddies to eat their greens, too!

ENJOY!

A Simple Christmas List

Christmas should be simple...but how many of us have wiped our brow and moaned a "whew" on December 26th...knowing full well New Years is still to be had?
We become irritable and overwhelmed with finding new spots for newly acquired gifts, and our children can be equally as cranky feeling frustrated with being asked to pick up their things when clearly there is no room for more stuff.
When our children were still very small, we had decided {Yes, we were the parents and we took full advantage of this privilege} that Christmas was going to be kept as simple as possible.  We wanted to do special things together as a family, with friends and for others.
What we decided to do was simple, do-able, and fun...and it allowed us to keep our focus on the birth of baby Jesus which is why we were celebrating in the first place.
We have followed this every.single.year and it works.  The nice thing about the "GIFT LIST" is that it works with any budget.  Just be sure to have your kiddies include several ideas within each category so that they have no idea of what they are getting.


Simple Christmas Gift List:

1.  Something to read...I Spy was on THE LIST a couple of years in a row!

2.  Something to play with...sometimes the kiddies would coordinate with Build-a Bear toys...

3.  Something to wear...this was a favorite during high school years!

4. Something they wanted...dolls, guns, beads, beanie babies, pocket knives etc.

5.  Something they needed...like new jammies and socks

This made it easy for our children and even easier for us!

Our Holiday breakfast...Friday morning after Thanksgiving...was the first gift of the season which was a special ornament depicting something of importance from the last year.  This was always my favorite thing to shop for as it was a real challenge to be super creative in finding the perfect ornament!

We would also buy a family gift...it was usually a new card game, a bowling trip for the family, a night out to our favorite restaurant, maybe a new Veggie Tales movie, sleds etc.  There was no rhyme or reason to this...just something that we knew we would all love to do together!

I LOVED keeping Christmas as simple as possible and loved that our children knew what Christmas was all about.

Tucking our children in at night, with their rooms glowing from their own little trees is a memory I will forever cherish...but hearing them sing "Happy Birthday, Jesus" with their little voices was to me...a small glimpse of heaven  on this earth.  That song still makes me cry! It makes me long for simplicity and the the reminder of why we should keep things focused on the precious son of God who we are celebrating.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

These stockings are special because the same lady that made my hubby his stocking when he was little made the exact same ones for our littles!  Stockings with a story...

A very favorite Christmas book!

Look at our beautiful babes!!!

A cake plate, fresh cedar branches, 4 glass votive holders and one white pillar candle=a simple ADVENT centerpiece!

Potato Soup

Warm, cozy nights are my favorite.  Nothing like a warm home and hot soup to soothe the soul.

Whether it is just YOU and maybe a little pet or a home full of family and friends, one thing is certain...you simply can not go wrong with a soup dinner...and maybe holiday cookies for members of the "clean plate club".  Who am I kidding?  Cookies for all...after all it is Christmas time!!

Potato Soup

1 cup butter

1 cup flour

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced {optional} or 1/2 teaspoon dry granulated garlic

4 cups milk

4 cups half and half

4 cups baby red potatoes, cut  into bite-sized cubes

½ cup white wine {we use Charles Shaw}

2 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

Directions:

*Cook potatoes in salted water until fork-tender…about 10 minutes.  Drain potatoes and let sit until you are ready to add them into the soup.

*In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and sautee onions until tender and add the garlic.

*Add the flour and stir away while cooking.  DO NOT let this burn.  Only cook for about a minute.

*Add in half and half and milk and whisk.  Let the soup start to bubble and add in potatoes, wine and spices.

*Let soup cook on super low so that it does not stick to the bottom and burn.

My favorite way to serve this is at a dinner party is to go ahead and ladle it into soup bowls, top it with chopped green onions and shredded cheddar cheese, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350* until bubbly.  Your guests will love this!

Serve with a sparkling apple juice, fresh crusty bread, a green salad, and don’t forget the toppings!

Just pretend it is a baked potato and top it like you like!  Maybe sour cream, green onions, bacon {YUCK!}, and shredded cheddar cheese!

ENJOY!


Shared with:  stone gable

Iced Molasses Cookies

Here is another cookie recipe from the archives.

Sometimes inviting company over for a meal can seem overwhelming...what about inviting a few friends for tea and cookies and maybe a few cheese and crackers?  You will be glad you did!!!

I hope that this Christmas season will be a time of JOY as you reflect on the birth of Jesus. It is this baby that changed the course of History in offering us hope for eternal life!


Iced MOLASSES COOKIES


Cream Together:

¾ cup butter, softened

1 cup organic sugar

Add:

¼ cup Brer Rabbit Molasses {unsulphured, mild flavor}

1 egg

Stir together and add to molasses mix:

3 cups flour{or 2 cups flour + 1 cup bread flour}

2 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. sea salt salt

1 tsp. each of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves

*Mix well

*Roll dough into balls...about the size of a golf ball

*Roll balls in organic sugar

*Place sugared dough balls on SILPAT or onto parchment lined baking sheets

*Bake for 10 minutes @ 375* or until cookies start to "crack". Let sit for a few minutes.  These are best under baked a bit so they stay soft and chewy!



Makes about 16 cookies.

Once cookies are cooled, melt white chocolate or candy discs and drizzle over cookies and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.



Enjoy!

Usually organic sugar is optional, but in this recipe it makes them oh.so.good!




"Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light, the hopes and fears of all the years, are met in Thee tonight."



Shared with:  Titus2sday