Stuff

With 20 years as a military wife to my credit, I have seen the advantages of going through our belongings on a regular basis and purging the excess or unused items.  A military family is allotted just so much weight allowance for their household goods.  Any excess and they pay the difference.

When my husband took a civilian job, we did this less frequently because we moved less often.  It is still a good idea to go through closets and storage at least once a year.

Lately, I have been praying God’s help with organizing my life better.  This has been foremost in my heart since I began the process of downsizing 32 years of accumulating stuff.  Finding what I need when I need it prevents extra stresses in my life & getting rid of stuff I do NOT need clears clutter, also stress reducing.

Spiritually speaking, I also think one needs to evaluate the clutter of emotions & irritations with others or situations in life that can prevent us from seeing the blessings from God.  We can lay our burdens at His feet & praise Him for His willingness to lift them from our shoulders.  God can bring peace of mind even when things are weighing us down, & He LOVES to hear our praise.

Today  I will share a slow cooker recipe for chili that can cook all day while you tackle just one clutter filled area of your home.  A good dinner & the satisfaction of job completed and a life just a little more organized will be your reward.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

CHILI
2 lbs. ground beef 
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (omit if you don't like it hot)
2 (16-oz.) cans tomato sauce 
4 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans
1-1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 med. onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 c. water
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 can diced green chilies
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
2 tsp. cumin
3 T. chili powder
Salt, to taste
Sharp cheddar, grated
Fritos Corn Chips
Brown ground beef over medium heat and drain fat. 

Add the rest of the ingredients in a large pot and simmer over low heat. Stir every 15 minutes for 2-3 hours(the longer,the better) or place in crockpot on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Top with fritos
and cheese when serving.  Makes at least 3 quarts.

Note: A chipotle pepper is a smoked jalapeno and is usually in an adobo sauce. There are several in one can and I divide out the peppers with sauce into snack size plastic bags (enough for this recipe). I place the tiny bags into a freezer bag and you got it...I freeze them for future chili. Be sure to date and label bag so you can find it when you need a chili fix.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

I ascribe to the motto-Cook once, eat twice.  Sometimes, I can even get 3 or 4 meal ideas out of one cooking session.  Today I’d love to share my roast chicken recipe with you.  It is the start for chicken tacos, chicken casseroles, soups, or salads.

I start with a whole chicken, actually TWO whole chickens.  If you have the time to bake one, beIieve me  you have time to bake 2!!--One to eat now and the other heads to the freezer for another day.

I line my roasting pan with foil.  I then wash the outside plastic wrap of the chicken.  I know this sounds strange, but food experts can’t seems to agree whether the actual chicken should be rinsed or not due to the potential for contamination and splattering of chicken juice around the kitchen. 

Washing the packaging, then using scissors to cut the plastic and slide it off the chicken while it sits in the foil lined pan allows all the juices to end up in the roaster pan.  Splattering is minimal.  I pitch the package and lay my chickens- breast side down and side by side.  I season liberally with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper or garlic powder. 

I believe I have mentioned chicken soup base in the past as a seasoning ingredient and making broth.  I add a tsp or 2 to a cup of water and pour that into the bottom of the roasting pan. I cover the pan with a piece of foil tented over the chickens.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the chicken in the oven.  Turn over one hour into the cooking time and season this side of the chicken breast side up.

Two to 2 1/2 hours later for a 4-5 lb bird and an internal temp of 180 degrees, you will remove the nicely browned roasted chicken from the oven.  I serve it with roasted potatoes and green beans the first night.

Remove the rest of the chicken meat from the bone.  If you have time, do the same to the second chicken.  Freeze the meat in amounts appropriate for your family.

 I place the chicken bones, the juices in the pan, and the skin into a pot and cover with water. Add an onion, 2-3 stalks celery-leaves and all, and a couple of roughly chopped carrots.   Season with pepper and a Tbsp or 2 of chicken soup base.  Simmer for an hour or so. Allow to cool & remove all the solids from the broth.  Refrigerate and the fat will solidify and can be easily removed.

You can even do this in a crockpot and just let it simmer all day.  Freeze for up to 3 months or use as a base for chicken soup, chicken pot pie or Fettucini Alfredo.  You can search out this blog for those recipes.

Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

A Word Fitly Spoken

  I recently had one of those proud mother moments while observing my son, Andrew, interacting with a little child. She was crying broken-heartedly after being called out by her mother and told to sit down.

My son leaned over and patted little Grace on the shoulder, talking softly to her.  She looked up and smiled at him with teardrops still glistening on her lashes. 

 Andrew told me later that Grace had been trying to round up a rowdy little brother and help her mom who was in charge of the children’s church that evening, but SHE was the one who seemingly got in trouble while trying to be helpful.

Andrew noticed her actions and gave her confirmation that HE knew what she was trying to do even though her busy distracted mommy hadn’t seen the situation fully.  I immediately thought of the verse, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”  How beautiful that must be, and how beautiful it was to see this fine young man I had the privilege of raising respond so tenderly to a broken hearted child.

Today’s recipe is one of Andrew’s favorites.  It is a Pantry Salsa easily assembled mostly from canned pantry staples.

PANTRY SALSA

2 (16-oz.) cans stewed tomatoes                                   2-3 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 med. onion, roughly chopped                                 2-3 T. lime juice

4-5 slices jalapeno's(the jarred kind found                 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, to taste

 in the ethnic section of grocery store)                        1-1/2 tsp. salt, to taste

1-1/2 tsp. sugar

Place tomatoes, jalapenos, and onion in a food processor. Pulse to get the consistency you like. Pour into a bowl and add sugar, salt, and garlic powder to taste. Add lime juice and vinegar. The flavors will become more developed if made in advance to serving.

I know you are thinking fresh lime juice is NOT a pantry item, but you can freeze fresh limes making them available to you every time a salsa craving hits.

Confectionately  Yours,  

Sue 

Using What You Have

I had been “under the weather” for several days.  Not enough to completely incapacitate me, mind you, but enough that I did not leave the house, needed frequent rest periods, and felt listless & accomplished little.

Add to this the growing demands of the month ahead, I knew if I didn’t recuperate soon, this old girl was going to be in hot water for sure.

My daughter was headed this way from college for a visit.  I really like to cook for her when she is home.  After years of home cooked meals, she is now the one who has to make do each day.  I think she appreciates her mother more now than then.

She often calls me for cooking advice, and has had more than a few successes AND disasters in the kitchen.  I’m proud of her trial & error mentality.  I’ve learned as much from my goof-ups as I have my successes.

Since I keep a pantry full of shelf stable items on hand for my recipes, I didn’t have to run to the store for dinner.  As soon as one of these pantry items is used, I replace it with the next grocery shop.  I also rotate the cans pulling the ones closer to the front that will expire sooner.

Emily loves soup and we are in those chilly days when this dish is welcome.  Some pre-cooked bacon from the freezer & fresh potatoes & onions were the foundation for my soup.  I then looked to my pantry for canned veges & evaporated milk to make a delicious corn chowder.  It was sooo good.

I guess the spiritual lesson in all this is making the most of what the Lord gives you, using your gifts & abilities to minister to one another, and being grateful for what you have.

I’m Sue Murphy gratefully & Confectionately  Yours!

CORN CHOWDER


5 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled 
1 (16-oz.) can creamed corn
1 med. onion, chopped
 1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
3 c. potatoes, diced
1/2 c. fresh milk
2 c. water 
dried parsley
1 chicken bouillon cube or equivalent (I use chicken soup base)
instant potato flakes, optional


Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside and saute onions in bacon drippings until soft. Add potatoes, water, and soup base mix. 


Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 12-15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add corn and milk; heat thoroughly. 


If you want a thicker soup, add instant potato flakes, a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add parsley and garnish with bacon.


Note: I cannot stress enough how much I rely on soup base to flavor soups, gravies and sauces. The concentration can be adjusted to achieve the "rich broth" I refer to in many of my recipes.


Precooked bacon works well for this recipe.  I keep it in the freezer, microwave it 30 seconds or so to re-crisp &  continue with the recipe.


Every so often, I DO buy uncooked bacon.  I lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet and BAKE it at 350 degrees until crisp. I save the drippings & refrigerate them in a jar for later use to flavor soups, green beans, & good ol' soup beans.

Comfort Food

What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘comfort food?’

I get visions of Sunday afternoon at my Great Aunt Lucille’s house when I was growing up -Platters of fried chicken and mashed potatoes, and gravy. 

Sometimes my Dad’s homemade macaroni and cheese floats into my brain, and I  MUST HAVE MAC AND CHEESE.

The question is….does food really comfort, or is it the situation where we consumed it the comforting part?

My great aunt really seemed to enjoy having our big family over for Sunday dinner.  My older brothers were always cutting up and laughing. 

My parents and my great aunt and uncle would sit around the table talking about grown-up things.  I found that a little boring then, but I totally understand the appeal of that now.  The fellowship really is the best part of a meal.

On mac and cheese day, I felt my Dad’s provision and the security of home during meal time.  The food tasted extra good then.

Is it any wonder the bible tells in Proverbs 15:17 -Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

It is even better when the food is delicious, AND the love prevalent.

Daddy's MACARONI AND CHEESE


8 oz. elbow macaroni 
8 oz. Velveeta (pasteurized process Cheese spread) 
1/4 c. butter 
1/2 c. flour 
salt and pepper, to taste 
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk 2-4 oz. sharp cheddar, grated 
1-1/2 c. milk 


Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 6 min's or until it's still a little on the firm side. 
It will cook through when baked. 8oz=6-1/2 c. cooked. 


Melt butter in a saucepan, then whisk in flour. Incorporate the evaporated milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth. Add the rest of the milk, stirring constantly with whisk over medium heat until thickened. Salt lightly to taste. The cheese will also be salty so keep this in mind as you season. 


Spray a 2-1/2 qt. casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place 1/2 of the macaroni in the dish, top with 1/2 of the Velveeta, cut in very small chunks, and ½ of the white sauce. Repeat layers and top with the sharp cheddar. 


Bake in a 350° oven for 40- 45 minutes until cheeses are melted and sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately. 


Sauce will thicken as it sits, so add a little milk when reheating casserole. 


Note: My dad made the best mac and cheese in the world-or maybe it just seemed that way a bunch of hungry kids. The "blue box" just can't compete with this. Be sure to salt the water well-pasta is bland without it. Feel free to add ham chunks or your favorite cheese as part of the mix. Velveeta melts so smoothly that it should at least be part of the sauce.

                                         Confectionately  Yours,

Sue

The Old Gray Sweatshirt

On chilly mornings, I slip into an old gray fleece jacket before making my coffee and puttering around in the kitchen.  The jacket is too big for me, but its warmth envelopes me, cozy and reassuring.

My husband wore this jacket as he did his autumn or early Spring chores around the house.  It’s a reminder to me of the man who truly loved his wife as Christ loved the church.  He was such a giver of time, talent, & treasures to his family & others.

As I open my bible, and have my quiet devotional time, I’m also reminded that God’s word is a lot like that old gray sweatshirt.  I feel God’s love envelope me through those pages.  I gain a calmness, a confidence & security that God sees me in my circumstances, that He loves me just as I am, but that He doesn’t want me to stay that way.  He has begun a work in me that hasn’t yet been completed as yet.

He gives me strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow. As the song says, “Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my household and hospitality tips with the WEEC listeners.  I’m posting a recipe today for Taco Soup. 

It takes only a few minutes to put together using ground beef, taco seasoning, dry Ranch dressing mix, pinto beans, canned or frozen corn, and canned tomatoes.  Add some crackers or bread, and you have a complete and healthy meal.  You could even use ground chicken or turkey for the beef if you wish to make this soup even lighter.

It’s as warm and comforting to me as that old gray sweatshirt, and sure to hit the spot on these chilly days ahead.  

TACO SOUP
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
chopped onions and peppers, to taste
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 (16-oz.) can whole kernel corn grated cheese, for garnish
3 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans, undrained
3 (16-oz.) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
5-6 c. water
grated cheese, for garnish
In a large pot,brown ground beef with onions and peppers. Drain well. Add the rest of the ingredients, breaking up stewed tomatoes into small pieces. 
Simmer for 20-30 minutes. To serve, top with cheese if desired. Makes 2 1/2 quarts soup.

Note: I am always on the lookout for easy recipes that reheat and freeze well. This soup fits the bill and is even better the next day.