Chili Cooking
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of beef (or turkey)
- 3 stalks of celery
- 1 small onion
- 1 large jar of tomato juice
- 1 1/2 tomatoes (about a cup and a half chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups chili beans (home cooked - see recipe below or 1 can of beans)
- 1 can tomato paste
- brown sugar (the not so secret "secret ingredient")
- chili powder
Prep Work:
- Cook the meat with the onions and celery
- Sprinkle the meat with chili powder
- When cooked through - set aside
- Dice the tomatoes
- Prepare the beans (if homemade - see recipe at end)
Kids Work:
- In a large pot mix the meat
- Add the tomatoes
- Add the beans (with some of the sauce)
- Add the tomato paste
- Add the tomato juice
- Add a spoonful of brown sugar
- Add a spoonful of chili powder
- Mix everything together!
Cooking
Simmer on the stove for about a half hour to blend the flavors and warm it all up - then enjoy!Cornbread Cooking
Ingredients:
- (for a full 13x9 pan; halve it for enough for a family of 4/5)
- 2/3 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups milk
- 2 1/3 cups flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- sprinkle of salt
Prep Work:
Have all the ingredients and a hand-held mixer ready to go!Kids Work:
- Kids love to use the mixer - just be sure little fingers stay out of the bowl and that if you leave the mixer to grab and ingredient - unplug it. And make sure it is "off" before plugging it back in!
- Have the kids cream the butter and sugar (you can make the butter very soft by microwaving it for 20 seconds or so - a little melted is fine)
- Add the eggs and milk
- Mix again
- Then add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and sprinkle with salt. You can add all these on top of the liquid and just give it a quick mix to distribute the baking powder a little.
- Mix again - and done!
Cooking:
Cook in a 400 degree oven for 22-27 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.Here's what you will have! Yummmmmmm....
Home cooked beans
These are very easy to make and much tastier than the store-bought (and healthier too!)Ingredients:
- 4 cups water (or more)
- 3 cups (or a little more) of dry pinto beans soaked in water overnights
- small onion (chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning (great homemade seasoning recipe: http://www.theyummylife.com/recipes/76 but I don't add the cocoa powder)
Recipe:
- Discard water and rinse beans
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat
- Add 1 small onion (chopped)
- Add 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
- Saute the onion and garlic until soft
- Add the tomato paste and stir to combine
- Add 1/4-1/3 cup taco seasoning (homemade seasoning recipe here)
- Add 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth) and 4 cups water
- Add the beans
- Strongly simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, keep the water level just the beans (just add water when necessary) and cook until the beans are tasty and tender
