Sweet and Spicy Chili & a Weekend Update

I have been craving chili lately, and with the temps dipping into the 60's/low 70's this weekend, I thought it was somewhat appropriate to make.

I also came across this recipe and was intrigued by the thought of sweet and spicy chili. I never really thought about sweetening up chili, but OMG this was amazing. Probably my favorite chili recipe so far. I am not a huge lover of chili, and really only get a craving for it about once or twice a year, but I already can't wait to make this again, and I think this will become one of my staple fall/winter recipes.

I tweaked this recipe a little just based on my tastes. I don't like a lot of beans, so I only used one can, and I eliminated the onions based on a food allergy. I also used ground chicken since I found a great deal at the store, but you could use ground turkey or beef. I also cut back a little on the cumin because I a not a huge fan of that spice.

To round out my meal, I made some boxed corn bread and added 1 large jalapeno finely diced to give it a little kick.

The flavors in this chili are so rich and kind of reminds me of a smokey BBQ sauce with the addition of the brown sugar. I made this in a dutch oven on the stove top, but it would be really simple to throw everything into a crock pot first thing in the morning and have a great smelling house and tastey dinner when you return home from work. It's a recipe you should definitly try!!

Sweet and Spicy Chili
Adapted from Lolly's Sweet & Savory Treats
Makes about 6 large bowls

• 1 lb lean ground Chicken, Beef or Turkey
• 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1-29oz can Tomato Sauce
• 1-15 oz can diced tomatoes with Green Chiles
• 1-15oz oz can Diced Tomatoes
• 1-15oz can Whole Kernel Corn, drained
• 1-15 oz can Light Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 ¼ cups Water
• 2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 ½ tsp Black Pepper
• 5 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup White Sugar
• 3 Tbsp Chili Powder
• ½ Tbsp Cumin
• 2 Bay Leaves

In a large pot, brown your meat and then drain. I also threw in some garlic with my meat as well half way through the cooking process. Then add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, water and the rest of the seasonings. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low so it can a simmer. Simmer for 3 hours, stirring about every 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

I had some cheese and tortilla chips on hand to serve as well, but the chili was so good as I was tasting it throughout the day that I totally forgot to add them as well.

In addition to making chili and making the house smell oh so good...I also worked on a little sewing project with my Mom, which I will share a little later this week, cleaned and organized a bit, and had dinner with some friends. Overall a great weekend! I am so excited about Fall being just around the corner and am aready in full Fall decorating mode. Am looking to pick up some room diffusers in some fun fall scents and making everything smell all pumpkin and spice!

Hope you had a great weekend and check out more weekend updates over at Sami's Shenanigans

Friday Favorites: Tailgating Fun!

Since we are at the beginning for football season, I thought I would share some of my favorite football themed Pinterest finds. Sorry if many may revolve around one particular team...Go Bucks!


Perfect Tailgate Set-up: Doesn't this look like the perfect tailgate set-up? Just adjust the colors for your favorite team and you are ready to go!

Source: ritzybee.typepad.com via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Outfit: Love everything about this outfit! From a fun team shirt, to the ability to layer for those colder games, to the fun accessories. I especially love that jacket!

Source: dljewels.kickme.to via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Dessert: You will never go wrong with brownies, and how cute are these football shaped brownies?!? And with just the touch of icing, these would be perfect for any sweet tooth!

Source: bettycrocker.com via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Shoes: I totally love my Toms, and I have a red pair for football season. Who knew that they had this scarlet and gray version. Comfy and stylish for cheering for your favorite team.

Source: toms.com via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Spread: Each one of these items is making me super hungry and ready for the next foodball party. I especially love those chocolate covered strawberries.

Source: herblog.com via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Jewelry: Isn't this so cute! I have seen these necklaces in other states, and knew that they had one for Ohio, but this is the first time I have seen one. Will need to look into getting one of these.

Source: etsy.com via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Food: More great tailgating food. Love the picnic basket to carry it all, and sliders and chili are just perfect for fall.

Source: thepartydress.net via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Decor: I love making seasonal wreaths for my front door, and this one is perfect for football season, and looks easy to make. Now off to find some buckeyes.

Source: twobitesatthecherry.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Perfect Tailgating Manicure: Although it looks a little complicated for my abilities, how fun would this manicure be to sport on game day?! I may have to try this out very soon; I think I can handle the polka dots :)

Source: via Jen on Pinterest

What's some of your favorite things for tailgating?


 

Spaghetti with Acorn Squash

This recipe was in the October 2011 issue of Everyday Food and the original recipe called for butternut squash and also escarole. I used half of an acorn squash, and did not include the escarole and it was still very delish!

This pasta uses a brown butter sauce, and really who can go wrong with a brown butter sauce...no one! It was so buttery and the acorn squash really helped to fill you up. I also included some ricotta cheese and some parmesan cheese which just helped to make everything very creamy.

Spaghetti with Acorn Squash
October 2011 Everyday Food
**Please note I am including my version of this recipe. I did halve the recipe and got 2 servings, but I'll include the full recipe for 4 servings.

Ingredients:
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
-- 1 pound of spaghetti
-- 6 tbs unsalted butter
-- 7 oz ricotta (3/4 cup)
-- Parmesan cheese, sprinkle however much you want on top before serving

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook squash until crisp tender, about 3 mins. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a colandar to drain.

Return water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbs butter over medium-high heat. Add squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife, about 8 mins. Add to pot with pasta.

To skillet, add 4 tbs butter and cook, swirling skillet occasionally until butter is lightly browned and has a nutty aroma, about 1 min.

Drizzle over pasta and toss to combine, adding enough pasta water to create a light sauce. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Top with ricotta and parmesan cheese.

**Please note I only added the ricotta cheese right before serving. If you are going to have left-overs the next day you may want to hold off adding the ricotta cheese.

Chicken with Balsamic Pears

This recipe was in the October 2011 issue of Everyday Food. I have been craving some pears lately, and this recipe just totally hit this spot. The original recipe called for turkey cutlets, but I used chicken instead since I always have a ton of chicken in my freezer. I made sure to pound the chicken breasts down so they were rather thin and would cook quickly.

The pears really cook down and you get more of the tangy balsamic and thyme flavor, but with the texture of the pears. It was really good and it was still good the next day for leftovers.

Chicken with Balsamic Pears
October 2011 Everyday Food
**I halved this recipe and came up with 2 servings. Full recipe is below. I also used dried thyme instead of fresh.

Ingredients:
-- 4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (or turkey cutlets)
-- coarse salt and ground pepper
-- 3 tbs unsalted butter (I actually just used olive oil)
-- 3 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
-- 3 garlic cloves
-- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used dried and used about half since they were dried)
-- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
-- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
-- 2 tsp grainy mustard (I used honey mustard)
-- 2 pears, cored and sliced into thin wedges (I used red pears since this is what I could find at the store)

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat 1 tbs butter (or olive oil) over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Add 2 tbs butter (or olive oil) to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add shallots, garlic and thyme and then season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until shallots begin to soften, about 6 mins.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar and mustard. Add pears to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 mins.

Add broth to mixture, cover and cook 5 mins. Uncover, increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 - 5 mins.

Return chicken to the skillet, along with any juices. Toss to combine and serve.

This was also good the next day adding to some greens with some feta for a tasty salad. Served with acorn squash.

Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges

I have always wanted to try an acorn squash, and when I finally got one, I just had to try this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Anything with butter and brown sugar just has to be delish, and the rosemary gave it a little bit of a floral twist. The acorn squash was very sweet and tasted like candy, and after baking for around 50 mins, it was just falling off the skin.

The hardest part was getting it cut open. You really need a sharp and sturdy knife. Once you get the point into the center it gets a little easier. The tough outer skin is really the hardest. Totally worth it though!

Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges
The Pioneer Woman
**Please note I used only a half of one acorn squashes, so I only used about 1/4 of the recipe. The full recipe is below and I followed it exactly except I used dried rosemary instead of fresh.

Ingredients

• 2 whole Acorn Squash, Cut Into 8 Wedges Each
• 4 dashes Olive Oil
• Salt To Taste
• 1 stick Butter
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
• 2 Tablespoons Rosemary (minced)

Preparation Instructions:

Place wedges in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then roast in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Combine butter, brown sugar, salt, and rosemary in a bowl and mix into a paste.
Remove squash from oven and smear paste all over squash. Return to the oven for 30 minutes, until brown and caramelized.

Halfway through roasting, your paste will have become a sauce. Brush sauce over the top of the squash and then continue roasting until time is complete

Serve in the baking dish, drizzling more sauce at the end. Yummy!

Fall Inspiration

Fall is my favorite season and I love to decorate for fall. I love the warm oranges, and reds and browns, and the colors just go so well with my decorating style.

All of these fall magazines have given me some inspiration to get ready and excited about fall.

I will admit I am not excited about colder weather and winter soon approaching, but I am enjoying the cooler, crisp temperatures. I am also getting excited about pumpkin flavorited items and I actually hit up Starbucks yesterday for my first pumpkin spice latte of the season (which you can also find a knock-off version, or 2, here).

I have to tell you a quick story about my Starbucks trip. I placed my order and then pulled up to the window. The girl working the drive through was very perky and when she repeated my order she then said "you look super excited about this pumpkin spice latte." I was excited, but I don't think I looked overly-excited. She then asked if this was my first of the season, and when I said yes, she said she was so excited to be experiencing my first of the season pumpkin spice latte with me. She then handed me my drink and told me that she hoped that this latte was everything I expected and more. She was very sweet, but it just made me laugh because I think she was more excited about it than I was, and I was pretty darn excited.

Anyway...I do have some other pumpkin flavored treats, which you can find here. I also am eager to find some new recipes to try and share as well. Last year I totally stocked up on canned pumpkin so it would get me through the season and through winter. I am sure that I will stock up this year as well...ha!

So here are some of the fall items I have put out for fall. I have some halloween decorations as well, but I'll hold off until October before I pull them out (don't want to rush the seasons too much right!).

The wreath on my front door. My front door is not very protected, so I keep my wreaths on the inside of the door. I wish I could find something that would outlast the weather, but for now, to keep my wreaths looking nice, I keep them indoors.

This is the center piece on my coffee table in the living room. I got this idea from a Crate and Barrel mailer last fall. I just used my "traveling leaf" (as my friends call it) platter, placed a hurricane with some fall shaped glass beads (Pier 1 last year) and a pumpkin spice candle, and then tied some raffia around it. I have had the candle for a few years now, and it still smells so good, even unlit. Go Pier 1 candles!

This is my dining room. I got the topiary at Garden Ridge a long time ago. I am sure you can find something similar at Joann's, Old Time Pottery or Garden Ridge. The table runner I got last year at Pier 1. I need to find some fall inspired candles for my candle holders. They just look too springy in this picture.

Some fall things for the kitchen. Dishtowels (orange one from Crate and Barrel, plaid one from Kohls), some plaid ribbon for my platter (Southern Living at Home), and of course a cinnamin pumpkin candle from Bath and Body Works (my favorite!).

A few weeks ago while visiting my Grandparents in W.Va. we went to Blenko Glass and I got this orange glass bowl. I thought it looked like a flower and thought it would be perfect to hold some delish fall apples.

Of course the bathroom can't be left out. I got this little fall sign a long time ago at Hobby Lobby for probably only a few dollars. I didn't really have a place to put it, but it fit perfectly on the sink in my guest bath. The sunflowers are there all year long, but they are very fall-like.

Hope you enjoyed my fall decorations. If you have any fall inspired decorating ideas or recipes, please share.