Chili Recipe

        Sometimes, you find something so delicious, so perfect, that it doesn't need a fancy name or catchy title accompanying it.  Sometimes your creation is so perfect that you can't speak, let alone come up with a clever intro for it.  So here is my chili recipe. (Adapted from: cdkitchen.com recipe HERE )

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs ground beef or 1.5 lbs ground beef & 1 lb pork or other ground meat
• 1 tbsp bacon fat
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves chopped garlic
• 12 oz beer
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp beef bullion
• 2 tsp ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (I also add a dash of Cayenne, but leave this out if you don't want things too spicy)
• 1 can Rotel, undrained
• 1 can (12-18 oz) of chili beans, drained not rinsed

Directions:

1. Brown the meat in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned.
2. Drain fat & discard.  Remove meat to a bowl and set aside for now.
3. Heat bacon grease in the skillet, add onion and garlic and cook until tender.
4. Add beer and bring to a boil, scraping bottom of pan to get all the brown delicious crusties.
5. Add remaining ingredients and bring back to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 2 hours.
6. After 2 hours, mix the following in a measuring cup:

• 1 tsp flour
• 1 tbsp cornmeal
• 1 tbsp warm water

     7.  Add this mixture to the chili, mix well, cover and cook for another 20 minutes.

     8.  Serve with cornbread & butter on the side, with toppings of choice (sour cream, cheese, Frito's,           etc).

Enjoy!

*Notes:  Last time I made this, I used half ground beef & half ground steak (Tyson Grilled N Ready Steak, ground up in blender) and it was SO tasty!

Collection of some of my favorite quotes

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Cheddar Bay Biscuits - Recipe

        We don't make a habit of eating out too often, because it's way cheaper (not to mention healthier in most cases) to make our own food!  However, when we do eat out, one of our favorite places is Red Lobster!  Cheddar Bay Biscuits are a huge part of this decision!  I try to limit myself to one or two as to save room for the upcoming appetizers and main dish, but it's so difficult!  These biscuits are heavenly, especially when they're fresh and hot!  The great thing about making them at home is that they can always be fresh and hot!  

        This recipe is super easy, and DELICIOUS!  The secret to these, I think, is a trick that I've picked up over the years in making pie dough, and other "flaky" delicacies (grating frozen butter, working quickly, and minimal mixing).  I found the base for this recipe over at Brown-Eyed Baker's blog and just tweaked it until I found it perfect.  My husband couldn't stop eating these, and when asked how they compared to Red Lobster's version, was heard saying "They're even better!"  

Dough Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp (generous) garlic powder

¼ tsp (generous) cayenne pepper

4 oz shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

1 c buttermilk (I literally never have buttermilk hanging out in my fridge... so I just add about 1 tbsp of vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill it the rest of the way with cow's milk, whisk gently, let sit 10 minutes, and there you have it - buttermilk!)

1/2 c salted butter (1 stick)

Topping Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp melted butter
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• dash of Old Bay

Directions:

1. 475° for your oven.  Line a nice sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prepare your buttermilk (as directed above) so that it's ready when you are.
3. Take a mallet and (with your butter still in the wrapper) flatten your butter a bit, this just increases the surface area and makes it freeze faster.  [*note: you can certainly skip this step if you are the type of person who plans ahead and isn't perpetually running late making dinner]
4. Sift together your dry ingredients until very well combined.
5. Add in the grated cheese, a little at a time, mixing to combine so that the cheese doesn't clump up.
6. Once your butter is frozen, remove it from the freezer and work quickly!  The butter will immediately start to soften/melt, especially as you hold it in your sweaty paww, so time is of the essence here.  Grate your butter with a hand grater - over your bowl, like the cheese - a little at a time, stirring often to coat the butter shreds with flour mixture, to ensure it doesn't clump up.
7. Add your buttermilk and stir only until all ingredients are moist.  You will end up with a final product that even your dog will be ashamed of if you get carried away mixing biscuits, you biscuit mixer you.  Say that 5 times fast.  Bixing Miscuiter.
8. These are drop biscuits so do the right thing and drop them, onto your baking sheet.  I ended up with 9 biscuits one day and 12 the next, so it really depends on what size you make them and how precise you feel like being.   I just eye it up, and you should too, if you value your sanity.
9. Bake these lovelies for 8-12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the scent overwhelms you to the point where you are considering the repercussions of reaching into the inferno known as your oven and taking a bite now.  It's not worth it buddy, you'll need those taste buds for what's coming.
10. While the biscuits are baking, mix your topping ingredients and set aside.
11. Remove your biscuits, immediately brush with the topping & let them sit 4-5 minutes on the sheet, then remove to a cooling rack to finish - um - cooling.  
12. Enjoy!

9/30 Things - Influential People

        We are impacted by everyone we meet and every experience we have, in one way or another.  Sometimes we can be influenced by those we have never met, but have read about or know of.  Those influences can be either good, bad, or neutral.  Usually, those who make the biggest impact on our lives will be remembered for always.  I chose the people on this list because they have made an impact on my life in one way or another.  I honestly don't think of myself as a very easily influenced person, but I wanted to do this challenge, so I'm just going to go with what pops in my head!

1. Jesus.  He died on the cross not just for me but for everyone, and has given us the gift of eternal life. 
2. My husband.  He loves me unconditionally, and we have grown a lot together as a couple, as parents, and both in maturity and spirituality.  He is my life partner, and he has taught me so much.
3. My pastor.  He has a hunger for God that I have not seen in many people.
4. My mom. She's the most selfless person I know, she would do anything for anyone without thinking twice.
5. My mother-in-law.  She's an extremely hard worker, and she's one of the most forgiving and loving people I've ever met.
6. Gianna Jessen. While I haven't had the chance to meet her, she's been such an inspiration and has encouraged me to fight for the pro-life cause, and fight to end abortion.  She survived an abortion attempt in her mother's womb which left her disabled (but not defeated!), and now is a strong voice for the unborn.

        I struggled to think of more than 6 (the challenge was for 10) so I left it at that.  What does it take for someone to earn a spot on your list?

8/30 Things - 5 Passions

        Fittingly enough, after just posting about Passion Monday, my blog challenge for the day is on 5 passions!  Passion describes an intense, and "barely controllable" emotion.  When we are passionate about something, we are obsessed with it and put our all into it.  Passion is aggressive, strong, and full of feeling.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passion

1. Pro-life - I am VERY passionate about being pro-life.  I believe that God put this on my heart, and it is a huge passion of mine.  I hope to be able to start a boarding house in the future to help mothers facing unplanned pregnancies.  I try to educate as many people as I can on the dangers and truths of abortion, and help both the babies AND the mothers/fathers/families involved.  All life is precious.
2. Attachment Parenting - Cosleeping/bedsharing, breastfeeding, babywearing, gentle parenting, having a deep connection and open/honest relationship with one's children.
3. My Marriage/Family - This kind of goes along with the attachment parenting theme... Being close and spending quality time together.  Making time for each other.
4. Relationship with God - This is above all, the most important foundation for building any relationship.  I am passionate about seeking God.  To be completely honest, I had more passion when I was first saved, but I am striving towards getting that passion back.  I pray and ask God to give me a thirst for His word, and to help me spend more time seeking him and sharing the good news with others.
5. Food - Well, I love baking and cooking, so this is a no-brainer.  I love finding new recipes, preparing my ingredients, and just the whole process!

7/30 Things - Dream Job

        Some little girls dream about being princesses when they grow up. Some, however, are more realistic.  Usually, our ideal job / career is different than what we imagined it to be in our childhood.  Personally I've changed my mind several times over the years.  I recall reading somewhere that the part of our brains responsible for rational thinking and decision making don't even form until our mid-twenties.  That explains a lot - about a lot.

        As a youngin', I dreamt of being a veterinarian, oddly enough I don't even really like animals now.  I mean don't get me wrong, if I see a turtle crossing a highway I'll stop to help him, or if I see a cute kitten I'll oogle over it for about 70 seconds, but that's about it... After I realized what being a vet entailed, I moved on to bigger and better aspirations.  Next up was psychologist.  To this day, I'm still quite fascinated by psychology, and if I had the patience and determination to withstand the years of schooling - I don't- I might pursue this field!  Another fascination of mine was being a lawyer.  This is another one that, through the years, has stuck with me as an interesting and desirable field.  My only qualms about this (besides my father telling me I'd have to read a ton of books on law, and I'd never stop reading because there would always be something new to learn) is the concept that most lawyers "lie".  I don't like liars.  Point blank period exclamation point times infinity.  I mean, yeah I understand that you don't "have" to lie, but I've always been under the impression that they twist the truth at the least.

        Now, back to reality.  My dream "job" would be to own my own bakery. Whether that is from home, or a store-front is up for debate.  I am currently working on a business plan to sell baked goods and food from home for now, with the prospect of eventually making it "big".  That said, my true dream "job" wouldn't be considered a job in the sense that I wouldn't be getting paid.  One day I hope for us to be able to build an addition onto our house (probably not our current house, but who knows) and have boarding available for crisis pregnancies.  I would like to work with a local pregnancy center to help young / scared moms facing unplanned pregnancies have a place to stay, learn, and raise their babies until they are stable enough to be on their own.  I would want to help them in any way that I could including cooking for them, giving them rides, providing clothing, helping them find work while providing childcare while they work, etc...

        Ideally, I could run my bakery along with this boarding house, and the bakery would help fund this (non-profit) project.  I want us to be comfortable and happy, rich isn't the goal.  I mean, don't get me wrong, the occasional cruise / vacation would be great, and having the latest laptop wouldn't be too bad either (I love my internet), but a dream job should be your passion, not avenue to riches.

Ignite the fire of your marriage - Passion

        Two of my favorite bloggers, Time-Warp Wife & Women Living Well have just released their newest Marriage Series, entitled: Ignite the fire.  It's a 3 week series, with a different sub-topic each Monday.  This week the hot topic is passion, and it truly is a hot topic!

        We're all familiar with that "butterflies in the tummy" feeling of young love, yes?  The feeling you get when he walks into the room, grabs your hand, or even when you just get a text ;) from your new beau?  Why doesn't he do that anymore? we ponder.  Why did he stop wooing me?  How did holding hands turn into walking single file down a grocery aisle?  When did passing love notes back and forth turn into a plastering a "honey-do list"a mile long on the fridge with an old raggedy magnet?  How did romantic evenings with a glass of wine and candlelight turn into Chinese take-out in front of the TV?

        I remember reading something awhile ago, and while I can't find the exact text, it went something like this:  

A woman was reflecting back on her relationship with her husband, and she noticed that over the years, little things they used to do together became less and less frequent.  One of the biggest changes she noticed from when they had started dating was in their car rides together.  The woman reminisced on how her husband used to drive with one hand on the steering wheel and the other around her shoulder.  A sign of pride that she was his girl, and he was hers.  They'd ride all through town, side by side, singing along to the radio.  One day, while taking a trip to the grocery store, she decided to confront her husband about this.  "Dear, I've noticed that over the years, you stopped putting your arm around my shoulder as we are traveling in the car, and honestly we're sitting too far apart now for it to be possible! What happened?"  Her husband simply replied, "My darling, the steering wheel didn't move, you did."

        The point of this story is that sometimes, while we think it's our spouse who is pulling away, it's really us.  In all honesty, it takes two to tango, but things have to start somewhere.  The biggest lesson here is that you can't fix your spouse, you can only work on YOUR side of the equation.  

        Passion seems to fade in even the strongest relationships over the years, unless that fire is constantly kindled.  We have to actively seek out our husbands, we have to pursue them like we did early in the relationship, show them that we are attracted to them both physically and emotionally.  Sometimes we get so into our routines, that we forget to do the little things that mean so much.  A simple back rub after a long day of work, or making a favorite treat for after dinner can mean so much.  

        Living with someone is a lot different than dating them, and seeing all of their little habits morning noon and night will bring some things to light that didn't "exist" in the dating world.  Snoring, passing gas, morning breath, leaving the toilet seat up, and other unattractive sides of your significant other will suddenly overshadow the way he smelled when he picked you up for dinner on your second date, or the perfectly groomed hair he seemed to always be sporting.  

        This video has been circling around the internet in the past few weeks, and has become somewhat "viral" in that so many people have watched & shared it.  Rightfully so, what a true testament of love... 75 years together and this couple was still madly in love.  So many moments shared and memories savored through the years.  I pray that God gives my husband and I at least that long together.

        While the chase for our spouse might be over, we should never stop chasing after his heart.  We need to find those things that brought us close early in the relationship and make time to share those moments together to rekindle that flame often.  Even with kids, jobs, school, and life keeping us busy, we cannot forget to make time for our partner.  Spending a life together means working through the good and bad, the sickness and the health, whether rich or poor, and making a real effort to stay in love.  Love isn't a feeling, it's a choice.  A choice that needs to be renewed every day.

        Here's the schedule for this marriage challenge:

September 2nd – Ignite Your Passion
September 9th – Ignite Your Kindness
September 16th – Ignite Your Dreams
            - Won't you follow along?

Week 1 Challenge:

Ignite passion in your marriage by investing into your husband joyfully. This may look different in every marriage, the challenge is to focus on an area of your marriage that is a little weak and pour time, energy and love into it.

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