Wendy's Chili Recipe

My husband found this recipe and made this for us.  It does taste so much like Wendy's chili!  Give it a try!

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Ingredients:

2 pounds Ground beef
1 can (29 ounce size) tomato sauce
1 can (29 ounce size) kidney beans w/liquid
1 can (29 ounce size) pinto beans w/liquid
1 medium Onion, diced
2 Green chili, diced
1 Rib celery, diced
3 medium Tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons Cumin powder
3 tablespoons Chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
2 teaspoons Salt
2 cups Water

 

Directions:

Brown the beef and drain the fat off. Crumble the cooked beef into pea size pieces. In a large pot, combine the beef plus the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook stirring every 15 minutes for 2-3 hours.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Wendy's Chili serves/makes 8

CREAM of ZUCCHINI SOUP

My Dad just said, "Not bad.   I'd better have a another cup!"  Today I am made  "Cream of Zucchini Soup" for my parents from the fresh zucchini Aunt E and Uncle R sent over from their garden.  

Just last week Aunt J and Uncle G brought over THIS zucchini soup to share with my parents. The recipe is my Mother's she has served for the last several years and shared with several women although I didn't grow up with it.  

I asked her today where she got it.  She got it from an Air Force General's wife Gloria O. on a visit to Ramstein Germany.  

CREAM of ZUCCHINI SOUP

3 lb. zucchini 
2 cans chicken broth
2 tsp. salt ½ cup water
1 tsp. onion powder 
1½ cups half & half
1 tsp. garlic powder 
Seasoned salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Chives for garnish
 
Slice zucchini into 1" pieces. Put in a large kettle. Add salt, onion & garlic powder, white pepper, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes, stirring now and then. Blend in a blender until smooth, about 1/3 at a time.  

Place in a clean kettle. Stir in half & half. Season to taste. Heat until heated through. May be refrigerated overnight or FROZEN.  Garnish with chopped chives.

Aunt J's personal preference is to increase the spices called for.

Canned Beans Taco Soup

I made this quick meatless taco soup for dinner and we liked it.  The hominy in it feels like the meat you leave out of it.  

When you serve it you may add salsa or ketchup or tabasco according to your taste, if desired.

Canned Beans Taco Soup

1/4 c. water  to saute the onions in

1 small chopped onion

3 cans (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt (optional)

1 tsp pepper

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (16 oz.) lima beans, rinsed and drained (I used 1 package of frozen lima beans instead, but should have used half of that).

1 can (14.5 oz.) hominy, drained

3 cans  (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes

1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 pkg. 1 1/4 oz. ) taco seasoning

1 1/2 c. water 

Tortilla chips (optional)

In a large soup kettle, saute onion in water until tender.

Add all ingredients except chips; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.

Huckleberrying

It's huckleberry picking time here. We went "Huckleberrying" in the woods with some friends.   We had bear spray with us, but didn't see any bears thankfully.  It's probably because we made enough noise to keep them away. We did buy some Huckleberry Gummy Bears at the local grocery store however to taste. As for real huckleberries, the rule was you could eat one for every 10 you picked. She was caught eating them! This guy was determined to fill his bucket with huckleberries before he left, but after 4 hours of picking, each family had just a gallon. Don't tell any huckleberry purists, but we broke off a limb full of huckleberries to take to Mummo, so could see, smell pick and taste them fresh from the woods:) And you can see , we had a nice break to eat our sandwiches in the woods too. It was so beautiful there.

My husband has been carefully sorting washing, drying and freezing our huckleberries.  He's been reminiscing about picking blueberries in Labrador Canada and I remember picking them in Finland this time of year as well.

Picking raspberries is a whole lot easier than picking  huckleberries is.   One neighbor's raspberries have grown under our fence and they've also given us permission to reach over the fence and pick some as well. Another neighbor has also invited to pick at their house.  After picking huckleberries all afternoon our kids picked raspberries at the neighbors house.  We've enjoyed huckleberries and raspberries alone, on waffles, in syrup and so forth today.  We could substitute them for the blueberries in the Cardamom Cake I posted earlier or in anything else which uses blueberries, but huckleberries are used sparingly, since they are so hard to get.  Maybe we'll make a cheesecake to sprinkle some on.  We'll freeze almost all of our huckleberries and bring them out on special occasions, like the first day of winter to remind us of our enjoyable outdoor summer adventure.  

Here is a link to some huckleberry recipes I found online. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/hucklebe.htm

As for the raspberries, I think I'll try what our neighbor served the recipe exchange the other night.  It's much like the strawberry rhubarb soup (kisseli) I've posted the recipe for before, but it made with berries, this time of the year, raspberries.  Yummy!

Maria's Swedish Berry Cream Dessert Soup

1 quart berries (straw, rasp, goose, blackberries or currants)
3 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP potato flour or corn starch

Clean berries. Bring water to a boil, add berries and sugar and boil several
minutes. Mix potato flour with small amount cold water, stir in and bring
again to boiling point. Cool covered and serve with cream or milk.

Aunt Beth's Soup Recipes

There are 2 soups I remember Aunt Beth serving me. She gave my husband both of those recipes. Since we served minestrone at RS, I also want to include her version of it and her other soup recipe -- tomato and cheese. Here they are:

Title: Aunt Beth's Minestrone Soup

Description:
Aunt Beth said, "I make this when I have a beef roast left overs."

Ingredients:
Use large kettle. Saute in 1/4 cup oil:
1 c (or more) chopped onions
1 clove (or more) garlic
add 2 1/2 qts. water
1 can beef broth undiluted
1-12 oz. can tomato paste, not sauce
1 pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 c (or more) shredded cabbage
2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t Italian Herbs seasoning
1-2 1/2 can Italian style tomatoes
1-15 oz. can red kidney beans

Directions:
Cook above for about 1/2 hour, then add 1 cup small elbow macaroni. Stir often. Add 1 c or more roast beef. Simmer together about an hour. One friend of Aunt Beth's used to use chopped spinach or any other left over vegetable.


Title: Aunt Beth's Tomato & Cheese Soup

Directions:
Saute 1 chopped onion in oil and garlic. Add tomatoes, green pepper - diced, and celery. Cook until pepper and celery are "al dente". Then add diced cheese either Monterey Jack or Mozzarella. Aunt Beth said, "When you have fresh tomatoes, this is good, but can also be made with canned."

What has Relief Society done for you?

Tonight was our Relief Society Birthday Celebration!

It's always so much fun to get together with other women to share good food and good conversation and be entertained.

We celebrated the contribution the Relief Society has made to so many lives, so much so that the average Laurel would never realize its impact.

Table SettingsDon't you just love these centerpieces. I think she did such a beautiful job with them!

I'm thankful they shared the recipes of what we made and brought with us. So I have them handy for my use from any internet connection, any day, I'll share them here too. We served minestrone soup, rolls, and key lime pie.

Minestrone Soup
1lb hamburger, browned
2 chopped onions
2 T. green peppers
4 stalks celery chopped
2c. potatoes, diced
3 c. carrots, diced
2 c. diced tomatoes
1/4 c. barley
1 1/2 qt. water
1 c. tomato or V8 juice
6 whole allspice
1 bay leaf
1 t. sugar
2 T. parsley
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper, season salt, garlic salt to taste
Simmer 3-4 hours or put in crockpot for 10-11 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.

I'd suggested sorbet to cleanse the pallet and they decided to serve it this fun way.

Frozen Key Lime PieFrom "Favorites" Crust: 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons sugar ¼ cup butter, melted Mix together and press into a 9 inch springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes. Filling: 1 pint lime sherbet 1 pint Haagen-Dazs zesty lemon sorbet 1 pint vanilla frozen yogurt 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice Soften and mix together in mixer. Spoon into crust. ¼ cup coconut, toasted Fresh limes for garnish Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Freeze for at least 4 hours. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with sliced limes on top.

Favor
Easter colored candies served as the take home favor in fun carrot shaped boxes.

Program

Our program was two part -- first a play about the role of Relief Society and then 3 sisters shared how RS stepped in to help each of them. I know I've been helped by the Relief Society organization. It doesn't matter where I've lived or visited, I've found instant friends, enrichment and consistency.
I'm so grateful for Relief Society in my life.

Idaho Baked Potato Soup

Well, tonight I'm going to serve fruit soup, of which the recipe is posted here in July 2007, but I was considering making a Potato Soup.

First, my husband made a fun potato soup recipe with our Vita Mix last week. The Recipe is:
(oops, gotta find it again)
Then at my request, my sister-in-law shared how she makes potato soup.
boil cubed potatoes, mash half the potatoes somewhat, add cream, run the other half of the potatoes in food processor, add bacon bits and green onions, salt and pepper.

And finally my Mother wants me to make "Idaho Baked Potato Soup" for her on the recommendation of a long time friend who sent her the recipe on a postcard.

Idaho Baked Potato Soup
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups milk
4 large baking potatoes, baked, peeled, and cubed (about 4 cups)
(When I make baked potatoes next, I'll just bake 4 extra ones in the oven and then make this.)
4 green onions, sliced
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (so nice to keep a bag of bacon bits on hand)
1 1/4 cups shredded cheese
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Ever tasted cold fruit soup? Kisseli is family favorite!

In Finland and other Scandinavian countries, fruit soup is a part of summer and another way to use the fresh fruit of the season. Last week we attended a Midsummer's Party and along with many tasty dishes 2 types of Fruit Soup -- rhubarb and apricot were served. I've always made the rhubarb version which has been a family favorite as long as I can remember. I have yet to make the apricot version, but it should be about as simple as substituting which fruit you use in the recipe below. When I visited Lappland one summer, my friend served prune kisseli.

I served this at brunch yesterday and thought I'd share the low carb twist we did in substituting from the orginial recipe.

Finnish Rhubarb Soup --Rapaperi Kisseli
Boil 7 cups water,
add 4 cups chopped rhubarb (Choose rhubarb that is as red as possible for a nicer look.)
2 cups Albertson's strawberry jam (optional--I skip it but my mother used it.)
and 1 cup sugar until the rhubarb starts to fall apart.

Taste it and add more sugar, if you want it sweeter.
Remove from heat and
add (4T potato starch stirred into cold water) stirring continually. Use may use corn starch but it will not be as clear.
After it thickens, put it back on heat until it bubbles, then remove completely.

UPDATE:  7/27/13 Usually I serve this cold.  Today I served this rhubarb soup warm and it was great this way too.  Usually my Mother take out her fancy glass bowl, place a silver spoon it and then pour the fresh from boiling soup in the glass bowl to cool.  She would put the spoon in to keep the hot liquid from breaking the bowl.  She'd sprinkle sugar on the top to keep a film from developing on top as it cools.  

Serve with whipped cream on top or just pour some cream, half and half or milk.  Also sprinkle some sugar on top for some crunch! Usually we serve Pulla, the Finnish sweet cardamom braided bread I posted the recipe for at Christmastime.

Now for the low carb adjustments. Instead of using potato starch only, my my husband suggested using part Bob's Red Mill Xanthum Gum, so we did. I'll experiment next time to see if it can be used exclusively. Instead of sugar, I used Splenda. Instead of strawberry jam, I used fresh strawberries and drastically increased the cups of Splenda.

Also I did some looking on the internet and found this recipe for it you may want to look at. Finnish Rhubarb Soup
(Rapaperikiisseli)
http://www.soupsong.com/rrhubarb.html
Such a soft shade of pink, and so pretty with the mounds of whipped cream drifting across the surface. It's a wonderful last course, serving as a delicate and refreshing palate cleanser after a rich dinner...right before you retire to the parlor and bring on buttery pastries and coffee. Serve cold to 6 in flat soup plates to heighten the effect of the puffs of whipped cream.
2 cups water
2 cups of little bitesize pieces of fresh rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water
Garnish: 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and stir in the rhubarb bits, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes (or until very tender). Mix the cornstarch into the 2 Tablespoons of water, then slowly stir into the boiling soup. Cook several more minutes, until the soup is clear and thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick. Let cool, then cover and let chill.
When ready to serve, ladle into flat soup plates and float several puffs of whipped cream on top of each.