Two Ways to National Chili Day

Two Ways to National Chili Day

national chili day

Tomorrow (Feb. 25) is National Chili Day; and since that’s one of my favorite meals to make and eat, I thought I might celebrate by sharing two great chili recipes. The first one is my own traditional recipe and the second is from last month’s Real Kitchen mom. Katie’s chipotle chicken chili is a great alternative to the regular stuff I’ll be cooking up in my kitchen tomorrow; so if you’re looking for something new to try, you might want to give it a go. Of course, if you want to share your own favorite chili recipe, e-mail me or leave it in the comments. I would love to see how you make this national crowd pleaser in your own home.

Chili
Serves 6
Quick and easy go-to recipe for super yummy chili every time.
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb browned ground beef (or venison)
  2. 1/4 cup chopped onion
  3. 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  4. 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  5. 1 tbsp chili powder
  6. 1 can (16 oz) dark red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
  7. 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
  8. 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
  9. 1 can Ro-Tel Chili Fixins
  10. 1 dash of Tabasco sauce
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to a large pot and if the chili is not "soupy" enough, add a bit of water.
  2. Bring chili to a boil, stirring periodically.
  3. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 - 2 hours with lid on pot.
  4. Serve hot.
Notes
  1. You can add some chopped jalapenos or more Tabasco to give your chili some kick.
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Chipotle Chicken Chili
Serves 6
Slow cooker recipe for a family-favorite chicken chili
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Ingredients
  1. 4 cans (15oz) Chili Beans
  2. 2 cans (15oz) Light Red Kidney Beans, drained
  3. 2 cans (15oz) Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained
  4. 1 can Ro-Tel
  5. 1 can Tomato Sauce
  6. 2 lbs Boneless Chicken Breast
  7. Chili Seasoning
  8. Chipotle Seasoning
Instructions
  1. Season chicken with chipotle seasoning and bake, then cube.
  2. In crockpot, add all beans, Ro-Tel, tomato sauce, cubed chicken, and favorite chili seasoning, and let slow cook throughout day.
Notes
  1. All quantities and varieties are by preference. To speed it up for morning prep, bake and cube chicken the night before.
https://www.smalltalkmama.com/
New Knobs Know-How: Little Touches Have Big Impact

New Knobs Know-How: Little Touches Have Big Impact

Yes, I’m writing a post about knobs. While I know my husband is shaking his head about now, I hope the rest of you will stay with me and eventually nod your head or throw in an “awesome” or “a-ha” by the time we reach the end.

Let me start by saying that I love the little touches. The little touches that say, “I’m not builder’s grade,” “I may be small but I say a lot,” and “I make all the difference.” I love to change out the smaller items like knobs, pulls, faucets and curtain rods and put my own stamp on a space in a fairly inexpensive way. These accent items can make such a difference in the feel of a room, but their cost is minimal and their impact is grand.

new knobs

So here’s my closet’s new knobs. Never mind that I have very (and I mean very) basic closet doors, which may eventually be changed out with something more interesting one day, but for now they are here to stay and they are donning their new stylish crystal-ish knobs. So there’s nothing too exciting about this picture from this distance but I’m digging the change. Before, I had very basic oil-rubbed bronze knobs that lacked any sort of character and stood out like a sore thumb on the creamy white backdrop of closet doors.

Old knobs

This is a photo of the old closet door knobs — very basic and very boring. In fact, the contrast between the closet door color and the knob only emphasized the fact that they were small and had zero character.

newknob4newknob5newknob6

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And here are the new knobs up close. I was going for subtle sophistication with this choice and think the look was achieved. I love the way the light shines through and bounces off the round knobs without garnering too much attention. These new knobs reflect the look of the round crystals hanging from the bedroom chandelier, and I also like the rubbed silver backs that mimic the muted silver mirror frame hanging on the adjacent wall. These little guys aren’t big, but I think they have a lot to say.

If you’re looking for some new knobs with a bit of character, you might try Hobby Lobby. They have a great selection of fun, whimsical and classy knobs that might just fit the bill, and they go on sale about every other week. While I ultimately went with the choice above, I did try a couple of other selections before making my decision.

newknob2

I love these square crystal knobs. They are very classy and have a nice brushed silver center, but unfortunately they just didn’t work with my doors. As you can see, they overlapped the seam between the two door panels  so much that you could actually see the crack through the knob. Plus, trying to keep them perfectly square and in line with my doors was going to be a feat. While I opted out of this particular knob for my closet doors, I do have another life in mind for these little beauties.

newknob3

This was another fun crystal knob choice. I love the imperfections and the roundish shape, but ultimately the embellishment was way too silver and the shape was just not sophisticated enough to jive with my chandelier. I saved my receipt and these little cuties will go back to the store.

So if you’re itchin’ for a little pick-me-up in your home on a minimal budget, try changing out your knobs. These little touches can have a big impact.

The Weight Is Over, or Not

The Weight Is Over, or Not

weight is overI haven’t shared my “weight is over” progress for a month now; because, frankly, there’s absolutely nothing to report. I mean nothing. I haven’t lost a single pound of my overindulging holiday weight and I’m still not any closer to running another 5k or wearing a bathing suit sans shorts and a t-shirt.

Let me tell you, when your family spends a couple of days at Great Wolf Lodge in February (Christmas gift from Mimi), it’s a real wake up call when you squeeze your lily-white self into a bathing suit and your chubby thighs hang out one end and your back fat squishes up over the other. TMI? Well it’s the truth. I donned a pair of shorts and a saggy wet t-shirt through the lazy river and down every water slide for nearly two days straight.

Maybe I’ve finally hit that age where eating “better” and working out “a little” just doesn’t cut it. Usually I can shed at least a few pounds just by being good, but it looks like my forty-something self will have to bring out the big guns this time around. Now I’m not sure what the “big guns” are, but I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out.

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