Favorite Chili

The inspiration for this recipe came from Debdoozie's Blue Ribbon Chili.  It's a great recipe that over 80,000 people have downloaded and over 1,300 have reviewed.  Here's a link to her original recipe.

I tweaked the original version to make a bigger pot of chili, reduce the fat by using leaner ground beef, and make it heartier and zestier by using more beans, more onions, more chili seasoning, and more salsa. You can make her recipe in just an hour on the stovetop, but I like to let it simmer in my crock pot on low for several hours.  I get raves every time I make it!


Favorite Chili
Ingredients:
3 pounds lean (93%) ground beef (could use turkey but I prefer the texture and taste of beef)
1 medium onion,  chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic salt (you can make your own using 1 part garlic powder to 3 parts salt, store in a spice jar)
4 1/2 cups tomato sauce
24 ounce jar Medium chunky salsa (I have substituted original Rotel for some of the salsa, if I didn't have enough on hand-not bad!)
2 packages 30% Less Sodium Chili Seasoning
3 cans dark red kidney beans, drain liquid
3 cans light red kidney beans, drain liquid
Original Fritos
Light Sour Cream
Shredded cheddar or cheddar/jack


In a large frying pan or electric skillet, brown the ground beef (seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and 2 TBSP of the chili seasoning) and the onions. Cook til beef is no longer pink and onions are tender.  Drain excess fat.  While beef is browning, pour all other ingredients into a large crockpot (mine is 7 quarts, I think), and set heat to Low. Stir in beef and onions. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally, as beans will sometimes stick.  Taste chili about halfway through cooking time, adding more seasoning if desired, according to your family's taste.  I like to serve it garnished with a little shredded cheese, a dollop of light sour cream and a few fritos, but it's also great served with cornbread.  Perfect dish for a cold night, game day or Potluck.  Enjoy! 

Girl time!

I can't even explain how excited I am about our new Women's Bible Study starting this Friday, October 14th!  Over the years, I've been privileged to lead and be part of many women's Bible studies, but this...this is really special.  Maybe it's special because the women of Crossroads are so ready to connect- really wanting to make new friends and grow in their faith. Or maybe it's because of the subject of the study, Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst.  Or maybe it's because I'm finally saying yes to the gentle but persistent nudging of the Holy Spirit to get started. 

 I'm sure it's D.) All of the above! Can't wait for some Girl time..hope you can join us!

Easy Cheesy Breakfast Biscuits

Here's another super easy, inexpensive breakfast idea that's completely portable if you and your crew are in a rush. Made this way, they have 254 calories and 14 g fat. I figured my cost at 34 cents per biscuit, but you could make them cheaper if you use  homemade biscuits, have farm fresh eggs, or buy cheese in bulk.  Waaayy cheaper than boxed cereal or frozen breakfast biscuits! If the recipe makes more than you need, let the extras cool and freeze in ziplocs for a quick microwaveable meal later!

Easy Cheesy Breakfast Biscuits

1 can Pillsbury Grands reduced fat biscuits (8)

vegetable cooking spray

8 eggs

3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake according to package directions, about 13-17 minutes.  About half way through the baking time, spray an electric skillet with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high setting (about 3 minutes in my pan).  For over-medium eggs, space eggs evenly in the pan (to allow for easy turning), salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about 2 minutes or until the whites are firm.  With a non-stick spatula, gently flip eggs and cook for another 30 seconds.  Remove to plate.  When biscuits are done, slice them open and put one egg on the bottom half of each hot biscuit, top with a heaping tablespoon of shredded cheese, and cover with the top biscuit half.  In about a minute, the cheese melts and they are ready to eat!  If your biscuits have cooled, assemble as above, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 10-12 seconds to melt the cheese. 

*To reheat a frozen biscuit, wrap in a paper towel, and cook for 1 min 45 sec on 50% power.  (Remember microwaves vary widely, and you may have to adjust time for your oven's wattage.)

Enjoy!

Lessons from the Run - Finish

I have loved sharing what God has shown me as I trained for and ran this race. Today is the last post in the series, and I find myself just a little bit sad about that.

Let's see...where did we stop yesterday? Oh, yes...still on the 5K course.  I was hot and dehydrated, and more than a little tired.  But catching sight of some other runners put a little zip in my step and I pressed on. As I ran up yet another hill (remember there were no hills in my training?) I saw a sign that said I had just completed two miles.  Two miles? Are you kidding me?? Just then, a big shout went up from the crowd as a group of runners crossed the finish line.  So discouraging.  They were already finished, and I was only 2/3 of the way there!  As I plodded toward the race's end (yes, I know it was a race, but I plodded during a lot of it, ok?) with maybe a half mile still to go.... I saw them....my running partners! They had finished the race, and were coming back for me! I tried not to let them see the tears in my eyes as they began running alongside me, encouraging me. "You're almost there!" "Water just ahead!" "Only one more hill, you GOT this, girl!" My friend Kelly put her iphone on speaker and blasted Katy Perry's "Firework" as we got closer to the finish.  I literally borrowed their strength when mine was gone.

We crossed that finish line together, we cheered, and the crowd cheered!  My friends knew I was nearly last to finish (my time was 39 mins, 10 secs. No, I am not kidding) but they didn't let me finish alone!  Isn't that amazing?!  I'll leave you with a picture of us, and three things I learned about finishing:

(Ben, Kelly, Caden, Rob, Gene (darling hubs), Chris, Kristi (1st place winner), Natalie (3rd place winner), Will (1st place winner), and me #62)

*Steady is better than speedy. I am not fast, but I didn't quit.  Do your best, put one foot in front of the other, and you can finish your race.  Maybe not in record time, but... :o)

*Cheer the small victories of those just starting out. This was my first race, just a little 5K, but it was huge to me.  My friends made me believe I could achieve this goal.  In the same way, those just beginning their faith journey need to be encouraged when they take even the smallest steps toward God.  Everyone needs a cheering crowd. 

*If you're strong, don't just run YOUR race. Reach back to help those who are behind you.  I'm so glad my friends did more than just finish their races.  They thought about me, came to where I was, and helped me finish. This is a beautiful picture of discipleship and life in a community.  Yes, we run to win our race, but we only fulfill part of God's plan if we don't reach back and help someone else win theirs. 

Today's Verse:  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:12-13

Prayer for Today: Father, thank You for those You have placed in my life to strengthen and encourage me.  But I don't want to just run my race. My life is not my own, but Yours.  Please show me those I can help and encourage along the way.  In Jesus name, Amen. 

Lessons from the Run - Endure

Welcome back to Chick Food for more Lessons from the Run.  I'm calling this post "Endure" because endurance is exactly what we need in the most difficult part of any race...The Middle. 

 There is excitement when we start anything.  There is satisfaction in finishing.  But the middle is actually where races - in sports or in life - are won or lost. The middle is the hardest part!  It's true.  In a marriage, in a friendship, in a battle, in a life...that dull, difficult trudge toward the finish line is where many people drop out.  But sticking it out in the doldrums has life-altering benefits if we just... don't... quit.  

If you're new to Chick Food, jog on over to the two previous posts Couch to.... What? and Lessons from the Run - Begin and you'll be up to speed in no time. Here are the life lessons I learned during the middle of my recent 5K race:

*It is unwise to compare yourself to anyone else - run YOUR race.  From the very beginning of the race, I was at the rear of the pack.  Having run 5K only a couple of times prior to the race, I was pretty sure that's where I'd find myself.  I told my running partners "I'm not racing anyone else, I'm racing the old me, the one on the couch!" We run to win our race.

*Even when no one is watching, honor Christ.  Because I was at the rear of the pack, I was alone for much of the race.  The course was a winding 3.1 miles through a suburban neighborhood with many cul-de-sacs. At one point, several dozen people who were walking the 5K came into view, and I noticed they were omitting all of the cul-de-sacs, cutting off a significant amount of distance... they were cheating!  After they passed by, no one would have seen me if I had done the same thing.  No one but me...and God.  I ran every cul-de-sac, because He is watching, and I want to walk honestly before Him. 

*When you run alone, it's easy to lose sight of your goals and get discouraged. After running nearly 2 of the 3.1 miles, most of it alone, I began to get disoriented and discouraged. I couldn't see the finish line, I was overheated and dehydrated, I hadn't seen any other runners for a while, and I began to question whether I was still on course.  Then I passed a race official, so I knew I was on the right track. Whew! I was wearing earbuds, so he assumed I couldn't hear him, and I overheard him say into his two-way radio "There's a woman here....#62...uhh...is she walking or running?" Ok, buddy.  I get it.  I'm slow. More discouragement. But just then, I saw a few other runners, and I re-focused on finishing my race. Which leads me to my next learning....

*Others need to see you running your race.  Seeing those runners gave me perspective.  It gave me hope and courage.  I needed to see them heading for the finish line.  They inspired me...if they could finish, so could I!  Even though our life-race is an individual pursuit , we need each other.  We are not meant to run alone. 

And there I leave you.  I hope you'll join me tomorrow for Lessons from the Run - Finish.

Today's Verse: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...Hebrews 12:1 NKJV


Prayer for Today: Father, help me to focus on MY race, what You have called me to do.  Help me to keep the faith, and run with patience through the "middles" in my life.  Help me connect with a community of believers to help me finish strong.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Lessons from the Run - Begin

There are so many verses in the Bible that refer to the life of a Christ follower as a "race".  Here are just a few of them:  (Acts 20:24, 1 Cor. 9:24, 2 Timothy 4:7, Hebrews 12:1)  Though I have studied all of these verses in the past, they really came alive for me the first time I ran an actual race, a 5K on September 24, 2011.  

Here are the life lessons I took away about getting ready to run:

*Dream bigger than your current ability.  When I decided to run the 5K, I could only run a mile.  

*Even if you're unsure, set goals, show up, and do your best.  I wasn't sure I would be ready by September.  I mean, I just got off the couch, ya know??  But I set a goal, and I worked toward it, and if I wasn't ready by race day, I still would have made great progress.  And there's always the next race!

*Quitting is easy when you're accountable to no one.   So many mornings, I wanted to sleep in instead of getting up at 4:30.  But the thought of disappointing my running partners (I'm married to one of them!) kept me showing up, even on the most difficult days. I borrowed their strength when I didn't have enough of my own.

*Make sure your preparation matches your race.  I learned this one the hard way! We trained at 5:00am (when it's cool and dark), on a figure 8 shaped track that was smooth and flat.  The actual race was held at 8:00am (about 82 degrees at race time), on roads through a neighborhood, with LOTS of hills. If your race is hard...train hard.

*Before you start, decide you're going to finish. At several points during the race, I felt like quitting.  But I had already decided how I would respond when that happened.  I. Will. Not. Quit.  I told myself I would cross the finish line, even if I was walking, not running. 

Making decisions in advance will serve you well in your Christian life.  I don't need to decide if I will read my Bible in the mornings, or if I will go to church on Sunday.  I've already decided some things!

Join me here tomorrow on Chick Food for Lessons from the Run - Endure!


Today's Verse: You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.  1 Cor 9:24-25 Message


Prayer for Today: Father, help me to train hard for the "race" of my life.  Help me to throw off the sin that slows me down, and stay focused on running in a way that brings glory to You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.