Chili Cook Off

Well here is my entry in the church chili cook off.  I added a little Fiesta Party Dip Mix and it bumped it up a couple of notches.  If you make the recipe, you should try that. Yum-o! 

I didn't win but anyone that had my chili really liked it and that was a big win in my book. There is always next year!  Congratulations to the 3 winners because it was well deserved. 

Recipe testing

Well, we tested a recipe tonight and it didn't quite work but I learned some things. Am going to retry and hopefully my changes will work better. 

I am so excited that we are entering our Wahoo! Chili in our church's Chili Cookoff tomorrow night. I am excited to see how we do!   I will post our results and the new recipe if it works the second time around. 😃

Fabulous Breakfast Smoothie

So this isn't done with TS products but it is one of my favorites and very good for you. You know, the getting healthy thing and all. You do need a blender, magic bullet or smoothie maker for this recipe. This makes enough for one smoothie. 

Ingredients:

Frozen whole strawberries, not in sauce

Half of a banana 

Half of an individual serving container of low carb or Greek yogurt

A handful of fresh Kale (yes!)

A splash or two of skim milk

Blend until smooth and enjoy.  

(Not the most gorgeous color but it is super yummy)

Freezer Meal Workshops

This is a wildly popular trend on Facebook. Did you know that Tastefully Simple has been doing these for a few years now?  Imagine this......you come home from work, your family says to you "What's for dinner?"  What is your next move?  Do you shrug and say "Beats Me" or do you pull out an already prepared recipe from your freezer?  Imagine having at least 10 of those already prepared meals in your freezer. Sweet!  Right?!  I can help. You can attend one of my fun local workshops (if you are in Indy) or the surrounding area, host one of your own fun workshops or contact me to purchase the kit to be sent right to you. How easy is that?  Are you following me on Facebook?  I post my scheduled workshops that I am hosting on my page. You can find me as Valerie Atwell - Tastefully Simple Independent Consultant.  Like my page and like some of the things on my page so that you can see the updates in your newsfeed. I do have a workshop coming up on October 26. Registration ends on October 15 so you need to hurry if you want to attend that one. Space is limited. Check my event calendar for the next one and register early for a prize. Bring a friend. It is a lot of fun. 

Black Bean Burgers and Seasoned Oven Potatoes

You have seen that we are trying to eat healthy.  That is the inspiration for this recipe.  I did a lot of research on black bean burgers.  I had never made them before.  We had eaten them but had never made them.  I love, love, love to create recipes, so when my husband said, let's make (meaning me) some black bean burgers, I was up for the challenge.  I have made the seasoned oven potatoes for years, so they were the perfect match.  They are a bit lighter too and you could certainly make them with sweet potatoes.  I just had white potatoes in my pantry, so that is what I used.  Just use what you have.

Black  Bean Burgers

Ingredients:
2 cans of whole black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small white or red onion, minced
1 carrot or 5-6 baby potatoes, minced

1 bag of frozen corn
1 tsp Seasoned Salt
1/2 Tbsp Garlic Pepper Seasoning
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 to 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Mash the beans until you get a coarse paste.  Add the onions, carrots, seasonings and mix well.  Add the egg mixture and mix again.  Start off with 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and mix well.  If it appears too sticky add the rest and mix well.  Create patties, you should get 6 out of the batch.  Let rest while you prepare your potatoes.

Seasoned Oven Potatoes

Ingredients:
4-5 potatoes, cut in half and then sliced
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Seasoned Salt

Place sliced potatoes in a bowl, add olive oil and seasoned salt.  Toss to coat and pour out onto cooking sheet making sure they are all flat on the sheet.  Bake at 475 degrees while you are cooking the burgers (about 15-20 minutes), turn at least once during the cooking time.

Cook the burgers on a griddle or grill pan greased with olive oil until browned and firm.  I cooked 4 and then 2 to make sure they all cooked evenly.

Serve with a bun (or not) and your favorite toppings. 

An Ode to The King In Muffins

I have always liked Elvis and you may know or you may not, that he really liked peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Well, this is my tribute to him. 

Ingredients:

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Mix

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

1 1/2 stick of melted butter

1 cup water

1-2 tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish. While it is still hot, add the peanut butter and whisk well. Add the water and then the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread mix. Stir until just combined. With a teaspoon, spoon into a mini muffin pan. Line your counter with wax paper and using a sifter or strainer, dust with cocoa powder. 

Bake for 20 minutes and cool on a wire rack. These make a great dessert for the game day, holiday get together or other gathering.  If you are having a large crowd, you better make a double batch. ;)

Split Pea Soup

I love the fall and this is one of my favorite things to take that is warm, filling and pretty good for you.  Your tastebuds will be happy, happy. 

Ingredients:

1 bag of green split peas, rinsed and drained

3 baby carrots, minced

1 stalk of celery, minced

1-2 tbsp Onion Onion

1 tbsp Garlic Pepper Seasoning

1 tsp Seasoned Salt

2-4 turns of a black pepper grinder

1 pkg of ham cubes, rinsed and drained 

8 cups of water

Add all ingredients to a large soup pot. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours or until the peas are soft and the broth is thickened some. For a thicker soup, add a slightly cooled cup of the soup mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Add back to the soup and cook until thickened. Serve with  Bountiful Beer Bread or crackers.