Devilish Chorizo Chili with Hominy

Not only is this chili easy to make ahead, it actually improves with time.

Buy the best-quality chorizo you can find, preferably from a butcher or Mexican market, and avoid the type of chorizo that is very soft and sold in plastic casings; it tends to break down too much in cooking. Substitute another spicy uncooked sausage if you can't find good chorizo.

As anyone who knows us knows Michael loves super spicy dishes. I on the other hand, well not so much. So if you prefer spicy add a teaspoon more of the chili powder if not, well the below recipe is perfect, even for kids.


2 1/2 pounds uncooked chorizo sausages in natural casing
1 pound beef stew meat
2 large onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (7 oz. each) diced green chiles
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon oregano (dried) or 2 teaspoons fresh chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) ale or other hearty beer
2 cans (15 oz. each) yellow hominy, drained
Salt to taste

1. Squeeze sausages from casings into a 6- to 8-qt. pan over high heat; discard casings. Add beef, onions, and garlic. Stir occasionally over high heat, until meat is browned and onion is soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Add green chiles, chili powder, red pepper, oregano, and cumin. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. Stir in tomatoes, ale, and hominy. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.

4. Top with sour cream, chives and cheddar cheese.


This really is very good chili and as I said above it may be devilish but it's not spicy.

Boo Y'all,

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

This recipe will make you slap yo momma- oh my gosh.

Ingredients

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

I emplore you, make this recipe- alot of it, you'll need it!

XOXO, Boo Yum Y'all,

Pea Soup with Black Cat Croutons

You know I thought I'd give it a try. It is good, otherwise I wouldn't be posting it but it doesn't touch my Momma's- I think next time I'll use her recipe. Cute idea though. Enjoy Y'all!

2 medium onions, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 red potatoes, cleaned and chopped
1 large celery rib, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (32 oz.) cartons chicken broth
2 teaspoons chicken base
16 oz. cup water
2 cups green split peas, rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon red peper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Seasoning blend, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream, optional
bacon crumbles, optional
few slices dark rye bread
halloween cookie cutter

Make croutons: using a halloween cookie cutter cut desired shapes out of rye bread, either let set overnight or toast under broiler for about 4 minutes.

Make soup: Add onion, carrot, potatoes and celery to pan; sauté until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add broth, water, peas, bay leaves and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pot and simmer until vegetables are tender and peas fall apart, stirring occasionally, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Puree soup in batches in blender or food processor. Return to pot. Stir in salt and pepper, and any seasoning you prefer, to taste.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Crumble bacon on top. Add a cat crouton and a dollop of sour cream to each bowl.

Like I said above, it is worth making, but if your a meat eater like me, add some ham or something. Anyhow,

Bowls Up Y'all,

Cinnamon and Sunflower Seed Brittle

You know this recipe actually called for pumpkin seeds but our local grocery doesn't carry them and I am so not doing it myself. I don't have little ones and feel no need to carve a pumpkin when I have a porch full of plastic plug in jack o' lanterns already on display. I refuse. So I improvised and decided to use sunflower seeds. Check it out...

1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups honey roasted or just toasted hulled sunflower seeds

1. Lightly butter a 10- by 15-in. baking pan. In a small bowl, stir baking soda in vanilla to dissolve; set aside. In another bowl, stir together cinnamon and salt (to help the cinnamon distribute evenly when it's stirred into the sugar mixture).

2. In a 4- to 5-qt. saucepan over medium-low heat, use a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to stir together sugar, 1/2 cup water, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup butter until butter is melted and sugar is completely dissolved (see Caramelizing Sugar below). Increase heat to medium and boil sugar mixture, stirring occasionally, until it turns a deep amber and measures 335° to 340° on a candy thermometer (see Using a Candy Thermometer below).

3. Remove sugar mixture from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and cinnamon mixtures (they will bubble up). Immediately stir in pumpkin seeds and pour into prepared pan, using spatula or wooden spoon to evenly spread and fill pan. Let brittle cool at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Gently twist pan to release brittle (if necessary, run a heatproof spatula underneath brittle to help release it), then chop or break it into chunks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Caramelizing sugar: Watch closely. Sugar cooks quickly once it begins to brown, so have your ingredients measured and your tools assembled before you start. Before bringing your sugar mixture to a boil, make sure you completely dissolve the sugar and melt the butter: Stir the mixture with a flexible heatproof spatula over medium-low heat, running the spatula around the inside of the saucepan a few times to thoroughly mix everything together.

Michael loves this- so do I- I packed up a whole lot of it, made 2 batches, and am taking them around to everyone. You have to try this recipe.

Boo Yum Y'all,

Witches' Brew Chicken Stoup

This is sooooo good, Michael said this was/is the best chicken soup he has ever had in his life. Doesn't matter what time of the year it is you have to try this.

What is stoup some might ask- well a mix between soup and stew. Stoup.


2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
44 oz. chicken broth
1 tablespoon chicken base
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
8 oz. drained sliced mushrooms
3 (16-ounce) cans great Northern beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Topping ideas: shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, cooked and crumbled bacon

Melt butter and oilive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add chicken and next 3 ingredients, and saute 10 minutes. Stir in broth and next 3 ingredients.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, add broccoli and mushrooms. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in 2 cans of beans and can of chiles.

Mash remaining can of beans in a small bowl. Whisk together flour and milk, and stir into beans. Gradually add bean mixture to soup mixture, stirring constantly. Cook 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro. Serve with desired toppings.

Boo Appetite,

Gross Halloween Spaghetti with Eyeballs

Eyeballs (or meatballs)
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups bread, made into crumbs in food prossecor
2 tbsp. parsley
2 or 3 eggs
1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 7-oz. jar pimiento-stuffed olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients, except the olives, in a large bowl (hands work the best, just slide rings off). Scoop 1/8 cup of meat mixture and form into ball, place on on baking sheet. Mixture should make about 23 meat balls. Push an olive, pimiento side up into meatball, likening an eyeball. Put in oven for about 45-60 minutes.

Spaghetti and Sauce
1 jar prepared pasta sauce
1 lb. spaghetti
1 tbsp. olive oil

Boil water with a bit of olive oil poured in, makes the noodles not stick. Cook noddles according to directions on package.

Heat sauce in saucepan and toss with drained noodles.


Serve however you would like to. We toss it all together and grate parmesan over it. Yum. I also serve this with a salad and some garlic bread.

Think of your own funny, gross or silly names for this dish and watch eveyone eat up.

Boo,

Zombie Food

You know I was thinking about how strange it is that I am so obsessed with Halloween. We don't have kids yet, might never have kids and yet I am so drawn to this holiday. I wonder why? Perhaps I'm a kid. GRIN! I know my husband is.

To get things started I made this Trash Mix to give to our nieces' and nephews- Christian, Brooke, Colton, Lane and Hailey (although Hailey is only days old her daddy, my baby brother, will gladly gobble this up.)

Halloween is on it's way, oh happy day! Enjoy.


1 (16-ounce) package candy corn
1 (15-ounce) package pretzel nibblers
1 (12-ounce) package caramel popcorn and peanuts
1 (15-ounce) package candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 (15-ounce) package dried pineapple
1 (6-ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries
1 (6-ounce) package worm-shaped chewy candy

Stir together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.



Eat up,