Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Game Day Chili














My family loves to eat and watch football, so last week after I posted my blog and before the game started, I headed to the kitchen to put on a pot of “Game Day Chili.” I knew it would be a big hit and because this recipe is so easy to make, I was out of the kitchen and enjoying the fun with everyone before I knew it. We watched the game, ate, laughed and cheered as our team won, and then we ate some more. It was good.

Now I must say, I’ve talked to a lot of people over the years and it seems like everyone likes their chili different. Some like it spicy, some not. Some like it in a bowl or piled high over dogs, brats or burgers. Some like chili on baked potatoes or served on fries, tots or pasta. No matter how you like it, chili is just good eating, and this hearty chili recipe is sure to please.

I hope you try some of my Game Day Chili and top it off with a combination of your favorite ingredients. How about some different types of cheeses, onions, peppers, bacon or fresh mushrooms? Add a dash of hot sauce or salsa, and don’t forget the corn chips, tortillas or crackers. We like hearing from you, so let me know how it turns out or what your fans like in their chili, and thanks for stopping by.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (93 % lean or leaner)

1 (1 oz package) Williams Chili Seasonings or your favorite (The Williams Seasoning package says to use one 1oz package of seasoning with 2 lbs of meat. I use one 1 oz package of seasonings with 1 lb of meat.)

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
4 (15.5 oz) cans dark red kidney beans (drained)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder (Optional)
2 cups water (Optional)

Serve with your favorite
sides and toppings.

Directions:

  • Place thawed ground beef in the bottom of a large stew pot. Cover with water and break the meat apart with a spatula, then boil till the meat is no longer pink.
  • Drain the meat, rinse and drain again.
  • To this, add 1 package of chili seasonings and mix it into the meat. Then add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, cumin, chili powder and 2 cups of water.
  • Stir and bring to a low boil on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on this and stir often so the bottom doesn’t stick.
Serve with your favorite sides and toppings such as grated cheese, crackers, corn chips, and salsa. Or how about a big slice of cornbread and honey.


Saturday, February 20, 2010

Money Saving Tips: Big Savings Come In Little Packages

Everyone in my family thought it was funny when I started stocking the cupboard with 600 packages of Kool-Aid. It all started with a great sale at my local grocery store; 20 packages of Kool-Aid for $1. I purchased my 20 packages for the week, along with all my other groceries and went home.

Because I am always looking for ways to cut corners on my grocery bill, I was particularly pleased when I discovered I had spent about 5 cents per package instead of the 26 cents per package I normally spend on Kool-Aid. Lets see, on 20 packages of Kool-Aid I had saved $4.20. This is not a lot of money in itself, until I started doing some math.

Every night our family uses 2 packages of Kool-Aid for dinner. If we drank Kool-Aid 300 out of the 365 days in a year, that would mean I would have purchased 600 packages of Kool-Aid. At 26 cents per package, 600 of them would cost me $156, but if I bought them while they were on sale, they would only cost me $30 or roughly the same amount I normally pay in 2 months on Kool-Aid. I couldn’t believe it, by taking advantage of the sale on something I knew I was going to buy anyway, I now had an additional $126 to spend on anything else I wanted.

To make a long story short, I ended up buying the 600 packages of Kool-Aid on sale over a period of 6 days, saved $126 on my grocery bill, entertained my family and I’m blogging about it today with you. Yes big savings come in little packages, so let me encourage you to watch for sales, do a little organizing and you can save money too.

If you have a story to tell like this or other money saving tips, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below at Clays Kitchen.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Favorite Recipes: Super Bowl BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches




Here is a really great recipe for BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches that is Super Simple to make in your slow cooker for game day or any day. Serve this with your favorite sides and you’re sure to score some points.

Ingredients:

1 – 5 to 8 lb. pork loin
2 – 18 oz. bottles of BBQ sauce
(I like to use one bottle of Gates Original and one bottle of KC Masterpiece; it makes it a mild sweet sauce with a little kick. However, feel free to use whatever kind you like best.)
Sliced Bread or Buns


Directions:

  • Trim all of the fat off the pork loin with a sharp knife.
  • Slice the pork loin into ½ inch pork chops pieces.





  • Layer the slices in the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Pour half of each bottle of BBQ sauce over the pork.





  • With your hands mix the sauces together and coat all sides of the pork.
  • Cover with the lid and cook on low or high heat. (I usually cook it on high for 4-6 hrs.)
  • The pork is done when it flakes apart. (The cooking time will vary depending on the amount of meat and the thickness of the slices.)

  • When done, drain and carefully transfer pork to a large mixing bowl. Then pull apart with two forks.
  • Add the remaining BBQ sauce from both bottles and mix thoroughly.
Serve on sliced bread or buns with pickles and your favorite sides. This recipe will make a lot of sandwiches, usually I can feed 4-6 people a couple of sandwiches each. You can also serve these on mini buns as Sliders, like they serve at some restaurants. This year don't get stuck in the kitchen. Have fun and enjoy the game too.