Thursday, October 29, 2009

Chili cookoff!



It's that time of year, Fall is in the air, football is on the TV, and we've got a craving for chili! Thanks to Gretchen Carr for this delicious chili recipe. Gretchen's enthusiastic little helper, pictured on the right, is wearing our Little Man Apron.

CHILI

2-3 lbs top sirloin, remove fat, cut into pieces
2 lbs ground sirloin
3 cups bell pepper, chopped
3 cups onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, snipped
3 large cans diced tomatoes, (next size lgr. than normal size
1/4 cup chili powder (we did 1/2 cup..depends on taste preference)
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 stick butter

Directions:

Put on your favorite HOT MAMA APRON. Brown meat in butter, drain off 1/3 cup of liquid. Sautee garlic, peppers,
onion and parsley in liquid that is saved.
Mix meat and veggies together,add chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin and add tomatoes.
You can add tobasco. Cover, simmer.

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it's a generational thing


October 2009.
My brother is in from out of town and we are all gathered at my parent’s house for dinner. My mom, who is wearing an adorable HOT MAMA APRON has prepared a family favorite, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and green beans.
As we sit down to eat,
my mom asks if anyone would like some cranberry relish.
"It goes great with chicken". She says.
Yum, that does sound good. I LOVE cranberry relish, especially the kind my dad makes every November, right before Thanksgiving.
"I would love some. Is it as good as Dad's?" I ask
"It is Dad's" says my mom
"When did he make it? He usually makes some for me." I say.
(long pause)
UH OH.
OH NO.
Surely it isn't, do I dare ask? Could it possibly be the cranberry relish my dad made LAST Thanksgiving? Eleven months ago?
I cross my fingers and ask "Mom this isn't last year's relish is it?"

"Yes it is and there is NOTHING wrong with it; your Dad and I eat it all the time."
Oh dear God. Here we go again. The ongoing argument over the contents of my parent’s pantry and fridge. Milk two weeks past the sell by date, Tabasco sauce that is not refrigerated and has turned brown, leftovers from dinner last week...I could go on and on.
My mother, sensing that I am completely disgusted, tells me "It's a generational thing. You are part of the disposable generation; you all throw everything away and are so wasteful. You don't know what it was like to grow up in the shadows of the great depression. When we were growing up there were no dates on food. Food didn't go bad. The date on the milk is the SELL by date not the DRINK by date."
Maybe we are wasteful but if I were to eat eleven month old cranberry relish surely my stomach would explode.
I politely pass on the Cranberry Relish.
My mom plopped a heaping spoonful, onto her plate, right between the chicken breast and green beans.
My Dad had some too and, when dinner was over, the cranberry relish went back into the fridge.
Amazingly, my parents were totally fine after eating the ancient relish. There were no stomach explosions, not even the slightest grunt, groan or rumble.
So was the relish really okay to eat? Certainly not but how can we know for sure?
Here is a great website dedicated to answering such questions and solving this type of family dispute.
http://www.stilltasty.com/
May your family dine in peace!
And, as always, while preparing a meal or cleaning out that fridge, make sure you have on your favorite HOT MAMA APRON!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

homemade salsa


This is by far the best homemade salsa we have ever tasted and it is REALLY easy to make. Thanks to Mandy Brendel from Pleasanton, Texas for sharing the recipe!

Homemade Salsa

Large can Hunts whole tomatoes (28 0z)
Handful of cilantro, you can add as much or as little as you want depending on personal taste
1 clove garlic
10-15 slices canned jalapenos
Generous amount of garlic salt. I cover the top of the mixture with garlic salt so that it has a thin white layer.
Put on you Hot Mama Apron
Pulse all ingredients in blender
serve with chips!

Monday, October 5, 2009

christmas in cowtown






Christmas in Cowtown was totally awesome! Thanks so much to everyone who came out to shop!
If you missed us last weekend, we will be in Dallas Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th at the Market in the Meadow. Don't miss out!

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