Thursday, February 23, 2012

It's National Chili Day on Thursday!

Not sure who comes up with this stuff... but it DOES give us a reason to have a nice hot bowl of chili!   I will add that THIS particular recipe ( and I have tried a lot) is DELICIOUS and EASY and lower calorie and lower fat than most.   It's a Cooking Light recipe we have used for years!

Sometimes the simplest ingredients.... are the yummiest and this one is SIMPLE!   I make it AS is for people in my family who don't want it spicy... and then just add whatever you want to add that "kick" if you love it hot!  I am a huge fan of  Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce that can be found in the Asian section of the grocery store!  A few squirts of that.. .and you'll be needing a few glasses of water!  LOVE IT! 

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chili






Yield



6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese)



Ingredients



·         1  pound  ground round



·         1  cup  chopped onion



·         1/2  cup  chopped green bell pepper



·         1/4  cup  dry red wine or water



·         1  tablespoon  chili powder



·         1  teaspoon  sugar



·         1  teaspoon  ground cumin



·         1/4  teaspoon  salt



·         1  garlic clove, minced



·         1  (15-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained



·         1  (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeƱo peppers and spices, undrained



·         6  tablespoons  (1 1/2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese



Preparation



Cook the ground round in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until brown, stirring to crumble. Add chopped onion and the next 7 ingredients (onion through garlic), and cook for 7 minutes or until onion is tender. Place meat mixture in an electric slow cooker, and stir in beans and tomatoes. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting for 4 hours. Spoon into bowls; sprinkle with cheese.



Note: The chili can be made on the stovetop if you don't have a slow cooker. After adding the beans and the tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, 1 1/2 hours.



Nutritional Information



Calories: 243 (21% from fat)



Fat: 5.6g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.5g)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

National Margarita Day

Well, it seems a little odd to have National Margarita day on the first day of Lent but it is what it is.  Maybe they should have made it Fat Tuesday! :)  Anyway... Margarita's remind me of vacations... and summer so let's start planning!    Wouldn't it be fun to have a THEME party to try different types of Margaritas?


Either TRY our Willow House Margarita mix or Mix your own?  What's your Favorite recipe?