Chippy Dippy Bars

I'm still here!  I aplogize for being MIA for the last month!!
I hope all you mommies had a wonderful Mother's Day!  It was a beautiful day to top it off!  Today's post is a tribute to my amazing mother, Judy.  I want to be just like her when I grow up!  :-)
Mom is the strongest woman I know, yet she radiates joy, kindness and gentleness.  Her commitment of care to our entire family and my late father during his 20 some years of health battles, has been an incredible example of Christian love---in sickness and in health.    She loves to laugh and always has a smile on her face.  She taught me the importance and value of taking care of your family and that your faith is not what you do, it is who you are. 

AND SHE ALSO HAS AN ENORMOUS SWEET TOOTH!  So, in honor of mom, here is one of her favorite treats - CHIPPY DIPPY BARS!
Just a mix and bake recipe....here's the cast:

Easy Peasy people.....Mix one stick melted butter with 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs.  Press into a square baking pan.  Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans.  Pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk over the top (you can use fat free here too!) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Oh - My - Gravy!  These are over the top yum.   I think of my mom each time I bake them, so this is for you Mom!

They are oooey, they are gooey, they are rich, they will knock your socks off. 

I hope I can be as good of a mom to my little ones.....

 as she has been to me.  Here are a few more pics for you to enjoy!  I love you, Mom!

Enjoy~
Stacey

English Muffin Bread

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  When the weather is cool and rainy, not to mention the gale force winds we had over the weekend, I always get the urge to bake.  Baking homemade bread is one of my favorite things to do, I find it very soothing and relaxing.  I was craving some English muffin bread and this recipe is as simple as you can get for a yeast bread.  I know, some of you are already nervous.  But I encourage you---DO NOT BE AFRAID OF WORKING WITH YEAST!  It will not harm you!  Many home cooks have had such terrible experiences with yeast bread, either the yeast not activating, loaves that turn out like something you would landscape your yard with.  That is the great thing with this recipe, it tells you what temperature to bring the liquid to---therefore, no risk of it being too cool (and not activating the yeast) or too hot (which would kill the yeast), either way giving you flat, dense loaves.  And, with just the one 45 minute rising time, instead of two that most bread recipes require, you can pull English Muffin Bread together for dinner that same night.  I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook but if you don't have a big mixer, use a mixer for the first portion, then stir the second batch of the flour in with a spoon. 
There is something about the texture of this bread that is so alluring.  It is firm, yet moist and delicate.  It also makes the absolute BEST toast! Good thing it makes two loaves---one will be gone the same day!

English Muffin Bread
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

5 cups all purpose flour
2 packages of active dry yeast ( or 4 1/2 tsp if you use the jar of yeast)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 T sugar
1 t salt

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of flour and the yeast.  In a saucepan heat and stir milk, butter, sugar and salt until warm (120 to 130 degrees) and until butter nearly melts.  Add to flour mixture.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly.  Beat on high speed 3 minutes.  Mix in the rest of the flour.  Do not knead this bread dough.  Batter will be VERY stiff.  Divide into 2 greased loaf pans.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes.  Remove from the pan immediately.

Enjoy!
Stacey

Buttermilk Brownies

As you know, I am a complete choco-holic, as they say.  I love anything chocolate and enjoy making all different kinds of recipes using chocolate.   I remember coming home from school as a kid, and being so excited when I smelled cookies or brownies as I walked thru the back door.  This meant my  awesome mom had done some baking for our after school snack.  I love to surprise my kids with a special something after school, to me it shows them that I have been thinking of them during the day. It allows us time to sit at the kitchen island, talk about their day and laugh together.
Homemade brownies are so easy.....you always have the basic ingredients on hand!   These brownies are their favorite!  They are easy to mix up, and they knock those brownie mixes out of the park!  Moist, cake like and melt in your mouth....these are the best.

Start by mixing your dry ingredients together....flour, sugar and salt. 

Then combine water, oil and butter in a small saucepan...bring to a boil.  Let cool just a bit and then add to the flour mixture.

Mix well.  Now add the next three ingredients.....eggs, cocoa and vanilla.

Mix well.   Add buttermilk and soda....mix thoroughly.  I love this step as the batter looks swirly...

The buttermilk makes these brownies oh so moist and rich.
Pour your batter into a jelly roll pan, which is a large cookie sheet with sides.



Bake for 20 minutes or so at 350 degrees.  I like to rotate my pan half way through the baking time, just to ensure even baking.

This recipe comes with an incredible icing to add over the top, right as the brownies come out of the oven.  Sometimes I ice them, sometimes I just sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.  This cuts a bunch of calories and is a bit quicker.  Today, I just sprinkled with powdered sugar.

oh man, are these good!  And speaking of man....my husband just stopped home to grab some tax info and inhaled this one I had cut for the photo~!  And, a warning....be careful when you eat them, if you choose the powdered sugar route.  My dad always joked and called these suicide brownies....just don't INHALE when you go to take a bit or you choke to death!  :-)

BUTTERMILK BROWNIES
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1/4 t salt
Whisk together.
1 c water
1/3 cup oil
1 stick butter
Bring to a boil and add to dry ingredients.  Stir well. 
Add 2 eggs
3 heaping Tablespoons cocoa
1 t vanilla
Mix well.  Add 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1 t soda.
Stir until thoroughly combined.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 or until set.  Do not overbake.  Frost immediately out of the oven with this icing.
Bring 1 stick butter, 3 T milk and 2 T cocoa to a boil.  Remove from heat and add 1 t vanilla and 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar.  Whisk well.
Pour over brownies and cool completely.

Seriously, these are the best brownies I've ever made and they make a huge pan...Great way to make a treat for your family, and then take some to a neighbor or new mom.  Boot the box and go for scratch...your family will thank you!
Enjoy!
Stacey

Best Banana Bread Ever!

We eat a lot of fruit at our house.  I feel like I am constantly buying bananas because we go through them so fast, especially when we choose to eat them in malts, cereal or peanut butter and banana wraps (a kid fave!).  So, the other day, I mentioned to Wyatt that he should take a banana in his lunch. He slyly told said "you know what happens if I don't and you have a bunch of bananas that need used...."  I guess I'll have to make banana bread.  "Sweet"!  was his reply!  He is my banana bread expert.  I have tried several kinds over the years, just to mix it up and I keep coming back to this one.  You can tell a good recipe by how the card looks.....

The ink is smeared, who knows what has been dripped on it, it looks a wreck....the sign of a well used recipe I'd say!  This recipe came from my mother in law's collection and was written out by my husband to add to our recipe box when we got married.  You may notice he spelled 'banana' wrong.....he will be the first to tell you spelling isn't his thing.  Ahem....yes.
Its a really simple recipe with a special addition by the Erickson family.
The key to great banana bread is the ripeness of your bananas.  The uglier the better.  If you think you should throw them out, they are perfect for bread!
Here's mine:

All you do is mix everything together in the order listed.  You can bake it in one large loaf pan, but I always have a hard time getting the very center done without the edges being really dark.  So I prefer and would recommend mini loaf pans.  The recipe makes 4.  If they aren't all eaten the first day, which I have NO experience with in this house!----they are great to freeze and pull out to serve with a meal or give as a gift.  So....mix it all up, and I sprinkle in a little cinnamon into the batter too, just because I love the flavor it gives the bread.  Pour it into your muffin pans...

Now, for the secret ingredient. I'm not sure how this came about but I started sprinkling cinnamon and sugar over the top!  The family went bezerk....they loved the crunchy sweet top crust.  Simple...but adds a lot!

It makes an amazing crust on the top!

The texture of this bread is very light and moist, with great banana flavor.  Eat it with a big glass of milk, serve with breakfast, or schmear it with peanut butter for a good combo.  You will never have to try anything new, this will be your go to recipe for banana bread as well! 

And of course, here is the Budster hoping he can get a taste.....but he knows he won't, he has only had dog food his whole 6 years (or 42 years, depending on how you look at it) of life!  You think he would know that by now!

Banana Bread
1 cup sugar
1/2 c softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour milk (1/2 cup of milk with 2 t. vinegar added.  Let it sit 5 minutes before adding)
1 t. soda
2 cups flour
3 mashed bananas
3/4 t. salt
Mix in order and bake at 350. 


Let me know how you like it!
Enjoy--
Stacey

J - E - L - L - O !

Watch it wiggle...See it jiggle.....Cool and fruity.....jello, brand gelatin.....This jingle is forever inbedded in by brain for some reason!   Good marketing, for sure.  Everyone has their favorite jello...and some kind of vivid memory of jello.  Whether it is the orange jello with mandarin oranges that your mom used to make for you or the lime jello with shredded carrots (This is just wrong!!) that you used to eat at church potlucks, jello has a place in everyones food diary, wouldn't you agree?  This recipe is certain to become your family's favorite.  My mother in law gave me this recipe and my kids went nuts over it.  I started making it for my own family get togethers, and now MY extended family asks me to bring it to each gathering.  It is 7 Layer Jello! It is easy, pretty and always a conversation piece!  It really only takes about 7 minutes total to make this, but you can space out those 7 minutes over an entire day due to the chilling time.
So, here we go.  You will need 7 different kinds of jello, the small boxes.  Any and all kinds work.  If you have little ones, they enjoy picking out the different flavors to make the rainbow.  Also, you will need boiling water and a large can of evaporated milk.

Get your teakettle going with some boiling water.  Arrange your jello boxes in the way you would like them to layer in your 9 by 13 pan, starting with the bottom layer first.  Add your jello to a medium bowl and add 1/2 cup boiling water.  Stir for a couple minutes until this dissolves.  Then add 1/2 cup COLD water.  Mix and pour into your 9 by 13 pan. 

It will make a very thin layer on the entire bottom of the pan.  Put in the fridge to chill.  It will chill fairly quickly, since it is a thin layer and each of the following layers will chill even quicker.  Rinse our your bowl and spatula, but leave it on the counter as you will be going back to it over and over throughout the day.  Go throw in a load of laundry, read a couple chapters or run an errand.  Whenever you think of it next, start the teakettle again.  Pick your next color of jello and again add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir to dissolve.  This time, instead of adding cold water, add 1/2 cup EVAPORATED MILK. 

Stir to combine and pour over the completely chilled and firm first layer. 

Put it back in the fridge, rinse your bowl and do whatever is next on your to do list.  

The Budster....enjoying a relaxing morning......

Now you just continue repeating this process, dissolve with boiling water and alternating each layer between cold water or the evaporated milk.  You should begin and end with the hot water/cold water layer, making sure to chill completely between each layer.


When all layers are in the pan, it will look like this!

And when you cut into it, like this!

Isn't it lovely?  It tastes so creamy and sweet and it seem to fascinate people of how you would ever make it!  Now you know!  Make this for your family and watch their smiles.....it will become your family favorite too!
Enjoy---
Stacey

Chicken Piccata

I have always wanted to try this recipe and tonight was the night!  Chicken, lemon, garlic....yum!  And good for you too!  I've been trying to incorporate some new things into the kids' meals...to see if they like it so tonight it was capers.  I could not contain my laughter when all three kids said "are these peas?"  Um, kind of?!?
This recipe is an easy one, few ingredients and lots of flavor.
Here's the ingredients...

OK, the first thing is to pound out the chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 inch thick.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I HATE raw meat of any kind.  Working with it literally makes me sick...in fact, my older two kids are my go-to's when meatballs are on the menu!  I made it through this meal prep ok, but I touch the chicken as little as possible.  Put a few pieces into a large plastic bag.  Now is the time that you can take out all your days stress on the poor little pieces of chix!  Pound away with a meat mallet, frying pan or even a rolling pin works.

Then when they are pounded out they look like this:

Nice and flat and they will cook quicker and more evenly. 
Dredge chicken in flour, which means just put some flour in a pie plate and slap the chicken in there, wiggle it around and then flip it over and do the other side.  Shake any extra off.
Add to frying pan.

While that cooks, you can get the rest of your ingredients ready to go.  Garlic, lemon, capers, chicken broth and butter.
I just love lemons.  The smell.  The feel.  The look.  They make me happy.
Isn't it cheerful?

Brown your chicken on both sides, letting it get nice and golden before you flip it.  You may have to cook it in batches, depending on how many pieces you are making.  Keep it warm a low oven while you make the sauce.  Drain off most of the extra oil and add your garlic.  Sautee until flavors release and then add chicken broth.  Get all of those yummy bits of flavor off of the bottom of your pan with your spoon.  Add lemon slices and bring to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes.

Add your lemon juice and capers..simmer 5 minutes more.  Smellin good now!  Teh sauce will thicken slightly, then you add your butter for the richness you SO deserve.  Voila!  Sauce is done.  Pour over your chicken pieces and serve.

It's what is for dinner tonight at the Erickson's!  So as we were eating, the kids were having a contest to see who could arrange their plate for the neatest picture to put in the blog.  Wyatt took the honors tonight...here you go:

It got a thumbs up from everyone...it is flavorful and refreshing with the lemon in there and rich with the butter and garlic.  I may add a bit less lemon juice next time as I found it a little tart. 

Oh, and one more thing....here is my cute dog, Buddy.  He sits here in this doorway every night while I make dinner.  Isn't he adorable?  I think he must think if he sits real nice and looks cute I may sneak him some table food.  It will never happen, but he sure makes me smile to see him there!

Chicken Piccata
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
3 large chicken breast, boneless cut into smaller pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 T. vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 lemon,thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T. capers, drained and rinsed
3 T. butter

1.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Place  a serving platter into the oven to warm.
2.  Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour.  Shake off excess flour.  Heat the oil in a skillet, pan fry the chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.  Work in batches and do not crowd skilllet, adding oil as needed.  Place the chicken into the warmed platter in oven.  When finished with all of the chicken, drain most of the oil from the skillet, leaving a thin coatin on the surface of the pan.
3.  Cook and stir the minced garlic in the skillet about 20 seconds.  Pour in chicken broth.  Scrape and dissolve any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the lemon slices and bring the mixture to a boil.  Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup, 5 to 8 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and capers: simmer unitl the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more.  Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sacue by tilting the skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated. 
4.  Arrange the chicken on serving plates and spoon sauce over top to serve.

There you have it----a thumbs up option for dinner.  Family approved.  Buddy approved. 
Enjoy--
Stacey

Time to Celebrate!

Birthdays are a big deal at our house.  We have certain traditions that we started when we had kids, ones that we look forward to continuing each year.  First, they get a special treat to start their day when just the birthday child and their dad get to go out to breakfast at McDonalds.  This has become something that they really look forward to!  They talk about what time they should go so they can be back and ready for school...what they should order...and of course, rub it in to the others that it is "just me and Daddy".  I love that my husband has started this special thing with each of the little ones.  The other thing that we do is that the birthday boy or girl (or Daddy!) gets to choose the menu for their birthday dinner---ANYTHING they want, including dessert.  We have had quite a variety over the last 14 years!  We have enjoyed salmon, orange jello with mandarin oranges, Kraft mac and cheese with hot dogs, shrimp, stadium food, egg casserole and french toast, canned green beans, banana cream pie, apple pie, oreo and fudge ice cream dessert and the list goes on and on!  It has been fun to see how their menu of choice has changed over the years as they have grown.  I remember one year when Wyatt really wanted mac and cheese, green beans and fish sticks.  It really felt against everything I stood for in the kitchen, but you know what???  It was HIS special day so that is what we had!  He was so proud of his menu and I was proud to produce (?) a menu to his exact specifications! 
My baby turned 8 (!) this month and we had her birthday party with the family.  She chose a brunch.....wonderful sausage and egg quiches (which I will share in an upcoming post), french toast, fresh fruit and little smokies.  Her dessert of choice?
RED VELVET CUPCAKES!!  Yes!  I couldn't have chosen better myself!  Plus, I was delighted that my 7 year old daughter KNEW what red velvet cupcakes were....she is so smart, isn't she?!?
These were fantastic!  And pretty easy as well.  It made me very happy that one batch made 24 cupcakes.  You know how some make like 10...honestly, let's make it worth our time here! 
Here are a couple pics:

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 t. cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 T. red food coloring

1 t. white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

I am not a frosting lover, but this is one cake recipe where you NEED the frosting!

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 12 cup muffin pans with cupcake papers.  I always spray the liners or the cupcakes will stick.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.  In a large bowl, gently beat together oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla with an electric mixer or your Kitchen Aid mixer (THE best kitchen appliance EVER!)  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and throroughly combined.  This makes the most luscious looking batter!

Divide batter evenly among cupcake tins, about 2/3 full.  Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning pans once half way through.  Check them after about 15 minutes so as to not overbake.  Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness.  Stick it right in the middle and if there is no bright red dough, they are ready!  Remove from oven and cool sompletely before frosting.

For frosting--In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.  Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated.  Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.  This may take  a few minutes.

There you have it! These are incredible moist and the creamy frosting is the perfect compliment.  Now, I think I better add red food coloring to my grocery list.....I'm thinking we may need some of these over the weekend!
Enjoy!
Stacey

My favorite pasta!

What a crazy week this has been!  Sorry to delay posting but mom duty called!  My kids love pasta, especially my two girls.  This dish has become our all time favorite.  I first had this at an upscale restaurant in a nearby town......it is one of those things on the menu that once you have it,  you get it EVERY TIME you go there!  I always tell myself I am going to try something new, and I always end up ordering this because it is that good.
Your culinary world is about to change....are you ready?  Say hello to
Tequila Chicken Fettucine!!
On one particular visit to the restaurant with a couple girlfriends (who also happened to order this same dish, after telling themselves they would not!),  my friend said, "I'm going to ask the waiter if we can have this recipe".  Yeah, right, I thought....but they did!  Nice little waiter brought it to us all typed out!  Talk about great service, huh??? 

It is a simple recipe and my kids love it, although I usually leave the tequila out of the title when I tell them what it is called.  I don't need them running to their teachers telling them "mom fed us tequila for dinner"!  :-)
 
Begin by melting the butter in a large pan.  Add sliced onions and cook until soft.

Add pieces of chicken breast and cook until white.  Add a mix of sliced green, red and yellow peppers.  I just use green as the family isn't a huge fan of peppers.

Cook for about 5 minutes.  Mix together 6 T soy sauce and 6 T tequila and add to chicken mixture. 

Keep cooking and simmering until it looks like it has reduced by half.
Add 1 1/2 cup of cream---I use half and half to cut a few calories.  Continue to cook until it becomes thicker.   While this is cooking, boil your pot of water and cook some fettucine. 
After cream mixture is thickened, strain pasta and add to sauce.  Toss to coat.  You may add some cilantro is you'd like as well.  Voila!

This is a terrible picture, isn't it??  It doesn't do it justice...yours will look much better, if it lasts long enough to take a picture!

Tequila Chicken Fettucine

4 T butter
boneless skinless chicken, cut into chunks
1/2 sliced red onion
a variety of sliced red, green and yellow peppers
6 T tequila
6 T soy sauce
1 1/2 cup cream or half and half
Fettucine--cooked per package instructions
fresh cilantro to garnish
Heat butter in pan.  Add onions and begin to cook.  Add chicken pieces and cook until white.  Add tri peppers and tequila soy mixture and reduce by half.  Add cream and reduce until thick.  Add cilantro if desired.  Add warm pasta and toss.

It is creamy and rich, with great flavor from the tequila and sweetness from the peppers and onions.  Give it a try, it will become your favorite pasta dish too!
Here is my happy family enjoying it for dinner!

Please ignore the medium diet coke on  the table....those of you who know me know that I love a Mickey D's diet coke!  They are seriously better than anywhere else and fountain is definately the way to go....but that is another post.
Enjoy your night!
Stacey

Baby it's cold outside (Not really, but it should be!)

Oh....My....Gravy!  I cannot believe the weather that we are having here in Iowa!!  It was in the 50's today and we have yet to see snow on the ground!  I find myself forgetting that we haven't even HAD winter yet!  As much as I enjoy the warmer temps, I do hope it cools down or I will find myself with hostas and tulips poking through to catch some rays too.  With such a beeeee-autiful day and no work for me, I had to get outside for a refreshing run.  I actually heard birds chirping as I worked my way through the streets of our small town!  Poor things, they are probably so confused....
I can't believe that I'm about to type this, but I really enjoy running.  I find it is a great way to clear my mind and breathe in some fresh air.  I haven't always liked running...actually, I can say that I pretty much hated it.  I have vivid memories of running the 1 mile in PE class for The Presidential Physical Fitness tests.  Any of you remember those?  Thought I would die and had a headache the rest of the day.  This continued through my college days and into my adult life.  Then, about 5 years ago, my husband and I started jogging.  At that point our kids were too young to stay alone and we didn't want to pay a sitter, so we got them all to bed and headed out to the driveway.  We would take turns running AROUND THE BLOCK, so that one of us was always here at the house with the kids.  It was a huge feat for one of us to come chugging around that last corner and report to the other that we had ran the WHOLE way.  I know, we were a sorry pair!  As time went on, we found it easier to run for longer and we would take the kids along in the burley or on bikes.  Our real motivation for running came when we had a cause bigger than ourselves to work for.  We decided to train for a half marathon as a fundraiser for the Parkinson's Association.  You see, my dad had Parkinson's for 23 years.  We wanted to run for my dad and for others like him, who have lost their ability to walk, and even move.  Our team of 5 raised over $7000!  Here is my family after that race:

After that event, I found that running for this cause truly motivated me.  We moved the next year into the marathon relay and have continued to do that each year.  My dad passed away this past April, and now I find running as a way to honor him and the fierce battle that he fought for so long.   My advice to you is to find a cause greater than yourself to motivate you to get moving.  Maybe it isn't Parkinson's disease research, but maybe it is breast cancer, lymphoma, Down's syndrome, Alzheimers....there are so many great organizations that tie in 5K's and races with their organization as a way to raise funds.  Choose something close to your heart and you will find new meaning in running....you may even like it!

OK, now onto din din!  Being as it is January 9th, I thought something winter- like would be yummy---who knew it would feel like MAY!  But anyhow, chili was on the menu for tonight.  This chili recipe came to me from my friend, and my kids say this is the only kind of chili they like!  It really is tasty and it is easy to throw together. It makes a big batch so you could freeze it if you wanted, but the leftovers taste even better!
Here are the ingredients:

Start by browning the hamburger, using lots of garlic powder and onion powder.  Brown thoroughly and drain any excess fat. 
This is one of the best inventions ever made! I got it from my mom for Christmas last year and it works so good.  I have no idea what it is called.....let's call it a hamburger chopper upper thingy, ok?  Just get one!

Put salsa and stewed tomatoes into a blender to chop them all up.  
Add salsa mixture, soup, chili beans and tomato juice to the browned hamburger. Add a small amount of chili powder to taste.  Simmer away and dinner is done! 

I put it in the crock pot after it simmered a bit, then it was ready when we all piled through the door late tonight.  Having the tomato soup and salsa in there makes it a bit sweeter than other chilis I have had and I just love it.  Add a little shredded cheddar, some sour cream or crackers to the top and you are good to go!
Dinner is served.

Hunter's Chili

2 lbs hamburger, browned and drained
1 diced onion (omit if onions are in your stewed tomatoes)
2 cans tomato soup
1 40 oz can Mrs. Grimes chili beans
1 cup salsa
1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes (with onions, celery and green peppers)
46 oz tomato juice.

Use lots of onion and garlic powder when browning the hamburger.  Add salsa and stewed tomatoes to blender to chop into small pieces.  Add all ingredients together and simmer.  Add chili powder as needed.

This is the best chili----try it out!
Have a great night~
Stacey