Winter Warmers

The winter time makes me want to stay inside in warm pajamas and also eat (the staying inside part = not so good for getting to the gym). It's no wonder I was craving some classic winter time foods so I decided to do some cooking last Sunday and make two recipes that have served each of our Mothers quite well over the years.

First Up - Chicken Noodle Soup - From the Kitchen of Mom V
Who doesn't like some chicken noodle soup on a cold winter day? I attempted this simple recipe of my Mother-in-Laws for the second time. The first time I def did not have a pot that was big enough to put the chicken and the broth, this time that dilemma was solved since I have my huge pasta pot. Having a pot that was large enough made this process so much easier, the hardest part was straining the chicken out of the huge pot. When it was done it got Mike's seal of approval!

Next Up - Chili - From the Kitchen of my Mom
Granted I haven't explored too many different chili variations, why fix it if it ain't broken, this chili has always been delicious when my mom has made it. It's a pretty simple recipe put out by Bush's themselves so you can't go wrong with that. The most time consuming part is cutting up the vegetables for it that cook in with the chop meat. I always let it simmer for longer too! This one also seemed to go over well with Mike, he particularly enjoyed dipping tostito chips in the chili (until there were no more in the house). Since I haven't shared the recipe for my Mom's chili before, here it is:

Bush's All-American Chili 

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans BUSH'S® BEST Chili Beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
Shredded Cheddar cheese

In large pan, cook beef, onion and green pepper until meat is browned. Drain excess grease. Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with Cheddar cheese.