The Urban Homemaker Blog

Author: The Urban Homemaker

  • We do Spring Cleaning Room by Room

    Fast, Easy, Economical Spring Cleaning
    Room by Room
    by Marilyn Moll and Sandy Tuin


    My daughter Mary has already asked if we can do Spring Cleaning during her break in April. What a blessing to have help, because I don’t love this job! We take it room by room using the time we have and completing each job step by step. Read through the instructions before you get started and outline a plan.

    Note: The only cleaning products needed are micro-fiber and water. No paper towel, or chemicals. You may enjoy using the safe cleaners made from non-toxic ingredients or natural enzymes like the Mattress Cleaner, and Odour Eliminator. The Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent is biodegradable, contains no fillers, and is highly concentrated. As little as ½ tsp per load in a front loader is all it takes.

    Living Room and Dining Room – Start at the room that gets the most use and public exposure. Do all the dusting in both rooms, then windows etc for that economy of scale efficiency.

    Dust and De-clutter– Use the Norwex Microfiber mitt or Enivro cloth dry, to thoroughly dust the entire room. Clear the clutter as you go. Use the 3 box system- give away, throw away, and put-away. Use the Norwex mop system to wipe down walls and remove cobwebs.

    Curtains and Drapes – Curtains can be machine washed with Norwex Ultra Power Plus Detergent. It only takes ½ tsp in a HE machine. Line dry if possible. Dry Clean only drapes can be tumbled in a cool dryer to remove dust. Re-hang.

    Windows – Next wipe down all the windows with a damp Enviro Cloth and then polish with
    the Window Cloth. You won’t believe how quick and easy the window polishing goes with a dry micro-fiber window cloth.

    Upholstery – Spot clean using an Enviro cloth and water. Vacuum cushions, backs, under cushions and apply Mattress Cleaner to cushions and cushion backs.

    Vacuum the room thoroughly including under furniture around the edges.

    Odour Eliminator – Dilute in water 7 parts water to one part Odor Eliminator and spray the room to eliminate off odors and overall freshen up the room. If it is warm enough – open the windows!

    Re-Arrange furniture for a seasonal change if desired. VOILA – you are done!

    Bedrooms – Repeat the same steps above: Dust and De-clutter, Curtains and Drapes, and Windows.

    Beds – Wash mattress pad, blankets, and other bedding in the Ultra Power Plus Detergent. Hang out to dry if possible. Turn mattress. Spray with Mattress Cleaner. Make up bed.

    Vacuum the room thoroughly including under furniture and bed around the edges of the room.

    Kitchen and Pantry – This is probably a big job if it hasn’t been done lately. So allow plenty of time – or take it a few cabinets at a time or use 15-30 minute time segments daily until the job is done. Getting started is the hardest part.

    Cabinets – Clear everything out of the cabinets. Purge unused, and out-of date items. Wipe down the inside and outside cabinet surfaces with a damp Enviro Cloth. Apply lemon oil to wood cabinets if desired.

    Refrigerator – Clear everything out of the refrigerator or do it shelf by shelf, drawer by drawer. Purge unused, moldy, and out of date foods. Wipe shelves and exterior of refrigerator with a wet Enviro Cloth. Polish with dry window cloth. Plastic drawers should be removed, washed and dried. Re-assemble everything neatly and you will be amazed at how much more room you now have!

    Floors – Use the Norwex mop system to get the floor dry mopped, and then wet mop. It only takes water.

    Oven – If you do not have a self-cleaner, water and spirinettes with lots of elbow grease will do the job.

    Cook Top – Smooth top and conventional electric ranges can be maintained and polished with an Enviro Cloth and window cloth. If you have tough burned on food use the cleaning paste with a damp Enviro or the Micro-pad.

    Bathrooms – Surprisingly, you can get most of the bathroom cleaned up very well using an Enviro Cloth and water. Since the Enviro clothes are anti-bacterial no disinfectants are needed.

    Toilet– Sanira Toilet System – Both cleaning solution and brush are produced from environmentally friendly raw materials. The cleaning solution is vegetable based with coconut oil and a naturally- occurring sugar surfactant. The b rush does not contain any metal parts. Using only ¾ tsp a week, this solution will last about a year. Compare to 2 Tbsp of traditional cleaner and save.

    Throw Rugs – Wash with Ultra Detergent and hang out to dry. Replace.

    Mirrors – Wipe with a damp Enviro and polish with dry Window Cloth for a streak free shine in seconds.

    Floors – Use Norwex Mop System to dry and wet mop.

    Shower & Tubs – Maintained weekly with an Enviro cloth and water you won’t have much extra work. Wash out shower curtain liners and shower curtain with Ultra Detergent and rehang after the shower is cleaned up.

    Shower Doors can be descaled the safe non-toxic way with De-Scaler a wonderful gel that removes lime scale easily. The netted dish cloth can also be used to remove soap scum. Wipe down the shower after each use with a dry microfiber dust mitt to eliminate lime scale and scums.

    Halls and Closets – Apply the above products and principles of de-cluttering, wiping down, mopping and/or vacuuming to closets and hall ways. Wash and dry throw rugs and replace.

  • Top Frugal Tips for Busy Homemakers

    Contest winners are identified below along with over 30 excellent comments from moms like you!

    Here is my top frugal post from contest winner Jill Ferris:

    Dear Marilyn,

    Many years ago when I was worrying about how to eat healthily on a very very limited budget I met ayoung mother who was raised in a poor family (12 children) who told me what they ate growing up.

    Basically, they ate cooked dried beans, cornbread and some sort of cooked greens (like turnip greens) for at least two meals a day all year long. She said they got ice cream once a year for Christmas or Fourth of July. That was it.

    When she married and moved across the country she went to a doctor and dentist for the first time in her life and was told that she was the healthiest person they had ever seen. The dentist had never seen teeth as strong as hers!!

    I thought about her parents and wondered if they worried all those years about not really “providing” for their family and wondered if they realized what wonderful health their children had because of growing up without refined foods!

    Meeting her was reassuring to me. I realized that good nutrition can be very simple and very plain. It can be very very inexpensive. It, of course, must be balanced (the beans and the corn bread compliment each other and the greens are a wonderful food if not overcooked).

    I realized that we could get very, very poor and still afford GOOD nutritious food!

    So that’s my money saving tip! Relax, trust in God to provide what you need, ask Him to teach you simple ways to make nutritious foods (sprouting seeds is one of those ways; they are very cheap but highly nutritious!) and have the confidence to know that you are providing the BEST for your family!

    I wrote a few weeks ago:
    Let’s all share our tips and wisdom with each other so we can learn together to be better wives, mothers, and homemaker’s! This contest will end March 18, 2008.

    Here are a few tips to get your started!

    You can save a lot of money buy making your own easy to make cream soups with four ingredients instead of many unpronounceable ingredients.

    Cream Soup Alternatives

    For one can of cream of “whatever soup” use the following simple, four ingredient recipe:

    Basic Cream Soup
    3 T Butter
    3 T Flour
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 cup chicken stock, water or milk

    Instructions:

    Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Blend flour and salt into saucepan while cooking and stirring until bubbly. using a wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in liquid ingredient choice slowly. Medium thick sauce is comparable to undiluted condensed soups and makes approximately the same amount as a 10 oz can.

    Variations:
    Cheese Sauce: Add ½ C grated sharp cheese and ¼ tsp mustard

    Tomato Sauce: Use tomato juice as liquid and add a dash each of garlic powder or garlic salt, onion powder or onion salt, basil and oregano.

    Mushroom Sauce: Saute ¼ C finely chopped mushrooms and 1 Tbsp finely chopped onion in the butter before adding the flour.

    Celery Sauce: Saute ½ Cup finely chopped celery and 1 Tbsp finely chopped onion in butter before adding flour

    Chicken Sauce: Use chicken broth or bouillon as half the liquid. Add ¼ tsp poultry seasoning or sage, and diced cooked chicken if available.

    CONTEST WINNERS

    ED NOTE: What a challenge to pick five contest winners from all these great posts! Please read all the comments, but my prize winners of the two ebooks are:

    Jody Courtney, Sharon Clark, Christine Jones, Jill Farris, Carly from AL

    They are each winners of Fast and Healthy Menus for Busy Moms along with my ebook A Beginner’s Guide to Baking Bread. This is a $19.93 retail value! Congratulations to the winners. Your ideas have blessed me immensely.

  • Getting and Staying Organized

    This week, my daughter Mary, AKA The Cleaning Lady, and I are working on cleaning/organizing all the kitchen cupboards and the hall closets while she enjoys her homeschool Winter Break. Mary is the unusual child who actually enjoys the peace and order of a clean and orderly home and eagerly works hard to help me each week with routine cleaning.

    Not every child or mom, as you know, enjoys cleaning and de-cluttering. In her book, The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized, Karen Ehman talks about how her methods and gentle guidance tranformed her daughter, “the messy”, to appreciate orderliness and take responsibility for the up-keep of her room.

    Regardless of your children’s gifts for orderliness, I believe it is critically important for moms to train ourselves and our children to organize and maintain our homes and bedrooms. Whether or not your home and your children’s rooms are in need of serious de-cluttering and organization, I hope you will join our Continuing Education For MomsSeminar with author and speaker Karen Ehman tomorrow night.

    Karen, homeschool mom of 3, is also a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and has been a guest on the 700 Club. She has written four books that I know of which are: Homespun Gifts From the Heart, Homespun Memories for the Heart, A Life that Says Welcome, and her newest book, The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized, which is our topic on Thursday night.

    Here is the contact information:

    Date: Thursday, February 21, 2008

    Scheduled Start Time: 9:00 PM EST, 8:00 CST, 7:00 PM MST, 6:00 PST (Adjust for your time zone, please.)

    Dial-in Number: 1-605-475-4150

    Participant Access Code: 754074

    If you have never participated in a phone seminar before, here is how it works:

    1. You dial in the phone number below to the seminar. (You pay only for the phone call.)
    2. Key in the seminar access code.
    3. Introduce yourself, it you wish.
    4. Bring a notebook to take notes, a cup of tea, and have your questions ready.
    5.Don’t worry about background noise, we will mute that out.

  • What I Wish I’d Known

    ON MY HEART by Marilyn Moll

    Last week I was the speaker for Cindy Rushton’s Talk-a-Latte discussion program with the ongoing theme of “What I Wish I’d Known” program. Cindy is doing a 12 week series inviting a variety of guests to speak on this subject, including yours truly. (You can join Cindy for this study at this link: http://www.talk-a-latte.com/newstudies.html -Look for JUST WISH I’D KNOWN)

    When Cindy’s first told me what the topic would be, I thought, “What a great topic. This will be easy to talk about!” First I will talk about how to bake bread and why its so great, how to get organized, how to homeschool on a shoestring, what I wish I had known about child training and all the other homemaking skills I have learned over the years.

    Then lots of scripture verses came into my mind that God has used to mold me, direct me, and encourage me over the years. My talk turned out to be more about my spiritual journey and what I wish I’d known spiritually. Possibly many of my newsletter subscribers might be more interested in “What I wished I had known spiritually” rather than what I know about baking bread, menu planning, cooking for wellness, etc.

    For example, I talked about what I wished I’d known about ungodly perfectionism. What I know now, is that allowing perfectionism and comparisons to go on in our mind is quite a prevalent and insidious, maybe even rampant problem among Christian women.

    Regardless of your personal struggles, I believe it is very hard for women to see that an effective tool in the enemy’s arsenal is designed to keep our eyes off of God and on our circumstances.

    This evil attack takes place in our minds and seeks to destroy us, our families, our joy, and our peace just through our thoughts.

    Here is my working definition of Perfectionism:

    • A sense of drivenness
    • Continued feelings of not being good enough.
    • Deep underlying need to control one’s life.
    • Excessive striving after reward and recognition.
    • Perpetual jealousy of others and a making of comparisons. Again, it is the idea that so and so has more money, better husband, nicer house, higher achieving kids, gorgeous clothes, great figure, she’s a great cook and on and on it goes.
    • It robs our peace, It can put us into a depression.

    The thoughts go through our mind over and over, accusing us and discouraging us. These thoughts can literally make us sick. Click here if you are interested in reading the text of my presentation, What I Wish I’d Known, or listening to a complimentary recording of the presentation with follow-up discussion.

    In addition, Cindy has generously offered to share her Mommy Care Package Just for Mom, a complimentary collection of six talks by Cindy designed to pamper and encourage moms. Great listening for your Ipods and MP3 players!

  • What’s happenning with Grain Prices?

    Some of you may know that the wheat market has recently been better for farmers than the last thirty or more years. You may have heard wheat prices are skyrocketing. Or possibly you are just noticing frequent price changes in the grocery store.

    There are many factors affecting wheat prices. One major factor is the world -wide shortage of wheat due to poor harvests in South America, Australia, and other wheat growing regions in recent years. For awhile last year, the United States was the only country with wheat available for export.

    Wheat market analysts had hoped that southern hemisphere markets would have had a better than expected wheat harvest this season. Unfortunately, the harvest in those areas, particularly in Australia was “very disappointing”. Again this is continuing to cause upward pressures on wheat pricing as well as availability in certain markets.

    Another variable contributing to the wheat price equation has been ethanol. A percentage of farmers have pulled significant amounts of acreage out of wheat production in favor of corn. Some forecasters are predicting current inventories of wheat to run out on or before the 2008 harvest comes in.

    Meanwhile, our wheat supplier has raised our prices about five times in the last six months, and found themselves having to adjust their prices, sometimes almost daily, to keep up with the wheat market because of the above pressures.

    One customer suggested to me that possibly they should wait on purchasing grain supplies for another year and see what happens. I do not have a crystal ball and do not know what tomorrow holds. Even if worldwide harvests should improve over the next year (which is greatly debatable due to the past few years’ track record), the ethanol connection will continue to affect crop plantings and affect prices and availability. My personal view is that now is the time to buy wheat before the prices go any higher and to ensure that my family has a supply of wheat and other grains on hand.

    I believe home reserves of wheat, other grains, and even canned goods is a consumer’s best protection against higher food prices. Last fall I remember noting that our local commercial bread price had gone up about 25%, and that only a portion of that increase could be attributed to the cost of the grain due to increased transportation and other energy costs.

    In fact, there hasn’t been a better time to purchase home grain mills and bread baking equipment which not only invests in your family’s health but helps to mitigate against ever higher food prices.

    “Coincidentally”, my daughter Mary’s memory verse last week was from Proverbs 6:6-11 – “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from our sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond, and want like an armed man.”

    What this verse in essence is saying is that preparedness, planning ahead, is a plan to succeed. Fail to plan, and you plan to fail. I haven’t talked about preparedness for quite a few years, but the setting aside of a portion of what I have today for future needs is a timeless principle found in the Bible.

    Consider the story of Joseph, who through interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, was led to put aside enough grain in the good years to carry the Egyptians and citizens of other countries, including the provision of his own extended family, through a long period of drought and scarcity.

    I hope you will read the article by Kathie Palladino that originally appeared in New Harvest Homestead entitled Learn From the Ant. None of us are exempt from possible economic uncertainties, catastrophic weather such as hurricanes and tornados, or potential crop failures.

    One more point I’ll make is that one must never be motivated out of fear. Jesus said over and over, “Do not fear”. We must be motivated by faith; faith that God will provide and use us as a blessing.

  • Making More Meals with Less!

    My new blog contest will be discussion about how you are keeping your grocery bills under control while food and grain prices skyrocket. I want you to talk about how you are stretching your food dollars by making MORE WITH LESS.

    More with Less has been one of my most favorite cookbooks, next to Sue Gregg books that I have been using for over twenty years. I like the way they have time saving recipes and lots of “gather up the fragments” ideas to use up a little or this and little of that. Nothing goes to waste. The food is delicious and nutritious.

    To get you started, I will tell you I have been making a game of using up dribs and drabs in my freezer and on my pantry shelves while improvising recipes as I go. I have only bought eggs, milk, fresh veggies, yogurt, butter and cheese for the last three weeks. My goal is to keep going until the shelves need restocking!

    For example I made Stir Fry with vegetables on hand and a small amount of leftover roast beef (about two servings of beef) that fed six last week. Tomorrow night I’m making leftover Chili Soup with the following ingredients I found in my freezer today: Leftover pinto beans, baby sausages, and frozen corn. I will be adding onion, cumin, chili powder, garlic, Monterey Jack cheese salt and pepper and a dollap of sour cream in the soup.  I used corn chips as a compliment to this soup.

    When my husband saw this soup he thought, “What is this?”  But it came out quite well, after adjusting the seasonings.  Our friend Laura joined us for dinner and thought it was great.  I surprised myself it concocting something yummy with leftovers.
    Prize winners will be judged based on creativity and originality of their ideas. Specific ideas with pictures and recipes will get top ratings. (Email digital photos in jpg format to marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com so I can post them.)

    I will be awarding a copy of my ebook, Fast and Healthy Menus for Busy Moms to the top 10 Winning posters.

    I will award a Grand Prize of all four of my ebooks to the best overall entry: Fast and Healthy Menus for Busy Moms, Breakfasts for Busy Moms, Sensational Summer Salads, and A Beginner’s Guide to Baking Bread. (A $34.00 value)

  • Slumgullion Stew

     

    It has been just so cold lately around here, with snow coming in every few days to drop a few more inches. Really, this is not normal for our area of Colorado, but it is normal for the mountains.

    So soups and stews really sounded good to me, beef stew in particular. I made our Slumgullion Stew a week or so ago for us and for friends and caught a picture before we ate it all up. Here is the recipe for Slumgullion Stew.

     

    I made it up on a Saturday morning in my cast iron pan. Let it sit all day, and reheated it for dinner. I think that sitting process allows the flavors to develop and everyone thought it was fantatic. Try it!

  • Snowmen

    I mentioned that we had Mentoring Moms on Monday. It was my turn to teach so I talked about freezer meals and different ways to get your freezer stocked without spending from morning till night and getting exhausted.

    As a group we made a giant batch of Chicken Pot Pie. Everyone got a small casserole dish to take home for that night’s dinner or for their freezer. We actually ended up with extra meals for new mommies and for my freezer!

    We always decorate the tables with a seasonal centerpiece using what’s on hand. My friend Sandy, is an expert at coming up with attractive and creative centerpieces.

    I’m sorry I didn’t think to take pictures of our tables, our cooking time. Sandy has a collection of snowmen, one of each she has made over the years for her craft shows. So snowmen decorated our tables for centerpieces. No expenses. I arranged the snowmen at my house on my table to give you the ideas.

     

    I would love to see what you all are doing to create attractive, seasonal centerpieces from what you have around your home?

  • Cleaning without Chemicals – Microfiber Products

    About 15-20 years ago, researchers in Norway were looking for an effective means to reduce the proliferation of “super-bugs” most often found in hospitals. The researchers found that microfiber products were an effective alternative to traditional chemical antibacterial products as they not only removed 99.9% of the bacteria but they also didn’t contribute to an ever escalating set of resistant bacteria.

    After these microfiber products began to be used in hospital settings, microfiber products were introduced to the home market in Norway. Norwex home products was founded originally in Norway and is the combination of two words, Norway and Experience.

    Here are some of the ways I use microfiber products like an Enviro Cloth:

    Cleaning bathrooms and kitchen counters and sinks, carpet stains, windows, dusting, mini-blinds, stainless steel, microwaves, tubs, toilets, showers, floors, dishes, cars, etc.

    NEW CONTEST: This week I am asking people to post all the ways you use Norwex Microfiber Cleaning products other than the ideas I have listed above. I have prizes for for 10 posters of original ideas.

    Prizes will be: Spirinetts (Rust proof stainless steel pot and ovenscrubbers), Spirisponges (Silver coated spong to use on Teflon, indoor grills, porcelain, marble, burnt on foods, bathtub, rust spots on sinks, flat top stoves, etc.), and Dish Cloths (Use anywhere scrubbing action is required such as cleaning soap scum from tubs,dough off counters, bugs off cars, paint off windows, cleaning hand beaters, cheese graters, microwaves, etc).

    I will also be awarding a Grand Prize to the most complete and creative, best overall posting of how microfiber products have revolutionized your household cleaning. The Grand Prize will include a Norwex Bath Towel, and a matching Norwex Face Cloth (wash cloth). ($40.00 value)

    February 5, 2008:  Contest winners are:

    Heather J

    Janet Duff

    Kimborlee Eddy

    Kelley

    Debbie

    Melissa Noakes

    Colleen Steffen

    Julie Martin

    Heather

    Breanna

    Grand Prize Winner is:  Jaly Gross  Here is her prize winning post:

    I am a homeschooling Mom of 2 busy little boys. They went to Grandma’s for the weekend and all I did was clean. Here are the ways I used my microfiber cloths this weekend:

    • Cleaned light switches and switch plates: it even got the grime out of the letters in the words ON/OFF!
    • Cleaned eyeglasses.
    • Shined stainless steel, chrome, mirrors, candle holders(you know the soot that gets inside), everything is shiny! NO WATER SPOTS!
    • Cleaned the white, top part of my dishwasher that is textured and white and NOTHING gets it clean – but my cloth did!
    • Shined the fronts of all my bathroom cabinets- they were yucky! It took no time, just a little water on a cloth and a little elbow grease (very little). Soap drips, toothpaste, finger smudges, everything 2 little boys can leave behind – all gone! Got the walls too.
    • Dusted the globes to my light fixtures in the bathroom, for maybe the first time since I have lived here. Again, I little spritz and the cloth just easily wiped away all the grime, it just clings to it like a magnet!
    • My 6 panel doors to all the rooms and closets in my house are painted white, I thought they all needed to be re-painted. No, they just needed a good wipe down with a microfiber cloth! Way cheaper and easier and faster than paint!
    • This is the best: My husband is doing finishing work in the basement and has been cutting stones for the fireplace facing. Therefore the whole house has this really fine dust everywhere, some places a lot more than others. Therfore I have been dusting everything in sight with my microfiber cloths. SO I got to my foyer and on the console table is this really pretty fabric runner made out of different fabrics that I really fear will be ruined if it goes in the washer. So I pick up the candle sticks to dust them and there are circles where they had been on the fabric. Its really dusty. I am bummed that I have no choice but to wash it. So, then I thought, try the microfiber, it might work on fabric. And of course, IT DID. No more circles – it looks good as new!
    • Cleaned the dust out of the baskets that sit on the bottom shelf of the console. Unbelievable how it gets into those crevices.
    • Dried my dishes.
    • Cleaned my telephones and remotes.
    • Cleaned residue left from a sticky price tag.
    • Cleaned the tv screen.
    • Shined my shoes!
    • Cleaned the chalk board and white board.
    • I think my house will be a lot cleaner now that I have microfiber in my life.

    Everything is so shiny and I cleaned things I never clean. Its just so quick and easy, its actually fun! When the kids got home I let them use them too, they had a great time helping me! Can’t wait to try it on the car!

    Congratulations to all the prize winners and their creativity!

  • Chili Chasing Chili Recipes

    It’s not expected to get above freezing for about a week. We need something to warm up with, so I gathered my Chili Recipe collection to share with you.


    Colorado White Chili
    A healthy, mouth-watering meal sure to bring raves; a great alternative to traditional chili from Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer by my friends Suzie Martinez, Vanda Howell, and Bonnie Garcia

    1 Tbsp cooking oil
    1 medium onion (1/2 cup), chopped
    4 large cloves garlic, minced
    1-4.5 oz. can diced green chilis (mild or hot)
    1 Tbsp cumin (powder or seed)
    2 tsp oregano
    1/2 tsp ground red pepper
    1/4 tsp ground cloves
    1-15.5 oz. can great northern beans (don’t drain)
    1-15.5 oz. can sweet corn (or frozen)
    2 cups cooked chicken
    5 cups chicken broth

    Serving day ingredients
    shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    sour cream
    tortilla chips
    Cooking day instructions:
    In a large pan or Dutch Oven, combine oil, onion, garlic, and green chilis. Saute until tender, but do not brown. Stir in spices, beans, corn, chopped chicken, and chicken broth. Cook and stir until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cool chili completely. Freeze, using freezer bag method.
    Serving day instructions
    Thaw completely. Simmer until heated through. Serve in bowls with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. For extra “kick”, garnish with jalapeno slices.
    (yields 6-8 servings)

    From Don’t Panic – Dinner’s In The Freezer
    by Martinez, Howell, Garcia used by permission Fleming H. Revell, a division of Baker House Books,
    Copyright 2005

    Chili Chasing Chili
    This is my thirty year old, reliable Chili Recipe

    1 pound ground turkey or beef
    1 – 16 0z can whole tomatoes, chopped
    1 – pkg dry onion soup mix
    1 1/2 Tbsp Chili powder
    1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
    1/2 tsp salt or to taste
    2 – 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained (save reserved liquid)
    or 2 cups dry kidney beans, soaked and cooked
    1 cup finely sliced celery
    1/2 cup diced green pepper, optional
    1 TB olive oil

    Saute pepper and celery in oil until limp. Set aside. Brown meat in skillet, drain grease. Combine all ingredients into stockpot and simmer for 15-30 minutes. We serve the chili over brown rice or with corn bread.

    Garnishes:
    grated cheddar cheese
    sour cream
    cilantro

    MAMA KIM’S AWARD-WINNING WHITE & GREEN CHILI
    My friend Kim won the contest she entered this Chili recipe into.  I haven’t tasted it yet, but I know it is a winner!  Give it a try.

    3-4 pounds pork roast, cooked and shredded, with broth

    8+ c. chicken broth

    1 large onion, diced in 1/2″ pieces

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    3 small cans chopped green chiles

    4-6 potatoes, peeled and diced

    1/2 # diced baby carrots

    1 pkg. taco seasoning

    1-2 T. chili powder

    1-2 t. cumin

    1/2 t. oregano

    Salt and pepper to taste

    2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed

    3 limes

    1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped fine

     

    In a large pot, heat 1 c. chicken broth.  Add all veggies, cook till tender.  Add chicken and pork broths, and shredded pork. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, add the seasonings and beans.  Simmer 30 min. – 1 hour, till tender.  Add the juice of the limes and cilantro leaves.  Can be cooked all day on low in a slow cooker.    Enjoy with sour cream, salsa and chips!  This chile is especially good cooked the day before, to let the flavors blend.

     

    CHICKEN CHILI CORN CHOWDER
    6-8 servings

    This soup is a great variation to chili, very elegant, and delicious! Serve with hot “good earth” rolls.

    3-4 Cups cooked, diced chicken (1 1/2 lbs. boneless)*
    1/2 C. finely chopped onion
    3 TB flour, whole grain preferred
    2 TB olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 C. chicken broth ( I use Frontier chicken broth powder and water to equal 2 C)
    2 C. hot water
    1 tsp. cumin, ground
    2 C. half and half
    2 C. Monterey Jack
    1- 16 oz can creamstyle corn
    1 – 4 oz can green chili, chopped
    1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce – (optional)
    salt and pepper to taste

    Saute onion, and garlic in olive oil until transluscent in a stock pot. Stir in flour over low heat and slowly stir in chicken broth, and water. Heat until thickened slightly. Add cumin, half and half, creamstyle corn, green chilis, and hot pepper sauce (opt) to the soup base and simmer together for 15-60 minutes. Add chopped chicken, stir in shredded cheese until melted, adjust seasonings to taste. (Don’t boil the soup once the cheese is added or it will become stringy.) To serve: garnish with chopped medium tomato and 1/2 C. fresh minced cilantro.

    *A quick way to cook up 1 1/2 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts is to pressure cook them in a Duromatic Pressure Cooker for 8 minutes at the 2nd red ring and allow the pressure to come down naturally. While soup base is simmering, For more information about recipes and products contact marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com or call at 1-800-552-7323. cook and dice the chicken.

    Silver Palate Chili For a Crowd
    When choosing chopped meat for chili, you’ll find that beef chuck adds great flavor. And you never can have too many spices. Look for dark-red kidney beans. Lemon juice brightens all the tastes! I found this recipe in Parade Magazine a couple years ago around Super Bowl Time.
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    1 pound yellow onions, coarsely chopped
    1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
    4 pounds beef chuck, ground
    1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
    1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
    1/3 cup ground cumin
    1/2 cup chili powder
    1/4 cup Dijon mustard
    2 tablespoons dried basil
    2 tablespoons dried oregano
    1 1/2 tablespoons salt,     or to taste
    1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
    3 cans (28 ounces each) Italian plum tomatoes, drained
    1/4 cup dry red wine
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
    1/4 cup chopped parsley
    2 cans (16 ounces each) dark-red kidney beans, drained
    2 cans (5 1/2 ounces each) pitted black olives, drained, optional

    1. Heat the olive oil in a very large pot. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage meat and ground chuck; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the meats are well browned. Spoon off any excess fat and discard.
    2. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley and kidney beans. Stir well and simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.
    3. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add olives; simmer for 5 minutes more to heat through. Serve immediately.

    Serves 20.
    Vegetarian Chili

    This Vegetarian Chili recipe is adapted from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. Even if you are not a vegetarian, I think you will really enjoy this yummy chili. Don’t be afraid of the ingredient list, it goes together easily.

    1 medium-size eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
    1 tbsp coarse salt or regular salt
    3/4 cup (or as needed) best-quality olive oil
    2 medium-size yellow onions, cut into dices
    4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    2 large green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
    1 35 oz can Italian plum tomatoes
    1-1/2 lbs fresh ripe Roma tomatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
    2 tbsp chili powder
    1 tbsp ground cumin
    1 tbsp dried oregano
    1 tbsp dried basil
    2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    1 tsp salt
    1 tsp fennel seeds
    1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
    1 cup canned dark red kidney beans, drained
    1 cup canned chick-peas (garbanzos) drained
    1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or 2 Tbsp dried
    2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    cooked brown rice
    shredded cheddar cheese

    Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute until almost tender, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Remove the eggplant to a casserole or Dutch oven.
    Heat the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) oil in the same skillet over low heat. Add the onions, garlic and green peppers and saute just until softened, about 10 minutes. Add onions to the casserole with any oil.

    Place the casserole over low heat and add the canned tomatoes with their liquid, fresh tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, fennel, and parsley. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans, chick-peas, dill and lemon juice and cook for another 15 minutes. The eggplant peel should be tender. Stir well and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with brown rice and lots of shredded cheddar cheese.

    This recipe is adapted from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook which says, “This vegetable chili is just as lush and spicy as those with lots of beef and pork.”