Coffee, Coffee, I Love Coffee!

Before I got married, I had never drank a cup of coffee.

On our honeymoon, my husband made me a cup because he wanted me to go hiking, and I needed a little bit more energy.

I still didn't become a "coffee-drinker" until after our second son was born, about 4 or 5 years later.  I came to enjoy the flavor of coffee.  When I became pregnant with our third son, I gave it up for the health of my baby.  But after he was weaned, I began enjoying my cup of coffee again.

Although I now love the flavor of coffee, I can't drink it black.  I have to have milk or cream in it.  And even though we love an occasional treat from the coffee shop, my husband and I prefer to make our coffee at home.

But since we don't like our coffee to sit around before we drink it, we make it in smaller amounts for immediate enjoyment.  For single serve treats, it's hard to beat the Nespresso Essenza C100.  It has the taste and ease dreams are made of....

Easy Chili - MSG Free

I love good food.  And I love easy recipes all the more.  Here is a family favorite that I made today to warm us up in the chilly north.

Easy Chili with Meat

Image via Wikipedia

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
2-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3/8 teaspoon coriander
3/8 teaspoon cumen
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can red beans (or equal amount cooked beans)

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef and onion until brown.  Drain.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients EXCEPT beans.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1 hour.
3. Stir in beans.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

This recipe is a great make-ahead meal too.  I will often cook the meat and add it with the rest of the ingredients (except beans) into the slow cooker.  When I get home, I add the beans and dinner is ready when they are hot!  I can fit 3 batches of this in my 6-Quart Slow Cooker.

 We love to eat this chili with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and corn chips.  When I don't have enough leftover for another meal, I put the rest of the chili back in the slow cooker and add a brick of cream cheese.  It makes a delicious chip dip!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Aren't Friends Great?

I was reminded today how great it is to have friends.  

Time has been tight lately with all that's been going on.  And today, one of my friends offered to pick up some things at the store for me.  She was going anyway, but it meant a lot to know she would be willing to do that.

So often we take our friends for granted.  We know they're there, but we don't really value them like we should.  Well, today I did.  I thank all my friends for standing by me, for supporting and even correcting me at times.

Where would I be with you? 

Brrr! It's Cold Out There!

Image via Wikipedia

But what can you expect in February in the north?  

In an effort to save money on heating costs, we've turned our furnace down to 63 degrees.  At night, we drop it to 60.  I've come to a new understanding of layering clothes.  My normal wardrobe consists of 3 shirts, 2 pairs of pants (thermal ones included), 2 pairs of socks, and sometimes a hat and/or scarf.  When I go out, I have to remove some layers so I don't have a heat stroke!

With the recent snow and drop in temperature, I'm feeling the cold even more.  It's days like today I want an electric stove close by.  I found one recently that's caught my eye.  It's the Dimplex CS3311 Electric Stove.  I prefer it over other space heaters because it would not only warm me up, but it would make my room look nicer too.  And being a romantic at heart, I love the idea of curling up with my handsome husband in front of the fire.  Maybe I'll drop a few hints!

So, how many days until spring?