Chili recipe

I've been making this "Big Game Chili" recipe for at least a year now, maybe two. It came from the backside of a can of Bush's Chili Beans. After making a big pot the other day I came to the realization that "Big Game" does not in fact refer to bear, moose or caribou like I thought, but game as in football or basketball. Shows you where my frame of reference is! Depending on what we have in the freezer, I have used either caribou or bear - last week's pot included bear and it was delicious.

Bush's BIG GAME CHILI recipe: found here 

(I made a couple tweaks...)

• Prep: 10 Minutes
• Cook: 25 Minutes
• Total: 35 Minutes

• 1 pound lean ground beef (or any big game meat, haha!)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 (16 ounce) cans BUSH'S^® 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
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup beer or more, to taste

• Garnish:
• Chopped green onion
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheese

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

Foodie weekend

Our twice-monthly organic food box came with a ton of apples and kiwis last week, which are both perfect for dehydrating. I pulled out our trusty dehydrator that we received as a wedding gift and got to work.

Core apples & cut all fruit into uniform slices. If the slices are the same size it means they will dry at the same speed.

I only have 4 trays - I definitely need more.

I found a tasty recipe on the Pioneer Woman website: Fried Mozzarella Sticks. They are SO GOOD! And very quick/easy to make. Perfect to whip up for parties or a night when you just need something fried and cheesy.

Get the ingredients together. Dip cheese sticks in flour, then egg/milk mixture and coat with panko/parsley flakes.

Lay on baking sheet and place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Fry in canola oil, no more than 2 minutes.

Enjoy with sauce!

 D took the boat down to the Kenai River this week to fish for king salmon and dipnet for reds (sockeye) with a buddy. I had to stay home and work (hey, somebody has to make the money!) You can read about our past dipnetting experiences HERE (2010) and HERE (2009).

With just one person netting (D drove the boat since I couldn't go) it was slow going for the guys. But in total D brought home a whopping 35 fish for us, which is legally what we are allowed to have for the season. We don't usually keep that many, but since we haven't had a chance to fish very much this summer I'm happy he was able to do that.

After checking out our healthy stock of canned salmon (from last year) it was decided that we'd just clean and fillet these reds, and then process them. D had gutted 1/3 of the fish on the river, but had 2/3 left to do at home. While he worked on that, I washed the fillets, laid them out to dry a bit and then cut them to fit in the vacuum-seal bags. It was approximately a 5-hour process for us both. 35 fish means 70 big filets! My back was killing me by the end of the night, and I'm pretty sure I still smell like fish.

Organic living

My ice cream maker post the other day got me thinking about why I purchased the thing in the first place. D just shakes his head when he catches me bringing something else into the house (i.e. more clutter) but this was something I think will be good for us in the long run. 

Ice cream, sorbet and sherbet purchased at the store have preservatives and other additives. Isn't that crazy? When you make it yourself the ingredients are milk, sugar, fruit, lemon juice or vanilla, etc. No partially hydrogenated this or monosodium that.

Over the years I've become more aware of the need for a healthful lifestyle. I'm not perfect and still buy unhealthy things ALL THE TIME (Doritos for Girls Weekend? Sadly, yes.) But at home D and I are slowly shifting to more organic products. Our main sources of meat are bear, caribou and from those we make steaks, sausage, ground meat, etc. Our chicken is still store-bought in bulk from Costco but I'm am in the proecess of sourcing out local natural chicken farmers. The majority of our produce is organic, from our bi-monthly Full Circle Farm boxes and the stuff we buy from the small organic section at the store.We're also planning on resurrecting our vegetable garden this year - last year was too rainy and hectic with wedding events.

We're committed to composting our organic materials and recycling paper, plastic & cardboard, which means our garbage output is way down (especially compared to our neighbors). Buying in bulk is good because your packaging is limited, in most cases. I hope I'm not coming off holier-than-thou here because we definitely aren't close to living off the grid or anything, but little changes undertaken one at a time can make a big difference.

Just desserts

For the last few months I've been researching ice cream/sorbet makers - going back and forth between a couple manufacturers and waiting for good deals to pop up. Well, I finally decided on one (a Cuisinart from Amazon.com - free shipping!) but lo and behold on my trip to Costco last Friday I found the same model for $18 less! So instead of paying $50 I took home a very nice machine for $32. 

What finally sold me on this model and brand was the great reviews - thank you Amazon - and the fact that no ice or rock salt is necessary. This particular ice cream maker has a bowl with a liquid core. Just place the bowl in the freezer for at least 8 hours. So easy!

Ok, so this machine holds 1.5 quarts - perfect amount for me and D. I began by cleaning all the components (was dusty coming out of the box) and freezing the bowl portion for 24 hours in one of the garage chest freezers. Yesterday after work I started by making a simple syrup, which is equal parts sugar and water heated on the stove until dissolved and then cooled in the fridge.

Next step is to defrost 1 quart of bagged frozen strawberries and puree in food processor with 4 TBS of lemon juice.

Wheeeeee! My little KitchenAid food processor is tiny but MIGHTY! I like the compact size but it took 4 batches to make the strawberry puree.

Next up: mixing the simple syrup with the strawberry & lemon juice mixture.

Mix, mix, mix.

Time to pull the bowl from the freezer and put the components together. 

Slowly pour the sorbet mixture into the opening at the top of the machine.

Let the magic begin.

The actual sorbet-making inside the machine took a little over 20 minutes. At one point I thought the mixture would come out the top since it sort of grew and multiplied but disaster was averted. The consistency was like soft-serve but after sitting in the fridge overnight it turned into the hard-pack texture. 

I didn't strain the strawberry seeds like the recipe suggested because I don't mind them, but it's an option if you like a smoother texture. In the end I think it was a success - even D liked it! I love sweet stuff and have a major sweet tooth, but this was pretty sugary so I think I'll decrease the simple syrup next time. My next recipes will be vanilla ice cream and Framboise sorbet! YUM.

Photo credit: Lottie + Doof

2009: Year in Review

January
The year started off with 10 to 15 degree below zero weather. D and I finally took our first real joint vacation (after 3.5 years together!) to Mexico and ended up with some bad luck, but had a great time overall. I did manage to come back with bruised ribs. Boo. We all waited for Mt. Redbout to blow.

February
Still waiting for a volcanic eruption. Bought new dining room furniture. Started ordering organic food through Full Circle Farm CSA. Our crazy high gas prices started to come down a bit. D began snowmachining out to a cabin up north and shooting critters.

March
I attended my second BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman) weekend. D continued his love affair with his snowmachine. Mt. Redoubt finally blows its top and luckily Anchorage only receives light ashfall. Of course we went to a party that evening and drove my car through the ash cloud. Figures.

April
We had been living in our new house for one year as of April 1st. In that year, D completed MANY home improvement projects (total kitchen remodel, popcorn ceiling scraping, 2 bathroom renovations, painting, etc.) D finished the master bathroom remodel in record time!We participated in a home energy rating in order to get money back from the state. I took a really neat train trip for a work excursion just as the whole swine flu hysteria broke in the US. Breakup hits Alaska -- temps hit 40 degrees and snow starts melting, making for messy streets and cars. We attend the annual Sportsman show and get pumped for fishing season!

May
D, Drift and I take the boat out to Deep Creek for our first trip of the summer. We had amazing weather and 60 degree temperatures, which is extremely abnormal for the beginning of May. D installed a new sliding glass patio door in the dining room and I finally bought a new dishwasher. Towards the end of the month we took a day trip out of Whittier and experienced the most beautiful (and HOT) weather in the Sound ever. The fishing was ok that day, shrimping was great.

June
Summer officially arrives and I get all of our flowers planted outside. D's parents arrive in Alaska after a long drive from Minnesota and the combat fishing season begins in earnest. D turns 35 and I get him the best present ever: a mission style recliner. We replace our 2-car garage door.

July
We continue to have kick-ass warm and sunny weather, and hit summer solstice. The grass grows faster than D can get around to cutting it. In celebrity news, I see Bear Grylls at Humpy's while out for a pint with friends and Sarah Palin resigns the governorship. D fishes every weekend with his parents and I drive down to the Russian and Kenai Rivers when I can. Dipnetting for salmon happens this month too.Oh, I caught a really nice king! We are vacuum-sealing and canning fish like crazy.

August
Best month ever! We celebrated my 32nd birthday, got ENGAGED and I won $1,000 worth of girly gift certificates from a radio contest. Took a wonderful trip to Tennesssee to see my family. Something not so great: one of my cats begins to bring home mice she has caught in the yard.

September
D goes moose and caribou hunting, and comes home with a really nice caribou that may make it into the Pope & Young record book for Alaska! We finally order my engagement ring from Blue Nile online and it is gorgeous. Construction continues on the main feeder road to our house. We take day trip at the end of the month to Lake Louise and Bonnie Lake for some hiking, canoeing and target practice.

October
We take another day trip, but go down south this time to Seward/Moose Pass to look at possible wedding locations and hike out to Carter Lake. I hit the one-year anniversary of my blog! We start wedding planning in earnest; setting the date and location, hiring a caterer, dj and photographer. Still no snow on the ground, which is odd. I work a lot of Saturdays because of health fairs. I help babysit triplets and realize that I do not want triplets.

November
I visit Texas for my 10-year college reunion. We fiinally get snow on the ground back home and have a snowy Thanksgiving. It's cold.

December
Ice fog hits Anchorage and my sister arrives for her yearly visit. D and I decide to go low-key for Christmas and not do presents. Without discussing it, we end up buying ourselves a big gift anyway! Kindle for me, chainsaw and snowmachine bibs for D. Our wedding save-the-dates finally go out in the mail. Risha and I go wedding dress shopping. Winter solstice means we have the lowest amount of daylight all year. We go x-c skiing one last time before the new year.

Two Sisters recipes

One of my all-time favorite bakeries EVER is located in Homer, Alaska -- Two Sisters. They serve the most delicious breads and pastries, not to mention the fantastic soups and sandwiches. Seriously, I'm getting hungry right now just thinking about the food stuffs. What makes this place even more fabulous is the bakery's location out near Bishop's Beach in Homer. Just a really lovely setting, looking out over Kachemak Bay.

I check the Two Sisters site every once in a while and on my last visit, found out about their new recipe blog. Um, YUM! I love that the bakery buys local organic produce and products. Can't wait to try out some of the recipes -- the roasted chicken looks delish. I should probably start purchasing free-range organic chickens but like the Two Sisters blog mentions, they are way expensive. Chicken is pretty much the only thing we don't buy organic so I feel like we're doing pretty well on that front.

Pack on the pounds

This Saturday I am attending a cookie exchange, hosted by a good friend from work. I usually don't participate in cookie exchanges because invariably the organizer will ask everyone to bring something like 12 dozen cookies and I don't have the force of will or kitchen space to create that many individual baked goods. Plus who needs that many cookies at home anyway? I can get fat and blobby over the holidays all by myself, no assistance from cookies needed.

My friend says I only need to make 2 dozen which is totally doable, so I signed up. Told her I'd be bringing my new favorite cookies, the chocolate dipped macaroons. I also volunteered to make my hot artichoke and spinach dip -- and THAT always makes me some new friends! Now, I am going to share this recipe with you all because I am infused with the spirit of holiday giving:

Audry's Artichoke & Spinach Dip

14 oz. (1 can) artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened at room temp
1/4 cup mayo (NOT miracle whip)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
mozzarella cheese, grated
french bread or crackers

Mix together cream cheese, mayo, parmesan cheese, garlic, basil and garlic salt. Add artichoke hearts and spinach, and mix until well blended. Store together until ready to use. Spray pan with PAM, pour in dip and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until top is browned. Serve with french bread or crackers.

This stuff is popular and we rarely ever have leftovers (once I actually saw someone clean the pan with her finger and LICK IT, so I'm confident that it's the bomb diggity) but you can just pop any extra in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave.

Fruit crumble

Last year D's mom sent me a bunch of great recipes using rhubarb (which we're now out of -- yay for space in the freezer!) and had suggested mixing in other fruit when baking. So last night when I saw the huge ripe blueberries sitting ever-so-lonely in the fridge (from our first organic box) they got dumped in a big pot along with some frozen strawberries and raspberries from the yard for a quick and easy fruit crumble.

Simmering along with some water, sugar and lemon juice. This is the easiest recipe ever. Seriously.

Flour and sugar mixed with butter for the crumbly topping.

Finished product! Eventually I need to work on making my food look better. Right now I'm concentrating on having everything taste good! As my official taster, D says this dish was delish.

My wonderful family helps feed my Ikea obsession -- received a box from my sister with some items and she even added in some Pocky. It's an Asian treat -- basically a long pretzel cracker dipped in chocolate. So simple in its chocolatey goodness!

Are you going to eat that?

I actually made dinner last night (yeah, D couldn't believe his luck either) and it turned out pretty good. King salmon fillets baked in the oven with steamed broccoli and potatoes. After the salmon came out of the oven I added cream cheese to the top -- it was pretty darn good peoples. And we had apples and strawberries for dessert because I'm not buying ice cream regularly anymore (diet and all that). Poor D.

We don't buy seafood anymore, or meat for that matter. Sometimes I'll pick up chicken from the grocery store, but it's nice to not worry about the additives and growth hormones in the meat and seafood we eat since we catch our own fish and D goes hunting for bear and caribou every year. Some people ask me if it's odd to eat that sort of meat and I say no, because when you grow up thinking squid and fish eyeballs are regular food, bear and caribou are not going to freak you out.

Slimmin' down

I'm trying to be healthier in the new year -- I have a shiny new elliptical machine in my craft room and in my quest to lose a few pounds, a new diet too. No more full-calorie sodas, although coffee is still in. More fresh fruits, veggies and water. Yogurt for breakfast. And I'm going to stop eating the mystery food down in our cafeteria. Here's today's lunch:


Sugar-free candy is still in because I can't give that stuff up!