Yum....

Most of you that know me well, know that I LOVE to cook! I'm obsessed with trying new recipes and I'm always searching for that one amazing meal. You know the one everyone in the house likes? The one that you want to make over and over again? The one when your kids are grown and think of Mom's food this is what they think of? Well, I think I'm getting close.

Since it was exceptionally gloomy last week, and the "Man of the house" was away. I decided it would be a good time to make Chili. Now for the most part I am the only one in my little family that actually LIKES to eat Chili. However...With this new recipe I feel "a change gon' come". It was really really good, and like most Chili's, really really easy! When the words "MMM...This is really yummy" come out of my 4 year olds mouth. I know I have done my job well. Here is the recipe for Nacho Cheesy Chili. I found it on this blog http://http://cookingventures.blogspot.com/ . I made some changes to suite what my family likes. I didn't think about this until after the fact but some corn in it would have been really good too!

Nacho Cheesy Chili

• 1 TBSP Oil
• 1 Large Onion, Chopped
• 1 1/2LB Ground Beef
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 3 1/2 TBSP Chili Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 TBSP Tomato Paste
• 2 cans Chili Beans
• 2 1/2 cups V8 Juice
• 1/3 cup finely crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos.
• 1-4 oz can Green Chilis (optional)
• 2 cups freshly grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Additional salt and pepper to taste
• Extra Doritos at serving time and Freshly Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese for topping

Heat a large pot over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook the onions until tender, 2-3 min. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Cook until brown and then drain. To the browned meat, add the chili seasoning, garlic, and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Next add the V8 Juice, chili beans, crushed Doritos, and green chilis. Do NOT add the cheeses yet. Stir, cover, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer (around medium-low). Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cheese and stir to combine. Allow the cheese to melt for about a minute then stir again. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. The chili should be rich and thick and the ground beef should be very tender. If it is too thick for your liking add more V-8 Juice or water. YUM!

Starting Over....

A little over 2 years ago I started a blog to keep family updated on our life while living in our "Castle on the Rock". I made a whopping 5 posts then got lost in life and forgot all about it. Whoops. I guess the whole "keeping people updated" thing didn't quite work out!



Since my last post in March of 2008 alot of stuff has happened.


1. We welcomed little L into our lifes in August. He's a pretty amazing boy and is now 19mo old!

2. We no longer live in our Castle. Since then we have moved back home where we are much more comfortable and happy :) Being gone really made us realize how important our family is and how much we love being close to them.

3. The "Man of the House" has taken on a new business venture that we are both enjoying.

4. K and M have grown so much, K is in preschool, and M is in Tumbling. Also both are taking swimming lessons which they really love.




The list could go on but most of you should know the rest ;) I am planning on keeping up with THIS blog. Obviously not to update you all on our life in Castle Rock but as a place to write about Life, My Loves, and my pursuit of the Perfect Meal! I hope you all will stop by often :)





Until next time....Jamie