6 Can Chili

Last year I found a dynamite recipe for 8 Can Taco Soup that is absolutely delicious.  Now that fall is here, I thought "I've got to be able to find a similar chili recipe, right?"  Right.  I successfully searched the web for a quick and simple chili recipe, because let's be serious - after we both work full days and commute an hour each way, who wants to cook a detailed dinner?  Not me, I can tell you that.  Below is the recipe I followed.  Next time we plan on adding more meat (probably 2lbs rather than 1lb) and we will add more spices to taste as well. We seasoned our own bowls and found that paprika and garlic salt gave it the added oomph we were looking for.

6 Can Chili
adapted from allrecipes.com

2 tsps olive oil 
1lb ground beef
1 packet McCormick reduced sodium chili seasoning
1 can whole peeled tomatoes (14.5oz)
1 can hot chili beans, undrained (16oz)
1 can pinto beans, undrained (15oz)
1 can kidney beans, undrained (15oz)
1 can baked beans (28oz)
1 can tomato paste (6oz)
Reduced fat shredded cheese - for topping
Reduced fat sour cream - for topping

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat.  Add the meat and spice packet and cook the meat until it's no longer pink.  This should be between 10 and 15 minutes.  Pour the tomatoes into the skillet and crush them into chunks.  Transfer this mixture to a soup pot.  Add all other canned ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Top with shredded cheese and enjoy!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies {with Cinnamon Chips!}

After months of corresponding with the Chicago Alpha Gam Junior Circle, I finally made it to an event!  Woohoo!  It was the A(GD)mazing Race, themed after the show but taking place in Chicago and there was a potluck afterwards.  Seeing as it has cooled off lately, I baked my go-to fall potluck dish: Harvest Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  These things are amazing.  I ran across the recipe in a Splenda cookbook I purchased several years ago and now make these cookies several times every fall.  The pumpkin makes them light and fluffy and the spices and raisins give it the perfect fall flavor!

Harvest Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(Adapted from the Splenda cookbook)

1 cup butter or margarine - softened
1/2 cup Splenda sugar blend (I haven't been able to find this lately, so I used the Domino Light blend)
1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend  
1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup raisins
1 package Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together the softened butter with the sugar and brown sugar.  Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, blending until thoroughly combined.  Gradually add in the flour, oats, and other dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in the raisins and cinnamon chips.  Place dough in tablespoon sized dollops on the baking sheets.  Bake for 14-16 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheet for 7-8 minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack.

To achieve the more healthy Splenda version, just omit the cinnamon chips.  I was feeling adventurous and wanted a bit of extra fall flavor in this batch and therefore added the chips.  If you're all about some cinnamon-y delicious fall flavor, stick to this recipe.  This is my favorite fall cookie and super easy to prepare.  Hope you enjoy this batch of cookies as much as I always do!

Chicago Chocolate Tours

Do you ever feel like Groupon just gets inside your mind sometimes?  It's like Groupon knows there is something that has been catching your eye in emails so it just keeps emailing about it.  That's what happened here.  I kept getting Chicago Chocolate Tours deals in my Groupon emails.  And who doesn't want to walk around Chicago and eat chocolate for 3 hours?!  As I mentioned before, my office is big on team building, so (after 17 Groupon emails) I eventually organized a chocolate filled outing for all of us.

Since we were going as a group, I contacted customer service for a group rate.  They were always quick to respond and very helpful.  We decided on taking the group rate on a public tour, but Chicago Chocolate Tours also offers private tours for any event, like a birthday, bachelorette party, etc.  When 12:45PM rolled around on Monday afternoon, we were all pretty excited to partake in the Downtown Loop tour.  The first stop was Macy's (previously the famous Marshall Fields) where we tasted the signature Frango mint and also indulged in other chocolates from the world assortment.  The tour went up the Walnut Room, showcased one of the original Frango machines and highlighted a chocolate sculpture.  We stopped to admire the Tiffany's ceiling on the main floor, and then we were on our way to Toni's Patisserie.  What a cute cafe!  I definitely plan on going back there to enjoy a bite to eat.  The brownie we sampled at Toni's was rich, chocolate decadence.  After enjoying the quaint shop, the tour guided us to Fannie May, where the employees were by far the most generous with the samples.  Naturally, we tried the famous turtle, but we also tasted the new artisan line and were given a couple chocolates to take home as well.  Around the corner, the tour came to the last stop - Argo Tea.  Who would have thought, right?!  But yes, we drank chocolate chai tea and it was delish.  Overall, it was a great experience!  The guide was really informative, so we learned about chocolate, little tidbits about the city, and of course also got to try all kinds of chocolate desserts. 

Chicago Chocolate Tours has several additional routes and during the winter they offer a gourmet hot chocolate tour too, so I have feeling Carl and I may make a date night out of another tour sometime!

Cherry Beer Cookies

A little back story for you here - We honeymooned in Boston in early September of course.  By then literally all of the east coast fall beer was already on tap in the city bars.  One of our big to-dos was visit the Samuel Adams brewery, which led us to the first pub that ever served Sam Adams beer.  If you make it there, show your brewery tour ticket, and buy a Sam Adams draft, you get to keep the glass.  And that's how I tried the cherry wheat ale.  It's amazing on tap.

With that said, I bought a 6 pack the other day and unfortunately am not liking it as much out of the bottle.  I thought "Oh I can definitely bake with this then."  But cupcakes are so hard to share if you aren't planning or attending an event.. like oh hey just had these extra cupcakes laying around that I wanted to share.  So I decided to take a shot at creating my own cherry beer cookies!

Cherry Beer Cookies

1 1/2 sticks butter - room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1 tsp almond extract
1 12oz bottle of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat Ale
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup dried cherries
2 cups chocolate chips (I split mine, 1 cup white chocolate chips & 1 cup chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whip together the butter and both sugars.  Add in almond extract and begin adding beer in small increments.  Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt until ingredients are well incorporated.  Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.  Chill dough for about 20 minutes.  Drop dough onto baking sheets in tablespoon sized dollops.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or until bottoms are slightly golden.  Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack.

Cheers!

Accounting Chefs in the Kitchen

What do ya think about that title?  Not happening, am I right?!  But it did!  The company I work for puts a huge emphasis on team work so they encourage team events.  Sometimes we plan smaller specific team events and other times larger outings.  This time was the latter option; our entire financial services team competed in an Iron Chef of sorts!  And it was a blast!

We walked down the street to Kendall College because they offer 'Home Chef' classes for those not looking to obtain a degree.  They split us into two groups and from there into smaller sections to work on protein, starch, veggies, and (of course) dessert.  It was great!  We had an hour in the kitchen with a legit chef helping with ideas and students also helping out.  Ultimately we split the food winnings; my team taking starch (my group!) and dessert with the other team swiping protein and veggies.  The tie breaker was which kitchen was cleanlier, so we conceded the win.. womp, womp.  BUT we did get to enjoy all the food.

What I'm really excited about is finding this new college.  I looked up more of their 'Home Chef' offerings and they sound really interesting.  Classes are split between beginner, intermediate, and advanced.  Some of the beginning classes are one night, 6-9PM, while some of the advanced classes have a more 'boot-camp' type name and feel stretching over both days of the weekend.  Seriously, once we move into the city I am definitely participating in these!  Artisan pizza, beer enthusiast, and pies and tarts?!  You guys, they're about to have a regular!