Easy Crock Pot Chili

Easy crock pot chili: Just made this, delicious! One package Bear Creek Chili Mix. Prepare in a crock pot according to directions (add 7 cups water, pretty basic). Cook all day on low. About an hour before serving, brown 1 lb (or more, I think I did 1.25 lbs) hamburger and add 2 packets taco seasoning to the drained hamburger and 3/4 cup water. Add burger mixture to the crock pot and bring again to a boil, serve with cheese, onion, and some cornbread. GOOD! The Bear Creek Chili by itself was a little flat in flavor so I added the burger and taco seasoning. Thinking it probably would work sticking ALL of it in the crock pot from the beginning, but NOT the hamburger, you'd want to brown and rinse it first, otherwise it would be too greasy unless you used elk or deer burger.

Homemade Tomato Soup

I hate having to be gluten free, although now I think it's a wheat allergy, instead of all gluten.  That's slightly better I guess.
I love Tomato Soup, but the second ingredient in canned tomato soup is wheat flour.  Boo.  But I came up with an alternative and it's good.

1 can tomato sauce (14 oz can)
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of Herbs de Provence
Pinch of baking soda
1 tsp butter (optional)

Combine all ingredients well and heat just to barely boiling while stirring constantly with a whisk.  Makes 2 servings.

Craisin White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1/2 cup butter, salted, room temp.
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon 100% pure vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried strawberry flavored craisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a standing mixer, beat Crisco, butter and sugars until light and fluffy for approx. 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. In a medium sized bowl combine flour and baking soda; whisk.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to creamed mixture.
5. Next, stir in vanilla milk chips, dried strawberry craisins and dried cranberries.
6. Shape cookie dough into approx 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Remove cookies from oven and let set on baking sheet for approx. 1-2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container or freeze in gallon sized Ziplock bags for later use.

Creamy Chicken Italian Soup w/Gnocchi

2/3 cup butter or olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 lbs cooked chicken OR 2 cans cooked chicken

2/3 cup flour

1 quart whole milk

1 quart heavy cream

5 Tbsp Chicken Soup Base (this is the yellow powdery boullion)

Pepper to taste

1 bag fresh spinach leaves

Make your gnocchi first, by boiling it according to package directions, or make homemade gnocchi.  Set it aside.

Melt butter in a soup pot and sauté the garlic.  Add the flour and cook and stir together, cook for a minute or so for the raw flour smell to cook out.  Add the chicken and cook to combine the chicken and the flour paste.

Cool the pan a little bit by lifting it off the burner and turning the heat down, then add about a cup of the milk, and stir stir stir to get any lumps out and make it as smooth as you can.  Add the boullion or soup base and stir it in well, no lumps.  Add the rest of the milk and the cream and cook over medium low heat.  Taste it, add salt and pepper if needed.  Add the gnocchi to heat it through in the soup.  Just before serving, add the whole bag of spinach leaves and warm them through, they will cook way down.

REMEMBER:  Cream soups should never boil hard, only barely simmer so they usually take some time to heat through.  If you boil it, it scorches and separates, not what you want.  Stir it a lot, don’t let it scorch on the bottom.