Cooking with Caprece - White Chicken Chili

Caprece won a chili cook-off in her stake with this recipe and I have wanted to make it every since - nearly 4 years.  Everyone is always asking if I have this recipe of hers and so here it is in all of it's glory.  I do have to say that it is a KEEPER.  My whole family loved it. We served it with sweet yellow cornbread.  I loved the contrast between the spicey and the sweetness of the bread. Tip - if you have younger children just make sure to use mild green chilies and go super easy on the cayenne pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Andrea Shumway and Caprece Curtis

1.5 lbs chicken breast, cubed

1 medium onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 TBS oil

2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chicken broth

2 - 4 oz cans chopped green chilis - you decide the heat factor

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper - remember you control the heat so you can put less!

Saute the first 3 ingredients in 3 TBS of oil (I used a canola/olive oil blend) in a soup kettle or dutch oven.

Add the Great chicken broth and stir making sure to get all those yummy bits stuck to the pan.

Now add the Great Northern beans, green chilis - Quick Tip - high quality chilis are best.  Others tend to have a great deal of stems and husk like pieces.  Even the quality chilis can have bad bits.  Check them before you add them to the soup and remove any unwanted bits.  - salt, oregano, ground cumin, pepper, cayenne pepper.  Mix together and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for one hour until thickened.  It will be similar to a thick batter.  Add 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup whipping cream.  Whisk together and serve.

1,729 miles, 3 days and 2 nights

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I had the wonderful fortune of helping my mother move to Utah.  She began her journey in Myrtle Beach, SC and I met her in Kentucky.  We loaded furniture and belongings, slept briefly and then began our nearly 1800 mile trip.  Her excitement could barely be contained as she thought of actually living near all of her grandchildren.  However, this joy didn't competely override her anxiety about a new place - one that she hadn't even seen - and she often found herself caught between feelings of elation and those of complete nail biting fear :)  Let me assure everyone...the joy quickly and easily won out as she walked into her new home that already had a bed, new linens in the bathroom and other important necesities provided by Matt and Cayr.  As well as a B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.  welcome sign created by Chancey and signed by the the whole family.

This trip was nothing new for me as having attended school and lived in the west for many of my 40 years, I have driven these miles back and forth over 10 times.  This was usually by myself with the exception of my original trip with my Sister and my honeymoon/move trip to Northern Cali.  So this was a special treat to be with my Mom.  She came prepared with a few books on CD that we enjoyed but mostly we enjoyed talking and comfortable silence.  We both reminised on previous trips - she with grandmommie and me with Caprece.  It felt good.  And of course we couldn't help contemplating the pioneers as we traveled in their footsteps in a warm ,dry, and mostly comfortable :) truck.  We stopped each night to sleep in a warm comfy bed and it only took us 3 days and 2 nights.  Mom may not be a pioneer in things temporal as were those pioneers long ago but she is still forging a path of faith, hope and charity for those following her.

My Joaquin had been counting the days to her arrival and Rodrigo informed me that the night before we were to arrive he had decided the anticipation was killing him and he could wait no longer!  He demanded to see Grandmommie Jacqi NOW!  Needless to say it was a wonderful reunion for us all - I had missed my little boys terribly and Rodrigo too.  There really is no place like home.  I can't help but think of our future heavenly reunion with those who have gone on before us and a return to that home, the home that I feel a constant longing for.  Ezekiel and I were reading a book about the Savior this past week and there was a picture of the Savior hugging a child.  I was talking to Zeke about it and how wonderful it must feel to receive a hug from the Savior.  I was overwhelmed with a desire for a "Jesus Hug" and I told him so.  He agreed that this would be a very good thing.

How thankful I am for Jesus Christ. Because of him I have a family, and a home - both earthly and heavenly. 

Welcome to Utah Mom!   

Whatcha thinkin bout...?

Sometimes I just have to wonder where my kids come up with their ideas...I mean what in the world are they  thinking about?  A few days ago Joaquin said to me out of the clear blue, "Mom let's go to a hotel."  I said why?  He tells me, "Because I don't like this place (referring to our home)."  I responded with, "Really, why don't you like it here?"  He says, "Because there is no red stuff."  Hmmm, I wonder what this "red stuff" is that he is referring to and the only thing i can think of is that we had a red accent wall in the condo...maybe he really, really liked it?  Guess it is time for me to add a little color to our place...? 

Roasted Asparagus

I know, I know, I said I would only post my sister's recipes but this one is sooo good I have to post it.  Forgive me :)?

Roasted Asparagus courtesy of Me

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Asparagus
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1-2 TBS olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse the asparagus.  Take one stalk and break.  Asparagus will naturally break at the point where the veggie is good to eat.  Using the asaparagus that you broke as a  guide cut the bottoms of the remaining aspargus off.  Lay on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with olive oil, kosher salt, and garlic.  Toss until well coated. Roast in oven for 12-15 minutes.  Asparagus should just be tender.   

Cooking with Caprece - Glazed Carrots

Yesterday I made a family favorite "3 envelope roast" and I was trying desperately to figure out to serve with it.  I didn't want the same ole same ole.  So I dove into Caprece's recipes and came across this one that looked delicious.  It didn't disappoint although I think I like my friend Christina's recipe better.  I also served wild rice and roasted asparagus that was out of this world good.

Glazed Carrots recipe courtesy of Sharlee Bates

Ingredients:

• 2 pkg (16oz) fresh baby carrots
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 envelopes of ranch dressing mix

Cook carrots as desired and set aside.  Combine all ingredients except carrots in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir til butter is melted and everything is well blended.  Add carrots cook and stir for 5 minutes until carrots are glazed.  Serve warm.

Cooking with Caprece - Homemade Pancakes and Syrups

Waking up to the smell of sugar, maple, butter, and batter were a common and favorite experience on my visits with Caprece. She made a warm breakfast nearly every day of her life as mother and wife. Maybe because we grew up in a home of working mother and grandmother and rarely had a hot breakfast it spurred us to give this to our own families but whatever the reason it is a glorious thing! She made things other than pancakes like waffles, French toast, and scrambled eggs but my favorite was her pancakes. They are so simple to make that whipping them together takes about as much time as putting together a bowl of cold cereal. Now if I have a choice between cold cereal and hot fluffy, melt in your mouth pancakes well…I am sure you know the choice I would make. The syrups are just as easy and ohhhhhhhh so yummy!

Pancakes

• 2 cups flour

• 2 TBS baking powder

• 2 TBS sugar

• 2 TBS oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• Milk

Grease your griddle or skillet. Heat your griddle to 350 degrees or a skillet on your stove to medium-low heat. Mix all ingredients together adding milk a little at a time until you reach the desired thickness – this depends on whether you like thick or thin pancakes…the more milk you add the thinner the batter and therefore the thinner the pancakes. We like ours thick and fluffy so we add about 1-1.5 cups of milk. Pour batter onto heated surface using ¼ measuring cup and cook flipping once. Makes approximately 10 pancakes.

Buttermilk Syrup

• ½ cup buttermilk

• ½ cup butter

• 1 cup sugar

• ½ tsp baking soda

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Serve warm over pancakes, waffles, French toast etc… NOTE** Due to the amount of butter in this syrup I don’t put any butter on my pancakes when I use it. Makes about 2 cups. Doesn’t keep well so only make what you think will be used at meal.

Maple Syrup

• 1 cup water

• 2 cups sugar

• ½ tsp Mapleine

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve warm over pancakes etc… Makes about 2 cups and keeps very well in a mason jar or something similar.