Traditional Chili (Our Family Recipe)

On October 21, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

It is a cold, rainy day here in Colorado today, so chili was an obvious choice for dinner. We’ve been doing this recipe since the very first year that we met twenty-six years ago, so it is one of our “go to ” recipes. It is great comfort food and, typical to these types of meals, is even better the second or third day after you make it. We will often fire roast tomatoes from the farmer’s market and use those to make the chili, which gives an even richer flavor, but we’ve included our traditional preparation here. Enjoy 🙂

Ingredients

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
28 oz Can Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
28 oz Can Chili Beans in Chili Sauce
28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
4 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Ground Red Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the ground beef and spices. It is important to add the spices while cooking the ground beef as it allows the meat to absorb all of the flavor. Once the ground beef is thoroughly cooked, add the chili beans, kidney beans, and tomatoes. Fill the can from the chili beans half way with water and pour into the chili, getting any remaining chili sauce from the inside of the can. Heat to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 4 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer that you cook it, the thicker the chili will be. Serve as is or add cheese, sour cream, jalapeño peppers or any of your favorite toppings.

The Draw of Something Familiar

On October 19, 2015October 19, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Mexico2 Comments

We love going to places that we’ve never visited before and learning about the different cultures. Sometimes, however, it is nice to revisit a place that you’ve been to several times before. We are heading back to Cabo San Lucas in the Baja Peninsula of Mexico during the second week of November. It has been a long, hectic year, and we decided that a week of rest and relaxation was needed more than a whirlwind adventure overseas. This will be our third time staying at the same resort in the past eight years, so we’re familiar with the restaurants, we know where to go to do some art exploring, and we won’t have any anxiety or apprehensions about what to expect.

One of the nice things about returning to a place that you’re familiar with is that you don’t lose a day getting acquainted with your surroundings. Our first day in a new location is usually one of staring at maps, trying to figure out the lay of the land, and learning the best way to get around to see all of the sites. A familiar place, such as the resort in Cabo, is almost like coming home to a home away from home. Friendly faces, familiar customs, the sense of calm that there shouldn’t be any unexpected surprises.

We are counting down the days until we are on the beach enjoying a Mai Tai and bathing in the sun. Even though we’ve been there before, we’ll still do some exploring, trying to find some hidden treasure we hadn’t seen before. We always try different restaurants and try to find where the locals go for fun and adventure. In many ways, it is just like exploring your own backyard, but better since it is in a different country.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding (Pumpkin Cookie Recipe)

On October 14, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes3 Comments

We were at one of our favorite restaurants last night and they are participating in restaurant week where restaurants create special menus with discounted prices. The owner is a friend of ours and stopped to talk to us while we enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine. He asked if we’d seen their menu for restaurant week, which we hadn’t, and went on to describe the dishes. He was quite excited about one of the desserts that was on the menu, a pumpkin bread pudding, which their pastry chef had created. A few minutes after our conversation, a waiter arrived with a plate of the bread pudding. It was decadently delicious! We don’t usually treat ourselves to dessert, so it was quite the treat, including the cinnamon ice cream that was served with the pudding. It reminded us of the pumpkin cookies that we bake every autumn, so we decided to share that recipe, which you will fall in love with if you try it. Unfortunately we haven’t made the cookies yet this year, so we don’t have pictures to share of the cookies, so you’ll have to use your imagination 😉

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Pie Mix (canned or you can make your own)
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 cup Butterscotch Chips

Instructions

Mix all of the ingredients together ensuring that the flour is completely incorporated. Using a teaspoon or a small ice cream scoops, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes. Depending upon the size of the cookies you make, the recipe makes several dozen cookies.