Most Awesome Venison Chili

I am not the biggest chili fan, but a couple years ago I tried the chili that my Dad made from a recipe from a friend and it was amazing!  He even won a couple chili contests at work and other functions.  It is something you can make in the crock pot and let simmer all day and your house will smell delicious when you come home :) This recipe calls for venison but you can really use any meat you want, we just happen to have an abundance of venison in the freezer courtesy of Michael!  Michael and I ate this almost every day for a week straight - but it freezes nicely too if you want to make some for future dinners.

Here is the recipe, originally from my Dad's friend Duane.

1 lb ground venison (Michael and I actually cubed ours and browned it only slightly and it came out amazingly tender)
1 lb ground sausage (venison or other)
15 - 24 oz tomato sauce
4 oz tomato paste
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz chili with beans
16 oz baked beans
15 oz refried Beans
4 oz green chili
1/2 package chili seasoning
4-6 slices of bacon (cut) with grease
¼ cup sugar
2 oz regular Tabasco sauce
1 oz Mexican hot sauce

Brown all the meat and throw it in the crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours.

Add cheddar cheese and chips if desired, enjoy!

Most Awesome Refried Beans

One of my new favorite recipes is actually a crock pot recipe and it is super easy and super delicious.  I have made it multiple times since finding it and it has been a smash hit with everyone and lasts forever!  The recipe comes from Chef In Training, and Michael and I have added a few extra ingredients to doctor it up for our liking.  This is perfect for a get together - thinking tailgates or football viewing parties!

Ingredients:

1 package of pinto beans
1/2 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stick of butter
Salt, to taste
Cheddar cheese
Salsa

What to do...

Put the pinto beans in a crock pot with water that covers them, add half an onion on top (uncut), and the garlic.
Slow cook on low for 8 hours, you could probably also do this on high for 4 hours or so - just make sure the beans are soft enough to be mashed in the end!
After the beans are ready, drain the beans, saving the liquid.
Mash the beans up and add the butter and salt along with some of the drained liquid.  I usually mash them like you would potatoes until they are pretty well mixed and then I use a hand mixer to get them extra smooth and to add some extra mixing.
Make sure you add enough liquid so that when the beans set up they are not too dry - they absorb the liquid fast!
Add cheddar cheese on top and mix in or leave to melt!

Enjoy!

Note: To reheat, we usually add a little water or salsa to add some moisture back when it is heating up.

Grilling...Pizza!

Grilled pizza is a new favorite of Michael and I's.  I started making homemade pizza last year when I lived in Richmond and a few friends and I had "family" dinner nights - oh how I miss those dinners!  I started experimenting with toppings since I am usually just a pepperoni pizza eater.  Michael and I made homemade pizza a couple times this summer and then realized we had a pizza pan that could go on the grill from one of his aunts - score!  If you haven't tried grilled pizza before, you must try it as it tastes just delicious and the crust is nice and crispy.

Grilled Pizza:

Roll out your dough (we use our bread machine, but we have also bought dough from a restaurant and used pizza crusts from the grocery store) and place it on the grill pan.

Once the grill heats up (medium heat), place the pan on the grill and let cook until the bottom is a golden brown or to your liking. Usually about 5 mins.
Flip the crust over and spread olive oil on the cooked side.

Then immediately add all your toppings (it is a good idea to have all these prepped and ready to go before you start grilling).  Our toppings of choice are sauce, fresh garlic, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, pepperoni, and mushrooms and green peppers for Michael.

Oh and don't forget the cheese - we usually mix some fresh mozzarella in with the shredded kind :)

Close the grill and let cook until the cheese is melted and toppings are to your preferred done-ness - but also check the crust every once in awhile to ensure nothing is burning. Usually about 5-10 mins.

Enjoy!

Pub-themed shower, anyone?

This past weekend I held my first ever bridal shower!  It was also the first real party I have ever thrown AND the first big get together in our new townhouse.  So I was pretty excited all around.  Jackie is not super girly and she loves beer (I, however, detest it) so after some thought I realized that a pub theme centered around a beer tasting would be perfect!  Unfortunately, I never took a picture of the actual tasting! However, I did use the cutest tasting glasses from IKEA - seriously, they were awesome!  Overall, I think everyone had a blast, I was super exhausted that night and my husband was kind enough to clean up everything (!) for me.  Take a look at some other pictures from the event below.  Thanks to all who helped out with this event and took the time to attend!

All the food!

I was so excited to get to use the chalkboard signs I bought for my wedding again.

I was also really excited to use all my new serving dishes and platters :)

Super cute favors provided by Elizabeth!

Gift table, complete with my homemade banner - I was quite proud!

A tribute to the bride and groom's younger days :)

Desserts - there are still way too many leftover in my house!

Supposed to be like a chalkboard menus you find in bars, perhaps a bit cheesy but I enjoyed it all the same.

The non-alcoholic drinks, I really wish I had a picture of the beer tasting.

The bride-to-be and I!  Can't wait to celebrate in September!