Recipe: Chili & Cornbread

Well, I promised to share my favorite ‘Last of the Tomatoes’ recipe and here it is: Chili & Cornbread. It’s the best for the last of the tomatoes for 2 reasons. First, by the end of the season, the tomatoes are no longer at their peak flavor so cooking really brings out their best. Second, it’s Fall! There’s a nip in the air, why wouldn’t you want chili & cornbread?

Chili is also a really handy thing to have in your cooking repertoire simply because it is easy to have simmering on the stove on Saturday or Sunday when you want to clean out the produce drawers. You can pretty much throw any number of veggies into chili, and they will taste awesome as long as you have the basic seasonings in there. Here’s my basic recipe…

Hannah B’s Basic Chili

Ingredients:

1lb. Ground Beef

1 Onion (medium in size; yellow, white, red, it doesn’t matter.)

2 Bell Peppers (For this particular pot I had green, yellow, & red leftover halves from another dish… sometimes I just use green. Each color you choose will affect your flavor but, again, you really can’t go wrong.)

2-3 Jalapenos or Poblano Peppers (Basically just a pepper to give it a rounder little kick.) 

Tomatoes (Whatever you’ve got, chop them up and throw ’em in. If I am buying fresh tomatoes from the market to use, I’ll usually buy 5 or 6. Throwing in a few smaller tomatoes: romas, cherries, etc. will also add a nice little something.)

(Sometimes I add zucchini. This time I added a can of artichokes. Seriously, whatever veggies you have in the fridge.)

2 cans of Tomato Paste (These are usually 6 oz. each. The tomato paste helps thicken up the chili.)

1T Cumin

2t Chili Powder

Salt to taste

Play with the rest of the seasonings:
-My mom usually adds a few Tablespoons brown sugar to her’s because she’s from Ohio.
-I’ve been known to add garlic, onion powder, and ground mustard. It’s all about what you’ve got on hand.

– – – – – – – – –

1. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and drain it.

2.) To a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil and your veggies on medium high heat.

3.) When these start to soften and the onions begin to grow translucent, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, meat, and the basic seasonings. Mix well, cover, and wait until it boils.

4.) When it begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer. Adjust the seasoning a little bit at a time.

Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream and…

Addendum: February, 2014… Click here to get our cornbread recipe! 

Life Lesson: Every belle should own an iron skillet
& have a cornbread recipe up her sleeve!

Kitchen Basics: Peeling Tomatoes

This week I brought in the last of our tomatoes for the year. It is bittersweet because there is nothing quite like cooking or eating a tomato you’ve grown yourself. Nonetheless, when the time comes, you’ve got to figure out what to do with all those little red fellas.

Later today, I’ll share one of my favorite end-of-the-season recipes, but for now I thought I’d share an easy step by step that will teach you how to peel tomatoes yourself. I just started peeling our tomatoes this year before cooking with them, usually in big batches on the weekends. I’ve found it helpful because whether your cook, freeze, or can them, you’ll find the peel will often detach from the fruit and become quite tough changing the texture of your dishes. So here’s what you’ll need…

1. a pot of boiling water
2. a bowl of ice water
3. a bowl for your end result

If you can, set your 2 bowls in the sink. This will really help cut down on the mess.

Finally, here’s how you actually peel the little guys…

1. Bring water to a boil, and drop the tomatoes in for about 2 minutes. Boiling time will be dependent on the size of the fruit, but you’ll see the skin start to change slightly–it may even start to crack.

2. When you start to see the change, drop the tomatoes into the ice water. The cold water on the hot fruit will literally make the skin pull away from the fruit.

3. Finally, hold the fruit in both hands, peeling off the skin. See easy as pie!

*Pro Tip: If you mark the bottom of the tomato with an X, it will make it easier for the skin to loosen.

*Speaking of pie, I’ve found this also works well with peaches.

Anyway, I hope this helps! I’ll be back in a bit to share the perfect 1st-of-Fall-Last-of-the-Tomatoes recipe.

Hannah B.’s Cure for Humdrum and Ho-Hum

This summer, I spent a lot of time relieving stress by crafting.

2 Things Happened:
1.) I fell head over heels in love with spray paint.
2.) I became quite a connoisseur of the stuff. (Krylon is my favorite brand at the moment.)

 

A few of my favorite projects.

 

Spray painting is magical. It can transform anything in just a matter of minutes. Plus, Krylon’s Glitter Blast is the perfect way to get around the Glitter Ban that has been on our house since last Fall’s Pumpkin Glittering Incident.

So now I’m looking for a little inspiration. Have you done a really great project with spray paint lately? Or have you seen one on Pinterest or around the blogosphere that you’d like to try? Leave a comment below and let me know what it is!

A Little Daydreaming

*This Dress the Part was inspired by a *lovely* layout (see p.90) in the Sept/Oct issue of Lonny Magazine.

It’s Fall Break and Sophie has snuck off to the North East to spend a weekend with her beloved grandmother. She’s packed an old trunk with just what she needs (a few books & a stylish outfit–the necessities!) in hopes that she might sneak some of grandma’s beloved treasures back home with her.

As with any stylish college girl, Sophie is never without good literature. On this trip, there are three books packed away in her chest:

Franny & Zooey : for American Lit, of course

the Capote classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s : to celebrate 50 years

and a little David Sedaris for a touch of comic relief!

Kate Spade Cardigan & Earrings She couldn’t resist the built-in corsage and bows. //  Pink Hunter Boots In case she needs to muck around in the pumpkin patch.

clockwise from the top:

Grandma was so sweet to give Sophie this old Avon peacock perfume bottle that has been on her vanity for ages. (You can get your own on Etsy, I’m sure.) //  These hand-painted Japanese figures from Grandma’s trip to the Far East in the 60s will look perfect atop Sophie’s mantle. (Etsy) //  Grandma taught Sophie a new stitch to practice. (She’s planning on taking a cue from Design Sponge and making her own calendar to dress-up the wall of her apartment.)  //  Sophie is never without a bottle of wine. Her current favorite? The Velvet Devil and, to top off the bottle, these Hofdame bottle stoppers from Anthropologie. //  Sophie has been lusting after this pink lamp for more years than she’d care to count. This time, it’s finding it’s way into her chest… after all, what are the odds of Grandma going into the guest room any time soon?  //  Sophie couldn’t resist sneaking a few of these wool blankets into her chest for a cold winter’s night back at school. (I saw these on Etymologie last Fall.)  //  Every girl needs a monogrammed pillow! (these little lovelies are from Jonathan Adler)

Happy Daydreaming!

 

Sit & Sip: My ‘Welcome Back to Tennessee’ Cocktail

Last weekend, I hosted a Welcome Home party for my honey! (For those that don’t know, he was here all summer.) I tried to make things as ‘East Tennessee’ as possible. There were outdoor games, a galvanized tub of beer, plenty of fried chicken, and this Tennessee Mountain Punch. The recipe was an experiment at the time, and the results were super tasty! The great part? You can make as much or as little as you like!

Runway to Room: Warming Up

Ever since the runway shows this Spring, I have been dying to wrap myself in a fur coat and ride by train through Russia with a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk and lots of burgundy lipstick. But travel budgets being what they are, today I thought I’d look at a few ways to bring these opulent Fall looks into our homes. Feeling like you’re there is almost as good, right? Here’s what I came up with…

Inspired by:

Louis Vuitton and Gucci’s Fall ’12 RTW presentations and, of course, the burgundy lipstick that everyone seems to be falling for lately.

*As a side note, I discovered on allure’s website and is called “Belle Etoile.” Needless to say, while I am still not convinced that burgundy lipstick is ever appropriate on a pale-skinned gal like myself, I found this to be the most appropriate choice.

The Room:

Couch / Faux Mink Pillows / Alpaca Knit Throw from Restoration Hardware

Art by Luli Sanchez

Bronze Chandelier from Lowe’s

Cadiz Rug from West Elm

Mercury Glass Bowl from Pottery Barn

 

 

Sneak Peek

We had a pretty incredible weekend, and I can’t wait to share it with you! I’m off to edit some photos and write a few posts but, in the meantime, here’s a little sneak peek of what’s to come on the blog this week…

Living a More Beautiful Life…

Always keep fresh cut flowers around the house. They make everything feel brighter and add a touch of glamour to every day.

A few tips:

– Keep a good assortment of old jars (from jelly, juice, moonshine) around the house. They make great vases and don’t cost anything extra.

– When you bring flowers home from the store, trim the ends and put them in room temperature water. If the water is too hot or too cold, it may shock the flowers.

– If you put in any of those little packets of preservative, don’t use the whole packet for one vase. Use a little bit and mix it well with the water before putting in your flowers.

– Buy what you like. Consider them a gift to yourself and to the mood of your home!

Cocktails: Thin Man Style

Most days I feel as if I’m living in a Thin Man movie… beautiful clothes, martinis, and a witty husband & loveable terrier that always keep things entertaining.

Life is what you make it! So for your midweek touch of glamour, I thought I’d share a few cocktail recipes. Now if only our lives called for more evening gowns and silk!