Nothing Beats Homemade

In an effort to keep using up items on hand I decided to look for recipes that will use up some of the canned pumpkin I have.  I found this recipe I had saved for a cakelike chocolate pumpkin doughnuts.  I altered mine to make them gluten free and for some reason I only ended up with 6 instead of the 8 the recipe said it would make.  However, they were a hit.  

The original recipe is here.

https://www.dashofsanity.com/chocolate-pumpkin-cake-donuts/

Pinto Bean Chili Recipe 6 of 12

I know it seems like I have forgotten my 12 Days of Pintos.  I haven’t....life is just nutty around here.  It’s okay.  That is how life is.  My go with the flow is “flowing along.”  Haha — couldn’t resist!

Anyway, I had originally hoped to have leftover pumpkin chili to go on my baked potato, but it didn’t work out that way.  We ate it last week on baked potatoes instead of having pizza. (However, my daughter basically turned her baked potato into a pizza.) 

I simply didn’t get home in time enough to make my crust....sometimes it happens if meetings go over.   Like many disappointments prove to be, this was a blessing in disguise....the perfect opportunity to add my next pinto bean recipe entry.

This recipe is the recipe I decided to use.  Pinto Bean Chili in the IP (using dried beans). It is from Neena over at Paint the Kitchen Red. Of course, I never do things quite as called for.  I also didn’t need a large batch of chili.  Since she gives step by step (extremely detailed instructions) I am not going to do so.  

Sorry about the water spots, but I don’t want to waste paper by printing this out again.

I’ll use it as is.

I did end up using 2 cans of Rotel.

Just to make certain I don’t have any trouble with tomatoes sticking, I leave them on top when I cook chili.

When it was done I gave it a good stir and this is what I ended up with.

Verdict:

This chili is pretty good!

I ate some in a bowl for my lunch.

Then I had some on a baked potato for my supper.

(With me being the only one home to eat it, I’m thinking I may freeze some leftovers.)

     

Saturday Morning Food Prep

We are still working on using things up.

I had Biquick left that I bought to make sausage balls for my husband’s Christmas party.

This used up the last of it.

These are for my daughter’s breakfasts this week.

I cleaned the waffle iron well and made a triple batch of gluten free waffles, too.

This used up a box of mix I had in my cabinet of gluten free items.

I ended up with 22....by the time I took a photo my husband had already swiped a few.

Part of these will go with him this week, we will eat some, and then I will pop any left in the freezer.

We’re continuing to use things up to make sure our stock is rotated.

The bonus is that this gives us a head start on our upcoming week.

Something Sweet

For my birthday, my best friend gave me a package of mini molds.

I always miss candy around the holidays — the child in me, I think.

These are simple mound bars, but they are made with all nut free ingredients.

(Few people with nut allergies have a reaction to coconut and I am fortunate that I do not.)

Simple method:

A layer of chocolate and cool to harden.

Filling — half a bag of coconut and a can of condensed coconut milk

Cool.

Top with another layer of chocolate.  

Cool again. 

I cool each layer in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

For longer term storage I will move them to a sealed container and keep refrigerated.

I’ll be able to take them out just a little before serving to soften up some.

I know we won’t eat them all quickly because they are super rich, so I will actually freeze some of them to take out later.