Tag Archives: kitchen

My Most Ingenious Recipe Ever

I don’t want to brag, but really, this might be the best. thing. I’ve. ever. created.

I’m not a mom, but I do know how hard it is to get my husband to eat his vegetables. He’s a lot more food-adventurous than the meat-and-potatoes 17-year-old I met way back when, but he’s still a skeptic. So with all the Resolution things I’m trying out this year, I’m looking for ways to get more veggies into our diets (and fewer grains and dairy… which isn’t hard for Tom because he’s lactose intolerant, but I, however, would marry a wedge of cheese if I could). We love homemade chili, and I’ve tried out different recipes with zucchini, tomatoes, etc, but they all seem like they’re lacking something – awesome spices. So the other day I got to thinking… why not add the spices from our favorite traditional chili recipe to one of the veggie-heavy recipes?

BADABING BADABOOM!

Hidden-Veggie Chili is born!

If you’re into this sort of thing, grab a pen, paper, and your crockpot (oh yea, it’s also a crockpot meal! can you say jackpot??)

Hidden-Veggie Chili, an original TwoPurpleCouches Kitchen Creation

1lb lean ground turkey

1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 lg shallot, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 zucchini, sliced

1 sm butternut squash, chopped (i find they’re easier to work with when they’ve been softened in a microwave first. then you can scoop/cut the flesh away from the peel/rind)

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 8-oz cans tomato sauce

1 1/2 pkgs Frank’s Chili Powder (if you don’t have this brand… i would recommend quite a few tablespoons of your favorite chili powder)

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

dash (or more) of hot sauce

1 tbsp Worchesteshire sauce

1 can chili beans

1/2 – 1 c. water, if desired

Stovetop: brown meat, garlic and onions. drain any fat. add rest of ingredients, cover and cook 2 1/2 – 3 hours. add chili beans in the last half-hour.

Crockpot: toss all ingredients, minus chili beans, in the crockpot. cook on low 6-8 hours. add chili beans in the last half-hour.

Oh, and Tom’s exact words after having a few bites, “Unfortunately, I can’t tell that there are vegetables in this.” Talk about a back-handed compliment, huh?

Do you have a go-to recipe for hiding veggies? Is your husband or significant other also a skeptic when it comes to trying new things, food or otherwise??

Weekly Wishlist: Not-So-Ugly Mugs

With the temps in the 20s here, I am constantly reaching for a warm mug of coffee or hot cocoa. And my kitchen cupboards are pretty well stocked as I’m a bit of mug-lover. Here’s a round up of some particularly marvelous mugs.

These Anthropologie monogrammed mugs are a classic. Chic, simple, and the perfect size for a double-shot latte.

The “simply stated” nature of this Crate & Barrel pick is great. Just in case there was any doubt as to what this mug contains.

These tone-on-tone patterned mugs from World Market are a subtle, yet sophisticated way to have your cuppa in style.

The imperfect scallopy design of this hand-made mug and saucer from IMKAdesign is absolutely delightful.

The watercolor look and exotic-feeling pattern of these Sophia mugs from World Market would certainly jazz up your daily joe.

Umm, who doesn’t love polka dots? On stackable espresso cups? World Market with the win, again!

I love mugs with quirk. So if you’re into soft, cuddly sheep, this Pier 1 mug has your name on it. My favorite personal quirky mug? One with a sketch of William Shakespeare that reads “Bard Hair Day”. I love a good literary pun.

What’s on your Wishlist this week?

Scents of the Season: Homemade Potpourri

I’ve seen a few of these simmering stovetop potpourri recipes floating around Pinterest lately, so I thought I’d give one a go. I looked up a few recipes to gauge amounts of ingredients, but ad-libbed the one above.

Cinnamon, Clove & Clementine Potpourri:

– 2 clementines, cut into fourths

– 2 sticks of cinnamon

– 3-5 whole cloves

Cover with water, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for as long as you like!

After doing a bit more reading, I think I should have used just the clementine peels instead of the whole fruit (the pulp starts to disintegrate after a while). I kept it out on the stove (but turned the burner off, of course) to see if I can fire it up again over the weekend. Hopefully it holds up! If not, it was pretty easy to throw together. I’d also like to experiment with lemons, limes, apples, herbs and spices. I bet adding vanilla or peppermint extract would be awesome, too.

Have you ever tried a stovetop potpourri? If so, what’s your favorite recipe?

Inspiration via: Picky Palate / Make It Do / JanDee Crafts

Linking up to:

Dare to DIY: Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece

It’s another Dare to DIY Monday! This week’s subject is “entertain.” As anxious as I was to jump head-first into Christmas, I decided to challenge myself to do more of a Thanksgiving set-up, and see if I could incorporate the vase I made for last week’s party, by creating a Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece.

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Weekly Wishlist: Graphic Tablewares

I don’t mean graphic as in R-rated, but graphic as in bold patterns and colors!

There are some days when I daydream about having an all-white kitchen – white cabinetry, white countertops, white tile floors… and today is one of them. Can you image how fun and energized an all-white kitchen would look with pops of these plates, platters and teapots? Gah! Is it too late to change out our maple and cherry for white, white, white, white?

All of these beauties were found via the Pattern Play sale at One Kings Lane. They’re on sale today! Grab your favorite while you can!