Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Turkey Chili...and Acorns Keep Falling On My Head

Turkey Chili that's healthy and easy to make. Perfect for a chilly day, game-day, or when you need comfort food! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 You know how when a small object falls from above,
it really hurts when it hits you?
 
High school physics wasn't my thing,
in fact, my friend and I would fake being sick, and go to the nurse every other day, just to get out of class.
But one thing I do remember is that 
Galileo did lots of experiments on falling objects...
velocity, acceleration, gravity, stuff like that.

 I'm no physicist, but I can vouch for the fact that if an acorn falls from 
high up in a tree, and hits you on the head, it hurts like the dickens.
I'm guessing that when the apple fell and hit Sir Isaac Newton on the head, 
it didn't tickle,
although the fact that it helped him to discover gravity 
probably took his mind off the pain. 

Turkey Chili that's healthy and easy to make. Perfect for a chilly day, game-day, or when you need comfort food! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
This past weekend, I was in my yard, putting some things away for winter,
when suddenly...
YEE-OUCH!!! 

It felt like a rock hit my head, but it was just an acorn.

I needed a hard-hat!
Junior Goo Shoes ran and got me a cowboy hat to wear, but it was too soft.

 I put a tupperware bowl on my head, with the cowboy hat over it,
so the neighbors wouldn't think I looked weird, 
although wearing a cowboy hat in your backyard in NJ
is pretty odd, in and of itself.
Maybe in Texas, I would have looked stylish, 
but here, they probably assumed I was dressed for Halloween. 
Or more likely, just strange.

All I can tell you is that when Mr. Goo Shoes got a load of me,
he wanted to take a picture -- badly.
 I told him that if he did, I'd be forced to flush his 
Hagen Daz ice cream bars down the toilet.
He backed down.  

Turkey Chili that's healthy and easy to make. Perfect for a chilly day, game-day, or when you need comfort food! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

As I was working in the yard, 
and getting pelted with acorns, my thoughts couldn't have been further 
from the Law of Universal Gravitation. 
In fact, I was thinking about what to make for supper --
which always gives me a headache (or maybe it was the acorns this time) --
when I remembered that I had some turkey chili in the freezer.

Turkey Chili that's healthy and easy to make. Perfect for a chilly day, game-day, or when you need comfort food! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
The recipe is Aunt Goo Shoes' (aka, my sister) creation.
It's easy, and it's healthy.
She's made it for us a bunch of times, but I've made it, too.
If it's easy enough for me to make, anyone can do it. 

 This recipe makes a ton of chili...perfect if you are having a crowd.
Or, it's great to keep some in the freezer for days when you don't feel like cooking,
which for me is every day. 
(I should probably triple the recipe, lol).

I am a wimp when it comes to spicy foods.
This version has a nice little kick to it, but if you prefer a spicier chili, 
just increase the amounts of chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes. 

Turkey Chili that's healthy and easy to make. Perfect for a chilly day, game-day, or when you need comfort food! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Although it is simple to prepare, you need a good two hours to cook it,
so plan accordingly.
After cooking the meat and veggies, the chili should simmer for an hour. 
Then, after you add the kidney beans, it should cook another 30 - 60 minutes.
But, it's passive cooking -- once you've added the tomatoes, you can do your nails, 
fold the laundry, or write a blog post.
Just make sure to check on the chili and give it a stir every now and then.
Cook the chili uncovered, but if the liquid cooks out too much, 
cover the pot and continue simmering. 
  Top the chili with shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, 
crumbled taco chips, whatever.
Serve it with a salad, and some corn bread or my zucchini parmesan bread,
and yell "Supper's ready!"

Turkey Chili that's healthy and easy to make. Perfect for a chilly day, game-day, or when you need comfort food! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
TURKEY CHILI

3 lbs. ground turkey 
2 onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
3 14.5 oz. cans fired-roasted tomatoes (I got mine at Trader Joe's)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 tsp. chili power*
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin*
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes*
2 15 oz. cans red kidney beans, rinsed
*Increase amounts if you prefer a spicier chili.

Brown meat in large frying pan.
Add onions and peppers; cook until vegetables soften.
Add tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato paste.
Add all spices. 
Simmer uncovered on low for one hour.
Add kidney beans, and cook an additional 30-60 minutes on low flame. (If liquid cooks out too much, then cover).  

Turkey Chili that's healthy and easy to make. Perfect for a chilly day, game-day, or when you need comfort food! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 As I'm sitting here at the kitchen table writing, 
acorns keep falling...they keep falling.
I've nearly jumped out of my skin a dozen times already.
They are hitting the skylights with such force,
I'm thinking it might be wise to sit somewhere else,
before one crashes through, and lands in my bowl of leftover chili.


 You may also like:

Nacho Bites: Perfect for game day! | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes #GameDay
Nacho Bites

Zucchini Parmesan Bread | Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
Zucchini Parmesan Bread

LINKING WITH:

18 comments:

  1. You answered my prayers today. I'm not kidding, I was just saying, I have to look for a good turkey chili and this popped in to my inbox. Thank you my dear. Your are right getting hit with acorns hurts. It happened all the time at the old house.

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  2. So I have two men/boys in the house who want their MEAT. I made a turkey chili once that I was trying to pass off as ground beef. Although it was really good, the turkey meat stayed white in the chili. I was really trying to hide the fact that it was turkey and I tried adding spices to color it up. They ate it and liked it but I was nervous the whole time! I am saying all that to say that your chili LOOKS like ground beef in there. I am switching to your recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love passive cooking! I'd be happy if I could think of enough choices that all of my cooking would be done after breakfast and none at night. I've made chicken chili a lot but never tried turkey.

    Amy, in Nashville we say that we can always tell who the tourists are. They're the only ones wearing cowboy hats! Even our country music stars don't wear them around town. Well, I did follow Alan Jackson into a funky little junk store once and he wore one, a big white one! He's so teddy bear cute that he can get away with it. And what did he buy? Some of the coolest retro Christmas decorations I've ever seen!

    Dewena

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my gosh you are so funny! Yes, I know all too well about those acorns. So many fell this year I could have not only gotten a concussion but fell and broke my neck too! I could have, thank goodness I did not. That chili looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yikes acorns falling on your head? Yikes again! I made Turkey chili and roasted poblano pepper cornbread last week, love it.
    xx,
    Vera

    ReplyDelete
  6. We love turkey Chili over here. Your recipe sounds delicious and I like the addition of corn bread as a side! Watch out for those falling acorns - eek!

    ReplyDelete
  7. There's a chili/chowder/chocolate cook off here Saturday night. I'm doing chocolate. Come and you can do chili :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Amy, thanks for the chili recipe! I'm looking for a good one for a party tomorrow. This is just in time! XO Jo

    ReplyDelete
  9. It must be the chili season as I just made a slow cooker pot of the stuff here in Greece. Brought my chili powder from the States as the only kind I could find here has the distinct taste of pimento chili - nothing wrong with that but I prefer that good ol' taste of chili chili powder! Fun posts - watch for falling acorns!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's pretty funny, the bowl on your head, I mean, not the ouch part. Delicious looking chili!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe. I love chili this time of year. I can't believe I haven't been hit by falling acorns yet myself! We have a huge oak tree in our front yard and lots of acorns on the ground around it. It's funny to hear them hitting the house sometimes. Stay safe outside! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  12. You are such a wimp,lol! : ) on my daily walk I have to pass under a walnut tree...HA~ worse than acorns :) Seriously, always appreciate your great recipes and humor :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. This looks a great recipe idea Amy - thanks for sharing.

    Yes, a lot of acorns are falling here too ... take care!

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  14. This looks a great recipe idea Amy - thanks for sharing.

    Yes, a lot of acorns are falling here too ... take care!

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mmmm. Chili. This looks so delicious. And watch out for those acorns! I had to BUY acorns down here. haha

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yummers. That looks delicious. I'm going to have to say that a Cowboy Hat would not be the norm for gardening in Texas either, although they do make them with hard hat material so you can skip the bowl.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This sounds really delicious! YUM!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    ReplyDelete

PRIVACY POLICY: I will never share your email information with others. I use your email to respond to your comments on my blog, or to interact socially with you.