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Chili is great all year long

Chili is generally an easy meal to make and, fun for some reason.  Maybe the reason is that there are so many types and varieties. Chili  Chicken recipe One of my best remembrances is of running chili cook-offs in Arizona about 15 years ago. Chili is a big thing in Arizona. I would run a chili cook-off with a craft show. Then, of course, I would get to taste all the chili.  Arizonians like their chili hot and spicy and many is the night I would wake up with a stomach.  However, the remembrance of the taste of the chili - was terrific - it was all worth the effort and the nighttime pain. Generally, chili is made with ground beef - and the variations are endless, depending on the spice mixture you use. Here is, a Chili  Chicken recipe with  White Beans. 1 lb. chicken tenders or boneless skinless breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (pre-cooked) 1 cup of chopped onion 1 can Great Northern Beans (use organic) 1 can of black beans (use organic) 1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, with juice 2 tbsp chili powder - You can of course experiment with any spice combinations you want to try, just like the professional chili cooks would do. Cook this in a crock pot for at least 4 hours, longer is better as the spices settle in.   There are other ways to make chili - like a gazillion ways. Talking healthy, chili - you might use turkey instead of beef. I found a recipe that uses 1/2 can of organic puree pumpkin. Pumpkin is loaded in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and E and goes well with tomato sauce. You probably could add it to just about any chili recipe. Time passes and as we age we find we cannot eat what we did when we were younger. Hence, sadly (in some ways) I have become a vegetarian. Not to worry... there are a ton of tasty spicy vegetarian chili recipes also. One of my favorites and one I use all the time is this recipe. Vegetarian Black Bean Chili 1 can of tomato bits 16oz - (give or take) 1 can of tomato sauce 2 cans of black beans drained (organic) 1 tablespoon of oregano 1 tablespoon cilantro 1 tablespoon of chili powder 1 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth 1 onion 1 green pepper 1 can of organic 16 oz corn (drained) fresh cilantro some chives - first sautee the green pepper, garlic cloves, and [...]

By |2024-02-29T08:51:27+00:00August 2nd, 2012|Chili, Concessions, Food, Vendors|0 Comments
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Food Vending at an Event, Pima County – AZ

Okay, Here I go again. Some of you know that I make a wonderful food product. I make Peanut Brittle and Agava Peanut Brittle. Last year I had a state of Colorado wholesale food license to sell it in the state of Colorado. With this license, I could sell in stores and do most of the craft events in the state. Some of the events had specific county rules, however. Now I want to do the 4th Avenue Street Fair in Tucson this December and the Green Valley Farmers Market, in Green Valley, Arizona. Now for those of you in the know, you know that this is a big undertaking. You have to have the booth, make sure it is weather secure, the tables, the signage, the product, and all the supplies. But, what is the worst of this whole experience is getting the licensing!!!!! There is an audio interview from the 4th Avenue Merchants Association from last year about selling food at the Fourth Avenue Street Fairs. The interview kinda makes it seem as if the process is fairly easy for food vending. Somehow I "think" not. I kinda get the feeling that Pima County and Tucson don't want any more food vendors and that will do anything they can do to prevent me from selling my Peanut Brittle. So here we go again, this is "exactly" why I have done this before. I have a wonderful product. So first they tell me online I need a Temporary Food Establishment License BUT first I need a Business License before I can get the Temporary Food Establishment license. Of course, they are not telling me - or even suggesting WHERE I get the Business License from. WATCH for my next post - and if you know something about this stuff - leave a comment. I am thinking that if I can get through the maze - maybe we will tackle another city and state next. That is if it doesn't kill me. More: Food vending

By |2024-02-26T06:14:50+00:00July 27th, 2012|Arizona, Concessions, Festivals, Food, Green Valley, Peanut, Peanut Brittle, Tucson, Vendors|1 Comment
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Is Popcorn good for you?

Well, it can be, if it is not microwavable with butter flavoring. Microwave buttered popcorn contains Diacetyl and acetone, two compounds that give butter its characteristic taste. They are also added to margarine along with beta carotene which gives the yellow color. The University of California showed that diacetyl may be linked to infertility and inhalation can cause respiratory problems. The Environmental Working Group has expressed concerns. Don't give up popcorn. Give it up in the microwavable. bag. You can also use antioxidant-rich grape-seed oil, high oleic sunflower oil, and olive oils for popcorn. Non-organic popcorn is on the FDA's list of top ten foods most contaminated with toxic pesticides and chemicals. Studies have shown that popcorn companies may be adding a toxic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, to prevent any sticking, according to Shine from Yahoo! it may be a carcinogen according to the FDA! So buy organic popcorn, but not in the bag. You need a good popcorn popper. Try this one - The Sweet and Easy Popcorn Popper by Wabash Valley Farms. I have also looked on Amazon and there are several popcorn poppers available. Now if you are a food vendor at a fair or festival, you could offer real popped organic popcorn and charge a little more for it. I for one would be happy to pay extra for this wonderful organic snack. Let's know more: Is Popcorn good for you?

By |2024-02-26T06:32:15+00:00July 16th, 2012|Concessions, Food, Organic Food, Popcorn|0 Comments
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I’m in love with Watermelon

Is watermelon good for you? - you bet It is rich in lycopene, and B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin A.  It is a fruit for every occasion and very popular in this country. We all know kids consume too much sugar. How about freezing watermelon slices and different types of berries in popsicle trays instead of the sugar "other stuff"? I bet the kids would not even notice the difference.   Some of the other things to be made with watermelon include pie, cupcakes, coconut cake, watermelon salsa, BBQ sauces, kabobs, drinks and smoothies, and sorbet. Love with Watermelon Creations for Kids and Adults! One of my fondest memories is summer at my uncle's house and the ice-cold fresh love with watermelon he would always serve. The watermelon and his bonfires made my Uncle Vic extremely popular among us kids. Hey adults, You can also take a watermelon and bore a hole in it and put in hard liquor - let's get ice cold - what adult would not love that on a hot summer's day? What else can you do with watermelon?  Well - believe it or not you can grill it. One recipe I am dying to try is Grilled Spicy Watermelon. Look for it on Watermelon.org - along with a whole bunch of other unusual recipes to try.   If you want to see some truly amazing carved watermelons try this link on http://www.watermelon.org

By |2024-02-29T11:44:20+00:00June 23rd, 2012|Children, Festivals, Food, Watermelon|0 Comments
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Removing the Silks from the Corn Cob

Every once in a while I get neat stuff in my inbox at Countyfairgrounds.net - this is just an email someone sent me and It's kind of neat. You all may have seen this already. Neat idea. I have microwaved corn since a friend taught me years ago but I didn't know about cutting off the end--great tip. I do 2 cobs on high for 8 minutes turning halfway through. *How to Prepare Fresh Corn on the Cob Without Those Pesky Corn Silks... * *This is neat.* ***Removing the silks? This is the neatest trick I have seen in some time. I’m going to have to try it out and see if this works.** If it does what he demonstrates, it's the slickest thing since the invention of Grandma's washing machine! * Watch the Video

By |2024-02-29T11:46:59+00:00June 10th, 2012|Food|0 Comments
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BBQ for Vegetarians

If you have been to any good health food store lately and really looked around you would realize that there are all kinds of veggie foods being offere. I am a fairly new vegan, so I definitely have been looking. First if you are having a BBQ - don't omit your vegan friends. The health food store has all kinds of vegan burgers, some gluten free. These would BBQ great with some BBQ sauce on the grill. There are all kinds of cheeses in the health food store. I try to avoid dairy. In the health food store you can get vegan cheeses made from rice and one of my favorite is one mozzarella cheese made from almonds. There are all kinds of cheddars. Veggies can be grilled and taste great. Try corn on the cob, wrap it in foil and then remove the foil for the last few minutes to add bbq grilled flavor. Sweet potatoes also taste great grilled. Here are some great recipe links for Vegetarians Balsamic Green Beans and Peppers Packet-Roasted - this recipe does have feta cheese California Grilled Veggie the following does have yogurt  Veggie Burger This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan. Veggie Burgers

By |2016-10-23T11:34:37+00:00May 25th, 2012|BBQ, Food|0 Comments
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Would you like to be a food vendor at festivals?

Have you ever had the idea that maybe it would be a good thing to try to be a food vendor at a festival or event? It is hard to get started and the rules are all but overwhelming. In this interview I talk to Kurt of the 4th Avenue Merchants Association in Tucson and Mia Hansen of Tucson Meet Yourself. We talk about how to get into a big festival if you are a new food vendor. They say that you should contact the person running the festival who should be able to help you through the maze of regulations. Listen Here!

By |2024-02-26T10:29:44+00:00August 31st, 2011|Arizona, Concessions, Festivals, Food, Vendors|0 Comments
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Alameda County Fair 2011 – Fun Food Facts

What people eat at county fairs has long fascinated me. It is probably because I am a health food and organic food nut. The average American eats way too much stuff they should not be eating. This is one of the reasons we have so many health issues in this country. Alameda County Fair 2011 It's also true that most people do not realize how awesome organic and fresh food can taste and they think they would be giving up so much if they tried it. Well, I am here to tell you it's simply not true. Orangic and healthy food has wonderful taste, - it's just different from what most people are used to. Anyway this is what the fairgoers ate at this year's Alameda County Fair Indulge in Alameda County Fair's Culinary Delights: Corn Dogs, Funnel Cakes, and More! Corn Dogs – 91,414 consumed Funnel Cakes – 29,834 consumed Shaved Ices – 14,963 consumed Turkey Legs – 7,559 consumed Cinnamon Rolls – 5,297 consumed Deep Fried Oreos – 3,791 consumed Scorpions – 1,546 consumed Alligator – Nearly 500 lbs consumed

By |2024-02-29T11:58:33+00:00July 13th, 2011|County Fair, Alameda, California, Fair Food, Organic Food|0 Comments
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