Now that's good chili!

I found this delicious recipe recently. I tweaked it a bit to suit my tastes, but the original version can be found here if you're interested.

It's so easy to make, I'm almost embarrassed to share it, but it's really good, very satisfying, and perfect for these last few nights of winter. :)

Darn Good Chili (Charity's version)

1 pound lean ground beef (turkey can also be used)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes ( I get the "petite" kind for this)

1 cup spaghetti sauce ( I usually use a "garlic & onion" version)

1 cup salsa ( I use Pace picante Mild)

2 tablespoons chili powder2 cloves minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

Directions
In a large saucepan or stockpot, cook ground beef, until browned. Drain off excess fat.
Add onion and green pepper, stir and fry for about 5 minutes more, until veggies are tender.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, salsa, then chili powder and garlic. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans just before serving and heat through. Serve with dollop of sour cream or grated cheese. Enjoy!

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You can actually simmer it for up to 1.5 hours before serving (as in original version), and that probably would help all the flavors to blend nicely, but I find it's perfectly edible at 30 minutes or so, and I don't always have enough forethought to start dinner that early. :)

My swedish blood can't take spicy foods, so this is definitely a "mild" version. If you'd like to spice it up a bit, you can add the extra Tblsp of chili powder, and 1/4 cup taco sauce that the original recipe calls for. Maybe even use a medium or hot salsa.

Thanks to "TUGORETZ" for posting this recipe on allrecipes.com

Sweetcream: Organically Delicious Skincare

I've been trying to be more aware of the things I put in my body - trying to eat more veggies, drink more water, exploring organic food and such. So when I found out my friend Lisa was launching her own line of organic skincare products (http://www.sweetcreamorganic.com/ ), I got pretty excited about it. Lisa has a passion for organics, and as I explored her new website and read her vision, she taught me about a little bit about the things I use daily on my skin:

"...We make choices everyday to take care of our internal organs. Our skin is our largest organ, and we often neglect its power and influence over the rest of our body. Think about it…. many medications are applied to the skin, such as hormone creams, nicotine patches, and birth control. These work well because our skin absorbs them quickly and carries the medication to our bloodstream and throughout our entire system.
"Did you know that commercially produced bath and body care products contain ingredients and compounds known to cause organ toxicity, neurotoxicity, hormonal imbalance, immunotoxicity, and even cancer?"

Lisa offers a wonderful alternative in her handmade organic skincare. She has a nice selection of bar soaps and cleansers, scrubs, moisturizers and lip balms, even a section of baby products. And she has exciting plans for even more products in the future!
"Hand made with care, sweetcream uses only the finest pure, organic and natural ingredients for the highest possible quality... sweetcream is hypo-allergenic and free from parabens, pthalates, sulfates (SLS), synthetic fragrances, and toxic chemicals. " I ordered some things for Christmas gifts last month, and then a little for myself. When the package arrived, it smelled divine. I found the Piña colada lip balm and toasted coconut soap particularly yummy. And they were packaged in totally cute black and white damask labels. Tre chic!

You can read more about why to choose organic here

I tried the shea butter spiced cider soap for myself. It smelled so nice (spicy - really just like apple cider!) and lathers up nicely on the loofah. I also treated myself to the citrus scrub. The scent on that one is almost intoxicating and I really felt like it exfoliated well. I used it especially on my forearms where I get alot of dry skin and some breakouts. The oils moisturized quite nicely without any residue. All in all I give Sweetcream Organic a big thumbs up! I think I'm gonna order one of her serums next!

Living more organically is a life-style change for me, but Lisa makes it easy with her delicious and beautifully wrapped products that feel so luxurious and help me feel better about what I put on my skin!

 

Photos from Sweetcream Organic: www.sweetcreamorganic.com

GIVEAWAY - Ewan the woodland owl

It's that time again! Another GIVEAWAY!!!

This week, I have chosen Ewan the Owl as the prize. Ewan is extremely charming, although a little mischievous. He has a delightful accent and he's a great story-teller. ;) His body is 100% cotton. Most toys with this great "tweed" look are made with wool, but Ewan is purposefully WOOL-FREE, so you don't have to worry about allergies. He is decorated with eco-fi felt and stuffed with poly-fil. He has beautiful earth tones - brown, beige, blue, and gold. He can be a toy or a small throw pillow or he'd even look quite handsome as a nursery decoration. What a great gift for an autumn baby, or as a Christmas gift or even a stocking stuffer for an older child. Find the full listing for him here.

Directions for the giveaway are below. Good luck everyone! Thanks for participating! =)



HOW TO WIN:Your comments on this blog are your entries. **You must leave an emal address in your comments so I can contact you if you're the winner** Invalid entries will be deleted in order to have a fair drawing.

1. Mandatory entry: Become a fan of Lil Hipsters on Facebook, come back and comment, confirming your name!

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries).~~Leave a comment for EACH additional entry!~~

2. Visit Lil Hipsters and tell me your favorite item in the shop.

3. Link this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook

4. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - 3 entries (leave three comments!)

5. Have any Facebook friends who might "like" Lil Hipsters? Refer them! For each friend who likes our FB page and comments below, both you and your friend will get an entry. Be sure they let me know who sent them!

Entries must be received by October 16th, 2010 at 9PM PST. The winner will be announced on the 17th. Open to US residents only. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a alternate winner.


9.16.10 10:30PM UPDATE:
Congratulations, Maya W - you are the WINNER of Ewan the Owl! He can't wait to fly home to you. ;)

Fantastic Cookies!!

So... I'm kind of a Wes Anderson fan, as some of you may have gathered from certain items in the shop. The Fantastic Mr. Fox which came out last year is one of his most creative and artistic movies thus far. I love it. My husband loves it. My baby loves it. If you haven't seen it yet, it comes highly recommended. And you can find some really fun behind-the-scenes stuff here.

The movie refers several times to "Mrs. Bean's Famous Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps," which are highly coveted cookies baked by a villainous wife. I admit they sound delicious, and seeing teenage boy foxes risk their lives for a bite or two convinced me they would be. As part of the behind-the-scenes fun on the official website for the movie, an original recipe of sorts was published for the enjoyment of the fans. Mario Batelli (who makes a cameo appearance as chef rabbit) created this recipe, so I was excited to try it. But... I was less than impressed with the results. I mean, maybe I did it wrong... but I remember thinking "If these snaps are famous, then they must have very different tastes on the farm."

After watching the movie again recently, I decided to give it another shot. Maybe someone else had amended the recipe. Made it better. Improved it. A little googling revealed that someone had! The recipe that I used for my second round is found here.

I was so excited when these nostalgic goodies came out of the oven - looking, smelling, and tasting delicious! The coveted cookie had been redeemed! They were quite enjoyable and didn't last long on the plate.

I think they would make a great addition to any recipe box. Fun for Thanksgiving, with a glass of cider. Or maybe just on a rainy day with a good movie - preferably a stop-motion flick about crafty animals looking for adventure... and the meaning of life. :)

Special thanks to A Baker's Doesn't for the delicious recipe!

Lovie Giveaway!

This month, I'm happy to announce that I'm celebrating the First Anniversary of opening my Etsy shop! I can hardly believe it's been a whole year. It's such a dream-come-true to be able to craft for living... especially being able to work part-time at it while staying home with my baby. I am so thankful to all the friends and customers who have supported and encouraged me.
To celebrate (cue confetti) I'm hosting another GIVEAWAY! This week, I have chosen one of my new deluxe loveys as the prize. Even if you don't have a baby, I encourage you to enter - they make great baby shower gifts!
It's designed to be an uber-soft beautiful something that your baby or toddler can snuggle with - in the car, stroller, on the couch, anywhere! One side has a designer fabric pattern and the other has a minky fabric, which is so delicious to the touch. And all this is framed with a silky satin binding along the edge. At 18" x 18" it's small enough that they can carry it themselves without tripping too much like they do with those bigger blankies.

You can check out the listing here.

Directions to enter the giveaway are below. Good luck everyone! Thanks for participating! =)

1. Mandatory entry: Become a fan of Lil Hipsters on Facebook, come back and comment, confirming your name!

Extra Entries (must have mandatory entry completed before you can gain extra entries).
~~Leave a comment for EACH additional entry!~~
2. Visit Lil Hipsters and tell me your favorite item in the shop.
3. Follow my blog.
4. Grab my button and leave a link of where I can find it - 3 entries (leave three comments!)


Entries must be received by August 13th, 2010 at 9PM PST. The winner will be announced on the 14th. Open to US residents only. I will select a winner using a random number generator and I will email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I select a alternate winner.
HOW TO WIN:
Your comments on this blog are your entries
**You must leave an email address in your comments so I can contact you if you're the winner!**


August 14th update:
The WINNER is Justine M! Thanks to everyone for participating. Stay tuned for future giveaways and fun! =)