Recently started making these cute little pincushions. They’re fairly easy to make and pretty fun too. These are made with 100% cotton fabric, polyfill, rice (for weight) and vintage buttons. Just listed some of them in my Etsy Shop so if you’re interested in seeing more about them, take a look there.
Weather has been getting pretty cool at night here and we had a couple of very “fall-like” days too. So, figured it was time to make some Chili. I normally just wing it when making chili and this is a new recipe that I just threw together. Usually I don’t write it down but thought this one was so good…I decided I might as well. 🙂 It’s also a great way to use up some of that zucchini that we had an excess of.
Zucchini Chili
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 C. brewed coffee (use some left over from the morning)
2 TB. olive oil
2 small zucchini (both about 6” – 8” long) diced
2 TB. finely chopped garlic
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 C. diced tomato
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans
1 can chick peas
2 tsp. sugar
1 TB Kosher salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1 pkt. taco seasoning
2 tsp. hot pepper juice* OR 1 small hot pepper (diced)
Brown the hamburger in large pot with the coffee. Add a little olive oil if your ground beef is really lean.
In another, smaller pot, over medium heat add olive oil, garlic, onion, zucchini and tomato. Season with the Kosher salt and cook on medium until everything is softened and translucent. Add the tomato sauce and just mix it all together.
After the hamburger is browned, mix in the veggies/tomato sauce. Then add sugar, chili powder, black pepper, onion salt and hot pepper juice*. Drain some of the liquid off of the top of the cans of beans and add those also.
**Pepper Juice is something that we found in a local grocery store and something that I’d never seen before bottled like this. Honestly, all it appears to be is the “brine” from pickled hot peppers…..so if you’ve got a jar of pickled hot (or even mild) peppers in your fridge, just use that instead. It’s really tasty in chili. Or, just use some finely diced hot peppers and throw them in when you’re sauteing the rest of the veggies.**
Rustic Path Gardens 
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