Here in southwest Ohio we awoke to yet another round of winter. I’d say four or five fluffy inches blanketed us during the night. It was kind of a “sneaky snow”. I’m not sure anyone was expecting quite that much, but Rachel and I were up watching the snow fall fast and furiously at 1 a.m. as our daughter (who is still kind of stuck on a nocturnal schedule) cooed and jabbered her way to sleep. 10 week is a cute age, but I am sure are the ages are cute (up until about age 13).
These cold winter days are perfect for a warm bowl of chili. This is a meatless chili that Rachel and I enjoyed last night. The quinoa adds so much substance to it that you don’t really miss the meat. So I can bring this post back to the Amish, I will say that quinoa is starting to show up in some of the Amish-owned bulk food stores. This would be more in response to non-Amish customer demand. I doubt many Amish are trying quinoa, it’s just not a food that is part of their rich culinary culture. Here is a link to the QUINOA CHILI recipe that Rachel and I enjoyed.
This is a picture of one of our chili servings warming in front of our fireplace. 
For those in the mood for a more traditional chili, I will share Elizabeth Coblentz’s famous recipe for homemade chili soup. She used fresh sausage in place of hamburger and it just made a really tasty “chili soup” as she would call it. Now, if you are reading this from Cincinnati…we’re strange here…We have our chili as “three ways”, “four ways” and even “five ways” with spaghetti, cheese, onion…How many Skyline or Gold Star Chili fans do we have among our readers? (sorry, unless you are from Greater Cincinnati you won’t know what Skyline or Gold Star is) Okay, here is Elizabeth’s recipe for homemade chili soup and this is for people everywhere, not just Cincy. For newcomers, Elizabeth Coblentz was the original Amish Cook columnist who wrote it from 1991 – 2002.
HOMEMADE CHILI SOUP
2 pounds bulk sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2 quarts tomato juice
1 1/2 quarts water
1 quart cooked kidney beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon red pepper (optional)
4 rounded tablespoons cornstarch, enough to thicken to satisfaction
In a stainless steel skillet, saut onion and sausage until brown. Drain grease. Put sausage and onion in a 6 quart stainless steel kettle, warm tomato juice, sugar, chili powder, salt, and all the water except two cups to the boiling point. Use the two cups of water to dissolve cornstarch. Add cornstarch and stir until thickened. Add beans to the chili soup. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Some who like a spicier soup add more chili powder.
Yield 15 servings
5 Comments
kentuckylady 717
You are right Kevin, right now are the cutest ages up to the teens 🙂 then they may get a little sassy….especially girls….but I have to say I raised a girl and a boy, and the boy is much easier to raise….they don’t fuss with clothes like a girl does and has to have 25 pair of shoes….and their shoes very seldom wear out :)….but I love them both and thank God for them every day…..as a friend of mine always said, she wouldn’t take a million dollars for her kids, but she wouldn’t give two cents for two more just like them LOL…..
You will love and enjoy your daughter no matter what age she is….and just wait till she goes off to college 🙁 such a sad time for about a month and then you get to enjoying it 🙂
and even worse when you son (when you guys have one ) goes to the military…..much sadness there…..I cried both time for days…….sorry didn’t mean to write a story…..
Tami
Love Cincinnati Chili! I grew up in Greensburg, Indiana, just an hour west of Cincy so I am aware of Skyline Chili. There is also a very nice Amish community just outside of Greensburg in Milroy, Indiana, They have a couple of great stores I always visit when I am back in that area.
Kevin
Tami, I have been to Milroy, did several posts about Milroy and the country store a couple of years ago. Isn’t there a Skyline at the Greensburg exit?
Darr
Skyline Chili is here in Arizona so you don’t have to be from Cincinnati .
I have read some sites that talk about how good Skyline Chili is. I live in Arizona and i found Skyline Chili at Kroger’s or here they are Fry’s grocery.
It’s canned and along with all the other companies that have chili, but i got it and i have to say it was the first and the last time i will be eating it.
I actually threw it out because it was probably the worse of any chili i have ever had.
Kevin
Interesting, Darr…I have never tried the canned kind, I’m wondering if maybe you’d like the kind served in the restaurant better? Or maybe it is truly a regional thing, maybe that is why Skyline hasn’t really been able to grow much beyond Cincinnati if it has a taste people are unaccustomed to…