Welcome to my new blog home!





I really enjoyed blogging with Homestead Blogger. They recently moved their whole operation to Word Press. It looked promising at first, but after trying to make a few changes I realized it was not very easy to work with. So I made the choice to switch to a new blogger. I am very happy so far with this one! I hope it will continue to work well. I was able to import all my blog pages from my pervious blog over here, so I did not lose any of my posts!

I hope now to be able to get back to the business of blogging.. which I enjoy more than the setting up and learning my way around new programs! LOL..

Updates from the Homestead…

I got back from my vacation and felt nicely rested and refreshed and ready to tackle life again. I am encouraged because my favorite season is just around the corner.. Summer!! I love summer.. I love long hot days, swimming in my pond, working in my garden, getting tanned, making ice cream, easy freezer meals to make kitchen time at a minimum, and so on.. aww.. yes.. :)

In the meantime, my garden plant starters have grown quite big! But I am feeling it is still a bit early to put them in the ground. So they are still waiting.. I have been taking them outside to harden off but still bringing them in at night. Today the weather here looked something like this: rain, sun, wind, rain, hail, sun, wind, rain, etc… LOL.. sooo I am glad they are not in the garden yet. I know the nice weather will be here soon and it will be time to plant. I am actually hoping maybe this weekend or early next week.

Another good thing about this time of year is that we are just about done with our homeschool year.. Yea!! The kids and I can’t wait! In the meantime we are finishing up are last assignments. My older girls keep on working on their college degrees. Emily is down to the last 12 credits! Woo Hoo!!! .. we are planning a big graduation celebration when the time comes.. and Leanne is now in her Junior year after a year of concentrated effort. She won’t be far behind her sister.

When I got home I was also feeling a bit creative in the kitchen. I made a pot of white bean chicken chili (my pantry was a bit low due to being gone so I looked through it all and came up with this recipe..) it was sooo good.. well, at least my family loved it! I made a huge pot and it lasted 2 nights.

Here is the recipe:

White Bean Chicken Chili
Crystal Miller



4 cups small white beans
16 cups water
4 t salt
1lb boneless chicken meat (can be defrosted boneless/skinless chicken thighs or breast meat)
2 to 4T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
a few jalapeño slices (depends on how hot you like it)
2T chili powder
2t cumin
1t oregano
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, Colby.. your choice)
½ cup half-n-half (whole milk will work too)

In a large (6 to 8qt) stock pot combine beans, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 2 ½ to 3 hours or until beans are soft.

Cut up chicken meat into bite size pieces. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add chicken meat, chopped onion and jalapeno pepper slices. Sauté this until the meat is cooked and the onions are nice and soft.

When the beans are done cooking remove a good amount of the bean broth (several cups worth.. you will be adding some of it back in so save the water). Add the cooked meat/onion mixture. Add spices, cheese and half n half. Now add back as much bean broth to get the consistency you desire (can be thick like stew or thinner like soup.. it is up to you).

Heat it all back up and serve!

I served this meal with homemade
soft bread sticks and a nice big green salad with homemade ranch dressing.

This makes a lot of soup.. so if you don’t have a big crowd to feed like I do, you can cut the recipe in half or you can freeze some for another meal.

I wanted to do a cost break down for this meal because it was made with economical ingredients and because I was able to stretch the meal out over 2 meals. BUT.. I spent all my online time moving my blog! LOL.. maybe I can get to it soon..

That is all from my homestead for now! I hope you have a great weekend! :)

Comments

  1. Hello, and welcome. I'm so glad that you were able to move all your pages here. I have enjoyed your recipes for a long time, we love your bean burgers. I also have a blog on homestead(happymomof4). I started my blog here actually before all the changes at homestead, it's so much easier here. Hope you stop by for a visit. God Bless

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  2. I'm glad you could save all your pages....but I am a bit lost as to where to find all that was on your homepage before.....I so enjoyed being able to click on "the homestead kitchen" and get recipes and tips all right there.... Are you going to set up a homepage like you had before?

    Glad you enjoyed your vacation...its always nice to get a refresher!!!
    Blessings
    Crystal

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  3. Yeah I am glad you are back! My morning routine missed you!!
    Simple question. Are you going to give us a cute little icon as your last blog did. All I had to say to my girls was go to the red quilt icon?
    Thank you,
    Kelley
    randkell@comcast.net

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  4. I'm so glad to find you're still blogging...was concerned that your blog was no longer an active part of your site. Have enjoyed for sometime reading your entries. Thank you!

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  5. Mmmmmm.... that white bean chicken chili sounds yummy. I think I'm going to have to try it sometime.

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  6. Hi Crystal :) ,
    Sorry you were unhappy at homesteadblogger. The upgrade is not complete, still much to be done there, so perhaps later you will give it a try again :) .
    I'll just follow you here for now :).

    Your blog is very pretty!
    Blessings,
    Catherine ... who also has a blog here ;)

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  7. Crystal.. Yes! I will put those links back up.. I had forgot I had them on the last blog. THanks for asking!

    Catherine.. I am not deleting my HB blog.. I will be checking back to see how things are going.. I just needed to get up and running now.. but in time I may be back!

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  8. Thank you Crystal!!! I like it much better now :) I can find everything again! lol. This new blog is very pretty also!

    Blessings
    Crystal

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  9. I have just found your forum, web site and blog a few weeks ago. I am really enjoying all of the wonderful information. When are you going to be accepting new members on the Homemakers Homestead. I would really like to be a member.

    Thanks
    Leann

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  10. Long time reader of yours but hardly comment. Been almost 4 yrs. now. So happy that you were able to move all your posts. I did with mine and found out easy it was! Anyway, I'm glad I'll be reading more of your posts from Blogger!

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  11. you are my inspiration -- keep up the motivating, encouraging work that you do!!!!! ; )

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  12. I've got a homeschooled 15yo who is now ready for college classes, but too young for the community college. I'd love to hear what your girls are using! Do you have a homeschool blog as well?

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  13. Hi Annonymous.. I don't have a homeschool blog but I do have a homeschool section on my website: http://thefamilyhomestead.com/homeschool.htm

    My girls are getting their college degrees through a program called College Plus! I wrote an article about it all here: http://thefamilyhomestead.com/collegepluseducation.htm

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  14. Glad to see you back - one question about the new "home". Are you going to make the font more like it was before? I find this new, smaller font a little harder to read.

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  15. Welcome Crystal!
    Glad your move wasn't too difficult!
    We've been having the same rain, hail, sun, wind, rain, etc weather here too--finally got a chance today to do some real gardening with my best friend--yea!! Girl talk and gardening, AND I still got my hubby's meal done on time:)
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  16. Hi mikesgirl, if you saw my most recent post I did make the font a little bigger.. but I will keep this in mind on future posts :)

    Aimee.. I'm still waiting for some sunny days to garden.. and how fun.. girl talk and gardening all at the same time! :)

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  17. Please keep updating us on the College Plus. My daughter will be starting it this summer. We are excited about this alternative to "attending college". Love your blog and the articles. and I recommend your laundry detergent every chance I get!

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  18. I'm glad you are happy with the new server. I've been following your blog for awhile. I'm not sure if I've posted here before or not :) :) OH I know how I first heard about you. I was needing a good recipe for homemade laundry detergent. My friend sent me a recipe that was on your website...and it's been love ever since. I love your website and the blog..Awesome. thanks for letting me post here :) :) Have a great and blessed rest of the week. Greetings from Oregon :)

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  19. I can't get into the new homestead blogger either :( so sad, I loved it before. I'm using my wordpress at www.codyacres.com/blog

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  20. New here and looking forward to reading, but sad you didn't like WordPress. I made the switch from Blogger to WP about 5 years ago, and have been in love with it form the start. The fact that there was a learning curve paired with the ability to customize EVERYTHING did it for me.

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