Something To Be Thankful For This Year

Every year, I always dread doing the game during Thanksgiving dinner where we all say what we're thankful for. My answers are always cliche, and I never feel that I've put enough thought into it. Usually I'm just so thankful all the food is on the table and that I'm sitting down, I can't properly appreciate the beautiful sight before me - my family. This year will be different, because this year I know how lucky I am to have that family, to have a home, to have a Thanksgiving dinner to sit down to. Why is this year so much different? Because of Gifford.

 

Photo credit to Mitch Kazel

Gifford, Illinois is a small town of under 1,000 people, and it's located about 20 miles from my home. Last week, devastating tornadoes tore through our state, and one of them rocked this small town. That afternoon, my husband and I sat with our toddler, glued to the radar and trying to decide if we were safe. We are very fortunate, and the town we live in is usually spared the worst of the weather. We rode out the weird storm, and went about making lunch and other day to day tasks. Little did we know at the time, hundreds of people close by were standing in rubble, wondering what had just happened.

 

Photo credit Mitch Kazel

Photo credit Mitch Kazel

Photo credit Mitch Kazel

This is just some of the damage done to this tiny town. I've heard tales of narrowly avoided injuries, lost farm land, even a pregnant woman who took shelter in her tub - while her home moved off of it's foundation around her. The fear and heartache that these people must have been feeling cannot be explained by someone like me, because I'm writing this from the comfort of my home, using electricity and running water, sitting under warm blankets. I'm not looking at my mattress in someone's from yard. When I first saw pictures and videos of the town, I started to cry, because I  couldn't imagine the hurt. But then an amazing thing happened.. something that made me cry for a different reason. 

Photo credit Philip Wake

Someone found this dog without his owner, and made sure that even in the chaos he had fresh food and water. This photo was then posted on Facebook to find the owner.

Photo credit Bethany Park Christian Church

Photo credit The Gathering Place, Rantoul

Hundreds of people donated clothing, food, hygiene items, and more to families in need.

Photo found on Gifford's Tornado Relief Facebook Page

This amazing couple still sees a fairy tale ending, as long as they're together.

Photo credit Deb Ackerman

This woman, Deb Ackerman, found a way to make others laugh when they wanted to cry.

Photo credit Matt Meuser

And the most heart wrenching and tear jerking photo for me, this picture of an American flag that a family hung over their broken windows.

On the support page on Facebook, hundreds of messages like these were posted:

"Our office of Dr Kevin L Glancy and Associates 

(the independent Drs office of Lenscrafters) 

would like to help the victims of Sundays torandoes.

We realize many people may have lost their glasses

and we are offering up to 25 exams to help the individuals

in need. Lenscrafters is teaming up with us to donate frames

and lenses. This will be available from now thru December 10." 

" I am a licensed home childcare provider, have 

two- three open spots, any ages. More than

 willing to help out while you recover.

 Call Mandy at 217-841-****"

"We have two box trucks in Gifford that are empty.

If you are in need of help moving your

belongings please call Chris at 202-****."

"Danville School District #118 is doing a

School Supply Drive for the children that

have lost everything in the tornado, and

if anyone would like to donate they

can let me know! Thank you."

"Ultimate Upholstery would like to help those

that have suffered from the tornado in Gifford.

We would like to clean carpets and furniture free

of charge once the water and power have

been restored. Call 217 363-****."

"Kinner Kennels is a state licensed pet boarding

facility near springfield. We are offering free pet

boarding to anyone who has lost their home

and needs temporary longterm boarding for their pets.

We have a large play yard with plenty of playtime.

Our website is www.kinnerkennels.com"

"Docs towing is offering free tows up to ten miles for removal

of cars from the damage. We will also provide an impound

yard for damaged vehicles waiting for insurance adjusters

to look at. Just wanted to put that out there for a nearby

community in stress." 
 

"Family's affected by the storms yesterday in Gifford IL -

When you are restored to new homes or places to live
and are ready I am offering you (the family's that lost
all memories in photos etc) a free photo session of your family
- you cannot get the old ones back that is a loss that cannot
be replaced but you can have some new photos - I know
this will be a while down the road first concern is having
a home again and some clothes etc, I am only offering this to family's
that have lost their homes. I have no other way or nothing else to
give and I want to help in some way."

"If you are a victim of the devastation that tore through Gifford,
and are in the need of housing until your homes are rebuilt
and reconstructed. We have a list of some homes that are going
to be made available in the area for you. Again this is going to be
for the victims of the recent disaster. Contact my office at 217-239-****."
 

 

This is my community. These are the people that live near me. These are the people that I swear at when I'm behind the wheel and I'm in a hurry, or that I get frustrated with for having 21 items in the 20 and under lane at the grocery, or that I don't stop to wave to if I'm running late. I do these things not because I'm mean, but because I've forgotten how to be thankful. I've taken for granted how lucky I am to have these people around me, to have a family that loves me, to have a house to sleep in at night. These are the true colors of the people in my community. This is the face of Central Illinois. Seeing the way this community has pulled together to lend a hand in the face of disaster humbles me and warms my heart. This is what I have to be thankful for this year, and for every year for the rest of my life. Thank you, neighbors, for reminding me what life is really about. 

*If you would like to donate to the families in Gifford, you may do so here.

My Love Affair With Chicken Chili

Hey guys! About 6 years ago, I went into Panera Bread and fell in love with an item on their menu - White Chicken Chili. I had never heard of such a thing, and when I tasted all those spices, mingled with the chilis and the savory chicken, I knew I was hooked. Several weeks later I went back, planning to order the largest bowl of chili available, and it was gone! And I don't mean the "this isn't the right day of the week" gone, I mean they don't make it anymore gone! So of course I had a mission; my mission, which I chose to accept, was to make my own chicken chili, and to make it just as good as the one I had at Panera. While I'm not sure that everyone would agree that my recipe is equally as good, my husband and I love this version, and I've decided to share it with you, too! Let me know what you think if you try this one out.

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR 1 small, whole chicken (3-5 lbs)
1 large yellow onion
1 whole jalapeno (or more, if you like it spicy!)
5 cloves of garlic
2 cans of great northern beans
1 can of chopped green chilis
Chicken base
3 tbsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

*Note: The measurements for this recipe are not concrete! If you like lots of beans, feel free to add another can. If you're really into green chilis, add another can. You can add more or less spice, depending on what you can tolerate. Honestly, I add tons of cumin!

Alright, let's get started. For this demo, I'm using a crockpot, but you can feel free to do this in a large soup pot on the stove. I like the crock option because I can add my meat still frozen, which makes things easier when I'm having a busy day ;). 

1) Layer your chicken breast into the bottom of the crock, either frozen or thawed, and put your spices directly on top of the meat. As I mentioned before, you can also use a whole chicken, but that does better on the stove (and without the beans and peppers until the meat is off the bone).

These are the stars of your show, believe it or not! That delicious, smoky flavor that makes white chili so unique comes from the cumin. You can really add as much cumin as you like; if you give it a taste and feel it's not smoky enough, add cumin until the flavor is right for you. I wouldn't recommend going too crazy with the white pepper or cayenne (speaking from experience, which was less than wonderful). If you need a little more kick, I would recommend upping the cayenne vs. the white pepper, or just using more jalapeno.

2) Chop your onion and garlic, and place that on top of the chicken. Chop your jalapenos and add those, and then open a can of chilis and dump those right in, too.

 I use chopped and peeled chilis, but you can really use any type of green chili that appeals to you. Some people like bigger pieces, so make this part your own!

  

 I also take this opportunity to use up some of our older jalapenos from the garden. Since these are going to soften up in the soup anyway, it's a great platform to utilize these. Jalapenos tend to get hotter the more they ripen (as you can tell, these red guys are VERY ripe), and I find that these really add a lot of great flavor to my soup. If you want it really hot, keep the ribs in when you chop!

3) Next I like to add one of my FAVORITE cooking ingredients, soup base! I take a large table spoon (I'm talkin' heaping, here) and kind of spread this around on top of my chicken, spices, and veggies.

 This is my absolute favorite brand of soup base, especially because it comes with an organic option. This base isn't powdered like some of the other brands, it actually looks more like a gel. It is absolutely delicious for tons and tons of things, and if you follow my future recipes, you'll see it a lot.

4) At this point I drain and rinse my beans, and add those on top of everything else. Then I add just enough water to completely cover everything in the pot/crock. Your end result should look like this:

Set your crock on the 6 hour setting (or high, if you just have high and low). Throw a lid on it and come back in a few hours!

5) It's been 4 hours! Wasn't that fast? You come into the kitchen, and the smell of delicious soup is overwhelming. Ahhh.. isn't that just the best? Your next step is a simple one: grab a cutting board, and pull your chicken breasts out of the soup, onto the board. If you're using a whole chicken, you should only have broth in with the chicken at this point (well, onions and garlic, too). You can take the chicken off the bone, strain the broth, and add it all back into the crock, along with more onion, garlic, and the beans and peppers that you reserved earlier. I used chicken breasts, so I simply use this time to shred my chicken on the board.

 Because the chicken is hot, I usually use two forks to pull it apart. Once your chicken looks like this (whether off the bone or shredded chicken breasts), you can add it back to the crock. Give it a stir to fully incorporate the chicken back into the soup.

 You should have something like this in your crock now, and it will smell heavenly. Throw the lid back on, and cook for the remaining 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If your soup isn't thick enough, you can mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with equal parts water, and add that into the soup. Repeat until desired consistency is achieved.

6) Are you ready? Because it's soup time! I like to make an accompanying loaf of crusty bread to go along with my soup, or you can always pick one up at the store. Garnish your soup with cheese, sour cream, green onions.. the options are endless. If you're like me, just a slice of buttered bread will work!

 

I often make Tastefully Simple's Bountiful Beer Bread to go with this soup, because it's just a little bit sweet, and it's got a great crust (also, the only additional ingredient you need is one bottle of beer, so it's really easy). You can also just grab a pre-made loaf from the store, or one of the refrigerated doughs that you can bake off at home.


Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to Midwest Momma! This is a place that I've created to share recipes, projects, thoughts, prayers, and love, from my Midwestern home to where ever you may be. My hope for this blog is to connect with other moms, wives, young women, or WHOEVER has a passion for family, food, and friends. Please, feel free to share your variations of recipes I may post, to suggest things you would like to see, or to start discussions on things that you feel passionately about. Like I said, I want to connect with others through a mutual love of the simple things in life. Thanks for coming, and enjoy!