Tastes from Home

When I think back to my childhood, I have so many memories. So many of those memories have sights, sounds, smells and foods associated with them.

Much of my childhood was spent with family and when we got together, we ate. We would have a family dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house (Mom's family) every other week. At these dinners, not only would I get to enjoy the tastes of Grandma's cooking, but also family favorite "carry-in" type dishes. Over the years, the dishes evolved, but there were certainly dishes that stood the test of time. We would go on family camp-outs every summer with my Dad's family. I remember enjoying Beer Battered Walleye. I remember S'mores and Pie Irons.

Many of the dishes that I like to make today are things that I learned to cook with my mom - things like Chicken Gravy over biscuits, Chili, Tacos. I remember eating out and enjoying Fried Chicken and Potato Salad at a monthly Chicken Fry.

The tastes of my youth don't end with my family. When we were little, my best friend and I liked to play in the kitchen. We would make up recipes. We had a recipe we called Rice Delight. Essentially, it was instant white rice, sugar and jelly. We would make "fudge" with our chocolate milk mix and milk, by putting lots of mix and only a little milk in a tea set that she had.

Frito Lay offers a line of Regionally Inspired Flavors and has asked of the blogging community, what recipe (flavor) reminds you of home. With all of these memories associated with food, I struggle to choose just one taste that reminds me of home. I guess though that I would go with Cincinnati Style Chili.

Cincinnati-Style Chili from Skyline Chili was a regional favorite that I introduced my husband to during one of his first visits to my hometown. Being Italian, he was very hesitant about the idea of serving Chili on Spaghetti. Little did I know when I introduced him that it would become one of his favorites. When we were living in Pittsburgh, there wasn't one nearby, so I found a way to recreate the flavor at home. I got a recipe from my aunt for a knock off version and over the years have made it my own by tweaking it. One of the changes was the result of an "error" on my part, when I used No Salt Added Tomato Sauce.

Cincinnati-Style Chili
2# Ground Beef
1 quart water
1 large onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vinegar
3-8oz cans of tomato sauce
1-6oz cans of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp red pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground all spice
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 small piece unsweetened chocolate

Add the ground meat to the water and stir to break up. Bring water and meat to a boil and allow to cook until the meat is done. Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.

Spaghetti, cooked
Light Red Kidney Beans, cooked
1 small onion, diced
Mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

To serve, layer spaghetti, beans, chili, onions and shredded cheese.

Giveaway
Courtesy of Lays, I have the chance to giveaway to one A Busy Mom of Two reader a variety pack of Lay’s Regional Flavors.

To enter, leave a comment answering the following question:
What flavors remind you of home?

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Giveaway will remain open until August 30th at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. Lay's provided information and chips for me try. By posting this and sharing the link, I am also entering a contest. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.