Disclosures:  I received products for review, but all opinions are honest and are my own.
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Being that we are also chocolate lovers, we really enjoy this tea.  It has a delicate chocolate flavor and is good with or without sweetener.  I like a little honey in my tea.  

Loose leaf tea is easy to make.  You just need a tea strainer or paper tea filters (these filters are my favorite, amazon links).  They are so easy to use and brew the perfect cup of tea without any mess.  I just put the filter bag with used tea in the compost when done.  

Need a gift idea for someone special or want to try chocolate tea for yourself?  Exclusive coupon code for my readers!  Save 15% off your order with coupon code HOMEEC@HOME15 valid until November 11, 2020.

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We've been having cold, rainy weather which makes me want to cozy up with a mug of hot chili.  I have been making this garden fresh chili with peppers and tomatoes from the garden and it is hearty and delicious.  It's also packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals making it a healthy choice.  

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We grew both bell peppers and sweet jalapeños this summer and either is perfect in this chili.  If you have peppers left to use, you can freeze them for recipes.  I just dice or slice them and freeze in zipper freezer bags.  

We have lots of fresh tomatoes from the garden that I still need to can and freeze so I diced fresh tomatoes for this pot of chili.  You can use frozen diced tomatoes or a 32 oz. can of diced tomatoes if you do not have fresh.  When freezing fresh tomatoes, I just dice them and put them in quart freezer bags for future use in recipes.  
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Can you make this chili in a slow cooker?

Absolutely! Simply brown the meat, peppers, onion, and garlic in a skillet then add this cooked mixture to your slow cooker. Next add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours until ready to serve. 

 Garden Fresh Chili
 
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef or venison
1 sweet onion, diced
1 bell pepper or a few sweet jalapeños, seeded and diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 can 10 oz diced tomatoes with chilies (I use mild)
1 quart (4 cups) fresh diced tomatoes*
1 can (14-15.5 ounce) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14-15.5 ounce) pinto or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 T. cumin
2 T. chili powder or more to taste
1 tsp. creole seasoning (the one I use, amazon link)
1 tsp. coriander

For an even more amazing chili, these are some optional seasonings that we think makes this chili the most delicious chili ever! 
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. coconut sugar** or brown sugar
1 can 14.5 oz. stewed tomatoes*** 

Directions:
Brown ground beef or venison with onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour to blend flavors and tenderize the vegetables. 

Serve with:
Saltines, oyster crackers, corn chips, grated cheese (sharp cheddar or cheddar works well), diced sweet onion and sour cream
 

*You can freeze fresh diced tomatoes from the garden in quart zipper bags to use in this chili or you can use a 32 oz. can diced tomatoes. 

**Coconut sugar (affiliate link) is lower on the glycemic index so it is a healthier option over brown sugar. I use it all the time in cooking and baking. 

***(my husband LOVES stewed tomatoes, so I starting adding them and now he loves this chili even more!)

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Last year for Christmas, I received an Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker 11 in 1 with Air Fryer, 8 Qt  (amazon link).  It has been one of my most used Christmas gifts ever.  This fall I have been dehydrating pears and apples using the dehydrating function and it is such an easy and delicious way to preserve fresh fruit.  

I started out dehydrating pears when a friend gave us a bushel of pears, but have now dehydrated apples too.  I dehydrate apples the exact same way as pears which you can see in the video below.  

Ingredients:
2 to 3 Apples or Pears

Peel fruit, core and slice thin.  Place in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker 11 in 1 with Air Fryer, 8 Qt  (amazon link).  Use the dehydrate function for 7 hours at 135 degrees F.  


Can you use perforated parchment circles for the air fryer when dehydrating fruit?

This topic came up in the comments on my youtube video so I ordered some perforated parchment circles to try and here is my experience.   

I finally bought some air fryer perforated parchment circles.  I did not measure the diameter of my Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer before ordering and ordered these Zulay parchment circles  (amazon link) in 9 inch circles.  They did come in a handy pouch with a basting brush. They were bigger than my machine, but I just let them curl up the sides a little and they are awesome for ease of use and having a non-stick surface. I have since used the parchment circles when dehydrating fruit and they make clean-up so easy.

I just measured the actual diameter of my air fryer basket and it is 8 inches so next time I will order something like these parchment circles (amazon link) in the 8 inch size.

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I don't usually pay much attention to Prime Day, but I did see that my favorite Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker 11 in 1 with Air Fryer, 8 Qt  (amazon link) is on sale today (Prime Day) for a super deal.  Instant Pots are 33% off today so if you have been considering one, now is a good time to purchase.  I received mine as a Christmas gift last year and love it.  I actually use the air fryer the most, but have also done a lot of dehydrating and some pressure cooking too.  Today, the one I use is $119.99 on sale from $179.95.  

Here is a YouTube video of me using the dehydrating function of my Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Air Fryer so you can see what it is like.   

There are lots of great Prime Day Deals including lots of kitchen deals so check it out.  The Prime Day Sale ends tonight.  I think you have to be a prime member to qualify for these incredible deals.  I am a prime member.  I started my prime membership with a free student account when I was in grad school and continued with it since we use it for amazon prime tv and free shipping.  I order most of our supplements and lots of random things from amazon.  It is nice for sending gifts since I don't have to pay shipping and its a lot easier than having to wrap and package and go to the post office.  You can always include a gift message for free.  It has been worth it for us, but wouldn't be for everyone.  You can try a 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime to see if it is right for you.  There are also big membership discounts if you have a qualifying EBT or Medicaid card.  

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

I know there is a lot of talk about immune systems and trying to stay healthy these days, but did you know a balanced microbiome is important because 70% of the entire immune system is found in the gut? In addition, a healthy intestinal microbiome is a major factor in children’s growth and development.  

My kids have been taking Gut Connection Kids from Country Life supplements for a few weeks and so far we like them.  I actually tried them too, to see what they were like and they are easy to take sweet and sour chewables.  These products are intended for children aged 4–12. However, adults can also take this product by following the directions for the 9–12 year old dosage.  Younger children take two chewable tablets and older children and adults take four chewable tablets.  

We were sent Gut Connection Kids digestive balance, cognitive balance, and immune balance chewable tablets.  ​Gut Connection Kids by Country Life is a scientifically formulated range of supplements that connects the gut to individual health issues that matter.

Gut Connection Kids by Country Life is one of the first children’s formulas containing clinically studied Epicor® Whole Food Fermentate prebiotic shown to support immune and gut health.  I was happy to see that the cognitive balance formula also contains Vitamin D, Folate, Vitamin B12, and Choline.   

This Epicor® yeast fermentate reinforces the immune system’s first line of defense and provides FAST ACTING (within 2 hours) immune support!

​This whole food fermentate prebiotic is balanced with clinically researched ingredients for your overall health.  

We also got to try the Gut Connection Kids by Country Life sleep balance formula.  This is a chocolate powder that you mix with milk or water and give to your child at bedtime.  My two youngest children tried this and thought it helped them fall asleep better.  They mixed it in a glass of milk before bedtime and liked the chocolate milk flavor.

You can find these products at countrylife.com.  Save 20% off on your entire order using code MOMS20 at checkout!