Sound the Alarm...

...  My family was spared from the flooding in South Carolina praise be to God!  My sister said that she went to the store to get all the fixin's for a pot of chili to hunker down with during the "deluge"; and the store was void of Kidney Beans! Everyone must have been making chili! Chili is one of my favorite comfort foods, and as I go through my handwritten cookbooks I find more recipes for chili than anything else.  I'm straining my brain to remember if I had a chili I didn't like...hum...nope!

Chili is a personal food don't you think?  Once Hubby & I went to a dinner party toting a pot of my chili, as did everyone else! A Chili Cook Off. We all ate a small bowl each others chili, a blind tasting, only the hostess knew who's was who's.  Our own being obvious to us, we still ate it like it was anonymous. We had planned to pick a winner, but no one could pick the best chili, I know I honestly couldn't. Each was a winner in it's own way!  It was so fun to see & taste how different each pot was and how personal it was.

 We have no rain (please pray) but now I have a hankerin' for chili.

All this hunkering & hankering Cowboy talk is making me want chili!...

5 Alarm Chili!

 

 

 

 

 

Yes those are tortilla chips! About an oz of chips. I have also used 2 corn tortillas. They add great flavor & also thicken up the chili.  I blended them with spices, (chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp. ketchup & sugar) with large can of tomatoes. My favorite is whole tomatoes but I used a can of diced, so it made the chili thicker. I got lazy and didn't fire roast the peppers but it's so much better if you take the time to do that. The dark chilies are dried, which I soaked in 2 cups of hot water before adding those to the tomatoes in the blender as well.  I use the water from this soak in the chili. (brown liquid in measuring cup) Again I was lazy and just left the skins on to get every bit of pepper.  Normally I make with ground beef but I had this marbled piece of meat that I knew was going to be tasty and tender.  I always get my pot beyond hot before adding my room temperature meat. It should stick where it lands and I don't touch it until I can see that it's good & browned. This adds so much flavor. It's surprisingly not as hot as it would seem but I can eat fire so....

With chili I love warm tortillas or cornbread but for this one...

Pass the thick & chewy & crunchy San Francisco Sourdough Garlic Bread please!

Grab that spoon! Dare to Have A Bite ?

Egg-cellent Idea...

... Why haven't I thought of this before?  We like egg salad on toast for breakfast sometimes.  I switch it up.  Plain, with pickles, with curry,  with turmeric, sometimes olives, horseradish, (gee I guess I have a large egg salad repertoire)... The other day I made some with green olives & fresh rosemary, mayo, salt & pepper.  Hubby wanted more but I only made a little. Boo. Next time I'll make more. The bread made it more delicious.  When I was just picking up a few things at the store,  passing by the bakery, I spy French bread straight out of the oven. Driven that direction by my nose probably. The bag was steaming,  I paused to look at that bag for a second. When I realize I am looking at a bag of bread, contemplating on whether to buy it or not, I snap out of it, hoping no one saw me because I'm sure I had a big thought bubble above my head.  So I pass it by. I looked around like I didn't care, then circled back around. I took it to the bakery lady and had her slice it for me.  Far to dangerous to bring home in a loaf & slice myself. *chunk butter guilt *repeat. :P nom nom nom  We normally don't eat white bread so it's a real treat. I'm not a candy, cake & cookie person, I'm a bread, pasta & chip person. Sugar is sugar. Anyway, I hate chunky egg salad so I usually meticulously chop the eggs one at a time into itty bitty pieces with a fork.  Out of the blue, like a blue light special, the bulb went off! Pastry Cutters! Pow! That worked so great & such a time saver I thought I would post it for you.

Such a long post for a simple tip, but if you like egg salad, you might appreciate this tip just in time for Easter!

 

Did I make the price of eggs go up? hahaha Since I have been eating sorta kinda vegetarian, we have been lots of eggs.  In the past year they have gradually become more & more expensive, almost doubling in price.  My hubby ordered a cobb salad the other day and there was no egg on it, he said he didn't complain & joked it was probably too expensive.  I say sort of vegetarian, because I love McD's Jalapeno Burger - what a surprise right? (pepperfool)  I normally would not pick McD's as my go to place for a great burger and I don't even like cheeseburgers! I never order a cheeseburger coz the cheese is all slimy & makes the meat taste slimy & taste less meaty to me, but I like the Jalapeno Burger. It's all about the peppers. I do get one now & then or have a little tuna, or chicken, but not very much.  If you love a cheeseburger I hope I didn't just ruin it for ya. hahaha 

 

Speaking of veggies.... I have been drowning my sorrows a little with paint.  Hours go whizzing by. My #4 Mom I call her was just hospitalized. Please pray for Mom Freda and her family. She was diagnosed with Sundowners syndrome and her husband has Alzheimer's. It a difficult time her children & family.  I also could use a little extra money with so many things coming up and things breaking.  Don't you find that sometimes happens all at once? I am putting most of my small pieces on Ebay.  Click HERE to see what's there.  My sister,  SandyPetals, who I love so much, has been encouraging me to zendoodle like she does, I've dabbled, but when I make a mistake or a line I don't like...it's over, but she says there are no mistakes, just do it, she said paint some eggplants!  So I did, then radish, then peppers, then cherries, and green beans....

 

 

These turned out to be "happy little paintings" as someone once said.  haha The doodle paintings surprise me when they are finished.  I love eggplants - but that's another post!  I've done 2 eggplant paintings, 2 radishes, cherries...  I started these & can't quit.   I want to paint some for my kitchen or at least make prints for my kitchen.  I'm fond of the radishes. I love to eat radishes now but I didn't use to. I salt them and let them sit for 1/2 hour or so.   Hey they are also good on egg salad!

Create a great day!

Keepin' It Real...

 ...fresh that is! Check out this cilantro that has been in the frig for 4 weeks and going.  I love this new trick and it works for other herbs too.  I used to buy cilantro and within a week it would be bad even though I kept it in water in the frig or washed & wrapped in paper towel like Rachel Ray.  Whichever, I always seemed to toss 1/2 of the bunch out eventually. Now I wash & dry it, put it in a dry clean jar and place it in the frig.  It stays fresh & ready to use!

I first tasted cilantro in salsa at my favorite Mexican restaurant a co-worker introduced me too back in the early 80's. (Louis's in Sacramento) I wasn't sure I liked it. It was not a flavor I was used to, it was weird, with an oily soapy taste, but this was no sissy salsa! They weren't shy with the Serrano peppers and that fire alone kept me coming back for more, so cilantro quickly grew to love it.  Sadly the old mom & pop run Louis's has been moved, he has passed and his son's have taken over & opened their own places with the same recipes.   There are so many ways I use it now besides salsa.  I use it when I make Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian curries, soups, sandwiches, sauces, & dressings. My frig can't be without it.
Now if I could only get it to grow....

4 weeks and going! Still fresh & usable.

You're welcome!