Wednesday, January 26, 2011

cold days are best spent indoors

The world's blandest chili
Ingredients:
  • 1 16oz can dark red kidney beans
  • 1 16oz can mild chili beans
  • 1 26oz can tomato soap
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1 lb ground chuck
  • 1 8oz package shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 soup can of water
Brown ground chuck, drain grease. Add beans, add soup, add water. Stir. Add spices. Stir. Add generous handful of cheese. Stir until it melts. Serve garnished with cheese.



I'm sure this is full of calories and "bad" for me. But it's cold, and well, it's dinner. Plus, it's delicious, especially on a cold day in January.



I am the daughter of a craft project hoarder. My mother has hundreds of unfinished craft projects... and while I don't have hundreds, I do have a few. I did a bunch of paintings a few years ago for a project and just never got around to phase 2 of the project. So, they have been sitting in a pile in a cabinet in my office. They were sitting in a pile on a shelf in my office, but I "reorganized," so, yeah, they ended up in the cabinet... Not the greatest place to keep paintings.

So, I pulled them out, separated them from themselves... spent a morning with brushes and a bottle of alcohol and the exacto knife with the curved blade cleaning 'transfer' off their fronts (they're painted on illustration board; the backs are gessoed, the weight of the pile stuck blips of gesso onto the surface of the next painting...). I spent a morning scanning them (see last entry)... And yesterday I varnished them and signed them. Well, okay, there are still like 5 paintings I haven't scanned yet, but I got most of them.

So, now the place has that faint odor of varnish... I suppose I'll choose to think of that as the scent of accomplishment. It definitely feels more purposeful than shoveling the road out in front of the house - yes, it snowed again.

I'm ready for spring, how about you?

8 comments:

happyone said...

I have lots of knitting and counted cross stitch projects to do!!
Snowing here today, but I did still have a great walk around my lake.
I love chili but my recipe has a bit of a bite to it!
I too am ready for spring!

Out on the prairie said...

You are getting more done than me.I can't motivate toward working as much as playing.It's the hot stuff in the chili that keeps colds away.

Hilary said...

Very ready for spring. I think that chili would get me through the coldest of winter days, though.

Nancy said...

I've got unfinished crafts laying all over this house. I don't even have a cabinet to put them in. (I need to get some of those.)

Proud of you Sarah for getting this accomplished. And the chili sounds good - but I might have to sneak some more chili powder in the pot because I like it a little on the spicy side. :)

Catherine said...

Chilli is always a good comfort food on a cold day isn't it? Even if it is a bit bland. ;)

Oh yes... so many craft project so little time.

Happy Thursday!
xo Catherine

Kitty said...

Pretty Lady,

You inspire me so. Emotionally I can't wait for spring. But, I will miss my winter wardrobe.

hugs,
Fritzi Marie

Heidi Willis said...

my chili recipe is very similar! I do a "bland" one the kids will eat, then my husbands adds Tabasco for flavor. :)

I LOVE that second picture! That's art in itself!

Ola said...

nice colors!