Rail Fence Block

 

I’m bringing chili to a neighborhood party this month, and I’m really looking forward to it. John and Heather have been on strict diets for weeks now, and I’m trying to use the food they’re not eating before it spoils. Cooking just isn’t the fun, creative outlet it once was. I’ve several chili recipes, but this is the biggest crowd pleaser:

 

Wendy’s Chili Copycat

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground beef

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 (14-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (10-ounce) can ROTEL

1-2 cups water

2 (1.25-ounce) packages chili seasoning

1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons vinegar

 

Brown beef in oil; drain. Sauté celery, onion and pepper until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least an hour. Add vinegar before serving. 

Sixteen Friendship Stars

 

“Covenants are not big or small. Let us never speak of a temple as big or small, elaborate or plain. Let us always only speak with love and gratitude for ‘holiness to the Lord, the house of the Lord.’” – Elder Gerrit W. Gong

“Consider this: Christ’s work in your life and His love for you are bigger than your present story. He can fix what feels badly broken.” – Sister Tamara W. Runia

“Your testimony may be different from mine or that of other family members or fellow Saints. Trust it, nurture it and bear it, because it is uniquely yours.” – Elder Gérald Caussé

“I invite you to prayerfully ponder Isaiah’s teachings and more intentionally embrace the divine purpose of the law of the fast in a higher, holier way as part of our worship.” – Elder Ulisses Soares

“Work leads to prosperous, just and equitable societies. Gambling, even for fun, leads in the opposite direction.” – President D. Todd Christofferson

Three Pumpkin Blossoms

 

As the story goes, Tolkien’s first draft of Fellowship of the Ring was rejected by his editor because it contained the word “dwarfs,” while according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the proper plural of dwarf is “dwarves.” Supposedly, Tolkien’s reply was, “Don’t correct me. I WROTE the Oxford English Dictionary.” It’s an amusing tale, and well worth repeating when you’re in a pub and everyone has had a pint or two, even though it probably never happened. Which isn’t to say the author and philologist never had to answer for his unusual spelling. At times he claimed he used the term “dwarfs” to distinguish his fierce, stout characters from Snow White’s silly companions. Sometimes he admitted he’d accidentally misspelled the word and had to “go with it.” Occasionally he’d add the actual historical plural was “dwarrows.” For the record, Tolkien didn’t single-handedly “write” the OED. But he contributed to entries and etymologies.

English Wedding Ring

 

Spoiler Alert. If you haven’t seen the sequel to Practical Magic, and these things matter to you, stop reading now. Personally, I don’t believe knowing something about the movie you haven’t yet seen or a book you haven’t yet read spoils the experience, but I’m in the minority. Besides, you’ve had three weeks to catch Practical Magic 2, so how committed are you to being surprised by every little detail? Early in the movie, Sally Owens and her daughter Kylie are in Kylie’s bedroom, and there’s a gorgeous quilt on the bed. There are lovely things ALL OVER their home, but the camera seems to focus on this. The quilt has an old block pattern: English Wedding Ring. It’s foreshadowing that Kylie’s wedding is her story’s happy ending, and she needs a trip to England to make it happen. Somewhere in all those end-credit names is someone as obsessed as I am with traditional quilt blocks.

Fifteen Friendship Stars

 

Like many kids with Down Syndrome, Nine-year-old Brandon “Chomp” Barela was born with a heart defect. 2026 was Chomp’s first year to participate in 4-H. He received a goat which he named “Santa,” to prepare for this year’s livestock auction. In March, Chomp experienced heart failure. He underwent surgery to receive a new valve and pacemaker. A week before the fair, heart failure put him in the hospital again, and he was unable to show Santa. Chomp’s best friend led Santa into the ring on his behalf. Santa sold for more than $41,000. The buyers returned Santa to the Barela family, who will care for him while Chomp waits for a heart transplant. “Sometimes a livestock sale becomes a whole lot more than selling an animal,” said Dave Francis, Utah 4-H director. “These moments remind us 4-H is about so much more than what happens in the show ring.”

A Pair of Pumpkin Blossoms

 

I miss Blockbuster Video. I understand why they’re gone. But there was just something about walking in and browsing the stacks, agreeing on something to watch together, and conscientiously rewinding before returning it. Streaming movies is more convenient, but I still miss Blockbuster. I used to know how to shop for clothes, before Christopher & Banks, Coldwater Creek, and Dress Barn disappeared. Nearly everything in my closet still sports their labels. I can buy any book (and almost anything else) from Amazon, but I miss the serendipity of making a discovery at Barnes & Noble, Borders, B. Dalton or Waldenbooks. I bought lots of clever things from Brookstone. It’s sad you need an airline ticket to visit one now. I will mourn Joann, Pier One Imports, Payless Shoes, and Radio Shack until my dying day. If someone were to bring any of these back, they would have all my money.

The Big O

 

I like Sunday dinners that don’t require tons of work. This week, I doubled the recipe and loaded my big slow cooker before choir practice, sacrament meeting and Sunday school. After church I threw together a batch of corn bread and triple-chocolate brownies. Easy peasy!

 

Creamy Chicken Fajita Soup

 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 (10.75-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup chunky salsa

2 cups frozen corn

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Optional toppings: chopped tomato or onion, cubed avocado, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheddar or crushed tortilla chips.

 

Throw everything except toppings into slow cooker: cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. Before serving, remove and shred chicken, then return to pot. The original recipe said add a cup of cheddar at this point, but I forgot. Everyone added cheddar on top, so it’s hard to know if it made a difference.