Sunday Supper

I got at the normal weekday time (5:45 AM) which kinda ticked me off. I should sleep in on weekends!

Stripped the bedding and started that in the wash machine. Then I started on today's dinner: chili. This one will be completely made up by me as I have yet to find a chili recipe I really like. But, I did borrow one idea. I have made chili with ground beef and made it with stewing beef. But I saw one recipe that called for using both and I thought, "Perfect!"

So, I brown one pound of hamburger in the Dutch oven while I cut up the stewing beef into bite-sized pieces. I threw the stewing beef in with the hamburger, seasoned it and let everything brown while I cut up the vegetables.

I small-diced a large red onion, one green pepper and four good sized jalapeno peppers (seeded, of course). Then I removed the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and poured off all the grease except for maybe one tablespoon. I saut�ed the veggies in that for about 10 minutes and then threw in 5 garlic cloves I'd minced.

I deglazed the pan with about 1/4 cup of chicken stock. I thought about beer or bourbon, or beef stock, but I had to use up the chicken stock soon, so...

When that had boiled off, I put the meat back in and added one regular (14.5 to 15.5 ounce) can each of northern white beans, black beans and dark red kidney bean, two cans of petite diced tomatoes and one can of tomato sauce. I had two Roma tomatoes that were about to overstay their welcome, so those got seeded, large diced and thrown it, too.

At 8:15, I glanced out the kitchen window and that hawk was back, feeding on the remains. God, I wish you could see him! He's fierce and noble looking, just magnificent!

Now, the chili looks fantastic (see photos). But, I have to season it just right or it will be all for naught. Having learned a bitter lesson with Mom's Chicken Noodle soup and too much fresh tarragon, I am determined to season it lightly, let it simmer for a hour or so, taste-test and adjust as needed.

So, my initial seasonings were one teaspoon of whole coriander seeds, one teaspoon oregano, one teaspoon ground cumin, one teaspoon paprika, one tablespoon chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. I stirred it in, set the pot on simmer and cleaned up the kitchen. BTW, it's 8:45 AM and my hawk is gone...

So, I shave and shower and get dressed to go and pick up my prescriptions. A short trip and $97.00 US later, I am back home! I tested the chili sauce. It's close, oh yes, it's very close. But I am not feeling the love yet.

Meanwhile, I start on the upstairs bathroom. In my normal routine, this must be cleaned first so it can be dry by the time I wash the kitchen, downstairs and downstairs bathroom floors (so, I have a place to go pee while they all dry, you see). This time I wash it from top to bottom, walls, cabinet, toilet, tub, everything!

While that dries, I try and call Lu to see how she's doing. I talked with Sadie, who said Lu had a bad night last night (dizziness and sick to her stomach) but she is mobile if using crutches. Lu told her to tell me she appreciates what I and my Mom went through with using a walker (apparently she is not so good at that yet and has fallen down trying). But, it sounds like nothing too serious has come up (just minor swelling, etc.), so, get well soon, babe! I am sure the goats are missing her!

Okay, so back to work. The chili seems intent on bubbling, no matter how low I turn the burners or which one I use, so I give up and stick it in the oven on warm (170 degree F) to hold it until I am ready for lunch and/or dinner.

Then, I pull everything out of the kitchen (except for the table) and stick it in the living room. Next, I sweep the kitchen, downstairs and downstairs bathroom.

I noticed that the squirrels were avoiding the squirrel feeder like the plague (just under it is where the hawk killed the pigeon and ate it, so I can't blame them) so I got some peanuts and threw them out under the regular bird feeder. I saw the icicles that had formed everywhere and were dripping (it's just above freezing here) so I took a couple of pictures and posted them (anything that keeps me from working, lol! I may just call Melissa!)

Gave up procrastinating and washed the floors. I finished up around 4:00 PM and went and laid down for a nap (finally!) I woke up at 5:15 and started moving stuff back into the kitchen. Then I put down the newly washed rugs in the bathrooms and in front of the sink. I used the electric sweeper on the office and bedroom floors, then hit them with the dust mop, sprayed with Endust. So, by 6:30 PM, everything except the living room is clean and sparkling! The living room isn't bad, however, so I decide to call it quits for the night.

I got out the chili and did the last taste test. I decided to hit it with some lime juice and about a tablespoon of hot sauce. I stirred it and put some in a bowl, topped with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. I had two bowls (well, probably three, if you count all the spoonfuls I ate doing taste tests!)

I watched my usual shows and then went to sleep at 10:30 PM.