Award Winning Chili

We had a chili cook-off contest at work. I was one of the ladies in charge of arranging it, so I wasn't exactly planning on making any. We asked for volunteers to make their best chili recipes and a table of judges would rank the taste. We needed enough pots of chili to feed to 50 people, so I decided I would make a pot in order for there to be enough.

I made Grandma's chili recipe. I love this chili and just one bite takes me back to fall hayrides with the whole family. It is simple, but delicious. Tasty, but not over-zealous.

As it turned out, the judges really liked it too! I won 1st place!

So if you want something warm and comforting for dinner - or you just want to taste our award winning chili - give this recipe a whirl! It's a winner.

On Turning 30

Today is my birthday and I am now 30. Since this blog is very new, I will share 30 things about myself in no particular order...

1. I work in marketing.
2. I have two kids: a girl and a boy.
3. I have my cosmetology license.
4. I have my boater's license.
5. I do not currently have any pets, although I am a dog person.
6. I went to a private school from Kindergarten-12th grade.
7. I like to cook and bake.
8. I have crafty ideas but trouble making them happen. Alan (my husband) makes them happen.
9. Alan and I have been married for 10 years.
10. I was a teenage bride (19, so not quite as weird).
11. I am not a hugger.
12. I can play the saxophone.
13. Tomorrow will mark 1 year since I have had any soda. That's big for me!
14.  I drive a 4-door Honda Civic.
15. Alan drives my old 2-door Honda Civic.
16. We like Honda Civics (can you tell?).
17. I have a BA in English with a concentration in Professional/Technical Writing.
18. I like to read. A lot.
19. I love coffee. A lot.
20. I see the sunrise at least 5 days a week.
21. I am a Christian.
22. I have one sibling and it is an older brother.
23. I have lived in the same general area all of my life. I have lived in different cities but they are all within 30 minutes of each other.
24. I am a lake person and not so much a beach person. Sand sucks!
25. I enjoy long soaks in the bathtub. And I do it it right, too, with candles and bubbles and Netflix.
26. My neighbor is my aunt and my aunt is my neighbor.
27. My parents are still married and both sets of their parents are still married. Rare, huh?
28. I haven't been on a plane since 2012.
29. I like to cross one eye in pictures. It is my signature look.
30. I am happy to be 30. I feel loved and blessed.

Thank you for reading!

Then and Now

Anyone who has been around tractors in their lifetime knows that they are entertaining to children. Boys like them, girls like them, little kids like them, big kids like them. Tractors are big, loud, and different - what's not to like about them?

I rode on many different kinds of tractors growing up, but not nearly as often as Grandma. Their tractor rides were for work while ours were for fun. When it was planting time, she would always have to ride on the left side of the tractor because she was left handed. She threw the seeds with her left hand while her other sisters got to swap out on the right side since they were all right handed. She remembers how tired her left arm would get from throwing seed over and over.

Here is a picture of my brother and me on a tractor with our Grandaddy (Emily's husband) when we were little.

My kids love to look at the tractors and ride along with my Grandaddy whenever they get a chance. Here they are with my dad (Emily's son) when we were visiting a few weeks ago.

The Crunch of Fall

When I was growing up, I remember a special tin at Grandma's house. She kept it fully stocked with freshly made chex-mix. It was definitely not the kind that you can buy in a bag at the store. This chex-mix had more flavor, more crunch, and more love baked into every bite. It was like a game to be the first to open the tin at each visit, that burst of buttery aroma hitting you in the face when the lid popped off.

Now my husband, Alan, makes chex-mix several times a year. He has taken the regular recipe on the cereal box and developed his own twist that leaves the whole family's mouth watering and always wanting more. This year he added Morton's Garlic Sea Salt to the mix and it is better than ever.

Whether I am eating Grandma's chex-mix or my husband's chex-mix, I get good feels in every bite. It makes me think of fall and winter, of family gathered together, and of yummy things passed down from generation to generation.

Below is Alan's chex-mix recipe. We especially love to make it with all the chex cereal, Cheeze-It crackers, and Bugles (those soak up so much flavor). The best thing about this kind of snack is that you can always throw in whatever you have on hand or make your own little twist to good ole' traditional mix. Try it this winter. Your taste buds will thank you!

Welcome to Our Blog

My name is Erica and my grandma is Emily.

We obviously look like we are in the same family.

Thanks for the visit and taking a look,

At our stories, laughs, and things we cook.

Intros are awkward, I never know what to say,

So I chose to go with cheesy-ness today.

Rhyming is fun, I'm not going to lie.

But if I keep this up you may never stop by.

So just bear with me, I'll get to the point.

If you come back, I won't disappoint.

Welcome to Our Blog

Erica and Emily circa late 80's/ early 90's

Erica and Emily circa 2014