My Best Chili

Brown one lb. of hamburger in 1 tblspn. canola oil in frypan.  Add one package chili seasoning mix, stir.  Put crockpot on high, add 1 med. to large onion, chopped, 1 big can tomatoes, whole or diced, and 1 small can tomato sauce.  Add 1 clove garlic, minced, 1large can kidney beans or pork and beans, 1 can chili beans, all with sauce; add hamburger, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. coriander (or cilantro), 1 tsp. white sugar, 1 tsp. vinegar, 2 medium tomatoes, chopped.  Stir well and cook on high 4 hours, or low all day long.  Serve anytime of the day or night, garnish with shredded cheese, crushed potato chips, and/or sour cream, if desired.  This recipe contains 2,800 calories altogether.   A serving of 1/8 of the recipe would be about 350 calories, garnishes are extra. 

                Festival Fried Rice

Put 2 cups water in saucepan, add 1 cup long grain white rice and 1 tsp. butter.  Simmer, covered, about 20 min. or until water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and set aside, keep covered.  Cook 1 chicken breast in 1 tsp. canola oil, salt, pepper and paprika to taste; when cooled, cut it up in small pieces, set aside.  One 12 oz. bag cooked shrimp, thaw and remove tails if necessary; cut up in small pieces, set aside.  Prepare and set aside 1/4 cup celery, diced; 1/4 cup green onions, diced; 1 carrot, grated.  Shred 1 or 2 cups lettuce, set aside.  Rinse and drain one 14 oz. can bean sprouts, set aside.  Scramble 2 eggs in a cup, heat 1 tblspn. sesame seed oil in large skillet or wok to med. low and fry the eggs, stirring.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add to pan 2 tblspns. canola oil and heat to med. high.  Add celery, onion and carrot and stir fry 2 minutes.  Add chicken, shrimp and bean sprouts, continue to stir and fry.  Add 1 tblspn. hoisin sauce and 1/4 tsp. ground black or white pepper.  Add all the rice and 1/4 cup soy sauce, continue stirring and frying.  Stir in eggs and lettuce.  Serve immediately.   (Note:  I reserve the lettuce and add it to each individual plate or bowl, because I know I will have leftovers and don't like hot, wilted lettuce.)   The entire dish contains approximately 2,000 calories. 

Cleaned out cupboards yesterday, here's the soup I made:

                       Pea Soup

10 cups water, start heating in big soup pot.  Add 1/2 bag (4 oz.) of green split peas, rinsed in strainer, 1/2 bag yellow split peas, rinsed in strainer, 1/2 bag lentils, rinsed in strainer.  Keep pot stirred frequently, and skim off any foam that arises.  Add 1 bay leaf, 1 handful of barley, simmer about 1 hour, stirring often.  Add 1 tsp. onion salt; 1/4 - 1/2 onion, chopped; 2-3 large carrots, chopped; 2 stalks celery, chopped; 1/2 tsp. rosemary leaves; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp. minced ginger root; 1 large potato, peeled and chopped (I cooked this separately and added at the end); 3 cheddar bratwurst, chopped; 1/2 tsp. cumin; 1/2 tsp. cilantro leaves; 1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed with the back of a spoon; 1/4 cup cocktail sauce (yes); 1 tblspn. salt; 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1 big bunch fresh parsley, chopped; 1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves; keep stirring every once in awhile, keep simmering (just); don't let peas stick to bottom of pot.  When all is tender, (2-3 hours) eat up.

I have brought in my oregano and parsley pots; that's why I have these on hand.  I picked all my basil and dried it; then bagged it up in plastic baggies for later use.  I don't even like to use dried parsley; it smells like horse piss.  So do other dried herbs, don't know why.

Last month, I spent quite a bit of money on purchasing new herbs, such as anise seed, fennel seed, paprika, Mrs. Dash, etc.  Prices of herbs are pretty steep, but I have them now and they should last me awhile.   

The weather has become cold, rainy, and very dreary.  There are no leaves left on the trees, and now the chilly grey sky shows clearly between the darker grey trunks of the trees.  The ground is a carpet of brown leaves, just waiting for snow. 

I went to town again on Friday, this time concentrating on dog food, etc. at Walmart, then on to Aldi's to get my monthly food supplies.  I also bought a digital scales to weigh myself properly; the old dial scale always said the same thing and was lying to me.  The truth is now being logged daily.  I will be interested to see if I do lose weight on my lower 1700 calorie diet. 

I've decided to use the grayish green paint for the living room, not the bedroom.  I now see a magenta in the bedroom and a teal in the bath.  In the meantime, I have begun the process of painting the kitchen.  But each section has to be taped and plastered and sanded first.  I've got the area over the sink done, and I'm liking the "yellowtail dam" yellow.  It looks darker than what I thought, but not that dark. 

Meantime, when not plastering and painting, I'm writing on my novel, that is still coming along - no major writer's block, just pauses and then I paint. 

I have to go to the dentist on Monday; a filling is cracking and causing me pain.  They were able to get me in pretty fast there.  So fast I hardly have time to be dreading it.  They will also clean my teeth.  Arghh!

I have been holding the sunflower seeds in my hand when I bring their seeds out in the morning; the chickadees will sometimes come and sit on my hand to take the seed.  But I don't want to push it; I keep thinking about avian flu... silly me. 

Yesterday, I went to the doctor for my annual checkup, and everything is good.  My doctor looked worried when I mentioned bird flu though... I got the regular flu shot.  The bad news for me is that I am still gaining weight; it is creeping up there.  I conscientiously count calories, and though my consumption of food should put me at 120 lbs. (the real me), my weight has gone up to 180 pounds.  No wonder I have muscle cramps now.  I started yoga practice last evening, and was surprised to find it felt good, not painful.  I also have decided to cut my calorie consumption to 1600 calories a day, not 2000.  I almost made it; yesterday I only consumed 1700 calories. 

Day before yesterday, I went to Menards (again!) and bought $105.00 (on my card, that is) more stuff.  I needed a roll of aluminum sheeting to cover the top edge of the metal roofing (until I can afford to get the next section of metal roofing on).  I bought a Black and Decker Navigator Powered Handsaw/Jigsaw (whew!), a miter box & saw, a handsaw, some drill bits and chuck keys, wood drill bits to make bigger holes, a utility knife, 2 pumpkins, a box of pretzels, and another gallon of paint in anticipation of being able to paint the bedroom, this time in a gentle grayish green they call Balsam.  Also, 2 more cans of foam.  I noticed that the back of the house, where the eaves meet the wall, that there is a sizeable gap there that never used to be.  THAT will be done today, the weather is beautiful. 

We are back on daylight wasting time, as some like to call it; I am just fine with it, getting up with the sun now, but it sure gets dark early.

I have been watching the series "Rome" on TV, I also watch "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and The Bill Mahr Show, The Daily Show, MSNBC News at 5:30, plus local news at 5:00.  The weather channel is a must.  I have that on without sound all day usually, on an old TV in the living room; I frequently check on the National Geographic channel, and Animal Planet.  Other than those channels, I will watch Forensic Files, and all those other gory murder ones, if I can't find anything better.  Public Broadcasting Station frequently, also the History Channel.  And, of course, on Sunday, the Packer Game.  Hmmm.  That looks like a lot of TV watching, but I don't think I would qualify as a couch potato just yet. 

Last night, I was fired up about something; can't remember what.  But I thought I should blog my personal political/religious thoughts and feelings.  I must have been on the verge of sleep; it begins with a diatribe about the creation of the world.  I was thinking that humans have the opinion that we should conquer and destroy the earth, use up all the resources without regard for the environment, and that God has given us the green light on this.  I was thinking that maybe God meant for us to solve the mystery and uncover the secrets of being here in the physical world. 

Then I went on to the abortion issue.  I am on both sides and always have been.  I can't resolve this issue, because abortion is such a sad event.  Yet the thought of our government paying for abortion on demand is also loathesome to me.  I firmly believe in reproductive rights for women; absolutely and 100%.  Last night, I finally figured out that I believe in reproductive rights for each and every child, male and female.  The real crux of our overpopulation problem lies in giving everyone in the world the power to say whether they will have a child or not.  That means intelligent, safe, effective birth control for every human being.  Let's face it - there would be no abortion battle if we would use our God-given brains to all get together and solve this one uncomfortable aspect of human beingness.  We ALL need to have choice.  Once we have that, we can choose to stop all war as well.  Every life would be sacred, and no one would have the right to send our children into harm's way, to their deaths.