Keeping busy

I had all the items collected to make chili on Saturday. After we got back from the vet's (and sobbed in the doorway, really realizing she would not be trotting up to greet us), I folded 3 baskets of laundry and did the prep for the chili. It was a good thing to do, to keep busy. I plopped things into the crockpot (thanks to TGF!) as they were ready and started it off. I was pretty out of it that day, so I didn't open up the lid until late that day. It smelled fine--not terrific, just fine. Ladled it out into containers and pushed them into the fridge.

Pulled a container out the next day to heat up and try. It was actually really good. I loosely followed a recipe from the Crock Pot site, adding pinto beans (thanks Dharma!), diced London Broil (saw that in another chili recipe), and substituting beef boullion cubes for the granules (perhaps too many--it is a touch salty). I had left it cook all day and be on warm for a bit, as I went to hockey (boo, 4-0 loss; but thanks, Liz, for watching G!).

Then I tried another way: my sister had been served a combination at Trader Joe's on one visit: TJ's canned chili, heated up, and a TJ's frozen mac & cheese, heated up. A scoop of each, together. It really is very, very good. (TJ's M&C is awesome.)

Nice to have comfort food. Even better to make it myself and like it.