Super Chili Tradition
Super Bowl Sunday is not far off, and at our house, we'll revisit our annual tradition: Super Bowl Chili. I've made a pot of some kind of chili for every Super Bowl game since 1984, so this is the 31st annual.
The recipe changes from year to year. When the tradition began, it was a simple recipe from the cookbook that came with our first microwave oven, the one we got as a wedding present from Ann's parents. It's gotten both more and less elaborate as time's gone by. I usually make it from scratch, but I have also been known to buy one of those canned Chili Magic things from the grocery store in a pinch. One of my favorite recipes uses fried bologna. (It's not very healthy, but it's insanely good.) I tried making an Emeril recipe with andouille sausage one year (which wasn't all that great), and I've used my brother's recipe several years even though he's the only one who can ever get it right. My most reliable recipe is one from Cherokee Bison Farm. It has so much stuff in it that I had to get a special giant pot to make it in. The recipe is meant to be made with ground bison, of course, but I've used ground turkey and even ground emu over the years.
The sides and desserts vary from year to year, too. The only constant is that there's always too much of everything. And there's beer. Oh yes, plenty of beer.
Enjoy the game, everybody.
Mikayla's Grace
Loss and grief are two powerful, powerful forces. They can grip your gut and take you down in a moment's notice. And it doesn't matter if your loss was 10 days ago or 10 years ago. Grief has a way of sticking around to haunt you in your lonliest times, but it can also empower you to do things you never thought you could. Melissa is the founder of Mikayla's Grace. From the grief of losing two babies, she was able to rise above it and start an organization to support families who have gone through or are going through child or pregnancy loss.
My family stumbed upon Mikayla's Grace after having to say good-bye to our angel baby, my brother's son, Samuel Paul. It was a sense of comaraderie and with that comes strength. Being with other people who have experienced what you're going through is really indescribable. It's like you can let your hair down and say what you want because they've been there and won't judge. Mikayla's Grace is also focused on being proactive. They help in the NICUs and the ERs doing what they can for families right in the thick of things. They're also working on getting nurses bereavement training so they can feel better equipped to help as well.
I'm very proud to be a part of their very first fundraiser tomorrow, Saturday, 1/18. If you head to Point Cinema for the 10am showing of Despicable Me, you'll be able to see a great family movie as well as fundraise for an amazing organization. Marcus Theatres is donating every single dollar to Mikayla's Grace…and that's SO cool. Click here to buy your tickets. See you there!
Beer and Wine Tourist
As I have written here before, I am a beer and wine tourist. Ann and I will take off on a weekend afternoon just to visit some winery or brewery in the area, and when we travel farther afield, we always bring a list of likely spots to hit along the way. (Some smart economist has probably already figured out the financial value of such tourism; I can tell you that we dropped a tidy pile of cash into the winery/brewery economy of Michigan on a recent weekend visit.)
Beer and wine tourism isn't always about visiting specific places – it can also involve attending specific events. Madison's Great Taste of the Midwest, one of the country's oldest and largest beer festivals, brings literally millions of dollars into the Dane County economy every August as visitors come from all over the country to stay in hotels, buy restaurant meals–and take home carloads of beer they can't get anywhere else. The Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival on Saturday January 18 is getting a reputation as an event worth traveling for, too. And there's a new event coming this summer that's likely to create quite a buzz: the Bacon, Brew and BBQ Fest at Angell Park in Sun Prairie set for July 12. The event is still in the planning stages and the lineup of participating brewers and restaurants is still being set. But with the three magic words – bacon, brew, and BBQ – it can't help but be great, right?
Tickets will go on sale March 1.. Will Ann and I be there? Was Lincoln a car?
Happy New Year!
Everett started Toddler Time at Monona Grove Nursery School (same place that my siblings and I went.) We finally got the dang carpets cleaned. Two dogs and a cat that we've managed to keep healthy and happy. My brother and Julie got married! My grandma Hansen turned 92! The furnace and both our cars pooped out on us all in the same week … but we kepts our heads above water. I managed to keep off my baby weight. Marc and I celebrated three years of wedded bliss (HA! But sort of). My family and friends are for the most part healthy and happy. 12 years here at Magic 98. I guess it's been a pretty good year with lots to be thankful for. ? Happy New Year!!
Sara Freeman's Slow-Cooked Pork Tacos
I'm not sure how much extra flavor the dried apricots added (plus, they're quite expensive), so I leave them out now. A tasty departure from the typical beef or chicken taco recipe. Adaptaded from Taste of Home.
Ingredients:
1 boneless pork sirloin roast (2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups salsa verde
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Dash hot pepper sauce
10 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
Reduced-fat sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, cubed avocado, shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese and chopped tomato, optional
Preparation:
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender.
Shred pork with two forks. Place about 1/2 cup pork mixture down the center of each tortilla. Serve with toppings if desired. Yield: 10 servings.
Sara Freeman's Pepperoni Pasta Salad
This is one of my family's favorites. It's an easy, excellent side-dish during grill-out season compliments of Taste of Home!
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 cup coarsely chopped cucumber
1 small tomato, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
28 pepperoni slices
1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
Preparation:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, cheese, cucumber, tomato, onions and pepperoni. Add salad dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 4-6 servings.
Magic Listener's Tom & Jerry Recipe
Tom and Jerry both agree, this is the best!
Ingredients:
6 eggs
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cream tartar
1/4 tsp all spice
3 to 4 drops oil of clove
3 to 4 drops oil of cinnamon
Preparation:
Separate eggs, beat white with cream of tartar until stiff.
Graduallly add 3 cups of sugar, set aside
Beat yolks until thick, add remaining sugar and spices
Fold together
Keeps up to one week in refrigerator, or freeze
Lanette Hansen's Cinnamon Bananas
Ingredients
2 T brown sugar (Splenda brown sugar works great)
1 T butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray works really well)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Mix completely. Leave the banana peel on and cut the banana length-wise; spoon the mixture into the banana slit. Broil in an oven-safe container for five minutes.