Cincinnati Chili Recipe

Update to KATHY!!!
You serve this on spaghetti. When you add cheese it is a 3-way. When you add Onions also it is now a 4-way and if there is any beans it is a 5-way. When you eat at SKY_LINE in Cinti. you ALWAYS get a bowl of oyster crackers with it:)
People there (who know what REAL Chili is) do not mix it all together..you cut into it and eat from one end to the other..Try Kroger for the packets if you have a Kroger in MN. I can mail some to you also if you can not find it...


Since I have had a couple of REQUEST for my Cincinnati Chili Recipe, here it goes...
Go to the store and buy a Package of Cincinnati Chili Mix and follow the directions on the back:)
For mine I use 2 pds of Gr. Chuck, 2 chili mixes, 2 cans tomatoe paste and 6 to 8 cups water (can not remember).
You can google the "real" recipe BUT why when it comes in these wonderful packets!!!

Punch Bowl Dessert

I had this last weekend and it was WONDERFUL!! It almost tastes like a Banana Split and it is SO EASY to make!!! Tonight is the Boys Team Conference Dinner so I made it for that and next week I am making it for the Staff Appreciation Lunch at school! I really wanted a CLEAR acrylic Punch Bowl but this is all I could find yesterday.



PUNCH BOWL DESSERT

1 Angel Food Cake
2 Sm. packages of Instant French Vanilla Pudding (I used 3)
2 Cans Cherry Pie Filling
2 Lg. Cans crushed pineapple, Drained and save juice
6 Bananas (I used 7)
2-16 oz. Cool Whip (I used almost 3 containers)
1 cup Chopped Pecans
Milk for Pudding
1 bottle of Red Cherries ( I did not use this)

Tear cake into small bite size pieces and place 1/2 in bottom of punch bowl. Mix pudding and milk and pour 1/2 mixture over the cake. Add 1 can of pie filling and 1 can of drained pineapple. Layer with 3 sliced bananas and sprinkle with pineapple juice. 1 - tub of cool whip and 1/2 of nuts. Repeat entir process and top with cherries.

Chill about 2 hours before serving.

Snow day #3 (and now 4:)

Yesterday the kids were off again (as they are again today). I have to say I think I am in the minority of thinking they should be off of school. Our subdivision is still A MESS. I will be the first to agree on the lack of seeing a snow plow as I saw my first one TODAY!!! No, it was not on my street but I did see one:)

Yesterday a friend called and I met her at the golf coarse right by the school to take the kids sledding..she also had HER kids too:) I wish I could say OMG it was fun but I really am not a snow person. It was a PAIN (literly) to walk in as it was snow, ICE then snow. So you would be trying to walk and 1 foot would drop through the snow, ICE and snow and it would kill your ankles..I know quit my whining and suck it up but this is my blog so I can whine all I want:)

We are suppose to get more snow next week so this should be FUN!!!! Happy Snow Day to ALL of you!!!

Snow Day #2

Well, the kids (and ME) were off again today. We got ice then about 6 more inches of snow on top of that last night. Suzanne AGAIN brought her snowblower over BUT had a little problem..she got stuck at the bottem of my street then ended up with a FLAT TIRE!!! The man at the end of the street helped her get out and till Nicholas and I got down there. Nicholas was the snowblower today and I think he had fun:)
Tim had to come over to fix the tire and has his payment we had a 4-way!!! A Cinti. Chili 4-way...get your mind out of the gutter:)
I made the kids Snow Ice Cream which I have never made before. It turned out pretty good.
Here are a few pictures of the day...

Snow Fort

Tyler and Dalton played outside ALL day..ok they came in for me to make them hot chocolate and corndogs:)
They made a snow igloo and I have to say I am pretty impressed! Both boys fit in it. Tyler had made to make the Korean Flag for school (he is from Korea:) and he added it to the Igloo tonight.
Me being the worry wart mom that I am made him write on the other side of the flag KIDS INSIDE and told both of them if it "happen" to fall in you start YELLING and get a parent to help dig the other kid out. They both said we said we will not go in without the other one outside!!!

Cincinnati Chili

Tonight for dinner I made one of my familes FAVORITE dinners, Cincinnati Chili!!! People in Indiana do not get it and make fun of it ALL the time!! (Brian I am talking about YOU:) They just do not know what good Chili is!!!

*In responce to Karens comment this is a 4-ways as it is Spaghetti, Chili, Cheese AND Onions..Leave off the onions and you have a 3-way. Add Kidney beans and you have a 5-way! Gotta Love Cinti. Chili:)
**Kathy, I buy a packet of Chili Chili Mix and add Hamburger, tomato paste and water..lol

Thanks Suzanne:)

You know you have a GOOD friend when she brings her snowblower over to snowblow your driveway and then goes across the street and does your neighbors:)
Thanks Suzanne..You are WONDERFUL!!!!

Amanda and Baby Hayden

My godaughter Amanda and her husband are about to become PARENTS!!! Amanda is very special to me as I was the FIRST person to hold her as I was her moms labor coach 24 years ago. For Ryans sake I hope Amanda is a "little" nicer then her mom was during labor..lol (Pam you will never live that down...)
Amanda and Ryan are having a BOY and his name will be Hayden! I am so excited for both of you and can not wait to meet Hayden. Pam can not wait to be a grandma. I am going for the GREAT Aunt title:)

Andrew and Nicholas

I "borrowed" this from Suzannes blog as I love this picture! I swear they looked like the first picture just a few weeks ago and now look at them. I am praying that they are the only ones that aged and not their moms:)

Winter Formal

Nicholas had his FIRST "real" dance last night. I got a text from him at midnight that said "I had a great time" and I was thrilled that he
1.Had FUN
and
2.Actually thought of texting his MOM:)

All 3 boys were NERVOUS and the girls looked so PRETTY. I am so happy Nicholas got to go with Andrew (boy in black shirt with purple tie) as they met in preschool and have been BEST FRIENDS since. Andrew moved to England for 4 LONG years and is back and Nicholas could not be HAPPIER. I can not wait to talk to Nicholas today to find out ALL the details:) The boys are at Johns house and the girls all spent the night at another house so I am sure there was a lot of texting going on...lol
I look at these pictures and think "what happen to my little boy", I get a little teary as he is growing up way to fast BUT I am so proud of what a great young man he is turning into. I know my parents are smiling down at him and so proud!!

Happy Birthday to my Mom

Today would have been my Moms 84th Birthday. I know she is having a Margarita in Heaven with my dad. Happy Birthday Mom. We miss you both!!
*I am making my moms favorite lemon pound Bundt cake for her Birthday today.

Back In Black

Tyler and his friend Jacob are trying out for the Talent Show at school. They are playing ACDC Back in Black (video below). He got a guitar for Christmas as he has been taking guitar lessons and then he used money he got for Christmas and bought a electric guitar. He plays ALL the time, and I mean ALL the time!!! The room he is in is the toy room in the basement which we use to call the Lego room but after Christmas he put away all his legos and now it is the guitar room. My sister bought him a guitar clock with neon lights and he has it hung up in there also. The Talent show is in March so they have a while left to learn the rest of the song..both boys have only been taking lessons a few months.
Samantha (Jacobs mom) and I wanted to be there singers and dancers while they played but for some reason neither of them liked that idea...trust me we even showed them some of our "moves" and they still said NO:)

Tyler playing his Guitar

What a day..

Nicholas is lucky enough to be friends with a boy whos mom is works for the Athlitic Dept for I*U so a few Saturdays ago they took a group of boys there for a FUN day. He had a great day with a lot of great memories

2 Crowns and $1000 later!

This morning I spent 3 hours at the Dentist getting 2 crowns on my 2 back teeth. Both had a crack in them...WHY????? I am a hard candy chomper so I know that is why!!!!
We signed up for Flex Spend and we have money each week from my husbands check going in to this account. I had PLANNED to use part of this for OUR $1000 portion. I pulled out the Insurance Debit card and the girl swiped it and said it is Denied..she she tried it again..STILL DENIED. By then you feel like a person with NO money so I called the number on the back of the card. Of COURSE since it through MY husbands work they can not talk to me so she calls him to tell him there is NO money in the account and to talk to HR. Soooo he calls them and they tell him it will not be in till the middle of the month!!!!!! So I paid my $1000 and now will have to fill out the papers to get my money back. Can I say Pain in the A$$!!!

On another note, I will say it did not hurt at all and other then my back hurting from laying so long it was not bad at all:)

Things we "THINK" are funny at Bunco...

PJ Bunco Night

New Years Eve

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to ALL!!!
It is a QUITE one here today as the Mom has a major headache...
I made a DOUBLE batch of 5 FRUIT SLUSH last night and they were WONDEFUL!!!
(but I think the 5th fruit got me:)

FIVE-FRUIT SLUSH

1 (12 ounce) can frozen orange juice
1 (12 ounce) can frozen pink lemonade (or regular lemonade)
1 (48 ounce) can pineapple juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups cranberry juice
1 cup watermelon vodka
7-up, sprite or club soda

1. Mix all ingredients together, except 7-UP (or its variations), and freeze in a large container (plastic works best).
2. To serve: Mix 1 part slush to 1 part 7-UP.