This-n-That

Trying to tie up a bunch of loose ends before flying to San Antonio for Thanksgiving. I've never gone out of town for Thanksgiving before, much less flown. I'm generally not enthusiastic about flying anyway, so we'll see how I do on the busiest travel weekend of the year. I hope to get some letter writing done on the plane. I need to touch base with about 1/2 dozen friends.

Last week, while just starting to casually look into hotels for out of town wedding guests next year, I learned there is a huge Joyce Meyer convention the same weekend. Argh! So I had to go into high gear and get all that taken care of right away. I was hoping to negotiate better rates, but it appears every gal who has ever uttered a prayer is going to be in town.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my nephews this week, to the jazz concert at Mad Art next weekend, and to what has to be (for me anyway) about the 20th annual holiday shopping weekend with my mom, my three aunts, and my two cousins. This is pretty much one of the highlights of my year. Food, shopping, gossip--and my mom and her four sisters dressed alike. My mom hates that part, but there is no telling my Aunt Karen "no".

Well I gotta run. I have to high tail it down to Mad Art to show the space because R & T are on vacation. This chick called me at work three times today begging to see the space for a party. Argh!

Some Like It Hot

I can’t believe I won the Dewes 5th Annual chili cook-off with a vegetarian chili. The only reason I even made a vegetarian chili was for Thomas. I almost didn't enter it and just threw Lindsey's name on it at the last minute. And I won the golden cupcake award too! I love trophies. As usual, Jess & Mike threw a great party with interesting and friendly folks and fabulous food.

ANDREA'S CHOO CHOO CHILI
I found the basic recipe on the internet and made some changes. You can add/subtract whatever veggies and spices you want, I suppose.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1-2 cans diced tomoatoes
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes and season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving. Note: I may have added some chili peppers during cooking and removed them before serving. I can’t remember...Ancho or cascabel.

Zapped

So my plan to go to Day of the Dead Beats Poetry reading was completely foiled. It just wasn't meant to be. The GAS meeting was moved to Mad Art, so I attended at Tracy's request and somehow Tracy became a co-chair of the entire event and the longer I stayed at the meeting the more I felt sucked into something that was growing wilder and woolier by the minute. I've got to have some time to think about how much I'm willing to put into this. One of the reasons I left Mad Art was so I could spend more time on my art and my personal projects. I don't really need to add new projects. I'm excited about GAS coming here--but I have to think this through.

So we left late to try to make it down to the poetry reading. But I couldn't make a left on Lindell from Kingshighway. Then I couldn't make a left onto Des Peres. Then the street I took off Skinker dead-ended. Then I couldn't make a left onto Lindell from Skinker. I'd had it at that point. I don't have much good to say about Google maps.

All I want to do is take a shower and go to bed. I'm slightly disgusted and depressed. Everything seems quite overwhelming right now and I feel like the harder I work, the less I feel I've accomplished. Just what are my priorities? I'm zapped.