Today the sun was actually out when the boys and I woke up, so I couldn't use the excuse that it was too dark and cold to go outside. Curses. It was still pretty chilly for the majority of the day, though, so when I finally (FINALLY) let B go outside to try his roller blades, we only stayed out there for about 20 minutes.
My child is a spaz, and I say that with the utmost love and affection. He has almost contemplated mastering going downhill, you know, excluding being able to stop. He has completely mastered going uphill, as long as he crawls on his hands and knees, which kind of negates the whole using the roller blades thing.
It was incredibly amusing to watch, and one of the maintenance men at my apartment complex got a good laugh or two...granted, that was watching me carry B (piggyback) up and down the stairs so he wouldn't die. Could you imagine? I could. That's why I sucked it up and carried him.
My dad got the boys this U Draw tablet thingy for the Xbox, and it's SO fun! B and I were thoroughly entertained for hours this afternoon, painting by number and doing tilt mazes. If you have an Xbox and you have kiddos, it's definitely worth it. In fact, I might play it before I go to bed, once I know they won't catch me...
In 30 minutes, I created a dinner that was perfect for a cold(ish) winter day, with leftovers for days to come...or at least to freeze for later use. Just call me "Rachael Ray," I tell you. What did I make, you ask? Chili and cornbread. I remember, as a kid, eating this chili at my grandparents' house on my dad's side of the family. My grandmother raised 5 kids AND ran a nursery school, so she knew all about making food that would feed large numbers and be filling. When you think of making chili, you think it takes forever...or at least I do.
This chili? 7 ingredients. I don't even measure 'em. I just dump stuff in...
1lb hamburger, browned with an onion (or without if you don't like onions)
2 small cans tomato sauce (or 1 regular can) with equal amounts of water
2 cans pinto beans (not drained)
1 can refried beans (yeah, I know it seems weird, but it totally thickens it up without being too tomato-ish)
Chili Powder (whatever amount you want)
Cumin (same thing applies)
You brown the meat, and then add the rest of the stuff and heat it up to boiling or stick it in a crockpot. You can add heat by adding rotel or hot sauce or jalapeno or whatever you want. It's super easy, and super good.
All that? Takes about 15 minutes...20 if the meat isn't ready to be browned.
Then the cornbread is super easy too...
1 1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c buttermilk (I use milk with a TBSP of apple cider vinegar to make sour milk)
1/4 c oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
Mix it all together and dump it in a square pan (greased sides and bottom) and bake at 400(ish) for 25 minutes or so, and you're golden. Ha...golden. I crack myself up.
And there you have it, folks... Garnish the chili with cheese, fritos, onion, sour cream, or whatever else you can think of, and your whole family will eat it. I know this because B refuses to eat anything that isn't chicken nuggets or bean & cheese nachos. He looked at it and immediately said, "No." but then he tasted one bite and his eyes got all big and he said, "It tastes like a bean and cheese!" and scarfed it up. N ate 2+ bowls of the stuff. In fact, he had finished one bowl by the time I got to the table. Of course, he's also a human garbage disposal at this particular moment.
After dinner, (P.S. My mom came over for dinner) the 4 of us played LIFE. I think it was dubbed "LIFE" because you feel like you're wasted the majority of yours by the time it's over. N is "of age" to play, but B is still a little too young, and playing with both of them made me want to yank my hair out, move to another country, or at the very least, spend a significant amount of time in the fetal position.
Instead, I got to be the banker. Headslap. It took 2 hours to play one game, and B won with a little over 2.3 million. It just goes to show you that you, too, can be a millionaire if you're a veterinarian and live in a mobile home for your entire life.
I'm sure there were other interesting things that happened today, but I smell something burning, and I'm pretty sure it's my brain.
Aubs
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