My Quick & Easy Chili Recipe

I was hoping to talk my wife into starting a blog on cooking since she is a better cook than I am, but so far she is not willing to start one. After all, I am a guy, and I mostly know how to cook guy food. That usually means steaks and burgers on the grill. However, since it is winter, and there is nothing I like more than a good bowl of chili (definitely a guy food) on a cold winter's day, I thought I would share my fairly simple chili recipe.

First the ingredients:

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 medium size onion

a little vegetable oil (how is that for specific measurements)

1.5-2 pounds of ground beef

1 can of tomato paste

2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis

chili powder

1 can of kidney beans (optional)

Directions:

Take a large pot (technically a Dutch Oven, but since this is a guy recipe we will go with large pot) and pour enough oil in to cover the bottom of the pot. Chop the onion and garlic, add them to the pot, and start to cook over medium/high heat, stirring frequently. Once the onions are tender, and the ground beef and cook until brown. Once the meat is brown, add the tomato paste and the two cans of tomatoes with chilis. Once all of this is mixed well together and hot, add chili powder to taste (I usually use around 2 tablespoons). Now as far as I am concerned, the chili is done, but my missus insists the chili needs beans (I keep telling her it is called chili con carne, not chili con frijoles), so if you are so inclined, add a can of red kidney beans.

Well, there you go. Dinner is served. Pour yourself a big bowl, open a beer (do NOT pour into a glass, guys don't do that) and enjoy.

Things You Don't Say to Your Wife

I saw this over on the Man In The Moon Blog and had to share it.  I think every married guy already knows not to say any of these things, but it kind of drives home the point that sometimes it is best to say nothing at all.  Here is Tim Hawkins:

Michael Steele

It is not often that we see celebrities out and about here in Bowie, MD.  I have occasionally run into a local professional athlete, mainly a couple of Washington Capital players like Dale Hunter or Kevin Hatcher when they played here.  Former Washington Bullet Manute Bol used to live in my brother's townhouse complex.  In fact, my brother got to play in a little pick up game with Bol.

That is why I was pleasantly surprised to see former Lt. Governor Michael Steele pushing his grocery cart through the local Giant supermarket.  Normally during these chance encounters, I do not approach these folks.  For instance, when I saw Dale Hunter in a grocery store, he was shopping with his family, and I just figured he would want his privacy.
 
Today, however, I could not resist.  I stopped and spoke with Mr. Steele in the paper aisle.  Steele was quite a gentleman and was gracious enough to take the time to have a brief conversation with me.  I expressed my support for him during his time as Lt. Governor and his Senate run.  I also wished him luck in his quest to become Chairman of the RNC.  The Republican Party could do a lot worse than having Steele in a prominent role in the future of the party.  Besides, you just can't go wrong with a guy that loves puppies.

What Color Christmas Lights

I saw this over at the Through the Rain Blog and thought it was kind of fun.  I am multicolored lights. What kind of Christmas lights are you?

You are Multicolored Lights

Your holidays are a time for cheer and excitement. You love so much about the holidays, and everyone perks up a little from your happiness. You try to be grateful for what you have this time of the year. Even if things have been tough, you can't help but be joyful.

What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

Google Chrome

So on Christmas day while I was getting tired of waiting for pages (including this blog) to load in Internet Explorer, I decided to investigate Google's new browser, Google Chrome.  I had seen banner ads for Chrome on several websites, and thought I would look for some reviews and found a few favorable ones on CNET. 

Google says it's new browser is a simpler, faster, and safer browser.  The download and installation were quick and easy, and I was surfing in no time at all.  I have to say, that the webpages loaded much quicker using Chrome than in Internet Explorer.  I was also able to import all of my stored passwords and bookmarks that I had in Explorer.  Another feature that I like about Chrome is that when you launch the browser, you see thumnails of your most frequently visited websites for quick access.

I have to say that I am very pleased thus far with the performance of Chrome.  So much so that I have made it my default browser.  About the only problem that I have encountered has been some errors when first attempting to visit some websites or blogs for the first time.  For instance, I tried to go to Yahoo Mail and it could not find the website on the first try.  If I refreshed the page or started over attempting to visit the site, it would load with no problem.  It happened with a few other sites as well.  I am not sure if it was a problem with the browser or if I was just having some problems with my connection, so I will keep using it to see how things go.

Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale

After treating myself to the Sam Adams Winter collection 12 pack a couple weeks ago, I decided I wanted to try some other winter style brews instead of just going back to Busch and Bud Lights of the world. So Christmas Eve I found myself in the liquor store looking for a fresh 6 pack.  The package that caught my eye was Michelob Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale.  A winter ale aged in Bourbon casks with whole Madagascar Vanilla Bean.  

The beer itself was OK.  It did not have as full a flavor as I would normally expect from a winter brew, however, it was definitely fuller than a typical Budweiser or Michelob.  You could definitely taste and smell the vanilla bean in the brew which gave it a bit of a creamy taste.  All in all, it was an acceptable beer.  I definitely will finish the 6-pack, and if I was offered from a friend or colleague, I would drink it.  However, I do not think it would be a beer that I would purchase on a regular basis.  All of the Sam Adams beers in the winter collection (with the possible exception of the Cranberry Lambic) were superior to the Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale. 

On The Twelfth Day of Christmas DRT Gave to You

Merry Christmas. Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. However, as a devout Parrothead, I also have to acknowledge the birthday of Jimmy Buffett.

Jimmy Buffet performs 'Christmas in the Caribbean'