Weekend Wrap Wednesday ~ Walks, Chili Bake Offs, Ferry Rides & Rain Forest Garden

HOLY moly it was a freaking crazy weekend and this week is a little nutty so it's a quick WWW to show off all the fun we did.

Cole decided that we need to start walking at the park. Bless his soul he's getting mom out in the groove of being healthier. We checked out the wild life, some frogs and friend squirrels. Then after the walk the boys played at the playground and mom actually got to read a book!!!

Saturday was a CRAZY day I worked from 6am to 9:30am then got Cole & I dressed and off to Old Navy real quick to pick up a jacket for $16 (one day sale) oh yes a $39.50 jacket for $16 and mom got a new jacket (see pic below) for $12 and a hoodie. Then home to start the 1st chili of the weekend. If you missed the chili recipes make sure to check them out HERE. Cole's school also had a carnival with the cook off. The had jumpies, petting zoo, pony rides and several activities. To bad it was pouring down rain, Check out Cole all wet we had to run home for dry clothes for him before the chili testing.

Since Rick had Saturday and Sunday off we made the best of it. Later Saturday night we went to Krispy Kreme to watch them make donuts and of course get a few samples!

Sunday we were up early to start chili #2 for the church chili cook off. Then off to a family day! We got on a ferry and went up to Seattle. It was a nice drive to Kingston and then a nice ferry ride to Seattle. The boys loved it, Caden did get a little freaked if he got too close to the edge. But it was fun to have a day for the family, we missed church but we needed this.

After our ferry ride we took the boys to the Rain Forest Cafe, lot's of fun there. And I must say they actually did rather well sitting down, YEAH!

Then Sunday night run home real quick to pick up chili and Cole & headed to the church for the cook off and a movie night!! Sadly went around a corner too quick and spilled in my car ... UGH. Then late by 20 min and voting had already been done ... CRAP. But the movie was GREAT, if you haven't seen To Save A Life you must, even if you're not a religious person you will enjoy it. It reminded me of a GREAT Lifetime or Halmark movie. Sorry no pics at the church. I'll put up a post tomorrow on my DVD reviews tomorrow about the movie also.

Manic Monday Meals ~ Chili Throwdown w/ a Yummy Desert!!!

This weekend was a CRAZY weekend with NOT one but TWO Chili cookoffs!!! For you that have been following me for a while now, may have read a post (that has now been removed) about a chili cookoff that was at my old work. Sum up was someone got upset a chili cookoff was introduced to another potluck we were having. I DIDN'T know who the person was but I was peeved I was dragged into a whole drama, so I blogged out how an email was sent to one of the bosses about it and how upset I was that I who was just asked to make up a flyer for it got my butt reemed for being part of it. Long story short months went by someone for my old office saw the post got very upset since they were the one who sent the email and was hurt I blogged about it. I posted a sorry post etc ... whatever over it!!

So I was SUPER excited to have a chance to make chili with no drama. Cole's School had a carnival and chili/cornbread/dessert cookoff. The rain was POURING so the cookoff didn't go as planned and I don't know who won but I did come back with very little chili left over!

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First off we go shopping!!

Here we go, I used a gift card for a coffee and I'm ready to go =D

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Award Winning Chili (This was the name they gave it, not being cocky =D)

Ingredients

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup bottled steak sauce
• 5 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package chili seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, carrot, onion, celery, wine, pepper flakes, bell peppers and steak sauce.
2. While tomato mixture is simmering, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Cook beef in bacon drippings until brown; drain. Stir chili seasoning into ground beef.
3. Stir seasoned beef, cumin and bacon into tomato mixture. Continue to simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended.
4. Stir in beans, cilantro and parsley. Heat through and serve.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used Turkey Bacon, Reduce Sodium Kidney Beans, dried cilantro and skipped the parsley. I x4 this recipe (I wasn't sure how many people would be there). I even had to dust the bottle of 2008 wine off, yup I don't seem to drink wine that much anymore. Maybe I need to invite some friends over :).

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Then Sunday our church was having a chili cookoff also! Shhh's our secret is the beer :). Rick had the day off so we were running around and I was 25 minutes late to the cookoff so sadly the voting already started. I had so many people come up after to me that if they hadn't already voted they would have voted for me.

Chili I

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 pound beef sirloin, cubed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle dark beer
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans
• 4 fresh hot chile peppers, seeded and chopped

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions, garlic, ground beef and cubed sirloin in oil for 10 minutes, or until the meat is well browned and the onions are tender.
2. Mix in the diced tomatoes with juice, dark beer, coffee, tomato paste and beef broth. Season with brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, coriander and salt. Stir in 2 cans of the beans and hot chile peppers. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Stir in the 2 remaining cans of beans, and simmer for another 30 minutes.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used the tomatoes w/green chilis in it, dad left some beer here last time so perfect time to use it, I LOVE strong coffee so it was use the morning coffee, I 3x the recipe but only put 5 cans of beans. NOW here is the IMPORTANT note to self when cutting hot Chile peppers where GLOVES I washed my hands right away BUT still my hands burned all day long.

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Cole's school also had a dessert cookoff so I whipped up a quick one that was SUPER YUMMY!!!

"Piece of Cake" (Mix) Cookie Bars

what you need

• 1 box (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
• 1 box (3.25 oz.) instant vanilla pudding (I used white chocolate)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 12 oz. choice chips and/or nuts
• Suggestions:
• Chocolate Chips or Chunks (White, Milk, Semi or Dark, Butterscotch)
• M&M’s
• Mini Kissables (I used)
• Chopped Candy Bars
• Chopped, Toasted Nuts

make it

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except chips and mix until well blended. Stir in choice of chips and/or nuts.

Spread evenly into lightly greased 9 x 13" pan. (Use foil for easy removal) The mixture will be thick like cookie batter.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until top is a light, golden brown, and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan and cut into bars, or slice and serve warm (bars will be gooey).

ALEXIS NOTES: I used chocolate chips since I had those on had and yellow cake mix. I think next time I'll try the coconut cake with coconut flakes (Rick's favorite is coconut). These are gooey and yummy!

Phew I'm pooped and that was a lot of cooking and fun times! I think I spent around $70 and sweated and burned my hands ... but it was fun. Hope you have a GREAT Monday =D.

Chili Bake Off Update!

Well Tuesday was the chili bake off at work even though it ruffled some feathers the turn out was overwhelming. I think I counted 8 different types, even a white bean and chicken. I made an amazing recipe from one of my favorite ladies Christine aka Mistress of Cakes @ –Maman and Gourmand. She posted an amazing 5 alarm Chili, that I made for the cook off and it was a HUGE hit, thank you Christine :)! The Chili bake off was fun, would have been nicer if we could have do it with votes and see who had the best just for bragging right if nothing else. But nope it still got someone undies in a bundle! But I must tell you something I heard that made me actually fall off my seat (which mind you is not an easy thing to pull my butt off the floor). The person that caused all the problems actually said "This was a nice idea, and what a great turn out". You got to be kidding me! You made a huge stink and made it so we can't do votes because it took over your precious Mardi Gras theme, but NOW you like it! You should have heard the thud when my rear (which I couldn't believe could make a sound with all that extra fluff) hit the ground! Shock and Ahh is all I can say! If you're new to my blog go back to this post to find out why I'm so amazed Ode to Friday 13th...

With that I leave you with some fun pictures of all the chili and one of my friends who's an engineer here.

TMI embarrasing moment time, now you know the day before this cook off I was sick as a dog and laying in my bathroom wishing that I could just curl up and sleep it off. Well I wish I could say I had some of these yummy chili's but I stayed far away. Nope I stuck to the banana pudding, the best way with nalla waffers! But now for the embarassing part, you now I'm crazy and just tell it all. So I'm almost finished for the day counting down the minutes hoping the rumbling in my tummy is just that. I'm chating with Rick and tell I must go now, I make a mad dash to the bathroom. Well more of a waddle hoping that I will make it there with out having to hide another pair of undies so Rick can't laugh at me. So I thankfully make it to the bathroom to find another person in the other stall. No worries I can do this, that is not what my body was thinking. So a gush of air came out of me which mind you was not quiet at all, along with more things that I will not mention. The poor person next to me I mean ran from the next stall washed their hands so fast and ran out the door. Yup at this point I'm praying they don't reconignize my shoes. You know with only 5 women in the office the chances of them knowing it was me is so slim, right??? Yup embarassing huh? And yes I just shared that with the world ... Ok stop your laughing, pull yourself off the ground and just be thankful this is me and not you. Yup so much comfort is coming from your on going laughter, oh shhhs up! I can still hear you!!!

Yummy check it out!

This is mine and I remembered the crock pot liner!!

3 more entries into our non-judging contest!
2 more entries :).

4 more entries (including mine)

My friend Brian, his wife Rachel is one of my favorite bloggers :)

Which means come on girl I'm waiting for an updated post! :)

This is all that was left. Rick's dinner :)