Thursday, March 29, 2007

Death, Taxes and Chili

No, no, I'm not dead. Yet!
It's tax time....
In this country, for us, that means 4 different tax forms:

Federal personnal taxes
California personnal taxes
Federal business taxes
California business taxes

Let's keep swimming, let's keep swimming....

Actually I shouldn't really complain since Mark is doing most of it. Just for that I'm sure he should be reincarnated in a higher being.

Except,

that my darling husband decided that now was the perfect time to also fix every little thing that is wrong with our computer:

2 fans,
1 mother board,
1 hard drive,
1 graphic card,
uploading a gazillion CDs in his new ipod.

HaHaHa.

Maybe he'll be reincarnated in a worm instead.

We have had a freezing wind for 2 days, which made me think of Chili, which made me think of Candy froggie, which made me think that I said I'd give my recipes. So here is the basic one I do all the time ( and it's fast and simple enough to do even if you are in a hurry)

Chili con Carne

50 g (3 tbsps) of butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
500g ( 1 lb) ground beef
2 tsps chili powder
4 tsps ground cumin
65g ( I always put more than that, like half or more of the little cans ) tomato paste
2 or 3 cans ( 400g each or 8oz )beans ( I put in at least 3 different ones: black beans, cannelini beans and kidney beans )
Beef bouillon

Melt the butter in a large pot and put in the onions and the garlic until just golden.
Add the meat and cook, stirring a bit for 10 mns.
Add the chili and the cumin to the tomato paste ( little kids love to that) and mix with the meat.
Add the beans and the bouillon so that it covers the meat and beans.

Cover and cook for 25 mns.
Serve with rice.

If you can't find chili powder use 1 tsp or less of cayenne. It's worth hunting down the chili powder though, that smoky taste is wonderful in chilis.

I have a lot more recipes of chilis, all delicious that I'll post at some time, but this simple one is really a favorite ;)
I'll be back soon with 2 lengthy posts...

5 comments:

Candy said...

yeeepeeeeeee!!! It's early in the morning but just discovering the chili's recipe here makes me drool! Oh thank you, I take precious note of it!

Now lol about Mark's reincarnations!
From my point, he's fixing 2 problems, the tax (which looks awfully complicate to do) and the computer!
there's a part of Indinana Jones in him, I would have never tried to do both at the same time ;-)
He must have a good karma at the moment, huh :P

(can't wait for your 2 posts! well, I can, but I don't enjoy the waiting part! lol)

Anniek said...

I loved your comments about Mark - so loving in that offbeat kind of way that I can soooo relate to lol.

Ohhh and I'm putting the Chili Con Carne recipe in my recipe blog - that way I knowwww I won't lose it... yayyyy!

It sounds scrumptious and simple - my kinda cooking!

Candy said...

Ohhh jeeeez, I fear the tax thingie is stealing all of your free time! I cross bits tight tight so that it's done already! :)

Anniek said...

*plopping down next to Candles & crossing my bits too!*

On second thoughts - lets have a party instead!! Weeehooooo!!! Party on at Laurienna's Blog while she's away.....yayyyyyyy!!!! lol

Sometimes I am soooo in touch with my inner teenage rebel - it scares me!!!

hehehe

Laurienna said...

Huhuhu, you guys! A party souds great but wait for me! I just posted my miserable story...heeeelp!
Candy Froggie,
Taxes are done and so are all the other stuff Mark was doing on the computer. It's nothing short of a miracle and I guess he is on for the higher being. Lol about Indianna Jones! I'll pass this one to him :)

Ms Penny,
Do try the chili, it's really good. And it just occured to me but it's going to be winter for you right? Perfect for chili ;)
And do keep in touch with your inner rebel!!