Oh gosh, that sounds soooo good. Wish I was there with you.

Spring will be there soon enough and those sweet peas are going to explode with flowers.

Thanks, but as much as I really, seriously, honestly hate to do this....it's 61 degrees right now at 9:26pm. Chili isn't on my agenda. Though I did make some last week when it was so cool and damp.

Oh Annie - you are such a downer!!! Chili weather is coming here - probably late Monday. I'll just enjoy for now!

Nancy.

Annie, I love you dearly..but I AM NOT coming to dinner..I am sorry...chili means winter...and I just can not bring myself to go back there...snow or not.. Now, if you want to cook burgers on the grill.....I'm there...even if we have to wear snowboots to do it!!!!!

Annie, you are so sweet. If I could, I would gladly go and talk flowers with you.

Your responses are hilarious!

My DHM and I are laughing our a**es off!

We are getting a very nasty ice storm right this moment. Freezing rain. Trees down and power failures are possible. It is in the 20s and lower! They have 9 inches of blowing snow up at Ft. Supply! We are supposed to get 4 inches of snow in our area tonight. It is "blowing snow"...what they used to call a blizzard. :)
Roads are closed all over the state. Wow! Is that not totally unreal?

The cats & I took a little nap at noon today with my bedroom windows wide open so I could enjoy the cool breeze and hear the sound of the much-needed rain. I love the rumbling sound of thunder during a thunderstorm and watching the light show of lightening flashes. And now it is 27 degrees out. Unreal!

Nancy, I am not a downer type person - not at all! I cannot believe you think that. Being a "downer" means being negative when there is so much positive going on around you. The person who never stops to smell the roses, but complains about the thorns. I am a very "up" kind of guy. I don't think being factual about the weather makes me a downer. I just don't live in a fancy world, either. I definitely ain't that kind of guy.
I never said I didn't like snow. I LOVE snow. What gardener isn't upset over losing their flowers and fruit for another year!

I thought my chili supper in front of a crackling fire was an awesome invitation...sounds like a blast to me! I make chili all year round...hmmm. I never thought of food in terms of winter foods or summer foods. I have had some terrific weiner roasts at the city park with my kids, standing around a blazing fire in 3 feet of "blowing snow" and wearing snowsuits and mukluks. People driving by shook their heads and thought we were nuts. We just laughed and waved. After a rousing snowball fight we had marshmallows.

You guys missed out tonight, I lust say! I am an awesome cook. It was lip-smacking scrump!

Watching the basketball games now. How about those Oklahoma Sooners, huh? Go Big Red! Now, I'm rooting for the Jayhawks. So far, they are winning, too. (Hehehe)

~Annie

Correction. "must say"...not "lust say" Ooops :)

Annie your Chili sounded sooooo good, couldn't be there in person but with you in spirit. Any chances of your recipe :o).
I'm another who will open a window to listen to the rain, it lulls me to sleep. Love the sound of thunder and have actually sat out on our front porch with a cup of coffee when we've had a lightening show. But I've had it with snow this year, don't want to see another flake.

Annette

Oh, but "lust" sounds so much more interesting! ;-)
I will bring my homemade sweet cornbread and join you. Maybe I am just a contrary sort of person, but I like soups even in the summer.

We have had some sunny days lately. I went out and cleaned up the gardens. Not much left to do now. I live for summer thunder storms. I will even be outside in pouring rain. Nothing smells better than a garden after rain!
CMK

Me too Annette. I love sitting out on the porch with my coffee to watch the light shows. It's exciting and isn't it amazingly beautiful?!
(I'll mail you my recipe, but I don't measure, so you'll have to adjust it to your own taste. I got BEST Chili at a Chili cookout one time and the next time I got the Hottest chili. My fiercest competition? A couple from the Senora Desert in Mexico. Che-ching! Ole!)

CMK, you are funny! I laughed until I choked on my slobbers and tears came to my eyes. Still laughing so hard I can hardly type! hahahahaha.....hahahahaha!!!!

I too love the smell of dirt when it first starts to rain. I know it sounds silly, but I STILL like playing in mud puddles after a rain. I love it when you can sometimes smell the rain is coming.
Life is wonderful...so full of wonder.
I don't want to miss anything!!!!

~Annie
...still laughing.....

I went out on the front porch just now and checked the thermometer. It reads 38 degrees. The steps are just wet. Not freezing here, yet.
That is strange how it can be 27 degrees just 50 miles away.
Thunder is still rumbling off in the distance. We had "thunder snow" last year in February. Maybe we will again tonight. ~me

Annie, we will have our 'chili' night tonight. I cooked a big pot of beans yesterday and had sweet cornbread with them.
Chili sounds great for tonight. We are supposed to get down to 25. I would love your chili ingredients too. You are never to old to learn a new recipe!

We have another trait in common, we sleep almost all year with the bedroom window cracked open a bit, wider in warm weather. That window has an aluminum awning over it and I love to hear the sleet or rain on it. Makes me think of sleeping at grandma's upstairs and hearing the rain pelting down on her roof (no insulation in those old houses).

My only worry tonight will the the fruit trees.

I wish we all did live closer together so we could have the occasional visit. I don't have a single neighbor that loves gardening, especially flower gardening. Seems strange out in the country, but it is true. I think that is one reason I love this forum so much. We are kindred spirits in that regard.

I hope none of your garden is damaged with this cold snap.

Annie-Sorry about the snow but it's good you have a good attitude about it. I mean what are you going to do about it anyway right? When you got lemons you make lemonade! ;O) Chili does sound really good though!! Yum! I don't know if this is a southern thing or not as we don't do this up north where I'm from but I love it over cornchips with cheese and sour cream on top! Oh I could really go for some now just thinking about it.

Have you received your roses yet? ~Meghan

Boy! Is it SNOWING!
Beautiful! I trudged out in the snow and took pictures. The wind is really ripping. It has really dumped a lot of snow in a very short period of time. My camera is not working so good and it is so frustrating. It works, and then it doesn't. I take pics and then it says "Can't access" and I have lost dozens of images. But, I am glad for what I got, anyway. Better than nuttin!

My cats are driving me nuts! They think I ought to do something about this snow. "We don't like it! Mommy, do something to make it go away!"
Meghan,
My roses will be arriving in April between the 4th and 6th. Looking out at all this white stuff, it's a good thing they didn't come any sooner, huh?
Chili and cheese on corn chips - Frito Pie! Yup, it's yummy.

Sweet cornbread - my favorite kind of cornbread. Sometimes I also like to put chopped jalapenos in it. Indian Cornbread. Lip smacking good!
~Annie

Still coming down heavily!
The trees and shrubs which had fully leafed out are bowing down under the weight. Very wet, heavy snow. Good for the gardens!
Supposed to start warming back up during the day again tomorrow, but remaining cold or chilly at night all week with more thunderstorms in the forecast. That sounds like great Spring weather. Thank God for the moisture!

Some of the spring-flowering OGR had begun to make buds and even the Angel Face (Cl) rose had several buds on her yesterday. I planted her in with one of the OGR Alba that I trained up on two sides of an arch, so when the one finishes blooming the other will be coming into her glory. Thinking of planting a Clematis there as well, so that color will continue into June.

I looked out this morning before the snow started falling and saw that my old lilac bushes in the front yard had flower buds opening. The entire topmost branches are covered in Lilac flowerbuds just showing their color. A few on the tips are open. The Bridles Wreath bushes that were white with blooms last week are now white with snow - they look almost the same! :)

Oh, my! I just saw a small tree limb snap off and fall to the ground. The view out this window is utterly amazing! It looks out over the Koi pond /Japanese garden. The bushes are now just blobs of snow, like fat white gumdrops.

~sweetannie4u

Thanks Annie. Wish I could join you. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE chili. Please tell me how you make yours. I make something I call "snowstorm soup" that is really hearty. Enjoy. Janen

Annie ~ A bowl of chili and cornbread sounds wonderful. It would be great to kick back, sitting and talking about flowers, gardens etc.

Our weather is windy, partly cloudy, sunny and warm, 83.

I'm sorry you are having more wintry weather, but it sounds like you are dealing with it with a positive attitude.

You are not a downer at all, you are a very positive person, and I always enjoy your posts and pictures of your wonderful place.

Pretty soon you'll be out planting your little plants grown from seeds and your roses will have come in the mail awaiting to be planted in their new home.

Hugs ~ FlowerLady

Thanks Everyone.

Annie's Chili con Carne Recipe #1:
(Serves 4-6 people or two hearty eaters)

Ingredients

*1 lb of ground Beef (if you use extra lean, add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the browning meat). (see notation below)
* 3 large Garlic cloves chopped (Abt. 1/4 cp. chopped).
* Abt. 1/4 to 1/2 cp Chili Powder.
* Ground Cumin (Heaping amount - or to taste)
* Ground Paprika (ditto).
* 1/2tsp - 1 tsp. Red Chili Powder (to taste)- mix in some Red Pepper flakes for Extra Extra Hot.
* 1 can of Red Beans (drained) or Light Red Kidney Beans
* 1 can of Pinto Beans (drained) or 1 pt. of your own cooked pintos.
* 1 can of Rotelle Tomatoes & chilis (juice too).
* I pint jar of home canned Diced Tomatoes or 1 can (juice too).
Salt & black pepper to taste.

Note: Adjust the spices and garlic amounts to your taste. I like it HOT, and sometimes I even add chopped Jalapenos and/or fresh green chilis out of the garden for "Annie's PURE HELL Chili #2" and/or "Annie's Fire and Brimstone Chili #3", in that order. Whatever you!
NOTATION: You can also brown skinned & boned "pollo" (chicken meat) in a little Xtra virgin Olive Oil, chop it and stir that in, or add browned, sliced or chopped Summer Sausage to the mix. Adding a little Servesa (beer) to the soup is good in the summer sausage recipe #4. I use Dos Eqis XX beer. :)
Chicken Chili (Chili con Pollo) is good for my "Annie's Chili con Pollo Loco #5". You can use venison too.

But chili is not chili without beans, not matter what anybody says.

How To:

1. Brown ground beef in a large heavy skillet or kettle - it needs to brown really well.
2. While that browns, peel and chop garlic cloves.
3. Add garlic to browned meat. Turn off heat (set off burner if you have an electric stove). Allow garlic to saute in the hot meat and fat.
4. With medium heat, Stir In all the spices. Return to heat and caramelize well. It will be dry looking. ** NOTE: This is the most important step for authentic chili flavor. It cooks and coats the spices well into the meat.
5. Now, Add in the Rotelle and the diced Tomatoes, with juices. Stir mixture well. * Reduce stove temp to simmer at this point.
6. Add Beans. Stir until well coated with chili mixture.
7. Cover and simmer on lowest heat possible for at least 30 minutes (longer is better). The longer it simmers, the more chili flavor it will have. Stir occasionally. You can add a little more tomato juice or water if you like it thinner, but it really should be thick.
It's ready when you are!

That's it!
When reheating, I add a tiny bit of water to pan - then add in the leftover chili con carne and stir. This will prevent scorching your chili.

I like it served with fresh made, hot Indian Fry Bread dipped in Honey, but Cornbread is great too; hot tortillas, or crackers or tortilla chips. Whatever you like!

Garnishes served in little bowls for guests to help themselves:
Sour Cream, Cheese, Sliced or Chopped Black Olives, Fresh Pico de Gallo, Jalapeno slices, Chopped Green Onions, Chopped Cilantro, Chopped Fresh Tomatoes.
-----------------------------------------------------
Shhhhhhh....it's my secret recipe!

~Annie

I'll be there Annie. Sounds delicious.

Thank you Annie !!! Can't wait to try it. My mouth is watering! Janen

This is a great conversation. We are supposed to get a bunch of snow today and tomorrow, so chili sounds pretty good to me. Instead, though, we will be having some black bean and turkey burritos that, though I say it myself, are mighty tasty.

Best wishes to all having nasty weather.

ThinMan

ROFL on this thread!!!

That chili recipe sounds just a little different from how dh does it - that caramelizing step is the biggest change.

Is the snow still coming down? We have a little bit of snow that started a couple hours ago, but just a nice gentle dusting. It sounds nothing like what you are getting!

Still snowing, though, I think, it's begining to taper off. We had freezing rain this morning. Ugh...everything was coming up so nicely.

Well, I didn't see this so went ahead and made my old chili.
Pretty much the same, but you do add more peppers and seasoning.

Now tell us about the Indian Fry Bread. Please.

I am copying your recipes to my files.

Thanks a bunch.

glenda

Hmmm, I think we should be over in conversations with the way this thread is going but....I'll suffer my 6 lashes with a wet noodle for adding my two cents.

Indian Fry Bread, I wonder if that's the same as the bread made by making a dough out of flour and oil, rolled into a small ball, flattened, then deep fried. It puffs up when it's cooked.
This little restaurant we go to served this with a Chickpea curry one day, Annette with her forward ways ended up in the kitchen watching how the bread was made. Yup, I got the recipe for the curry too :o).

Annette

OKAY! Okay!
I will stop posting here and we shall continue this thread over in CONVERSATIONS.

Annie's Chili & Lorna's Navajo Fry Bread
Recipes -> to be posted there.

Annie <:>

Annie ~ Thanks for posting this delicious sounding chili recipe. Sounds great to me, all of it. Beer added, using chicken, venison, etc. No venison down here though. :-)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. It's gray, warm, humid and we've had some rain. Our a.c. is back on.

FlowerLady

This topic is now formally closed.

This has been so much fun! Don't let it die!
PLEASE join me and others over in "Conversations" to continue this topic.

Thanks for all the great comments.

~Annie
sweetannie4u