I love this recipe, but it is NOT a traditional chili, it is more like a Greek/Middle Eastern stew. I've served it twice to friends while they were visiting and they loved it. Cincinnati-Style Chili - Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine Serves 6 2 TBLSP vegetable oil (I use EVOO) 2 med. onions, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced (I'm conservative with garlic, the most I ever use is 3) 2 lbs beef chuck (I use 1 lb. fake meat crumbles) 4 TBLSP commercial chili powder (not straight ground chili peppers, use the kind of chili powder that is a mix of spices, or use your own favorite kind of chili mix but adjust the amount you add because commercial chili powder is not very hot. I use prediminately ancho chilis in my chili powder but then add a pinch of cayenne and chipotle, but just a pinch of those very hot spices. You could also use some of the sharp paprika in this, with caution. Start with less than the recipe calls for and adjust up to suit your heat preference. Commercial chili powder also has oregano and sometimes cumin, corriander and garlic in it too, so adjust accordingly.) 1 TBLSP sweet paprika 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1/4 tsp. ground corriander Salt and fresh pepper to taste 1 bay leaf 1 TBLSP red wine vinegar 1 TBLSP molasses 1 cup tomato sauce 1 1/2 cups water In a large heavy pot heat the oil over moderate heat and cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the ground beef (or fake meat crumbles), stirring, until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat and discard. Add the spices starting with the chili powder and ending with the salt and pepper, to taste, stirring to combine, and cook for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, red wine vinegar, molasses, tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. REduce heat and simmr chili, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, adding additional water, if necessary, to achieve a thick, soupy consistency. Discard the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the chili over cooked spaghetti with traditional accompanyments, which inlcude kidney beans, grated Cheddar, chopped white onions and oyster crackers. Note: I make a notable change in how I do this recipe. First, as I mentioned, I don't use real meat. But more importantly, I add a can of dark red kidney beans to the stew before it gets simmered for the hour and a half. Then, when the stew is done, I mix it all together with a cooked box of spaghetti and about 1 cup of cheddar cheese and pour it into a casserole. I top with a little more cheddar and some crumbled oyster crackers (or bread crumbs if you don't have oyster crackers) and put in the oven at 350 for about 20 min til heated through and topping is melted and toasted. One more note, I doubt I simmered this for an hour and a half. I think I actually may have made it in the crockpot, which you could do if you sauteed the meat first. This is really spicy but not hot and definatly good if you like spicy. It is unusual though, but it's the kind of complex spicy I like.

Good one!! Wish I had a gynecologist friend to share it with! lol

Mr. L'Strangle, why are you asking me to fly down to Monaco? I am here now! Where are you? I am at the Casino. Blackjack table. Wearing a blue shirt. Drinking Margaritas. The waitresses know me. Boy, will this could not have come at a better time! I am really down and using markers and can't leave the table. This could not have come at a better time. Good thing I check my email every 20 minutes. Can you just convert the check to chips for me at the window? I don't want to give them a check. (Taxes, you know.) How fast can you get over here? I've maxed out on markers and they are going to cut me off. T'odd

eldorado, I have to admit I am somewhat skeptical about her intentions now because she originally made the offer to allow you to continue making payments through CSS, and now seems to be expressing a desire to "change the deal". On this issue, I would hold firm. Am I understanding correctly that your X is also in the U.S. and it is only your daughter who is living in India? If so, then your X has just every bit as much to lose as you do by leaving her daughter there, and just as much to gain by bringing her back to the U.S. If my understanding is correct, then I would be willing to bet money that she has been missing her daughter just as much as you, and was planning on bringing her back ANYWAY! I would also be willing to bet money that the ONLY reason she even started communicating with you is because she knows full well that once she does, she would not be able to stop you from enforcing your visitation rights--regardless of whether or not you are making any payments whatsoever! So she figures she might as well strike a deal with you, because it's in her own best interests to do so. So she's not really doing you any favors, but hey! That's business! And I seriously recommend you NOT give her any indication that you know this because if you do, you risk turning the negotiations into a "pissing contest" and if that happens, well, for the sake of their own pride, some people will even hurt themselves by giving up the very thing they want the most, and she just might retaliate by leaving your daughter in India. And my bet is also that she is currently paying a pretty steep fee to the relatives or whoever in India she left your daughter with--I doubt they're taking care of your daughter for her for free! Oh, and if she left them with, say, her parents? Well then my bet is also that her parents may have so bonded with your daughter that your X is starting to realize if she doesn't bring her daughter back soon, she may have a real problem getting her back at all! As far as child support goes, well, the laws on this vary from state-to-state, however it generally is determined by a set formula--and almost every state has the calculations for this right on line. All you have to do is to google, "child support calculator" along with the name of your state, input the variables requested, and the result should tell you exactly what you will be required to pay. So first, use the above method to find out how much you will be required to pay in child support, let her know that you've looked it up, along with the results, and also give her a link to the website so she may do the same. Then I would ask her for the DATE she is thinking of bringing your daughter back, and let her know that you will make the first payment on that very same date. I also recommend you make the offer to at least help pay the expenses of your daughter's return, at least 1/2 the plane fare, if not all. In all fairness, you shouldn't have to pay anything as you were not the one who sent her away, but "fair" doesn't matter right now, your only concern for the time being should be to get your daughter HERE! But I wouldn't bring that up right now in this initial stage of negotiations. I would first run your proposal for CS past her first, and save the issue of plane fare for a little later, to "sweeten the pot" so to speak. And again, do "whatever it takes", within reason of course. And remember, the second your daughter's plane lands, if your X gives you any indication that she will be unreasonable or if she threatens or if you even SUSPECT for a single second that she might try shipping your daughter off again, then IMMEDIATELY run to a lawyer to have an "ex parte" or emergency motion filed to prevent her from doing so. An "ex parte" motion can generally be granted the VERY SAME DAY it is filed, and if she tries to send your daughter off anyway, not only can she be arrested and held in jail for "contempt of court" but will be subject to federal kidnapping charges as well. And once your daughter is here, well, if your X is now working and making her own money--and especially if she's doing well, you may very well be able to go back into court for a modification of the "spousal support", which very few states now even grant ANY "spousal support," and the ones that do, it's usually only for a certain time period anyway. All of that's a mote point though until, again, you get your daughter HERE, so again, "whatever it takes", but I do tend to think you're in a much stronger position with her than you may realize--but again, it would serve no purpose in letting her know that and might actually harm your chances, so for now, I recommend you just comply. As far as the money you have been putting in trust? In order to answer as to whether or not you should tell your X about this, I would need some idea what type of trust account it is? Is this a trust in your name, or one in your daughter's name? Who has control over the money in this trust?