It's Monday!!!!!!

Well I finally got the house back together. After having 14 for Christmas and 5 dogs, it was truly time to clean! So now I am sitting here with a cup of tea and eating all the left over cookies because I just can't bear to throw them away (sounds like a good excuse doesn't it?). Went and did a little shopping and came up with a great idea. Since the sales are so good right now, I'm thinking of having Christmas on the 29th or 30th next year so I can go out and buy the same gifts only for a lot less. I think that sounds like a plan,now to just convince the kids!
We are expecting Nicholas back this week so I'm going to enjoy my "quiet time" while I can. Even with all the running after, saying no no no, I really miss the little guy when he's not here.
Hoping the new stove shows up on Friday, but really doesn't matter now. We got through the holidays with the old one and it worked just fine. I am just being a brat and wanting the new one NOW!!!!!! (And I wonder where Nicholas gets his persistent attitude? Hum?)

Back to blogging!

Okay, okay, okay, I get it - I need to stay in touch and keep blogging! Obviously, I was MIA for a while and my nieces let me know that I need to get back to blogging - so here I am!

The holidays were wonderful - we had Nicholas for a couple of weeks, (hence no blogging!). My daughter-in-law's mother is very ill and the poor girl has been running back and forth to the hospital, trying to watch her son (did I mention she is almost 5 months pregnant? AND, that her mother is 2 1/2 hours away at a Cleveland hospital?). So, we are trying to help out as best we can.

I will admit, I forgot how active an 18 month old can be. "Nana" is sleeping rather soundly lately. Need to start on vitamins - and soon!

We spent Christmas at my sister-in-laws and had a really wonderful time. Got to see the family and my two great nieces (they are soooooo beautiful). Here are some pictures of Christmas at Patti's and at home with our family.

Also, picture of Nicholas and "Aunt KiKi" making cookies.

Hope everyone had a great holiday and I promise to blog at least once a week!

The Toybox is Done!

Grampa finally finished the new toybox! It is amazing. We can't wait for Nicholas to see it. Should be lots of fun for the grandsons when they visit. If we have granddaughters, Grampa will be building a castle toybox for their toys.

Nicholas at Grandmas! Aaron and Kristy went to the Browns game on Thursday so I got to watch Nicholas. It was so much fun. He loves his fire truck and rides it (now with the stuffed dalmation on the back) and hasn't run into a wall yet! Got up really really early but we had fun, ate breakfast and then Mom and Dad got up and we all went to the Science Center. He really seemed like he was having a great time. Got to bang a lot of stuff, throw balls around and climb on stuff. He seemed particularly interested in the static section where his Mom's hair stood on end as did his. On the way home we stopped at ToysRUs and finished Christmas shopping. What a blast. Everything he saw was "Oh" "Oh" and on and on. Of course when Grandpa came home he was really excited to see him which made Grandpa really really happy!

I am a winner!

Yes, I am the official winner of the First Annual Hageman Chili Throw Down. And by a two to one vote! Not that I am gloating or anything. It was a lot of fun. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the best part, (yes I am an evil woman!) was that my competitor, Jim, had to get down on his knees and in front of everyone say, "I'm not worthy." Made my day!

For anyone interested, my award winning chili recipe follows.

It is a variation (after many test batches) of a recipe from Rachael Ray. It's called Buffalo Chicken Chili with Blue Cheese-Corn Mug Toppers.

Extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 lb. ground chicken (which for some reason is rather hard to find. I tried turkey but it just wasn't as good.)
2 garlic cloves (or 1 large teaspoon already cut up garlic in a jar)
3-4 celery ribs chopped (Tom preferred them cut larger rather than smaller)
1 large onion chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped. Here is where I started to experiment. I also added a chipolte chili in adobe sauce (they come canned but only use one, they are really really spicy). I also added about 1/2 to 1 tsp. green chili which also come canned.
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
6 ounces your favorite beer (don't use a lite beer, doesn't seem to have as much flavor) I used Killians' red.
(plus you get to drink the remainder!)
1/4 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (I found one which had chipolte in it and it was good. Finding one that is all cayenne pepper might be hard, just kind of fiddle around with different types until you find one that gives the flavor that you like. I also used a Louisiana hot sauce, but then I am partial to anything from my imagined homeland!)
2 cans - 15 oz. tomato sauce
2 cans - cannelloni beans (white navy beans). I've tried other varieties of white beans but these seem to work best. They don't break up like some of the other beans.

Heat a medium Dutch oven or large skillet over high heat. Add olive oil and butter and melt together. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat for about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot and jalapeno (and any other peppers you want), cumin and coriander and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the beer and stir up to get all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Concentrate the flavor of the beer by reducing the mixture over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce, tomato sauce and beans. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. I actually cooked it the day ahead and then reheated for about 1/2 hour to an hour to let all the flavors mix really well. Thought it tasted better the second day.

Toppers:
1 box Jiffy corn brand muffin mix
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
2 green onions
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Put the mix in a bowl, add milk and egg and blend. Add green onions and cheese just stirring till blended. Using a griddle or large fry pan, make small pancakes. Should make about 20 teaspoon sized pancakes.

Christmas almost done!

I can't believe it, I finished my Christmas shopping for all four of my wonderful children and their spouses! Now, I only have my grandson to finish and I already have two things set aside for him. I am sooooooo ahead of the game!

And, the roofers are finally here! It will be done today! I know that sounds so boring but I have been waiting for the weather to clear to get the darn thing done! Now, on to the gutter guy.

The Throw Down is this Saturday and my competition is pretty darn confident. I'm going to have to make sure I get my chili done and done well. I'll keep you posted (so to speak!).

Gray Saturday!

Still waiting for the roofers to finish. They keep saying "one more day," but it goes on and on and on! I even promised them lunch if they would just finish the job! In any event, I keep hoping Monday will be the day. Then it's on to the gutter/downspout guy. He already said two weekends, so that takes us to right before Thanksgiving. Which of course I plan on having our Thanksgiving on Saturday (when he wants to work!). So, we'll see.

Working on the grandchildren room now. Got a new crib which matches the one we already have and got the new bedding. Sunday we will be bunking the beds and then setting everything up. Want to be ready for whenever babies are here!

Chili Throw Down

Well, of course it is raining AGAIN! Which means, the roof still is not completed. They guys are great but the weather is just not cooperating. Had hoped to have it done by the "Chili Throw Down." I think this is going to be a lot of fun. I challenged my friend to a throw down and he accepted. So now, on November 1st, between 20-30 people will taste test both recipes and vote on whose is best. Even have a trophy ready! Who knows who I'll challenge next year or for what food! Should be fun.

Nicholas

Okay, so now that I have this blog thing down, thought I'd share some of my favorite photos of, you guessed it, Nicholas. I know every grandmother thinks their grandchildren are beautiful - I am no exception!

Diane's 60th

Okay, so the kids really got me good this time! Thought I was going to a Halloween party at Kate's house, hence the Nun's costume! Turns out it was a surprise party for my 60th birthday. I was genuinely surprised, still can't believe they pulled this over on me. Must be getting senile in my old age or else I'm just not paying attention!

Had a really wonderful time, it was sooooo much fun.