What Happened to Winter?

January 2011 The girls and Ginger buried!

Is anyone else having the weirdest winter in the history of...well, forever? We live in Tahoe. This is January. To me that means - SNOW! Last January, we were buried in the white stuff. This year, nothing, nada, zip! The ski resorts have been relying on man made snow to limp along. My kids' Nordic ski races were cancelled.



January 2012 Not enough snow to roll in!

Then, finally, a series of storms that left us with a couple of feet of snow. Hope was renewed. Winter had finally started. The skiers were happy, happy, happy. Nordic races were rescheduled. Then today, it's RAINING! Let's not get into global warming, but seriously, where's winter?



Happy Dog in the snow - last winter!



Is your winter as crazy as mine? Let's hear about it!



Chili for a Cold Winter Day

A writer friend was looking for a chili recipe, and I offered to post my favorite. I devised this through trial and error, and you can easily adjust it to your tastes. This recipe is fairly hot, so if you prefer mild, you may want to leave out the cayenne pepper. Kidney beans can be substituted for pinto. A cup of frozen corn can be added. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

  

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

2  15 oz. cans pinto beans rinsed and drained

1  15 oz. can tomato puree

1  15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1  4 oz. can diced green chilies

2 Tbsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef in large pot, draining any grease. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for approximately 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Chili can also be prepared and then cooked in a slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours. Top with grated cheddar cheese. Serves 6