I Won The Chili Cookoff

Well I am super excited. It was a sad day for me, but I plowed through it determined to go ahead and enter the chili cookoff.

So why was I sad? Well 2 years ago, I called my brother. Someone else answered and told me he had just died. I was in shock and super sad. I was promised his ashes, but some major problems occurred and it was many months before I could finally procure some (not all) of his ashes.

I was able to take him everywhere he wanted his ashes. It took me a few months, but I got him to all the places he wanted to be.

Now we could both rest in peace.

This morning I looked at the beans I had cooked overnight and thought I was too tired to mess with this chili cookoff. I heard my brother talking. He said, oh go ahead and enter. You will win first place!

I laughed as the absurdity of listening to someone who has been dead 2 years, tell me that today I would win.

But I spent the morning concocting a delicious chili dish in my 3 quart crockpot. I took it to the cookoff. The professional judges tasted all the entries.

An hour later it was announced, I WON "Best Overall!"

Well, ain't that something.

My brother was right, God rest his soul.

Here's the ingredient list:

3 dried beans, slow cooked overnight, then drained and rinsed. I put them back in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients and cooked all day until the contest at 4pm.

red kidney beans
white northern beans
black beans
chopped tomatoes
chopped jalapenos
chopped red onion
ground beef
Hormel bacon pieces (no fat, just the meat)
white cooking wine
balsamic vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
picante sauce
bay leaf
fennel seed
garlic
cayenne pepper
paprika
cracked black pepper
Himalayan pink sea salt
gumbo file
allspice
cinnamon
ginger
old bay seasoning
sage
beef boullion cube
grape jelly
black strap molasses

And that about covers the chili ingredient list. Just a few odds and ends to make it tasty.

I still can't believe I WON!

The four judges made me feel terrific, they said they really enjoyed the taste, texture and flavors.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

Life is goof.