Chili

I swore that I would not be one of those moms that would forget to do the simple things required to take care of myself like brush my teeth, use the restroom or put on deodorant. Well, I have yet to pee since Grant has left the house this morning and I would highly recommend staying away from my armpits if I were you. Basic hygiene is one thing, and I have come to learn that my son loves me whether or not I have showered. However, I never thought I would forget to eat. I remember several nights in the first few weeks we had Charlie home and Grant and I would turn to each other with bloodshot, tired eyes and with all the energy we had left in us say, "It's 10pm. I suppose we should eat dinner or something." The or something was "go to bed" if you were wondering. Bed usually won over food.

That being said, I have a suggestion for you. If you really want to do something nice for a new mom and dad, bring them food. Better yet, do like my best friend Brittaney did and bring food and cleaning supplies. (Side bar here: Also, bring burp cloths. Especially if you give birth to a child like my son. I am going to buy stock in the things because, so help me God, more food comes out of that kid than goes in.)

All she said when she walked in the door with a bucket full of solvents, sponges and rags was, "I do bathrooms" and I swear the heavens opened up and all the angels and archangels began to sing their songs of cleaning glory. In our master bath, Brittaney said when she was done, "I don't know if I arranged all the stuff that was on your counter right. Sorry if I put any of it in the wrong place."

Um, hi. I don't care if you punch me in the face and steal my jewelry when you are done. YOU JUST CLEANED MY BATHROOM!!

But more importantly, back to the food. My Brittaney is amazing. She is the mother of twin 3-year-olds, has two dogs, a full time job, gets up at dark-o-clock to train with her rowing team and still found time to make three, count them, THREE meals for us. She made us a tray of enchiladas with rice and beans, two servings of marinara sauce and she provided pasta and finally, chili.

Ahhhhh, the chili. Everything was amazing but the chili was superb and I needed to know how she made it. Now, I typically am one to scoff at canned food. I also make it very clear that there is no reason to eat soup from a can because soup is so easy to make. This is when my husband gently reminds me that I may think that it is easy but most normal people think that getting a can opener and a pot is actually easier than cooking anything from scratch. So based on that, this chili is everything I am against. However, sometimes that is what comfort food is all about. Everyone loves a homemade, fancy mac-n-cheese made with aged cheddar and a nutty Gruyere but sometimes "The Cheesiest" is the only thing that will hit the spot. Aside from the ground turkey and grated pepper jack cheese, this is what this chili is made up of:



This is seriously the easiest chili out there.

1 package ground turkey
2 cans white beans
1 can corn
1 package taco seasoning
1 jar of salsa
grated pepper jack cheese

Brown the meat in a pot. Add the 2 cans of beans and 1 can of corn (including all the liquid in the can), taco seasoning and the salsa and heat threw. Once heated, stir in the grated cheese and serve.

Is this how I would usually make chili? No. But sometimes it is okay to cut corners if it end result is just as delicious. Plus, it leaves much more time for this, which is the most important part of it all. Right?