A Mellow Saturday

We are enjoying a mellow Saturday around here. Jed is off this weekend and working on his thesis. It is so nice to have him home and for him to go to church with us. He is directing Jared on his pinewood derby car with the big weigh in looming next Saturday. Last year Jared won first place and I think he is feeling a bit of pressure to preform again.
It is cold and rainy/snowy today so I stuck some chili in the crock pot. It is yummy. My friend Lori gave me this recipe and I tweaked it a bit to our tastes. The mammoth cornbread muffins from costco are the perfect accompaniment! The kids are hanging out and I am working on a project and card for our March Card Swap group. It is my turn to host so I am in charge of coming up with a make and take project for everyone. I'll post the results later.
I had an epiphany the other day while I was running on the treadmill. I was watching the clock and thinking to myself "just one more minute." (I hate running) and I thought geez- that's what I need to do with the rest of my life. I get so stressed out about all the little and big things going on or not going on in our lives and become overwhelmed and discouraged so often. Maybe if I can take it one minute at a time it will be more manageable! ha! This one day at a time approach doesn't always work ya know? Hopefully you can read the sarcasm into this.
On a positive note Claire is perking up she went for a breathing treatment at the hospital on Thursday. It seemed to help along with another round of stronger antibiotics.
Jed had an epiphany of his own on Thursday. He spent the day working in a pediatric clinic as an FNP and realized just how much he enjoyed it and would like to do pediatrics. In his words: " None of the patients asked for narcotics and I don't have to do any pelvic exams!" Way to be grateful for the little things, Jed.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. Here is the recipe I was talking about:
Slow- Cooker Chili (I re-named it: Not yo mama's Chili!)
1 lb stew beef in cubes
2 tbs chili powder
1 t cumin
2 tbs flour
1 onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
16oz can black beans drained and rinsed
16oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
14oz or small can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
tiny can of jalapenos or 1 fresh diced jalapeno
1 can beef broth
2 tbs BBQ sauce ( I use bulls eye Guinness beer kind)
1 1/2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 C frozen corn
salt to taste

1. Brown beef in a skillet for a couple minutes with oil , add salt and pepper, then add chili powder and cumin and let the spices heat for a minute. Stirring add the flour and let the meat cook for another minute.
2. Transfer the mixture to a large slow cooker add all the remaining ingredients, cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low. Thin with some water if needed. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro, cheese and sour cream.