Zombie Chili

The weather has been absolutely perfect this week with not-too-cold and not-too-hot temperatures in the 60s. We’ve had some sunny days and some rainy days, which our thirsty gardens need. I wouldn’t mind if the weather was like this all the time. I prefer wearing jeans and sweatshirts.

Today was our third day of eating Zombie Chili. No, this chili is not made from or for zombies. Whenever I make chili for just the two of us, we always end up with leftovers. Many times there’s too much leftover to toss out but too little for another meal so the next day we add to it to stretch it. Again, there’s often too much leftover to toss out but too little for another meal so the next day we add to it to stretch it. We can live for 2-4 days from a pot of chili. To prevent having the same thing repeatedly, we change it a bit. For example, the first day we just have regular chili, the next day we might make cornbread to go with it or bake it with cornbread on top. Another day we might put rice in it or pour it over spaghetti. And so forth. This week I made the regular chili with ground beef as usual. On the second day, I asked EJ for suggestions for stretching it. I ended up adding cut-up hotdogs, bell peppers, and corn. Today I added another can of diced tomatoes and chili beans. We still have chili leftover for tomorrow. EJ came with the name “Zombie Chili” because he says it’s a meal that doesn’t die…it just keeps going and going and going. We laugh about it, but we both really enjoy the frugality of stretching the meal and being creative while doing it.

I like making hot tea with herbs I’ve grown myself. Many herbs have not only culinary but also many medicinal benefits. There are many herbal apps that describe the medicinal benefits. I use My Remedy to choose which ailment I want to address and then make hot teas with them. I bought empty tea bags to fill with my herbs. I’ve been enjoying experimenting with different combinations. I really like combining chamomile with other herbs. My favorites so far are chamomile/basil or chamomile/mint. I have three different kinds of mint: peppermint, spearmint, and chocolate mint (which, yes, tastes like minty chocolate).

It’s nice to drink hot tea during cold months, but I prefer cold tea during summer months. Yet, I also want the medicinal benefits of the hot tea. So this week I experimented with making chamomile/mint tea, letting it cool down, and then adding it to cold water or tea. (I like Lipton Cold Brew Tea; EJ likes green or black tea). Oh, my goodness! It is delicious! The herbs bring just enough flavor to make the beverages delicious without overpowering them. I’ve started making a tea bag for EJ of chamomile and basil for him to use at work. Cold herbal water or tea is now my favorite summer drink.

Our Mama Raccoon hasn’t returned in daylight since we kept Theo from messing with her. She continues visiting at night, however, because I see the tray feeder tipped.