Monday, Monday, Monday!!!!!!

What an awesome weekend!!! Gary won 1st in Terlingua and I won 1st at McHog In Saturday. We had such a great time and it was fun just to let loose with friends. I even judged (for the first time) Cheeseburgers in Paradise, Omelets and Bloody Mary's and I'll tell you what, chili cooks can cook so much more than a pot of chili! The weather was absolutely gorgeous both days, too. Below are the winners from Saturday and Sunday:

Saturday McHog In
23 Chilis

1. Kelly Brignon
2. Beth Moon - Q'd
3. Dru Stewart - Q'd
4. Bruce Stewart
5. Tom Dozier
6. Ron Barnes - Q'd
7. Bob Coats
8. Doris Coats
9. Mack Walker
10. Stephanie Brockman

Sunday Another Day in Paradise
15 Chilis

1. Bob Coats
2. Beth Moon
3. Doris Coats - Q'd
4. Tina Barnes
5. Stephanie Brockman
6. David Sexton
7. TJ Friedel
8. Kelly Brignon
9. Dee Palmer
10. Dru Stewart

Congrats again to everyone who placed! It was so cool to hear that Gary had won Terlingua and then to have my number called for 1st Place. Needless to say, I celebrated for both of us :)

Last night, Paige requested "baby steak and baked potato" for our MommyBaby Valentines dinner. In addition to the baby steak and potato, I made asparagus with mushrooms and bacon, because bacon makes everything better. It's one of those easy, throw together recipes. Here it is:

1 Bunch Asparagus, stalks trimmed about 1/2 inch
1 Cup sliced Baby Bella or White Mushrooms
4 Slices Bacon, diced
Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large skillet, brown the bacon until the fat is rendered and you have grease left in the skillet, set the bacon aside. Add the asparagus and about 1 teaspoon of butter, make sure to coat the asparagus with the butter and bacon grease. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and recover, allowing the mushrooms and asparagus to cook together for about 5-8 minutes longer over medium low heat, or until the asparagus is crisp tender and the mushrooms are tender. Add the bacon back in, combine and serve.

You can really use any green vegetable for this dish; green beans, broccoli rabe or peas. It's versatile and is a perfect side dish for steak, fish, chicken or pork.

Gary is taking me to dinner tonight for Valentines Day. Other than that, I asked him to have wood flooring installed in our bedroom so that I can be rid of carpet once and for all. The boys are at the Kennel and we are picking them up on the way home. I've missed them and will be very excited to see them!

After talking to different chili cooks and hearing so many viable opinions from people, it's hard to believe that the CASI Board really and truly thinks that they are openly and honestly working with the membership to listen, communicate and improve. Out of the people I visited with the past week, so few actually feel that CASI is headed in the right direction. I get the feeling that while many people acknowledge that the BOD is a difficult position and it does requires countless volunteer hours, how many of CASI's problems are created by it's leadership - in a nutshell, the BOD makes running CASI difficult for itself. Rather than worry about what Tolbert and/or ICS are doing and using that to influence some of the decisions CASI makes, why not focus on itself and what CASI can do to make CASI better, in spite of what others are or are not doing. The whole, "stepping on ants while elephants are running wild" philosophy. I still do not understand the purpose of committees. While they may have been formed with the intention of improving communication between the membership and the Board, I feel that all it does is add to the problems between the two. Depending on the Board member leading the committee, the committees recommendations may or may not be effectively communicated back to the BOD. Additionally, why are committees making decisions and helping to audit the Boards procedures when we have Great Peppers who meet once a year? Why aren't the GP's given more of a role in how TICC expenses are reimbursed, or whether or not a rule was broken and if so, to what degree and exactly what is going on with the financial state of CASI? Yes, I know the GP's vote at the GPM each year, but why aren't GP's consulted more throughout the year about the items being brought forth to committees? It's like these committees are formed hoping to have people of like minds...and if you are like me and read between the lines, like minds mean "like the BOD." Am I totally off the rails for suggesting that? I don't think so - I hear that more often than I hear that the Board is really trying to mend fences, make changes and improve how CASI functions.

I guess that's my CASI beef for the week. And, you can rest assured, any of you who get after me about what I write on my blog will not be shunned or unfriended on FB, unlike a certain someone who boycotts TICC and unfriends people when he doesn't get his way. Like I said countless times this weekend...I have no filter.

Here's to spreading your own special brand of joy and kindness!

K