Every time I write that I think of the "Deep Thoughts" skit that was on Saturday Night Live a long time ago. Anyways...it's Monday and I survived the weekend! Paige had an emotional breakdown at 6:17 am over her school shoes, but other than that, it's been an uneventful Monday....so far!
So let's talk about the GP Meeting, shall we? While I don't want to offend anyone, or piss anyone off, I just have to talk about a few things that really stood out over the weekend. There are some people out there that will tell you the sky is purple if they hear you say it's blue. That kind of crap just goes all over me. Here's an example:
We, the DFW area, have a really serious problem with cook offs being stacked on top of one another. Part of the problem is, in my opinion, CASI's lack of a real procedure that also benefits those volunteering to run cook offs, ie the COOKS! The other issue is something that you can't necessarily control, and that is promoters/charities who are dead set on having a CASI cook off regardless of whether or not the cook off will have enough cooks and thus make enough money. The other side of this situation is people who know better and continue to schedule cook offs that are on the same weekend as established cook offs, or cook offs 15 miles away. It's been a problem and it doesn't seem like it's getting any better. I guess this is why I want CASI, as an organization, to put some hard and fast procedures in place to help curb this problem. This would help us from the beginning not look like the "bad guy" and it would save CASI from the over the top black eye they might suffer by saying no to someone. Furthermore, if we want CASI to run like a business, then you have to have rules and procedures and guess what - that involves requiring people to follow them if they want to have a cook off. I'm sure Easter Seals, the Shriners, Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Komen and a lot of other charitable organizations have to tell people no from time to time. I have yet to see any of them photographed with a black eye.
As usual, there is always someone out there who is going to dispute what you say no matter what. First of all, these individuals RARELY ever cook in our area or any surrounding area. In fact, I've never seen a few of them at any cook off in the DFW area since I've been cooking. Second of all, we are not all the same and what one area is experiencing may be completely different than what another area is dealing with. Hence my call for more consistent policies and procedures. Third, instead of touting how YOU get all the support you need from the board, why not work with us and tell us some of the things you are saying and doing to help these promoters move their cook offs. Obviously, this isn't difficult for you to do and instead of being condescending, why don't you try and help us out. I guess that's asking too much.
Fortunately, we really do have a good group of people in the North Texas area who try their best to work together and get all of the cook offs covered. So many times over the weekend I heard people (and rightfully so) talk about how the BOD are all volunteers, too and that we have to remember they have jobs and families that come first - I 100% agree with that. It has to work both ways, though. Many of us running cook offs, supporting Pods and traveling to support cook offs and charities have lives as well. It would be nice if we weren't expected to be in two places at once, or run all over creation in order to sanction a cook off because someone was hell bent on having one the same weekend as five others within a 20 minute drive. If CASI could come up with guidelines for promoters and charities, it would allow everyone to play by the same set of rules and make it easier for ALL of the volunteers in our organization to get out and promote Chili, Charity and Fun. (Which according to one candidate should be more than just a slogan.)
I'm also very, very pleased that the membership did not vote to award money to the TICC winners. I think that is quite possibly the worst thing we could ever to do CASI. I really don't give a rat's ass about competing with ICS. We are, and should always be, a charitable organization that does not award money to it's winners. Like I said on Saturday, we have people who can't even agree on what constitutes an ink signature on a ticket. Am I the ONLY one out there that thinks putting money in the mix when you have that kind of tension is a BAD idea? The fact that we don't have cash prizes is what makes us unique; it's what makes us, in my opinion, better than ICS. We are doing it because it's fun. As soon as you start involving money, the bickering, resentment and distrust will grow even louder among the membership. I didn't, nor did probably all of the people cooking today, get into CASI to make money. We all knew what it was when we started. Yes, I know that I am a very strong advocate for change and innovation. This just doesn't seem to be the best way to improve ourselves. Why not spend that money to advertise and promote CASI? The motion on the floor to award cash prizes was amended to reimburse the TICC winner up to $5000 for travel expenses should they choose to travel and promote CASI after they win TICC. I think that is a good idea. Still, I believe most of us want to get up on that stage to get that huge Chili Pepper trophy - not to win a hunk of money. I was really happy to see a past winner, Dana Plocheck, speak to the membership about keeping money out of CASI and continuing to allow that 20 pound trophy to remain the carrot at the end of the stick :0) What did amaze me, though, were the individuals who voted not to add another dollar to the scholarship fund because it would take money out of their pockets as well as the charities. But they were gung ho about awarding money to the TICC winners. Just an observation.
And a big HELL YEAH to the GP's for voting YES to start having the meeting in the same place each year. Thank you, thank you!!!
I thought many of the board members did an excellent job stressing how important communication between the BOD and the membership needs to be. I was also excited to hear how many of them recognize the need for better advertising and it seems that they will all work to improve how we get our name and message out to the masses. Congratulations again to David Sexton and Roger Foltz. I told Roger I got nervous when they didn't call out his name very quickly. I'm happy that both of them will be on the BOD and I think that they will both do a great job for CASI.
I also want to say thank you to everyone who told me they read my blog. I had no idea so many people read it. That's kind of scary!!! Sammie Plant - you crack me up woman!!! It was good to see you :)
It was good to see people that we don't see too often. I'm sure everyone is getting geared up for TICC in a few months. Gary has put the toyhauler in the shop for some maintenance work. I'm looking forward to the Halloween party we'll be having for the kids again this year. I've already put my mom in charge of decorations and Tyler in charge of the scaring of the little children :) I'm going to cover the food and I'm sure Lord Brignon will handle the pinata and candy. I've got to come up with a few good activities for the kiddos...maybe a scarecrow contest?
Speaking of food, Gammy has brought something to my attention regarding the Shoepeg Corn Casserole. She says that there should only be ONE can of green chiles. I say that's too bland and that you should use two! Since she doesn't want to set anyone's mouth and butt afire, I will correct the recipe, but with a disclaimer :)
Paige did AWESOME at her Karate tournament Saturday. She won the first sparring contest, and lost the second one. She also received a trophy for her "Cada" which is some other term for "form". I'm so proud of her and most importantly, she's proud of herself. Over the weekend she watched iCarly (which I no longer allow), so she was quite mouthy yesterday afternoon. She said things like, "you're kidding me, right?" when I showed her a shirt I bought for her - it was a cute little Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head shirt! She then informed me that was a kid's shirt and that she was a grown up. I quickly set her straight on that misconception. Anyways...I missed my Juicy of Love and Deliciousness!!
Have a great Monday everyone! I'll be back tomorrow!!!
Spreading kindness and joy in everything I do.....
Kelly
Monday, September 13, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
GPM, Day One, Part Deaux
Well....hmmmm...uhhhhh...yeah. This has been an interesting day of chili politics. Here's a rundown of what occurred after we went back for the round table discussions, the Texas GP Caucus and the lively GP/RR meeting:
Okay, we have seven people running for the BOD. Of the seven, six agreed that CASI needs to work on it's image, it's advertising, and it's communication. There was one lone candidate who really doesn't see what the problem is and I quote, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Nice.
Fortunately, the people I feel will be elected to the BOD really do see a lot of opportunities for CASI to improve in the areas that have caused so much friction and internal bickering for a while, like the lack of communication, the disregard for what much of the membership have to say, the complete lack of promotion and dedicated funds to advertise CASI. Thank God there are individuals who want to make CASI a better organization run by a group of people dedicated to working hard and trying to mend a lot of the broken lines of communication between the Board and the membership. To those people, I say thank you for wanting to do a good job. To the individuals who think nothing needs to change and really don't know why you have to be bothered with questions about issues the membership feels are important, thanks, but no thanks.
Something else that I feel matters a lot to CASI's success is the position of the Executive Director. The ED is charged with keeping the lines of communication open between the Board and the membership. To sum up what the current ED said to our table today, "the ED represents the membership to the BOD." Really? When? How? I cannot stress how important it is that the person in the position of communicating to and for the Board and membership, then this person MUST be someone who can pass the communication along REGARDLESS of their personal opinion about the issue at hand. If the person in the ED position cannot be objective, then they don't need to be in that position. We need someone in that position who is going to listen to all of the feedback and pass it along; not just the feedback they think is worth sharing. Most of us are told that issues they want brought before the BOD are to be sent to the ED to be distributed to the rest of the Directors. Tell me, what kind of person do you want determining what gets brought to the BOD's attention and what doesn't? And, how long do we put up with being shut out and ignored when we keep pushing an issue to get some sort of resolution? There are a lot of great people working on the Board, and I believe they want to bridge the gap between the BOD and the membership. We need every tool and person available to make it work, right? That includes the ED as well.
I'm tired...so I may sound like I'm rambling or not making a lot of sense. It wouldn't be the first time, right? We don't have wine glasses, so Gary and I are drinking wine out of plastic cups :) There are so many other things I want to just completely rant and rave about (saying no gives CASI a black eye..ugh..please), but aside from that small slip, I'm going to take the high road. Now more than ever I realize how much I love to cook chili and how little I enjoy the politics of CASI. And yes, I realize that I qualify as a Chili Politic-er, Enabler, and Contributor by writing about CASI on this blog. Still, I'm only human and I have to have some sort of an outlet for all of the crap that I observe...and also participate in! I can only put my pancreas through so much abuse before I have to stop drinking away my problems and start bitching them away! Thankfully there are a whole bunch of great people out there and Gary and I get to cook with them! And...a lot of them are here this weekend so I get to visit with them as well. Speaking of which...the lovely Delora Goin, my Charlie Robison stalking partner, has just shown up. Gotta go, peeps!!!
Kelly
Okay, we have seven people running for the BOD. Of the seven, six agreed that CASI needs to work on it's image, it's advertising, and it's communication. There was one lone candidate who really doesn't see what the problem is and I quote, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Nice.
Fortunately, the people I feel will be elected to the BOD really do see a lot of opportunities for CASI to improve in the areas that have caused so much friction and internal bickering for a while, like the lack of communication, the disregard for what much of the membership have to say, the complete lack of promotion and dedicated funds to advertise CASI. Thank God there are individuals who want to make CASI a better organization run by a group of people dedicated to working hard and trying to mend a lot of the broken lines of communication between the Board and the membership. To those people, I say thank you for wanting to do a good job. To the individuals who think nothing needs to change and really don't know why you have to be bothered with questions about issues the membership feels are important, thanks, but no thanks.
Something else that I feel matters a lot to CASI's success is the position of the Executive Director. The ED is charged with keeping the lines of communication open between the Board and the membership. To sum up what the current ED said to our table today, "the ED represents the membership to the BOD." Really? When? How? I cannot stress how important it is that the person in the position of communicating to and for the Board and membership, then this person MUST be someone who can pass the communication along REGARDLESS of their personal opinion about the issue at hand. If the person in the ED position cannot be objective, then they don't need to be in that position. We need someone in that position who is going to listen to all of the feedback and pass it along; not just the feedback they think is worth sharing. Most of us are told that issues they want brought before the BOD are to be sent to the ED to be distributed to the rest of the Directors. Tell me, what kind of person do you want determining what gets brought to the BOD's attention and what doesn't? And, how long do we put up with being shut out and ignored when we keep pushing an issue to get some sort of resolution? There are a lot of great people working on the Board, and I believe they want to bridge the gap between the BOD and the membership. We need every tool and person available to make it work, right? That includes the ED as well.
I'm tired...so I may sound like I'm rambling or not making a lot of sense. It wouldn't be the first time, right? We don't have wine glasses, so Gary and I are drinking wine out of plastic cups :) There are so many other things I want to just completely rant and rave about (saying no gives CASI a black eye..ugh..please), but aside from that small slip, I'm going to take the high road. Now more than ever I realize how much I love to cook chili and how little I enjoy the politics of CASI. And yes, I realize that I qualify as a Chili Politic-er, Enabler, and Contributor by writing about CASI on this blog. Still, I'm only human and I have to have some sort of an outlet for all of the crap that I observe...and also participate in! I can only put my pancreas through so much abuse before I have to stop drinking away my problems and start bitching them away! Thankfully there are a whole bunch of great people out there and Gary and I get to cook with them! And...a lot of them are here this weekend so I get to visit with them as well. Speaking of which...the lovely Delora Goin, my Charlie Robison stalking partner, has just shown up. Gotta go, peeps!!!
Kelly
We Made It....
We have arrived in the big town of Salado, Texas! We've checked in, registered for the meeting, were greeted by Connie Collier's smiling face (always a plus!), settled in our room and I think we're about to hit the wine store. I can't wait to do some shopping! Hopefully I'll find an Old Pawn style turquoise cuff bracelet...a great picture to hang on the wall in my living room...some Christmas goodies for Oktoberfest, etc.
I'll be blogging periodically with updates and I'm sure I'll have to FB a few things. Today we grill those poor, unsuspecting people running for the BOD. After that, a caucus of the Texas GP's will meet. Have a great afternoon everyone.
Keepin it real in Salado....
Kelly
I'll be blogging periodically with updates and I'm sure I'll have to FB a few things. Today we grill those poor, unsuspecting people running for the BOD. After that, a caucus of the Texas GP's will meet. Have a great afternoon everyone.
Keepin it real in Salado....
Kelly
Thursday, September 9, 2010
This and That....
Good Morning! How about those twisters yesterday afternoon?? My husband was beside himself...pulled over on the side of the road, taking pictures, calling everyone he knows! We love this kind of weather and he was OUT OF CONTROL! It wasn't too bad at our house since Fred never tried to break in. That's how we know the weather is bad or is about to get bad - Fred tries to bust in through the back door and windows. Our tube shoot was running good, too....we could have grabbed our tubes and floated in the Brignon River yesterday!
I think I'm going to return my new CrackBerry. I kept my Bold, so I'm just going to go back to it. I was so excited about the new Torch, but it just isn't that great. It's like BlackBerry wanted to compete with iPhone and they just kind of made this hybrid BlackBerry/iPhone without really making sure it would mesh. I'm not a big fan of the keyboard on the screen and I could care less about most of the apps. I also hate how I have to send my pictures to Facebook now and they always post sideways. If you're a BlackBerry fan and want something like an iPhone, then this would be the ideal phone for you. If you love your BlackBerry because it's a BlackBerry, then stick with what you've got and pass on the Torch (OMG check out that totally unintended pun!!!). I'm a CrackBerry girl...so I think I'm just going to stay with the Bold...it's a CrackBerry through and through....
Is everyone ready for football??? I'm so excited!! Minnesota at New Orleans tonight. I hope the Saints kick the Vikings ASSES!!!! And then it's on for Sunday...all day baby!!! This is my favorite time of year. I can get up on Sunday mornings, put dinner on to cook all day and then watch football and putter around the house. It's almost time to start cooking chili again, too. I guess everyone's getting pumped up about TICC. I am looking forward to Whitney because that's kind of an Ellis Co. weekend party, and then Cleburne the following weekend. It'll be nice once the weather cools down and it's fun to be out in it again.
The Cowgirl Cadillac will be finished today. The paint job is complete, now my mom is finishing the cushions. It looks so good inside and out and I can't wait to take her out for a trip. I think I'll take her to Cleburne since I'll be there all weekend. Next up is PussyWillow Rose. She just needs a new coat of white paint on the exterior; the turquoise looks great. I think I'm going to pull out the front kitchen and remodel the inside. I need to pull the trailer to the office and start working on it. I've pretty much given up on the other Scotty that needs so much work. If you or anyone you know wants a serious project, let me know :)
So I bought Gary an Cajun Injector Smoker for Father's Day. I also bought him an electric turkey fryer because I did not remember that he had bought and USED one Thanksgiving to fry our turkeys. I have no recollection of the events that occurred between November 20th-mid December as a result of my concussion. But anyways, I bought this smoker and we've been using it a lot. Gary is a fan of rubbing his meat...LOL!!! Sorry, I just had to say it like that. But yeah, he's into rubs and sometimes they work (ribs) and sometimes they don't (pork loin - too much). So we smoked the rubbed too much pork loin on Monday and it came out very tender, but the rub was just a little overpowering. I also made potato salad, baked beans and shoepeg corn casserole. I'm going to share the baked beans and corn recipes. This was the first time I made baked beans from scratch (sort of) and they turned out great. Enjoy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Baked Beans
4 Cans Pork and Beans, drained
1/2 Small Red Onion, diced
1 Small Bell Pepper, diced
6 Slices of Bacon, diced, lightly browned and drained
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Ketchup
3 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
4-5 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Combine all of the ingredients in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, cover and bake for 1 1/2 in a 400 degree oven.
Gammy's Shoepeg Corn Casserole
2 Cans Shoepeg Corn, drained
1 Small Can Diced Green Chiles, drained (drain off as much liquid as you can without losing a lot of the chiles) Use two cans for a little more oomph :)
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Stick of Butter, softened
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the corn and green chiles in a greased 2 quart casserole dish. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream cheese and butter until smooth and heated through. Pour the mixture over the corn and green chiles, stir to combine and cover with foil. Bake the casserole for 35 minutes covered; uncover and bake an additional 5-8 minutes.
We'll be heading to Salado in the morning. From what I understand, there has been a lot of flooding down there. I'm not really surprised. Salado is in a pretty low lying area and tends to flood. Safe travels to everyone heading that way.
I'll be blogging from the meeting...unless I'm asked not to. Then I'll just turn on my recorder and blog when I get home :) Haha!!
Also - please keep Lisa Duggan and her family in your prayers. Her mother suffered a stroke earlier in the week.
Keep it real, folks!
Kelly
I think I'm going to return my new CrackBerry. I kept my Bold, so I'm just going to go back to it. I was so excited about the new Torch, but it just isn't that great. It's like BlackBerry wanted to compete with iPhone and they just kind of made this hybrid BlackBerry/iPhone without really making sure it would mesh. I'm not a big fan of the keyboard on the screen and I could care less about most of the apps. I also hate how I have to send my pictures to Facebook now and they always post sideways. If you're a BlackBerry fan and want something like an iPhone, then this would be the ideal phone for you. If you love your BlackBerry because it's a BlackBerry, then stick with what you've got and pass on the Torch (OMG check out that totally unintended pun!!!). I'm a CrackBerry girl...so I think I'm just going to stay with the Bold...it's a CrackBerry through and through....
Is everyone ready for football??? I'm so excited!! Minnesota at New Orleans tonight. I hope the Saints kick the Vikings ASSES!!!! And then it's on for Sunday...all day baby!!! This is my favorite time of year. I can get up on Sunday mornings, put dinner on to cook all day and then watch football and putter around the house. It's almost time to start cooking chili again, too. I guess everyone's getting pumped up about TICC. I am looking forward to Whitney because that's kind of an Ellis Co. weekend party, and then Cleburne the following weekend. It'll be nice once the weather cools down and it's fun to be out in it again.
The Cowgirl Cadillac will be finished today. The paint job is complete, now my mom is finishing the cushions. It looks so good inside and out and I can't wait to take her out for a trip. I think I'll take her to Cleburne since I'll be there all weekend. Next up is PussyWillow Rose. She just needs a new coat of white paint on the exterior; the turquoise looks great. I think I'm going to pull out the front kitchen and remodel the inside. I need to pull the trailer to the office and start working on it. I've pretty much given up on the other Scotty that needs so much work. If you or anyone you know wants a serious project, let me know :)
So I bought Gary an Cajun Injector Smoker for Father's Day. I also bought him an electric turkey fryer because I did not remember that he had bought and USED one Thanksgiving to fry our turkeys. I have no recollection of the events that occurred between November 20th-mid December as a result of my concussion. But anyways, I bought this smoker and we've been using it a lot. Gary is a fan of rubbing his meat...LOL!!! Sorry, I just had to say it like that. But yeah, he's into rubs and sometimes they work (ribs) and sometimes they don't (pork loin - too much). So we smoked the rubbed too much pork loin on Monday and it came out very tender, but the rub was just a little overpowering. I also made potato salad, baked beans and shoepeg corn casserole. I'm going to share the baked beans and corn recipes. This was the first time I made baked beans from scratch (sort of) and they turned out great. Enjoy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Baked Beans
4 Cans Pork and Beans, drained
1/2 Small Red Onion, diced
1 Small Bell Pepper, diced
6 Slices of Bacon, diced, lightly browned and drained
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Ketchup
3 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
4-5 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Combine all of the ingredients in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, cover and bake for 1 1/2 in a 400 degree oven.
Gammy's Shoepeg Corn Casserole
2 Cans Shoepeg Corn, drained
1 Small Can Diced Green Chiles, drained (drain off as much liquid as you can without losing a lot of the chiles) Use two cans for a little more oomph :)
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Stick of Butter, softened
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the corn and green chiles in a greased 2 quart casserole dish. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream cheese and butter until smooth and heated through. Pour the mixture over the corn and green chiles, stir to combine and cover with foil. Bake the casserole for 35 minutes covered; uncover and bake an additional 5-8 minutes.
We'll be heading to Salado in the morning. From what I understand, there has been a lot of flooding down there. I'm not really surprised. Salado is in a pretty low lying area and tends to flood. Safe travels to everyone heading that way.
I'll be blogging from the meeting...unless I'm asked not to. Then I'll just turn on my recorder and blog when I get home :) Haha!!
Also - please keep Lisa Duggan and her family in your prayers. Her mother suffered a stroke earlier in the week.
Keep it real, folks!
Kelly
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Back to the Real World.....
Well, my weekend birthday bash is over. We came, we conquered, we SURVIVED! We had the best time and I'm so glad my parents' maiden voyage on the Guadalupe was such a pleasant one! My sister even had a good time. She and Kary rented a raft on Sunday and loved it. I hung on to their rope and drifted back about 10 feet. I had the beer cooler, so I was good :) Gary didn't lose his glasses, so that was a plus. We had dinner at the Gristmill Saturday night and it was delicious! So were the Sangrias I knocked back all evening!! They were GOOD! The Fieseler/Bowden/Brignon/Perdue River Trip 2010 was such a blast!!! Paige had the best time on the ribber with her BFF Mackenzie and she loved floating with Gammy. Charlie was fantastic and the best part was seeing him with my girls. They had soooo much fun. The weather was great, the food was yummy and I loved spending my birthday with all of my friends and family :)
The Great Pepper's Meeting is almost upon us. We'll be leaving for Salado Friday morning after we drop off The Juicy at school. I'm looking forward to the meeting and to seeing what type of change can be facilitated between the election of officers and the open discussions during the meeting. A really good point was made this weekend about CASI..."it's "organization" isn't very organized." I agree with that statement, but maybe not as it would seem. I do believe that CASI's structure is very well organized; we have a BOD, a group of GP's and various pods who work to make CASI better. I think where CASI is fledgling is in it's vision for itself. If CASI wants to continue on as a group of great people who get together and cook chili for charity, then I think it's current structure is perfect. If CASI wants to be something more, and be more of a contributor to the Scholarship Fund, for example, then I believe the current structure will not allow CASI to grow. Maybe the ones charged with running CASI are too deeply entrenched in the daily grind and weekend chili cook offs to be impartial. Perhaps we have too many people who are still so closely tied to "how it's always been done" to see that it can be run differently, and maybe even better. I have always maintained that we should either have an outside CPA or an outside audit of the books. That's one area that I feel would benefit from a non cook's participation. Do I believe that we should have a Board made up of all non chili cooks? Absolutely not. We have to have a fair balance of unbiased eyes and seasoned chili cooks to keep CASI's best interests in focus. It's hard to be objective when you are in the big middle of everything - and I don't mean that in a negative way. Sometimes you have to be completely outside of the hoopla to see what works and what doesn't. I sometimes think that we've gotten away from the real reason why CASI was started in the first place. Is that a bad thing? Probably not. It just seems like we can't get enough people to agree on which direction we want to go as an organization. If you want to grow and expand and be nationally known, then you have to be willing to think outside the box, change how you run your organization, and allow yourselves to take chances. It will also involve opening yourself up to the public and membership as a whole to be scrutinized. I just don't think CASI is there yet. I feel like we've got one foot in the future and one foot in the past and that's why we're so stagnant. I think that CASI has to decide what it's identity is before it determines how to obtain it. There are so many great ideas and opportunities out there for CASI if they want to take the steps necessary to be a larger charitable organization. We've got someone (Jim Ezell) who works his butt off for CASI and the sponsorships. If we're going to grow, then get someone willing to work their tail off to advertise, promote and market us. On the other hand, if CASI is going to stay more of a charitable organization that is committed to helping out locally through Pods and the assorted cook offs, then let's embrace that and stop trying to be something that we're not...or at least not ready to be. Either way, CASI is a great organization with wonderful people who are doing a good thing by raising money (any money!) for charities.
I feel a little like a parent (well, technically I am - to Paige) when I read over what I've written. It's like when a parent says, "I don't care what you do when you grow up, I just want you to be happy." Well, that's how I feel about CASI. I don't care what CASI decides to be, I just want CASI to be happy doing it! I also want to see our organization take legitimate steps to becoming what it is that they want to be. In all fairness, that has to start with all of us, not just the BOD. We have to continue to effectively communicate with the Board. The membership has to make sure that their voices are heard. Over the past few weeks, I've had two very different experiences communicating with the Board. One went well; the other one was what I would call "non-responsive". That's okay, you can't win them all. Still, it doesn't deter me in the least - I'm stubborn like that! I don't, nor should any of us, expect to get our way every time we have a beef with CASI or the BOD. I think what most of us expect is to be heard, to be given the opportunity to discuss the issues and come to either an agreement, or an agreement to disagree on a matter. Once that becomes the rule, rather than the exception, then I think that CASI will have an easier time with growing it's brand if that's what they choose to do. Until we get the "organization" organized, then I worry that our efforts will be all for naught.
I want to wish everyone running for the BOD lots of luck. I hope that all of those running are treated with respect for putting themselves out there. Talking chili politics with a bunch of chili cooks isn't always easy. I find that those quickest to criticize are usually the first ones to say "Hell No" when it's suggested that they run for a Director's position. Whether you agree with any or all of the Directors, they are are volunteering their time and talents so that we can cook chili and not be bothered with a lot of the business stuff that still has to be handled.
For those of you who want to see how CASI is run, the GP Meeting is an excellent place to observe us "in action". It's even being held in a town with great antique shops in case you get tired of all of our posturing and arguing over really mundane stuff. I mean, it really is just a pot of chili, right? (This after a page of pontificating by yours truly!!)
Have a wonderful day....I've got recipes to post later!
Spreading joy and kindness in everything I do............
Kelly
The Great Pepper's Meeting is almost upon us. We'll be leaving for Salado Friday morning after we drop off The Juicy at school. I'm looking forward to the meeting and to seeing what type of change can be facilitated between the election of officers and the open discussions during the meeting. A really good point was made this weekend about CASI..."it's "organization" isn't very organized." I agree with that statement, but maybe not as it would seem. I do believe that CASI's structure is very well organized; we have a BOD, a group of GP's and various pods who work to make CASI better. I think where CASI is fledgling is in it's vision for itself. If CASI wants to continue on as a group of great people who get together and cook chili for charity, then I think it's current structure is perfect. If CASI wants to be something more, and be more of a contributor to the Scholarship Fund, for example, then I believe the current structure will not allow CASI to grow. Maybe the ones charged with running CASI are too deeply entrenched in the daily grind and weekend chili cook offs to be impartial. Perhaps we have too many people who are still so closely tied to "how it's always been done" to see that it can be run differently, and maybe even better. I have always maintained that we should either have an outside CPA or an outside audit of the books. That's one area that I feel would benefit from a non cook's participation. Do I believe that we should have a Board made up of all non chili cooks? Absolutely not. We have to have a fair balance of unbiased eyes and seasoned chili cooks to keep CASI's best interests in focus. It's hard to be objective when you are in the big middle of everything - and I don't mean that in a negative way. Sometimes you have to be completely outside of the hoopla to see what works and what doesn't. I sometimes think that we've gotten away from the real reason why CASI was started in the first place. Is that a bad thing? Probably not. It just seems like we can't get enough people to agree on which direction we want to go as an organization. If you want to grow and expand and be nationally known, then you have to be willing to think outside the box, change how you run your organization, and allow yourselves to take chances. It will also involve opening yourself up to the public and membership as a whole to be scrutinized. I just don't think CASI is there yet. I feel like we've got one foot in the future and one foot in the past and that's why we're so stagnant. I think that CASI has to decide what it's identity is before it determines how to obtain it. There are so many great ideas and opportunities out there for CASI if they want to take the steps necessary to be a larger charitable organization. We've got someone (Jim Ezell) who works his butt off for CASI and the sponsorships. If we're going to grow, then get someone willing to work their tail off to advertise, promote and market us. On the other hand, if CASI is going to stay more of a charitable organization that is committed to helping out locally through Pods and the assorted cook offs, then let's embrace that and stop trying to be something that we're not...or at least not ready to be. Either way, CASI is a great organization with wonderful people who are doing a good thing by raising money (any money!) for charities.
I feel a little like a parent (well, technically I am - to Paige) when I read over what I've written. It's like when a parent says, "I don't care what you do when you grow up, I just want you to be happy." Well, that's how I feel about CASI. I don't care what CASI decides to be, I just want CASI to be happy doing it! I also want to see our organization take legitimate steps to becoming what it is that they want to be. In all fairness, that has to start with all of us, not just the BOD. We have to continue to effectively communicate with the Board. The membership has to make sure that their voices are heard. Over the past few weeks, I've had two very different experiences communicating with the Board. One went well; the other one was what I would call "non-responsive". That's okay, you can't win them all. Still, it doesn't deter me in the least - I'm stubborn like that! I don't, nor should any of us, expect to get our way every time we have a beef with CASI or the BOD. I think what most of us expect is to be heard, to be given the opportunity to discuss the issues and come to either an agreement, or an agreement to disagree on a matter. Once that becomes the rule, rather than the exception, then I think that CASI will have an easier time with growing it's brand if that's what they choose to do. Until we get the "organization" organized, then I worry that our efforts will be all for naught.
I want to wish everyone running for the BOD lots of luck. I hope that all of those running are treated with respect for putting themselves out there. Talking chili politics with a bunch of chili cooks isn't always easy. I find that those quickest to criticize are usually the first ones to say "Hell No" when it's suggested that they run for a Director's position. Whether you agree with any or all of the Directors, they are are volunteering their time and talents so that we can cook chili and not be bothered with a lot of the business stuff that still has to be handled.
For those of you who want to see how CASI is run, the GP Meeting is an excellent place to observe us "in action". It's even being held in a town with great antique shops in case you get tired of all of our posturing and arguing over really mundane stuff. I mean, it really is just a pot of chili, right? (This after a page of pontificating by yours truly!!)
Have a wonderful day....I've got recipes to post later!
Spreading joy and kindness in everything I do............
Kelly
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Karma, Guns, Jewelry, Funnel Clouds, and Cupcakes
Some random thoughts for today:
I'm reaching certifiable status regarding the turquoise cuff I lost. I think I've found a few options for a replacement. I even tried to locate the person I purchased it from (no, I'm not a stalker) and that was sort of fruitless.
If you threaten to get a gun and shoot people at your office, some places will let you come back to work after you've been escorted from the building. NICE.
If a job bids at 2 pm, and we've accepted the invite on isqft AND it's only 11 am, expect a smart ass answer when you call and ask us where our bid is. Jesus, people.
I am a big fan of Karma. I want to build a Karma altar at my house and make offerings to it on a daily basis. No matter who you are or what you do, the Karma Police will find and arrest you. That's all I'm going to say, even though I could spend hours, no DAYS, going off. I have a healthy fear of the above mentioned Karma and do not want to upset her in any way, shape or form.
I am ready for it to cool off and stay cooled off. I am in need of nesting. I need to build a fire in my fireplace, have a big pot of soup on the stove, a good book and blanket. I am also in need of no more going and going and going. I have one more weekend away from home and then that is it for a while. I am turning into some sort of weird recluse, hermit-like person. My need to be at home cooking, cleaning, taking care of my children, husband and dogs is at an all time high.
I turn 37 on Saturday. I don't know how I feel about this. While I'm figuring out how I feel about it, I'm going to drink a lot, float a lot, and listen to a lot of Charlie Robison Saturday night at Gruene Hall :) The girls are so excited that they get to see him play and I'm excited that they're going to be there!!
Speaking of my girls. If your daddy and I are outside with our cocktails watching the storm and funnel clouds, and you come outside, you better not be some little pantywaist about it! I'm not about to have my storm watching ruined by scared children. If it's too much for you, go back in the house and get into turtle position!!!!! There I am again, lobbying for Redneck Mother of the Year.....LOL!! I told Paige repeatedly to go back into the house, but the "Mosaic Expert" told me she would be brave :o)
It's called The Cupcakery and I was introduced to it today. It's on the corner of McKinney and Pearl. Go there...fast...today if possible. Gary, because he loves me, brought me delicious cupcakes from this place. I ate a lemon one with lemon icing and I moaned with pleasure. That's right - I just said, out loud, that I moaned with pleasure while eating a cupcake. I'm not ashamed to admit it and I will be doing it again here shortly when I eat the Oh, My Gosh-Ganache cupcake. Huzzah!
Have a great day and a great holiday weekend! Good luck to everyone cooking chili this weekend!
Keep it real, folks...and spread some joy and kindness. Karma will be pleased :)
Kelly
I'm reaching certifiable status regarding the turquoise cuff I lost. I think I've found a few options for a replacement. I even tried to locate the person I purchased it from (no, I'm not a stalker) and that was sort of fruitless.
If you threaten to get a gun and shoot people at your office, some places will let you come back to work after you've been escorted from the building. NICE.
If a job bids at 2 pm, and we've accepted the invite on isqft AND it's only 11 am, expect a smart ass answer when you call and ask us where our bid is. Jesus, people.
I am a big fan of Karma. I want to build a Karma altar at my house and make offerings to it on a daily basis. No matter who you are or what you do, the Karma Police will find and arrest you. That's all I'm going to say, even though I could spend hours, no DAYS, going off. I have a healthy fear of the above mentioned Karma and do not want to upset her in any way, shape or form.
I am ready for it to cool off and stay cooled off. I am in need of nesting. I need to build a fire in my fireplace, have a big pot of soup on the stove, a good book and blanket. I am also in need of no more going and going and going. I have one more weekend away from home and then that is it for a while. I am turning into some sort of weird recluse, hermit-like person. My need to be at home cooking, cleaning, taking care of my children, husband and dogs is at an all time high.
I turn 37 on Saturday. I don't know how I feel about this. While I'm figuring out how I feel about it, I'm going to drink a lot, float a lot, and listen to a lot of Charlie Robison Saturday night at Gruene Hall :) The girls are so excited that they get to see him play and I'm excited that they're going to be there!!
Speaking of my girls. If your daddy and I are outside with our cocktails watching the storm and funnel clouds, and you come outside, you better not be some little pantywaist about it! I'm not about to have my storm watching ruined by scared children. If it's too much for you, go back in the house and get into turtle position!!!!! There I am again, lobbying for Redneck Mother of the Year.....LOL!! I told Paige repeatedly to go back into the house, but the "Mosaic Expert" told me she would be brave :o)
It's called The Cupcakery and I was introduced to it today. It's on the corner of McKinney and Pearl. Go there...fast...today if possible. Gary, because he loves me, brought me delicious cupcakes from this place. I ate a lemon one with lemon icing and I moaned with pleasure. That's right - I just said, out loud, that I moaned with pleasure while eating a cupcake. I'm not ashamed to admit it and I will be doing it again here shortly when I eat the Oh, My Gosh-Ganache cupcake. Huzzah!
Have a great day and a great holiday weekend! Good luck to everyone cooking chili this weekend!
Keep it real, folks...and spread some joy and kindness. Karma will be pleased :)
Kelly
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Smoked Salmon Frittata and Slow Cooker Roast
Good Morning!
Last night I made Ina Garten's Smoked Salmon Frittata. I made a few changes and it was still delicious. This is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it's also great if you are low carbing or no carbing it :). I also got a roast ready to cook in the slow cooker today while I'm at work! Recipes below:
Smoked Salmon Frittata
1/2 of medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
12 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb smoked salmon, chopped
3 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
3/4 Tbsp dried dill weed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the red onion and butter in a 10 inch oven proof skillet over medium low heat until tender. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cream, goat cheese, salmon, green onions, dill, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the skillet in the oven. Bake the frittata for 50-55 minutes until puffy and golden brown. You also want to make sure a knife inserted in the middle of it comes out clean, too. (That way you know it's done!) Serve warm with fruit, soup and/or salad. If you don't like dill, omit it and use parsley! I served this with roasted new potatoes. They are the easiest side dish to make. Quarter 3-4 large new potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven along with the frittata. Super easy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Slow Cooker Roast
1 2 1/2-3 lb chuck roast
2 large russet potatoes, quartered
1 16 oz bag of baby carrots
1 large onion, quartered
2 1.25 oz packages of onion soup mix (they come two to a box)
1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder
1/4 cup water
In a 5-6 qt slow cooker (with a slow cooker liner because they rock!), layer the potatoes, onions and carrots; sprinkle the contents of ONE bag of onion soup mix over the veggies. Lay the roast on top and sprinkle the other bag of onion soup mix over the top of it along with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Pour the water around the veggies, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Come home and dinner is ready except for a few side dishes! (If you're me, that consists of instant mashed potatoes, corn and green beans!!)
Have a great day! I am wavering on whether or not I want to delve into the Regional Referee issue that is quickly becoming a RR problem in the N Texas area. I'm torn between flipping out now or at the GP Meeting. If any of you who read this have an opinion either way regarding how the areas are being split up and the response (that has been iffy at times)from the individual re-zoning the areas, let me know what you think about how it's being handled.
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy in everything I do........
Kelly
Last night I made Ina Garten's Smoked Salmon Frittata. I made a few changes and it was still delicious. This is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it's also great if you are low carbing or no carbing it :). I also got a roast ready to cook in the slow cooker today while I'm at work! Recipes below:
Smoked Salmon Frittata
1/2 of medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
12 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb smoked salmon, chopped
3 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
3/4 Tbsp dried dill weed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the red onion and butter in a 10 inch oven proof skillet over medium low heat until tender. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cream, goat cheese, salmon, green onions, dill, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the skillet in the oven. Bake the frittata for 50-55 minutes until puffy and golden brown. You also want to make sure a knife inserted in the middle of it comes out clean, too. (That way you know it's done!) Serve warm with fruit, soup and/or salad. If you don't like dill, omit it and use parsley! I served this with roasted new potatoes. They are the easiest side dish to make. Quarter 3-4 large new potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven along with the frittata. Super easy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Slow Cooker Roast
1 2 1/2-3 lb chuck roast
2 large russet potatoes, quartered
1 16 oz bag of baby carrots
1 large onion, quartered
2 1.25 oz packages of onion soup mix (they come two to a box)
1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder
1/4 cup water
In a 5-6 qt slow cooker (with a slow cooker liner because they rock!), layer the potatoes, onions and carrots; sprinkle the contents of ONE bag of onion soup mix over the veggies. Lay the roast on top and sprinkle the other bag of onion soup mix over the top of it along with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Pour the water around the veggies, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Come home and dinner is ready except for a few side dishes! (If you're me, that consists of instant mashed potatoes, corn and green beans!!)
Have a great day! I am wavering on whether or not I want to delve into the Regional Referee issue that is quickly becoming a RR problem in the N Texas area. I'm torn between flipping out now or at the GP Meeting. If any of you who read this have an opinion either way regarding how the areas are being split up and the response (that has been iffy at times)from the individual re-zoning the areas, let me know what you think about how it's being handled.
Spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy in everything I do........
Kelly
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
