Fall Tradition

Oh, the chili dinner! We had our famous annual chili dinner Sunday with Momma and Papa Carroll. Mmmmm.....it was delicious. It's such a great event but how did this all get started?

As a child a steaming hot bowl of chili was always served on the night of Halloween. Mom would start making it the day before because the dry kidney beans had to soak in water for 24 hours (something like that). Now we have canned beans that we use. The traditional recipe has gradually evolved into what it is today. There was always a bay leaf floating in the chili that we had to fish out when I was younger. I know we don't do that now. We would be in our costumes and try to quickly gobble up our hot chili so that we could get on down the road to do our trick-or-treating. There was always cornbread with honey and butter, little cheese cubes, carrot sticks and black olives. I can remember the cornbread being served on little small individual-sized bread boards. Where did those go? We also had cute little pokers that had black cats on the end of them to serve the olives. I don't really remember a dessert being served, probably because we were going to eat a ton of candy in an hour or so.

As the years went by the dinner kind of turned into what it is now. With the addition of grandkids and spouses it was difficult to get everyone together for a Halloween dinner, plus it was getting hard to go trick or treating and then head off to Grandma and Grandpa's so they could see the cute grandkiddies in costume. So we decided to not do the dinner on Halloween but turned it into an event that is usually on a Sunday. The cousins always come in their costumes. I'm grateful for the stressful early costume "check" because it makes the actual Halloween day easier. The kids love seeing everyone in costume and it gives them another chance to wear their treasured costumes. We've always had fun getting together, eating chili, and taking lots of cute pictures. A great tradition. My children look forward to it as well as other friends and family members who have gobbled down a bowl of hot chili with us through the years.Look at these little costume-clad cousins in 1996! Who's the one with the big mouth?! mmmmmm... Madeleine, Landon, Dallin, and Ashton (the one with the big mouth!)
This is 1999 with the Carroll Clan in Georgia. Oh they have grown so much! Top row: Landon, Dallin, Jenna, Ashton, Jacob. Bottom: Collin, Spencer.

For the year 2002 we were living in Utah for a short little while and were able to consume our chili at Grandma and Grandpa's. Fun with the Homer cousins! The Carroll cousins continue to grow and new ones have been added in 2004. I'm making three batches of chili to feed this crowd now--between the growing numbers and the growing boys, they can down a lot of chili!

This chili season we were small in numbers due to schedules and the fact that life is crazy for us right now as we prepare to move. We missed Ashton this year. But not to worry-- she had chili dinner with Grandma and Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles and cousins out in Utah!

Stephen looks satisfied after downing his chili.Gene and Sandra (Stephen's parents) love to join us. Glad to have them this year.And the only cousin in costume this year......EASTON! He is so excited to be Ironman for Halloween. He's looking forward to the big day this Friday.

For those of you interested I am posting the chili recipe. It kind of really isn't a recipe, it's one of those just throw it in and taste it recipes. But here's what I usually do.

2 large cans dark kidney beans (with liquid)

1 large can stewed tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds hamburger, cooked

1 bottle tomato juice

1 can tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp onion powder
3 TBSP chili powder (It is pretty mild, if you want a little kick go ahead and add more)

salt and pepper to taste

Cook all day in crock pot on low or in a large pot on stove. It's actually better the second day! Serve with fritos (we loved the chili flavored ones this year), sour cream, and cheese.

P.S. As I've looked through the pictures over the years I've noticed a trend--I have never been to a chili dinner. I cannot find myself in one picture. I know I was at each one. Wow, that's sad. My goal: Be in a picture for the 2009 Chili dinner! It will happen even if I have to take it of myself.