I finally think I'm closing in on a decent chili recipe! It kind of reminded me of "dump" cake, as unappealing as that sounds - literally, open cans, dump, cook on stove 1 hour.

1 can beef broth
1 can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 (little) can tomato paste
steak ... or ground beef ... or really, whatever your heart desires
cayenne powder
cumin
salt
pepper
garlic
onion

Notice - no measurements. That's because it's incredibly similar to the recipe I found in my Betty Crocker. But, their recipe called for 2 tablespoons of chili powder. I put in one, and it's on fire!! So, the moral of the story is, season it to your liking. If you like spicy, then by all means, use the whole jar of chili. If you're like me and cry over pico de gallo, maybe do less.

Next time I'll put in more meat (I thought I'd put in too much) and less cayenne; maybe another can of different beans. Yay for meals that don't take 6 hours to prepare & cook!

Ah, cars. They're a pain, aren't they?

As my car is about to fall apart, I've been thinking about what kind of car I want. It's tough, though. I mean, I've driven the same car for 10 years now. How on earth do you replace that?


Ha, just kidding. Although, if money were no object, I think I'd really like this one. I saw a middle-aged woman driving it in Huntington Beach once, and it certainly was a beautiful car. But, it's not really practical to spend more money on a car than you make in a year. An this is where I begin: start at the top, and work down.


OK, this is another dream car. And I don't even dream about the convertible. But I've been a fan ever since (embarrassingly) Legally Blonde. Yet another dream car, but we're getting closer ...


Oh yes. The Mitsubishi Eclipse. I am totally obsessed with the orange, too. In fact, the big factors here are: 1) the color, 2) the shape, and 3) the price. It's within a reasonable price range for a car, in my opinion. It would satisfy my need for a sporty, fun car, before I get saddled with the SUV or (gasp) minivan for the kids. They're not the best of cars, and it doesn't get as good gas mileage as I do now, but hey, I'm getting an MBA, don't I deserve a little fun??

I was pretty dead set on this one. I have all the options picked out. And then, I remembered this childhood (OK, maybe teen-hood) dream ...
Oh yes. The iconic Volkswagen Beetle. When these first came back, I was all in to them; I'll admit, I totally fell for the advertising (remember Absurd?). Now, these are not technologically superior cars, either; the gas mileage is a little worse than the eclipse.

{edit: No, it does not come in pink. I'm not sure why the picture looks pink. The downside to this one is the colors leave something to be desired.}

BUT ... who would have ever thought I'd be able to afford a convertible??? I know, I never really wanted a convertible. And, I don't really like the soft-top look. But there's something about a convertible Bug, in my price range, that's wonderfully attractive. I haven't test driven one, but you better believe when I get a few free minutes, I'm going to!!

Are cars like wedding dresses and houses? Do you always end up with the exact opposite of what you thought you wanted? Or is there really just no car out there for me? I guess we'll find out after my test drive.