My poor boys. Both got full mouths of braces yesterday. I felt really guilty about it too. Weird, right? I wore them. Kyle's worn them before (he's in Phase II), but I still felt horrible for them. I tried to play it up - saying they had "grills" now, but I knew they were in pain and it was painful for me. Last night, just a few hours after getting them on, they were both pretty hungry. I made overcooked pasta and overcooked broccoli - since they love both I thought it was a sure thing. Well, Kyle couldn't bite down and Luke could hardly open his mouth. We went out for frozen yogurt. If you've ever worn braces, you know that this morning was even worse. Both were super sore and couldn't eat breakfast. So now what? What can they possibly eat for dinner? We're gonna try chili. And mashed potatoes. Maybe some frozen peas. And pudding for dessert. Let's hope it goes smoothly!
Here's a chili recipe from The Newlywed Cookbook if you want to make chili for someone you love too. You can even make it for the Superbowl; it's a true crowd-pleaser.
Super Chili
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 Spanish onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
3 cups beef or chicken broth
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
4 19-ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
grated cheddar cheese or sour cream
chopped green onions (optional)
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add ground beef and sauté until browned and cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Transfer to a colander to drain fat.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the same stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeño and sauté 4 minutes, or until tender and golden. Return beef to pot. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir to coat vegetables and meat with spices Super Chili. Add tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, and beans and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer 1 hour.
To serve, discard bay leaves, ladle chili into bowls and top with grated cheddar or sour cream and chopped green onions.
Serves 6-8
Tiramisustudio, Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee