Sunday, lazy Sunday

Workout: Ran 4.27 miles (average pace, 9:23) and a 75-minute Deep Stretch Flow Yoga class.

My day started off so well - a run, postponed from yesterday because someone (ahem, Mark) wasn't feeling so good after New Year's Eve, and my hardest yoga class yet. Challenging. Active. Fulfilling. Definitely a great morning.

And then it got kind of lazy.

"House Hunters," "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and "Wedding Date" on ABC Family. An overflowing basket of laundry went neglected. Too many games of Spider Solitaire.

Thank goodness I had a pot of chili on the stove that needed to simmer for three hours. It guaranteed my bum that it would get off the couch at least once every 15 minutes. And it guaranteed my belly that I'd have something warm and comforting on this chilly winter Sunday.

Old-School Cincinnati-Style Chili

1 quart water

2 pounds ground beef (the recipe calls for ground chuck but you can use a leaner cut)

3 bay leaves

15 whole allspice

5 whole cloves (optional)

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

2 medium onions, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

4 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.5 teaspoons salt

1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate

Add ground chuck to water; boil for half-hour, breaking up meat with wooden spoon. Put bay leaves, allspice and cloves into a tea ball or cheesecloth. Add remaining ingredients and tea ball/cheesecloth of spices to the pot. Simmer for three hours. Serve over a bed of spaghetti (I prefer Ronzoni SmartTaste) and top with cheddar cheese (we use 2% in this house) for a Cincinnati 3-way. Add onions or kidney beans for a 4-way – both for a 5-way. You can also use the chili as a coney sauce.

I will tell you this, guys and dolls, Cincinnati chili can be an acquired taste and many unfamiliar with it balk at the whole pasta and cheese thing. Let me tell you, though, if you go in with an open mind, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Enjoy!

P.S. Thank you everyone for the kind words on our big announcement. Mark and I are thrilled, and I’m excited to navigate this adventure as healthfully as I can. I do hope you continue to follow it as well.