Video Entry!! Making A Pot of TMI Chili!

Here you go, folks! Making A Pot of TMI Chili! :)

Enjoy!

-Kim

Not food related, this is a health update

Many references have been made to my health in past posts, here's the short of it:

I've been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I've had a lot of my food stuff on hold while I try to learn what this means to my daily life, medically, financially, and in general. Here's an update from my most recent visit to the GP:

I was given Baclofen for my spasticity and muscle twitching, she changed how I take my Norco, and the bulk of my other meds remain the same, have Lunesta on hold in case I need it. No Neuro meds yet but here's why:

Overall:

My last MRI was enough to get me my clinical Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, but there is still a lot that is unclear because my muscles were spazzing and I was moving around too much. She's ordered more MRIs, but we're taking things a little differently to get it done.

I have to get myself onto County Health Care. I am not sure how long it will take for that to happen, as I have to get my birth certificate from California. BUT, because my facility, HBHC, has a few other grants and things that will not only help me get my MRI covered, but will make certain it is an Open MRI this time, and that I get the proper sedation (putting me under to stop the muscle spasms), and they will also help me with the transportation to/from it. They will be going for a full with/without contrast Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar sets. Gonna be in there all day.

Also, with the ability to pull a few strings here and there, they're going to try to get me into Northwestern University Hospital to start off with, and once things are clearer, maybe move me to U of C for specialist care. Not sure yet.

Income:

Dr. is sending over a letter that will allow me to make an appointment at the Department of Human Services with the paralegal to get my SSI paperwork filled out until my clearer MRI's come in, and I can get the final paperwork for my SSDI. This is a fairly complicated process and could take quite a while. We have to take it one step at a time, and I have no idea how much SSI will offer me.

I am going back, hopefully sooner than my 2 week followup, to get the county care setup when my birth certificate arrives, so the MRI can get arranged. I also have a 2 week followup, as I mentioned, and see about some assistive devices for around the house, like a shower chair, etc.

This stuff goes on and on.

You may have seen the post I made a while back with regard to a fundraiser that I'm running to try to keep active during my medical work, and despite my diagnoses. Fighting Social Anxiety Disorder and Multiple Sclerosis is a challenge, but I choose to fight it with doing something I love: Cooking Chili.

While the fundraiser is about to hit its deadline, I will still be able to receive donations, and if you wish to help either by sharing or donating, you can go to one of two places:

https://www.facebook.com/TheChiliGames

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/9UAZ4

While I'd love to ask everyone to donate, I know that is not possible for everyone, but sharing this fundraiser is something everyone can do, and with enough sharing, word will reach people who are able to donate.

Thanks again everyone, for keeping up, and helping as you can.

-Kim

A little more about Chili History: A teaser... and a little about upcoming entries.

Hi everyone!

Sorry to be so stingy on the entries lately, there's been a lot going on, and my health hasn't been the best. You may have heard more about that by seeing the fundraiser I'm running, but that is not what this post is about.

I may have stumbled across a small piece of chili history through a recent spontaneous purchase. I will tell you more once I have my sources verified and checked, but I am SUPER excited about it!

Another thing to come soon will be a post about one of my favourite local places called Yanni's Dogs; a local Chicago hot dog and burger place not far from my house. I wrote a review of it on Yelp, if you'd like to see it, you can go here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/yannis-dogs-chicago, but I want to give it some more attention here. One of my next couple of entries will be about them.

So! You have a few things to look forward to, and I hope you are as excited to hear about them as I am about to write them! Stay tuned, and stay hungry! :)

-Kim

Living with MS, Cooking With Love, Chili for Life. A Fundraiser.

Its that time again, friends. I've started a fundraiser. With my MS and SAD, this was a difficult one to start, as I'm being very very open about myself in this search. Please spread the word!

Cupcake Truck!

Hi everyone! I'll let this entry speak for itself. It is my first video entry, and while short, its fun and shows the encounter my partner and I had with the food truck from Forever More Cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Can it!

Something a little different today, gang.

I thought I'd talk briefly (we'll see if I can keep it brief) about canned chili. My favourite brand of canned chili has always been Stagg® Chili, which is now (maybe it always has been) owned by Hormel®. For some reason, this chili just seems to satisfy what I want in a "quick and dirty" bowl of red, and as they have a wide variety of chili to choose from, I tend to find that I rarely tire of it.

Stagg® Chili

However, its not that simple anymore.

I live in Chicago, the Midwestern United States, and Stagg® is not available here! I can order it from Amazon, if I want to pay the premium (and I've pondered it several times), but with how things are financially right now, I just can't justify that. In my search for a substitute, I found myself trying something else from Hormel®, and I think its a good substitute given my options here. This option is "Hormel® Cook-Off Series™ Chili", in all its varieties.

Hormel® Cook-Off Series™ Chili

I have to say that for a quick and dirty bowl of red, this is satisfying my craving. Its not the most phenomenal thing to hit the market, but I don't care. I'm not diving into this for gourmet chili, or competition chili, I'm diving into this for a quick bit of comfort food, a late night snack, a good movie and a cry, a way to deal with my desire for more specific southwestern foods.

Now for those of you who may live in the midwest and suggest Wolf® Brand Chili, I have tried a bunch of it and it just does not suit me. There is something in it that my palate and my digestive tract do not like. Its not a bad chili, on the whole, but I just can't do it. I definitely suggest you give it a try. I'm partial to the Roasted Tomato and the Chipotle Chicken, but the other flavours are very good as well.

Wolf® Brand Chili

I know this chili has a long long history, 1895 and made by a ranch hand and all that, but even in TX, there is a LOT of debate about what makes a good bowl of red, and for me, this just does not... "minister to me", as a friend of mine would say. 

Everyone needs comfort food. For me, that is often chili, and for now, since I can't get my absolute favourite (especially since I think that the flavour I liked the most isn't made anymore, even in the Stagg® line), I have settled, for the moment, on the Hormel® Cook-Off Series™ Chili. May you all find the flavours that best suit you. As I say in another corner of the internet:

May the pods be ever in your flavour!

Results from The Chilly Willie Challenge Regional Chili Cookoff

Hello everyone!

So I went to the Chilly Willie Challenge Regional Cookoff in Orland Park this year, and it was a wonderful time! While I didn't place, but I was in the finals in all three categories (Well, Salsa didn't have a Finals Table, but Green and Red did, and I made it to finals in those)! This is beyond awesome! Especially since this is my second time at a chili competition, and my first time competing in Verde and Salsa.
Congratulations to the winners, and here they are!
Homestyle Chili:
Katy Withers

Salsa:
3. Mike Usiak
2. Don Cullum
1. Scott Barrett

Verde:
3. Jeff Netser
2. Mike Usiak
1. Tom Pardikes

Red:
4. Jim Stoddard (tie for 3rd)
3. Mike Usiak (tie for 3rd)
2. Jeff Netser
1. Jim Weller

I am very very thankful to all who have supported me, helping me to get to my events, and a very special thanks goes to Michael R Brown for providing transportation and for all the help he was at the booth at this event!

I entered with the Salsa recipe from my previous entry, and did fairly well, just not in the top 3. The verde recipe was very similar to a recipe I mentioned in a previous post here, though had a few changes for the competition. I kind of made it up as I went along. Here's a photo!

The cookoff was a blast, and I hope to go to many more until I finally win! Until next time, though, that's all for now! ;)

-Kim