And this evening, while I and several bulky bags were forcing our way into the apartment, chili was my ray of hope.  The evening was slated to be a crummy one spent worrying about my very sick puppy and playing catch-up with my to-do list, but chili made it a little better.

While the chili simmered, my glass of wine and I caught up on some mail that arrived for me today.  My postal treat was from my favorite friends at Applegate Farms:

How excited am I?? Christmas has come early! Remember my excited post from a few weeks ago? Seriously, this OOTS lunchbox should be on your holiday wish list.  It’s durable (no bruised apples), dishwasher safe (for you lucky ones), very cheerful, and much less embarrassing than reusing a Target bag (not that Target is embarrassing, of course!).

As I’ve said before, Applegate Farms has some awesome products so be sure to check them out in the grocery store.  They are natural and organic and all-around good for you.  And wonderfully tasty. Maybe we’ll be seeing more Applegate Farms products on the blog in the near future?

Now on to the recipe of the night! If you had the sort of crum-bum day that I did, you definitely need a dose of this medicine:

Page’s Chili

Heat 1 T olive oil in a skillet.  Add 2 chopped peppers and 2 chopped onions and saute for a few minutes.  If you have garlic cloves, mince and add one or two. I didn’t have any so I used approx. 2 t. garlic powder when I added the spices later.

All those colors make me happy

Add about 1 lb. turkey or beef and cook until brown.

Sid provided necessary supervision.

Once the beef is fully cooked, drain the fat and put beef and vegetables in a large pot.  To the pot add: 6 c. (48 oz.) crushed tomatoes, 2 cans (14 oz. each) kidney beans, 3 bay leaves, 3 T. chili powder, 1/2 T. crushed red pepper, all depending on your taste.  Let simmer on low for about 45 minutes.

It doesn't look pretty, but it sure tastes pretty

This recipe makes a vat of chili large enough to feed you, your roommate, and your hungry boyfriend for several days.  You can pair chili with almost any starch (I enjoy noodles or a baked potato).  Tonight I made cornbread from a Trader Joe’s mix I got on my cross country trip this summer.

The mix calls for 1/2 c. of oil, but I substituted the same amount of applesauce like I normally do with cake mixes.  It tastes exactly the same.

After dinner I packed my lunch for tomorrow:

I couldn’t resist a shot! (In case you’re interested, that’s leftover chili and cornbread, applesauce, Stonyfield soy yogurt to try for the first time, raisins and almonds.)

I’m off to care for this miserable monster named Jack.  Hope he feels better soon!

Zesty Cook had a great post a couple of days ago on pantry organization. For a food-loving, obsessively organized girl like myself, it was right on. Frankly, I already use most of his tips. What can I say, I like an accessible pantry. My roommates love that I am constantly rearranging the shelves and moving their food…

My extreme organization comes from the fact that I always have a busy schedule. I thrive off of having a lot to do, but it means I need to be prepared to keep myself from running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Or even a chicken with its head still attached. I’m pretty sure chickens are the least put-together members of the barnyard family.

Now that I’m done with college, my running around comes from having four jobs. I’m out of the house all day so I’m constantly lugging around bags with work clothes, gym clothes, extra shoes, random electronics, lunch and snacks. I’ve got this all covered with a large purse, a tote, and a gym bag, but my bag entourage lacks one essential member: a good lunchbox. I’m super picky, what can I say? No brown bag or squishy colored cooler is enough for me. I hate it when my bananas go brown from being jostled, my sandwich gets smooshed by my yogurt, and there’s not even enough room for my water bottle. I want eco-friendliness and reusability. And frankly, I don’t want to look like a dork.

So my heart definitely skipped a beat when I saw this:

It is a lunchbox by the company OOTS . My eyes widened and I started drooling on the keyboard. It’s just absolute perfection as far as I’m concerned, and were it not for the price tag, I’d have one in every color. It’s completely compact and easy to carry, yet offers the right amount of storage for an extreme eater such as myself. Holy goodness.

OOTS has teamed up with Applegate Farms to make lunch fun again. Applegate Farms, the delicious people behind these yummy chicken and apple sausages I love, make organic and natural meats and cheeses. I’ve heard rave reviews about their uncured hot dogs. The companies are giving away a couple of these lunchboxes to some lucky contestants. Enter to win by leaving your favorite school lunch memory here. Or don’t, because then I’ll have a better chance of winning.