Oh, the shame.

I know I said if the chili turned out alright, I'd post the recipe.

I would, too... if I hadn't buried it deep in the backyard, with the hopes it will remain undiscovered by impressionable young cooks digging for new recipes.

That being said, I would like to point out that despite the fact that it was a terrible disappointment, it did not, I repeat NOT -- get last place in the competition. Second to last... maybe (ok, so it was actually second to last) but definitely not last.

I feel a deep, burning shame ... I have failed my fore-mothers. As some of you are aware -- my roots lie deep in Texas and Oklahoma. I feel a responsibility to uphold the high standards of traditional Southern and Midwestern foods... fried chicken, fried biscuits, fried green tomatoes, fried snickers bars, fried ... well, pretty much anything that CAN be fried. (It's the American way.) And CHILI. Oh, how I have shamed my ancestors! I feel like Charlie Chaplin after he lost his own look-a-like contest. But no more tears ... I must move on with my life.

And I DID.

This weekend I got over myself by throwing myself head-first into a few sewing/crafting projects. I started Marcus's Halloween costume (the lawn gnome) and I must say, I am fairly impressed with myself. Seeing as I haven't touched my sewing machine since *last* Halloween (when I broke a needle attempting to help my friend sew ears onto a cap for her son's Batman costume...) I did fairly well. I was tempted to post some pictures of the progress, but I'd rather wait until the entire ensemble comes together. (Read: I'm way too lazy to take pictures and post them right now.)

My success with the costuming (including pointy gnome shoes!!!) led me to search through my closet for all of my thrifting finds that were too big of a bargain to pass up, yet didn't fit me quite the way I'd envisioned. I'm halfway through altering one dress (that cost me a whopping 25 cents -- take THAT expensive retail chains I can no longer afford!!! BAM!) and I've got a few more I'm considering working on.

THIS success has led me to un-box yards and yards of fabric I've either thrifted or picked up as remnants on the cheap and start planning out patterns for some dresses and jumpers. Most of these, I'm sure, will have disastrous, muumuu-like results and the fabric will ultimately go to waste... but I've got to start somewhere, right? (Just say yes. It's easier to justify destroying perfectly good fabric if I have people egging me on.)

This morning I also made zucchini bread, seeing as for an entire week, everytime I had to pick something up from the grocery store, I'd think: "Zucchini! I need some!" Thus resulting in about five zucchinis I needed to use up.

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil

Grease loaf pan. Set oven to 350.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. Make a well in the center, set aside.
In another bowl, combine egg, zucchini, sugar, and cooking oil. Add in well in dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Pour into loaf pan.
Bake 50 minutes.
Sit on your couch and eat piece after piece while watching The X-Files on DVD. (Scratch that. That's just what I like to do.)

And now to relieve Joe of his Marcus watching duties, as I've been holed up in this room for quite a while. (Damn you
addictive celebrity gossip websites!!!)