Halloween - Chili with Beans on Rice

When Halloween rolls around I always think of Chili with Beans on Rice. And Mama dressed up like a witch. Mama even looks pretty as a witch.

Sometimes on Halloween if the mood struck she would get all dressed up, complete with black pointy hat, long curly black wig, black dress, black lace up boots and a great long cobweb broom. Then she would do a spiritual reading of the poem "Little Orphant Annie". Mama can be very spirited.

"Lil Orphant Annie" is a poem written in the 1800's by James Whitcomb Riley. Like all of the stories Mama chose to tell us this one had a very clear moral. It's about what can happen if little children don't behave themselves. It wasn't the least bit scary when Mama recited the poem because she has this playful way about her. And even when she said "an the goblins 'il git cha if you don't watch out!" everybody would laugh because Mama's eyes were laughing. She looked like the complete opposite of a scary witch. To be on the safe side though it seems like the little children always did behave ourselves. I mean themselves. Like Daddy says, Mama has always known how to get things done.

So Halloween brings back lots of fun memories of trick-or-treating in Lattimore. I loved to dress up like a witch and then go with my sisters and everybody else up and down Main Street. One of my favorite stops was to Aunt Hattie and Uncle Aubrey's House. We didn't just stop and yell trick or treat at the door. Aunt Hattie and Uncle Aubrey invited us in to talk and see our costumes and then we had hot apple cider and fresh popped pop corn. I loved this because they gave every one of us our own little brown bag of popcorn. And the cider smelled so good. One Halloween I had chicken pox and I remember just crying at the front door when everybody went out to trick or treat. When they got home, they brought a little brown bag of popcorn that Aunt Hattie had sent for me. Popcorn and hot cider always make me think of Aunt Hattie and Uncle Aubrey.

In the '60s we celebrated Halloween on West Warren Street and sometimes on Peach Street in Shelby. Big green army coats with deep pockets were a big part of those Halloweens.

In Chapel Hill in the '70s I experienced the thrill of Franklin Street on Halloween. My best costume back then was a Great Pumpkin outfit. I borrowed a huge orange pantsuit and then cut a basketball with eyes, nose, mouth and wore it over my head. My buddy, Gardner, and I had a rocking and rolling good time that year.

There have been a bunch of fun Halloweens since then. One year when our children were in elementary school, Margaret, Robin, Anne and I organized a Halloween parade in the neighborhood. We do love a parade. We decked out golf carts and marched around the neighborhood and then came back to our yard for a big covered dish supper. I made chicken wings and David made ribs and there were plenty of skeleton bones after that party.

Rick and June used to have a big Halloween party where everybody went all out for costumes. Sweet Potato Queens, Spud Studs, Lady Godiva's Ugly Sister, Sonny and Cher, and many others were memorable costumes. For a couple of years David and I dressed in togas and that is still one of my favorites because it is fun AND it is comfortable.

The boys have had some interesting Halloween parties at our house with some really creative costumes along with black lights, dry ice and dancing in the creepy basement.

It seems like this time of year Mama always cooked Chili with Beans and served it over Rice. She would add a salad and buttered, toasted hot dog buns. When we came in on October nights there was nothing better. You can adapt it as the spirit moves you!

Mama's Chili Recipe

1 lb ground beef - Mama uses Ground CHUCK. She says it is always important to brown it until it really is brown. If you are using a lean beef like chuck you may need to add a little oil to get it right.

1 cup chopped onions
#2 Can Kidney Beans (Mama says a #2 can means 15 oz)
#2 Can Tomatoes with Italian spices - just whatever you have
#2 Can Diced Tomatoes (I use petite diced with no salt added)
1 cup water and 1 cup beef broth
2 tsp chili powder - mama says she uses more than that
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
garlic salt to taste

Saute onions and ground chuck until really well browned. This is key. Mama says it needs to be the color of Brown to be good. Then add the rest and simmer at least 30 minutes.

Mama says you can add green peppers and mushrooms and things it you want, but the simple way works just fine.

I have a vegetarian friend who does it this way too, but instead of ground chuck she sautes coarsely chopped squash and zucchini. I think she adds cumin also.

Some people add Rotel which really is the wonder ingredient. Sometimes I add black beans instead of kidneys.

Chili with Beans is good a million different ways, but please - Serve it over Rice. With buttered and toasted hot dog buns. So the goblins won't git cha. Happy Halloween!