Heartbreak in Chicago

Bears, this blogger is heartbroken by today's loss after risking heart disease and high blood pressure. Cutler played great despite dealing with the loss of his brother-in-law. The plays could have been called better but when they didn't work, Cutler's improvisations were stellar.

Third quarter scores also did my heart good but then, Robbie ..... really? Every Bears fan was pulling for you to make the field goal to put us into overtime. Last week was hard and this was the perfect opportunity. What's the matter dude? You've set so many records and pulled us out of losing spirals again and again. Bears fans have your back. Time to get your groove back.

Let's talk about the heart attack menu. Apparently, despite the fabulous array of ethnic choices to be found in Washington DC, the iconic tailgate treat for Washington is the half smoke. The half smoke is similar to a hot dog but is bigger, smoked and often served with chili sauce. We needed the win so off to market I went. The closest to a half smoke was a larger hot dog with a mixture of meats.

This was served with my traditional tailgate chili. If you are partial to Steak and Shake chili, add some cocoa powder to the recipe. If you're playing Cincinnati, add cinnamon.

Tailgate Chili

Ingredients:
1 # ground beef, turkey or pork - or any combination
2 cans of chili beans (hot or mild or both - your choice)
1/2 onion chopped
1 can tomato soup
1/4 - 1/3 cup salsa
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili powder to taste (I use quite a bit)

Directions:
1.  Brown meat and onions, drain
2.  Add soup, beans and salsa
3.  Season to taste
4.  Simmer until thickened