We recently had the NGLTF,(www.thetaskforce.org), for a week at the retreat to figure out their plans for the upcoming year. You have probably seen their progress in the news. They had a wonderful stay! Here are a few things they had to say about their time spent:
“Everything you did for all of us was incredible! Thanks for taking such good care of us!”
“What a delightful experience, thanks for your hospitality.”
“Thanks for making a space for us to do so much good thinking, playing, and planning!”
“I’m so glad we got to come back to the BEST retreat site we’ve ever been to! The food was incredible every day, and the accommodations and grounds are just beautiful. Thanks for having us.”
Speaking of the food, they asked for our chili recipe that we made for them, and though we wanted to keep it secret, we realized that was selfish, so here it is.
Arlene and Kate’s Chili
Ground beef (5 lbs.)
White onion, chopped (two)
Minced garlic (probably 10 cloves)
Diced tomatoes (huge can)
Tomato paste (can)
Tomatoes chopped by hand (3 big ones)
Chili powder (1 cup)
Ketchup (5 or 6 count squeeze)
Olive oil (1/2 cup)
Balsamic vinegar (2 tbs)
Red wine vinegar (2 tbs)
Kidney beans (3 small cans, 1 large can, or however many you like)
Chopped jalapenos (at LEAST three, but to taste)
Sliced jalapenos (can you handle it?!)
Corn (frozen bag)
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (like 4 tbs)
Green bell pepper (one, chopped!)
Sugar (1/2 cup, seriously)
Combine.
Just kidding. Begin with cooking the ground beef in a sauce-like pot. Treat this first part as if you are making an extremely meaty meat sauce. Add the olive oil, salt, black pepper, white onion, and half of the minced garlic. Cook this up until it smells really good and your neighbors start dropping by unexpectedly. Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, ketchup, and diced tomatoes. Perhaps you want to add some more meat at this point, perhaps not. We let this simmer for hours and hours while adding the rest of the ingredients in when we felt like it. We believe that you will have the same success with this tactic. Make sure you taste it as you go, or else! This recipe can feed anywhere from two to sixteen people, depending.
*If you have any emergencies, feel free to call us. Please keep in mind the time difference.
