Chili Cook-Off

Today, Elise participated in the Chili Cook-Off at church and... 

she won the "People's Choice Award"!

When she asked me if we could do the cook-off, my initial thought was "ugh...why would we want to do that?" But, she persisted and I relented. She picked out a football theme for the table decor and memorized Adrienne's chili recipe... "hamburger, onion, tomatoes, beans, sauce, and secret ingredients". (The secret ingredients were all the spices that she couldn't remember.) We made the chili together on Saturday and today after Sunday School, she sat at the table alone, dishing up samples while I was working. Of course her cuteness factor enabled many people to check on her. Every time I walked through to make sure she was doing OK, I caught someone "helping". 

The cook-off was a fun event. You could buy single samples for a quarter, or purchase $5 wristbands that entitle you to all-you-can-eat-samples. Everyone who made a purchase was given one ticket to give to their favorite chili recipe. Since the event was sponsored by the youth, Eliot got to be a judge. (I have never seen him eat so much chili- and some of the recipes were SUPER SPICY!!) They gave prizes for the most unique, the hottest, the best white chili, the judges favorite and then they counted the tickets for the big winner... People's Choice!

Way to go Tootsie!