Meet Harley, and a good hot supper for a cold day

We had quite an eventful weekend at our little house on The High Plains. My eleven faithful readers will recall that I have been looking for a gently used feline to join our family. Well, we found one…meet Harley:

Harley got his name from the rumble that comes out of his throat when he purrs, which you can hear all the way into another room if he’s feeling particularly enthusiastic. He’s still a kitten at nine months old, but has some good habits and training established. He’s got lots of personality and fit in well from the very moment we brought him home. It feels good to have a cat in the house again.

So what does Harley have to do with a good hot supper on a cold day? Absolutely nothing. I just happen to be cooking a nice hot supper and am going to post the recipe here so I don’t lose it again. I’m making a family favorite, Chili Spaghetti. I wanted to make it last night, but I lost the recipe and had to go digging through my email to find where I’d sent it to someone else.  Posting it here will allow me to find it a little easier next time it gets lost. I have a hard time holding on to recipe cards for some reason.

What we call Chili Spaghetti is more well-known as Cincinnati Style Chili. It’s not your average chili flavor given the use of cinnamon and allspice. Some recipes even call for a little bit of cocoa. It’s served poured over spaghetti noodles, and we like it served with shredded cheese. It’s a good aromatic, savory dish for a cold crappy day like , when it’s -20 and everyone has a cold. It’s fabulous left over, and I like to make large batches of it and freeze some for later use. Here’s a little bit more on the history of it from Wikipedia, and the recipe I use is posted below.  I found a recipe on-line and tweaked it a bunch until it was just right.  I’d like to thank my friend Susan for exposing me to this dish, and for keeping us stocked with the spice packets for a long time until I found my own recipe…it’s become a family favorite that we can’t do without. Enjoy!

Sparrow’s High Plains Chili Spaghetti
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped (I only use one)
1 qt water
2 lbs ground beef
1 14-16 oz can tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs ground cumin
1 large bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp salt (opt)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Cooked Spaghetti, enough for six servings

Optional, chili beans (cooked in chili) and raw onion to serve with.

In a large skillet, saute the garlic and onions in hot oil or butter. Add water and heat until simmering. Add the beef raw, smashing into very fine pieces with a fork and wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and spices. Simmer for three hours, stirring periodically.

Serve with shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Beans or raw onions are optional.