Chili Festival

Mmmmm....chili! Tonight Dennis and I went to a chili festival....actually, it was more like a chili cook-off. We got there just when they started so we were able to sample most of the chilies. We'd always talked about going in years past, but we just never got around to it. And now I'd have to say we'll make it an annual event for sure. It was a lot of fun (we met our friends there) and had our own little judging event after every sample. Some lacked flavor and some had way too much (cumin specifically). There was one that had either apple juice in it or apples.....I think that was one of Dennis's favorites. Then we tried this one cooked by the Allstate team that tasted pretty good, but the more you ate the spicier it got until you just couldn't eat anymore without tears streaming down your face....okay, I may have exaggerated that last part a bit, but it was pretty darn spicy! Unfortunately, the last one we tried had WAY too much liquid smoke and we were unable to finish it and all I could taste for the next 20 minutes was liquid smoke....eeewwwww. And imagine eating all this chili without something to drink! So while everyone was listening to the band (a pretty good one at that too), I was on a mission for something (anything) to drink. I found it about 2 blocks away at a little Mexican restaurant. I bought the biggest fountain drink possible!!!!....and gulped away until I couldn't gulp anymore! We had so much fun! I just can't wait for next year....although, in the fall we'll be heading to the apple festival!!!