Where's the Beach?

Well, I managed to get my errands run and make it to spin class yesterday. I thought that perhaps sweating out the, whatever, would help me feel better. Really all I was trying to do was not have snot dripping on my towel more than the sweat. I actually ended up feeling worse after spin. Usually a workout, even with a cold, makes me feel better. Not so yesterday. Jason ended up stopping by Kroger on our way to Mt. Magazine to pick up more meds. I have been taking Zyrtec D (which usually helps). He wasn't sure what to get so he grabbed a myriad of things like Zicam, Ricola, even Airborne for himself as he was starting to get worried he was going to catch something from me. I've never tried Zicam, but though, what the hell....got nothing to lose at this point. Not sure if it did anything to be honest, but it didn't make me feel worse at least. I dozed in the car for about 20 minutes or so, then he needed help with some directions. We made it safely in 2 hours. It was star...

Crockpot Fail Ok, so it wasn't the crockpot's fault that the crockpot chili failed. It was my fault for not starting it sooner. Really there was no reason to cook the chili in the crockpot other than to play with my new toy. But after 2 hours, I was beyond ready to eat and the chili was nowhere near being ready. I did the only rational thing I could think of...transfer to a soup pot and finish it up quickly. I did add barley to the chili for a change. I always see others adding it and never seem to remember myself. Anyway, this is a recipe I'll try again when I can program it to start about 4 hours ahead of time. Crockpot Tempeh Chili Ingredients: 1 package tempeh, crumbled and browned 1/4 cup pearled barley 1 15 oz can no-salt diced tomatoes 1 can red beans, rinsed and drained 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 16 oz no-salt vegetable broth 1 not-beef bouillon cube 32 oz water 1/2 green bell pepper, diced 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1/2 white onion, dice...