Felder Rushing and Chili

Bulbs can be fun!

I hope if there are any followers or visitors here on my blog from Mississippi you may have heard my interview with Felder Rushing on Mississippi Public Radio on Tuesday. Felder's radio show, the Gestalt Gardener is always both a laugh and informative. Felder is one of the craziest, funnest people I know. He's had me on his show several times and it's always great to hear his off-center take on things. (You may recall I've posted about his Pickup-Truck-Garden on this blog before, demonstrating how he proves you can grow a garden anywhere, even in the bed of a pickup truck). He said he's put over 500,000 miles on his truck since 1988, driving to speaking engagements and book signings. Check out his web page here, you will get a laugh at all the fun and crazy things he does. He believes gardeners shouldn't take themselves too serious.

Felder's pickup truck garden.

For example, the photo up at the top of him juggling, which he dubbed, "bulbs CAN be fun, don't be intimidated by bulbs." He'll take a subject like bulbs and demystify the planting, but at the same time there he is juggling. I stole the photo off his website, he won't mind.

Felder's new book, Slow Gardening.

Felder's written lots of books, I don't know how many, but each one is full of quirky, fun and useful information. I've not read Slow Gardening yet but you can find more about it on his website. (You can also find his interpretation of Stonehenge for his own garden after he visited the real Stonehenge for winter solstice a couple of years ago. He is, as they say in the South, a real hoot and it was a pleasure to be on his show again. You can download the podcast, from the Mississippi Public Radio website if you want to hear the interview. Our conversation on the show began with, "Jim, what are doing in the garden this time of year?" And my answer was, "Felder, the goats got out and are in the garden eating the tops off my figs today."

Yes, these very goats got a mention on Felder's show. Grrrrr.

If you receive my newsletter you already have my favorite chili recipe but if you don't, here it is, below. (If you would like to be on my email newsletter list, go to www.LongCreekHerbs.com and email billie@longcreekherbs.com and let us know you'd like to receive our newsletters).

Jim's Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground turkey
2 cans red chili beans
2 cans pinto beans
1 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/8 cup Chili Powder
Optional: add 1/3 cup diced sweet bell pepper and 1/2 cup sliced, fresh mushrooms in last 10 minutes of cooking.

1 - Brown ground beef and ground turkey in a small amount of vegetable oil.
2 - Add the onions and Chili Powder and continue cooking until onions are tender.
3 - Add beans, tomatoes and
about 2 cups of water. Continue simmering for about 20 minutes, then serve. (To make a thicker chili, I often use a potato masher and mash the beans some before serving).

I think our special blend of chili seasoning that we sell is the best you can get anywhere. This week I checked at the grocery store and saw that 2 oz. of chili seasoning costs about $4. If you order ours, you get 8 ounces (that's half a pound) for only $6.95 and it's better than the store-bought, in my opinion. We make lots of chili in the winter here and if you do, too, our Chili Powder is on sale, $6.95 for 8 ounces, or a full pound for just $12, (plus shipping) if you mention you saw it here on my blog. Order here. It's not hot, but very, very tasty!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, don't eat too much.