Open-Faced Chili Cheese Dog Sammies

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This is a horrible picture…sorry.

Back from visiting Mom this weekend.  The whole thing I surreal.  I don’t think it’s hit me yet.  I KNOW it hasn’t hit me yet.  Come this time next month, my mother will no longer be on the mainland and will have retired to Maui.  Yes.  It’s surreal.  I will no longer be able to hop in my car and visit her.  It will take MONTHS and MONTHS of planning to fly to visit her.  It’s surreal.

We came back with a truck load of stuff.  Furniture, collectibles.  All heirlooms of some sort that I DID NOT want her to part with.  Some other stuff I’m sad to see go, but there’s no place for me to put it in our 2 bedroom apartment.  The sideboard for one.  It’s been in OUT family since I was little or even before I was born.  I’m not sure which.  I’ve known it all my life essentially.  My only saving grace is that it’s not from a grandparent of some description.

Now THOSE pieces I am trying hard to save.  The pedestal my great grandfather made.  KEEP!  The tea cart that has a twin somewhere in Minnesota or Canada…not sure which.  KEEP!  Tea sets, cut glass, bedspreads.  KEEP!  My cross stitch creations!  *snort*  Keep.  LOL  S even wants to hang them in the apartment.  GO FIGURE!

So, needless to say it was a surreal weekend.  Friday was a nice dinner, that I’ll post about later.  I was still sick so couldn’t breathe.  Mom had Benadryl that I took.  YAY for breathing!

Oh and the rainbow that I posted in my Instagram which is also shown below.  It was a VERY BRIGHT double rainbow.  Which is ALWAYS cool!

Saturday…how to put it.  They’re not morning people?  S and I were up our usual time.  Granted MOST of the world isn’t up when we are on Saturday.  We had our coffee.  We lounged.  Mom came down and we chatted, made Denver cups.  There’s a WHOLE other story.  I may post about those at some point, but there’s NO pics of those.  And we just sat and talked.  All 4 of us.  It was nice.

S and I were looking to take in a hike, but his feet were meh.  SO we went to Valley Forge!  S had never been, it was YEARS since I had been and well, I’m not so sure I was able to enjoy it at that time.  *shrug*

We did the Trolley Tour and have a VERY enthusiastic tour guide.  She was funny and could ramble!  I can’t imagine knowing that much about the time period.  History and me…well if it’s not in narrative form, I’m not interested.  Even then…I won’t remember details.  Yes, I’ve read Killer Angels  and the rest of the Civil War Trilogy Shaara books.  They were interesting.  Don’t ask to me to remember a thing in them.

So, here’s a little collage to show ya some highlights from the Tour:

So, top center…not sure you can tell what that is.  We’re standing there watching some re-enactors fire off some muskets (center pic) and I feel something on my shoulder.  I look, and there staring at me is this baby praying mantis.  I turn to show S who thinks I want it OFF my shoulder as I’m not a HUGE fan of bugs hitching a ride on my body.  He swats it off.  The motion piqued Mom’s interest, so I show her.  We proceed to monitor the safety of this little guy…  Eventually, we relocate him to larger grass AWAY from trampling feet.  It was just neat.

Saturday night was steak for me and salmon for everyone else.  Cause, if ya don’t know, I don’t like salmon.  No matter HOW you make it.  Honestly.  And everyone else likes salmon, so that’s what they had.  Not coho but the other really expensive, really good kind?  COPPER RIVER!  That’s it!!

Sunday was pack up, breakfast at Bob Evans, then head home to pick up the girl.  The INTENT was to get home and S would start laundry while I went shopping.  He twisted my arm (ow ow) to NOT shop and we’d do that on the way home Monday.  Um….we have NOTHING thawed.

Okay…what’s in the fridge?  Hot dogs.  Okay.  What do we have to go WITH hot dogs?  Cans of Hormel chili that dad gave us.  He gave us like $200 in carb based groceries that he’s not eating.  Yup!  You guess it!  Pantry cooking for A LONG TIME.  There’s two things I need to figure out what to do with…more on that later.

Um so yeah.  Hot dogs, buns, cheese, canned chili…and some left over boneless chicken wings.  Not the healthiest of dinners, but dinner none the less!

Heat a small saucepan over low heat.  Add chili.  Stir until reheated.

Heat a medium saucepan full of water on high heat.  Add hot dogs and bring to a boil.  Simmer until hot dogs are heated through.

Toast buns, then top each with 1/8 cup of chili.  Slice hot dogs lengthwise, then in half and place on top of chili and top with an additional 1/8 cup of chili.

Top with condiments of choice and cheese of choice.  You can broil them to allow the cheese to melt and brown, or simply allow the heat from the chili to melt it.