Serious Chili

11/17/2024 – I am caught up with the season, both current and coming. Yesterday was the last task, removing leaves from around the house foundation and most of the lawn. This wasn’t removing leaves under a now bare maple tree in the middle of the lawn. This was doing penance for living in the middle of the woods.

Left unchecked, leaves clog gutters, kill grass and build up as three foot drifts around the house’s foundation, and entry points into the home. Working with a backpack leaf blower it took all day to clear. It isn’t enough to blow leaves a few feet out from the house, as they will join with the wind, rally, and retake what they held. So the task is to drive them back, beyond the stone fences and tree line over 100′ to 200′ of lawn. OK, so it was fun.

Starting blowing at the top and waving down to grass, it was possible to get a twenty foot wide, rolling four foot wave going, and keep it suspended from house to the woods, before shifting left or right to a new section. Now I know what Moses felt like.

I tend to buy Husqvarna equipment. It seems a little pricey, but their products seem to last a very long time, so they are inexpensive over the long haul. My Husqvarna 570BTS has a 66 cc 2 stroke engine, it flows 972 CFM at 236 mph. 71 dB isn’t bad with ear protection and the harness is really comfortable, so its 25 lbs isn’t difficult to carry, even for me, over an extended period of time.

That said, Amazon is rife with competing brands like ProRun, Schröder, ZTGD, WTravel
etc. that advertise similar performance at approximately one half to ttwo thirds the price of the Huqvarna. There are both 4 stroke and 2 stroke models. I suspect I will check them out when I wear out my 570 BTS. January 2044?

On Chevy truck tailgate latches

I was attempting to load some pallets in the truck, when I discovered the handle no longer unlatched the tailgate. A very common problem that effects 106% of all Chevy trucks made between June 17, 1999 and whatever day my 2006 Silverado came off the assembly line.

The typical culprits are these little actuator rod clips, actual length approximately 1/2″ long. In use they dry out wear out, break and fall out. The rods fall out of the handle’s mechanism, so the tailgate side latches subsequently don’t open when the tailgate handle is lifted.

If the handle mechanism is good, these can be replaced by carefully removing the handle’s bezel and only replacing the clips. There are multiple sources on Amazon and Wally’s that list them at $5 +/- for 5 sets. Each set will last approximately 20 years. Please feel free to do the math for amortization.

If the latch mechanism is bad, as pictured, a set can be purchased for $16 that includes that handle mechanism, rod clips and a new bezel. I bought this set because I thought, for sure, I would break one of the bezel hooks on removal. Boy do I know me.

It took twenty minutes, start to finish. The handle assembly is secured with three bolts. Two were visible and accessible. One was hiding under the tailgate portion of the bed liner, which required removal of six shouldered cap screws.

A set of all plastic trim removal tools cost an additional $4. This did not save the handles brittle bezel and rough handling, but it saved the paint around it from prying screw drivers. Now I am ready for the next change…. in twenty years.

If the outboard tailgate latches are broken, or any of the internal pieces, a full set of every piece going into this latching system, including tailgate support cables, can be purchased for under $45.

The garage estimate was $75 parts and $250 labor, whereas I am cheap labor, if nothing else. Parts/tools $20, labor, free.

But, Joe, these are Chinese made parts you just installed on your Chevy. Yes, and so was the defective OEM assembly I removed.

Serious Chili

So the weather is changing. Ever colder, it was time to Crock Pot some chili. All and all, it came out pretty good. Yes, the recipe is derivative. What isn’t?

Ingredients:
2 – lbs lean ground chuck, browned and drained of oil
1 – large yellow onion, chopped
I – Green Bell Pepper, chopped
3 – Tbsp minced garlic
1 – 7 Oz can tomato paste
1 – 28 Oz can tomato Puree
1 – 14 Oz can diced tomato
1 – cup beef broth
1 – 16 Oz can kidney beans
1 – 16 Oz can pinto beans
1 – 16 Oz can black beans

Chili seasoning ingredients:
2 – Tbsp chili powder
1 – Tsp Kosher salt
1 – Tsp dried basil
1 – Tsp dried oregano
1 – Tsp dried parsley
1/2 – Tsp black pepper
1/2 – Tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 – Tsp cumin
Mix before dumping in crock pot

Notes:

Put everything in the crock pot, stir to blend, cook on low for 3 – 8 hours.

For a lesser tomato flavor, omit the can of tomato paste or stir 1/2 Tsp of sugar into the paste before adding to remove any bitterness.

If you’re not a fan of hypertension and/or myocardial infarction, dry beans can be substituted for canned beans. I put all of the types listed into a stock pot, covered with water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let stand overnight before placing in the crock pot.

Yes, I know some folks boil the beans and let them sit on the stove for only an hour before use. Some say just immerse in water, no boil, cover and leave overnight. I hate raw crunchy beans, so boil and overnight soak for me.

Salt. Not good. I use coarse Kosher salt because it produces more flavor with less.

The end result is very thick, without resorting to adding flour or any type of gum thickeners.

If I were fifty years younger and had a functioning vascular system, I’d add a cast iron skillet full of butter covered drop biscuits, and serve it all as a side to a 1″ thick rib eye. So half a cup of chili and a bottle of water for dinner it is.