It's a little late, but my turkey day weekend went pretty swell. Aside from my boyfriend having to work on Thanksgiving like a communist; all was merry and bright. And I got to begin my holiday decorating and present-scoping, which is often the highlight of my year (Matty is set to break all previous records for amounts of random gifts received).

We are going somewhere.

So, let's get this out of the way. I'm a little weird about ground beef.
Like, never eaten a whole hamburger in my life, weird.
Like, cook with ground turkey or chicken any chance I can, weird.
Like, I somehow prefer hot dogs at a barbecue, weird.
And give me a rare steak and I will eat it with a smile on my goddamn face.
But something about hamburger just does not appeal to me.

However, of course, there are exceptions to every rule--

• [When it's one of three types of meat] in really good meatballs.
• In a bolognese or some delicious sauce with pasta.
• And, of freaking course...chili.

This is my parents' classic recipe that I add a touch of heat to with some jalapenos. This is the first dish I learned to make when I moved on my own (probably because it has about 4 steps in preparation and 3 more in execution), and I still love to cook it up on a Sunday, while the guys watch football and play video games in the living room.

Many of you out there may be gearing up to host your own Thanksgiving tomorrow. Perhaps it's old hat for you, and you could truss a turkey with your eyes closed. Or maybe it's your first Thanksgiving as a hostess, and you've been researching turkey cooking methods for weeks. But, if you're reading this, there's a strong chance you're like me: still (somehow, at age 27) a "kid" and attending Thanksgiving at your parent's house, or your aunt and uncle's, or what have you.

I had a fall photo shoot. Cause I am the most photogenic dog on the PLANET. Don't hate.