Cades Cove / Camping / Loop Trail / Bears / Copycat Chili / Tornadoes

Birthdays, bears, butterflies, snakes, flash floods and tornadoes made this stop at Cades Cove one to remember. We still managed to have a relatively peaceful time here as we celebrated Maggie's 11th birthday doing all the things she loves to do.

A few things about this episode. 1st, just because the rules say you can run a generator from 9am until 8pm doesn't mean you have to... just saying. If you're the one in the camper two spots down from us, you owe us $30 for having to change to a more quiet spot. 😂

2nd, there's absolutely zero cell phone coverage here and it is a remote place. And in the spring each year this area is pounded with flash floods and tornadoes. Pay close attention to the weather here and stay safe.

3rd, in the spring (we were here the 2nd week of May) bears are everywhere... in the campground loops, on the roads and definitely along the Cades Cove Loop road/trail.

4th, we HIGHLY recommend bringing your bikes and riding on the day that is set aside each week for bikes and pedestrians only. It is a bucket list experience... one so good we had to go for a second time that day even though our batteries were drained and we were tired.

And finally, when you meet a cowboy, even if he's at Cades Cove in Tennessee... you have to say HOWDY!.. it's the law!

Texas Roadhouse Copycat Chili Recipe:

PREP TIME: 10 min
COOK TIME: 2 hr 30 min
SERVINGS: 10

INGREDIENTS
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 5 pounds beef stew meat
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 2 jalapeno peppers (seeded and sliced)
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
• 15 ounces diced fire roasted tomatoes (1 can)
• 30 ounces kidney beans (2 (15 oz cans), drained)
• 1 cup beef stock ((add more if you like a soupier chili))
• 2 Tablespoons Masa Harina
• 2 Tablespoons water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Hamburger

PREPARATION STEPS
1. Season the beef. Season the beef with salt and pepper.

2. Brown the beef. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. DO NOT crowd the pan. You will likely have to brown the beef in batches.

3. Add the veggies. Stir in the onion and jalapenos and sauté until the onion becomes translucent.

4. Season. Add the garlic powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to the pot. Stir everything together and cook for 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes and kidney beans. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, kidney beans, and stock.

6. Stew. Allow the chili to come to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

7. Thicken. Whisk together the masa harina and water to form a paste and stir it into the chili. Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.

8. Adjust the seasoning. Taste the chili and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

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