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Saturday, February 23, 2013

4th Annual Las Jaibas Chili Cook-Off “ A Huge Success!”

Saturday Feb. 23, 2013

Hogar De Los Nino’s La Mision Orphanage is the recipient of this now huge Las Jaibas RV Park charity event.

The event was created four years ago and started as a very small unadvertised Las Jaibas park event to raise funds for the orphanage.  I participated in year one and by year two we had gained more publicity and it was bigger. 

Thursday Jan. 28, 2010 – Year One. (There is a Blog posting on that date for that year)

Year Two….. Feb. 27, 2011

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Year Two-  The crowd is bigger!

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This is the Blogger and Sandi for our Feb. 27, 2011 Cook-off.  There is a blog posting for that date as well.

And then…..

Year Three….sorry folks….

Last year we went south and I wasn’t here to cook or see the huge success of last year’s event.  It is now advertised in the Pacific Pearl magazine and the main organizers in the park (Connie and John) put up posters in other RV parks as well. 

So what happens in preparation for the Chili Cook-Off.  Well long ahead of time….there is a lot of preparation being done to make this event the success that it has now become.

T-shirts, hats and aprons with the Chili Cook Off information were ordered by Connie and John to be bought by the participants, park residents and the remainder to be sold at the event.

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This is the front of my apron. 

A band was located who was willing to donate their time and music to the event.

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The Las Cougars (gals) and Los Coyotes (guys) from Mar Villa RV park donated their talent and time.  Thanks so much for that!

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Tecate beer supplied a tent and chairs but of course that meant we had to serve Tecate beer..  last year it was Pacifico.  There was a bar set up and it was run by  Dick, John, Ralph and also our park owner Felipe!  Beer was for sale at 20 peso’s each along with Tequila at 20 peso’s each.  

Tequila was donated by the Chili Cookers as we weren’t serving Tequila at our stations this year.  A free Tequila ticket was given out if you bought a raffle ticket and the rest was sold to make money for the cause.  Thanks to the Chili cookers who donated the bottles of Tequila.  Bill cruised the park …looking like a waiter selling Tequila…Thanks Bill!  I had only one shot and I didn’t pay!

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There are Marion and Bev perusing the raffle prizes.  They both donated many of these prizes.  The rest were donated by park members and others both Canadian and Americans. 

P1030923  You could put your raffle ticket in the jar associated with the prize of your choice.  That way you didn’t win anything you didn’t want.  Good idea!  

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Here are Richard on the left….Carol is hidden behind…running the 50/50 draw a better picture later!

This draw made a large amount of money…..I bought tickets for that….not the raffle ( I don’t need anymore stuff!)

Onward!

So in preparation for the actual day the Chili Cookers got ready.  There were 13 cookers from Las Jaibas (our park) Punta Cerritos RV park and Costa Bonita Condos. 

As the event has grown so large most people had two crock pots of Chili and some people had more.  In the end the logistics of it all become a problem.  We are just RV’ers and Condo dwellers cooking in our rigs and kitchens trying to cook and store the Chili until we serve it and of course you must make sure the food is cooked and stored safely. 

In my case I made Chili on Thursday afternoon, cooled it down and stored it in the fridge and my plug in cooler until Saturday morning.  This left me Friday to relax and also I think Chili tastes better after it sits for a day. 

Now for the actual day. 

Saturday February, 23, 2013 and 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off…..

Here are pictures of the park before everyone showed up.   Pretty quiet eh!   It’s early yet…

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Tables are set up….no Chili Cookers around yet!

This was all done before I came up front to take these early pictures.

See those cords coming out….Manny has the electrical all set for us to plug in our crock-pots! 

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Chairs and no people…..just you wait!

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No one at the bar yet….just Dennis, Dick and John relaxing…..just you wait!

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Here are all the Chili Cookers ready to serve it up!

Once we were around our stations….. we were as follows…..

#1 – Mike – Who lives in Mazatlan. 

#2 – Rita – Las Jaibas RV Park

#3 – Mike & Phil – Costa Bonita Condo

#4 – Ken/Al – Costa Bonita Condos

#5 – Jeanette – Las Jaibas RV Park

#6 – Kathy (Blogger) Las Jaibas

#7 – Lorraine – Punta Cerritos RV Park

#8 – Marilyn – Las Jaibas RV Park

#9 – Anita – Las Jaibas RV Park

#10 – Rocky – Punta Cerritos RV park

#11 – Donna – Punta Cerritos RV Park

#12 – Jeri – Las Jaibas RV Park

#13 – Darlene – Las Jaibas RV Park             

Great job all….Thanks for all your efforts!

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Donna, Jeri and Darlene.

P1030928  That’s Anita in waiting to start.

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Let the games begin…..!!!

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Customer #1!

Soon Connie (that’s Connie in the Blue Wig!) and her able sidekick Betty manning the entry booth at the gate.  30 peso’s got you a ballot and a packet with a small cup, spoon and napkin.  Connie with help from Betty had made up 400 packets!  Now you were ready to taste the Chili.  But hold on….will you look at the line that is forming out to the road.  Yikes!

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This is just the beginning….it got really huge.   They sold 350 tickets and by then the Chili was already running out and they had to stop.  Some people paid anyway just so they could donate!  Thanks!

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They just kept coming….!

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We started serving Chili right at 1pm and it was apparent right from the start what was going to happen.  I served my Chili with a regular measuring spoon (it was a taste and not lunch!) and by 1:20pm I was 2/3rds through my first pot.  Some people with smaller amounts or who had given out too much were already getting low.  The event was advertised in the Pacific Pearl as starting at 1pm and the posters said Chili tasting from 1 to 3pm.  I guess next year it should say starting at 1pm until the Chili runs out!

At some points there were so many people in front of me all I could see were arms with hands and little cups waiting to be filled!

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That’s the spoon I used.

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Just after 2pm this is what I had left….Nada!

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As I said we are just RV Cookers who can only make so much Chili!  Some people thought they were coming for lunch….so that didn’t help.  I wasn’t concerned about winning,  I just didn’t want anyone to go “Yuck!”   Okay….one little boy got my Chili in his mouth….and then spit it out on the pavement.   Tooooo hot or did he just hate it!   Funny!

Most people reacted favorably to my new recipe for “ Black bean, Poblano and Corn Chili”   Eric and I liked it and I’ll make it again.  It was a bit easier to serve than my regular Chili as black beans are small and I also chopped everything very fine.  

I can’t tell you what kind of Chili everyone else served because I didn’t get a chance to look and by the time I was finished ( I made it to 2pm with my second pot) only two other people were still serving.  Ken/Al and Mike and Phil from Costa Bonita were the last ones out!  Great job guys.  People were disappointed that the Chili didn’t last longer but….what can I say….you can only make so much. 

Sorry there aren’t more photos of people tasting Chili but….in my defense … I was busy !

My other thought is that we are as big as we want to be with this event because it is run by, participated by and attended by….seniors!  What if someone gets sick and can’t run it, or there aren’t enough cookers….etc. etc. 

So…the Chili is tasted….the ballots are counted and the winners are…..

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Carol (of the 50/50 draw and our illustrious leader Connie give out the prizes!

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Al/Ken #4 station from Costa Bonita win third.  Sorry…bad picture!

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Here he is serving Chili….one of the last men standing…..still had Chili right to the end….That’s how you win!  Good job Al & Ken. 

2nd place was…. Mike and Phil station #3 from…Costa Bonita.

P1030963 They also were the other last servers of Chili….good job guys!

And the first place winner…..once again Jeri …cooking her late (passed away) friend Nate’s recipe …it even has a name….Texas Magic Dust!

Great Job Jeri!

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That’s Jeri….she and her husband John do good work for the Orphanage and are a huge part of the Chili Cook-Off…..Congratulations!

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Thanks Connie for the picture of all the winners!

Okay….no  I didn’t win….didn’t expect to but I had fun!

Now what do we do.   Well we drink beer on a nice sunny afternoon.  

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I told you a lot of people came to the Chili Cook-Off!

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We call the names for the raffle winners.   That’s Sara and Bev giving out prizes!

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Marion is announcing the winners!

I hope everyone got what they wanted!

Laurie and Sara also sold the T-shirts, hats and aprons that we had for sale.  Thanks for that gals…sorry no picture. 

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We announce the winner of the 50/50 draw.  

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John from Kamloops won…Marion gives him the prize and he donates half of it back to the Orphanage…..Thanks for being so generous John!

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So what now….some people dance…. The band plays and dances too. That Cougar can dance as well as sing!

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That’s Marion and Fred ….cutting a rug!

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The gals do the “Twist"

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The bar sells beer until it runs out.  

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People have fun!

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A beautiful afternoon with everyone having fun….

And then…..it’s all over.  

 

Now it’s time to count the money. 

How much did we make after expenses for the

“Hogar De Los Nino’s La Mision Orphanage” run by Geraldo and Lupita….well twice as much as last year!  The money will go to cover power, water, food, medicine and clothing at the orphanage.   

Thanks to our accountant P1030924

Thanks to our accountant Blake (Las Jaibas) for tallying up the money.

Thank-you to the people who donated their time, energy, Chili, and prizes.  Thank-you to  all the people who attended the event.  If I missed anyone….sorry! 

A HUGE SUCCESS.

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