Chili & Cinnamon Rolls: A Midwest Secret

Today, I spent 11.355555 hours making homemade chili and cinnamon rolls. If you know, then you know. Do you know?

After 11.1227277 hours, I couldn’t get the warm rolls out of the pan fast enough and on to plates for the girls to enjoy. By the time I sat down to eat, no more rolls adorned their plates. Their animalistic eyes looked to me for more. “Eat your chili.”, I replied.

After a few tiny bites of chili, some pretend spoonfuls, they asked again. And again. And again.

And again some more.

So I let them have another one, not unknown to me that 90% of their chili was still in their bowls. Our dinner continued with talk of who got the biggest cinnamon roll and why that was not fair. A riveting debate.

After everyone left the table (because 11.355555 hours of cooking= 6.34 minutes of dinner) I finished my 2nd roll by myself, in peace. Bliss. Pure bliss. It has taken me years to prefect my recipe with just the right ratio of roll to frosting. An important element not to be overlooked.

As I sat alone, savoring each bite, I thought to myself, “is all this fuss worth it?”. The 11.355555 hours I could not get back? The huge mess staring back at me from the kitchen? The sugar intake my kids just received? The calories that I just ate?

I came to the conclusion that yes. Yes it is. When the girls are old they will always remember mom’s homemade cinnamon rolls. How they always accompanied chili. And how it signaled the start of a new season. When they come back from college over Christmas break, they will request them incessantly. And I will gladly make them, happy to have mouths to feed. Maybe they will bring a friend or two along, maybe a boyfriend, who will adore the rolls as we do.

When they are holding their newborn baby in their arms, I will bring a warm pan over with a pot of chili.

When they are going through a hard time and need a recurring comfort in their lives, the rolls will be waiting.

And maybe they will make the same cinnamon rolls for their children someday.

And maybe even for me.

And I’ll eat 10% of my chili and grab a 2nd roll.

Chili and cinnamon rolls.

If you know….. then you know.