Practice makes perfect, and there’s a lot of things that I should practice, because I am far from perfect.

I need to practice running, because I am not even close to being a perfect runner.  (Actually, I’m not even close to running at all… it’s more like a limping/jogging/gallop thing… no, it’s not pretty.)

I need to practice time management, because it’s currently 3:15 pm on Monday and I have NO IDEA where the time went.

And I need to practice cooking, because, well, I’m not exactly a great cook.

(I’ve been known to set off the fire alarm while scrambling an egg and boiling water.)

(Separate incidents.)

I love food, and I’d love to learn more about cooking.  I’d love to put a bunch of ingredients in a pot and have something delicious in an hour.  I’d love to enjoy the process of making a great meal that I’m proud of.  And I’m not talking about some amazing Thanksgiving-esque feast (yet).  I’m talking about something simple to put down on the table after a long day.  Because, really, I think that I can handle that, especially with a little practice.

One of my favorite things about the weather getting colder is the food.  You know, the type of stuff that makes you feel warm and happy after a long day of heavy coats and scarves, running errands and shoveling snow.  I’d love to be able to make some wonderful meals that don’t come out of a freezer or a can (tomato soup, anyone?).

So I’m asking you, Zwaggle members, to post your favorite recipes here.  Not just for me, but for the whole Zwaggle community.  Do you have a recipe that you love to cook in the winter?  Or how about one that your kids beg you to make when it starts to snow?  Have you written a blog post with your favorite crock-pot recipe in it?  Or do you have a favorite website where you’ve found a really fabulous meal idea?

Share them here, in the comments section.  Give us the recipe, or leave a link where we can all find it.  In return, the Zwaggle team will do something that we’re pretty perfect at: we’ll give you 15 bonus Zoints!  Wouldn’t you like 15 extra Zoints to use on a new Halloween costume for the kids, or maybe to save for the holidays?

I’ll start us off with a great chili recipe that my mom wrote.  (I’m still a little scared to try it because she makes it so perfectly, and that’s a lot to live up to.)  I hope you enjoy!

1 tbsp oil
2 lbs beef and 2 lbs pork (or any other meat you prefer)*
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup diced green pepper
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 16oz cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 to 1/2 cup of dark chili powder
salt
2 16oz cans of red kidney beans
2 16oz cans of pinto beans

* You can easily make this recipe vegetarian by getting rid of the meat and adding more vegetables and beans!

In a large pot, heat the oil and cook the meat, onions, green pepper and garlic until the onion is tender, stirring often.  Add the tomatoes (with the liquid), chili powder and salt.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer for about an hour.  Stir in the beans and as much liquid as you feel is needed to make a nice thick sauce.  Heat through, and then serve with lots of crackers, sour cream, chopped scallions and shredded cheese.  Perfect for a cold day!

Now share some of your recipes so we can all have a warm and yummy season!

This is from our friends at myUsearch, and thought it was such an amazing opportunity, we had to repost.

Yup, now mommies too can win some cash through a myUsearch.com scholarship. You could win a $1000 for answering our essay question by essay or video. Deadline for submissions is December 31, 2009. Below are the requirements for entering.

Photo by OctopusHat.

Scholarship Requirements:
All applicants must:

1. Be a mother.
2. Have a yearly combined household income of less than $100,000.
3. Plan to pursue an undergraduate degree at an accredited U.S. college or university. No graduate school applicants will be accepted.
4. Have NOT yet enrolled in a U.S. college or university and once enrolled, plan to start their first semester on or before October of 2010.
5. Have never attended the college or university in which the scholarship will be applied. This scholarship is for first year and transfer students only.

Essay/Video Question:
This scholarship will be awarded to the student who can best answer with an essay less than 750 words or a video no longer than 5 minutes:
“What is your biggest challenge as a mother trying to get a degree? What can colleges and universities do to help you overcome this challenge and encourage other mothers to further their education?”

We look forward to seeing your essays and videos. Good luck to all participants!

So the school year has begun. It’s quiet in my house, and when I put things away, they stay away for longer than .12 seconds. I can pee in peace, drink an entire beverage without interruption, and I could (conceivably) take a nap if I wanted - which I do, desperately, but somehow it never happens.

I have big plans for this school year, though. I want to go to the movies at least once a week. I would like to be able to cook more balanced and - shall we say - BETTER meals that I made over the summer.  Those peanut butter sandwiches were good, but with cold weather coming I’d like to make some hearty stews, chilies and casseroles. I don’t know if anyone will eat them, but I’d like to make them. I want to resume running, really get out there and stretch my legs and see what I can accomplish after two pretty severe injuries sidelined me for most of the spring and summer.  I have one other goal - the same goal I set every single back to school season.

I want to organize my entire house.

I know.  I’m a bit of an overachiever.  It’s cool, I’m ok with it.  Admitting you have a problem is the first step, or so I’ve been told.

I’d much rather clean out one of my kids bedrooms when they are all away at school. I can match the game pieces, dress the doll babies, color coordinate the clothing and organize the bookshelves to my hearts content. I can pull out the easy readers that my son has stashed and move them to my first graders room, and move the more difficult chapter books down to the third graders shelf. I can take the opportunity to get rid of the beloved t shirts that I’ve seen so many times I’m sick of them.  You know the ones I’m talking about, the “I ran the race” raggedy piece of fabric that your son insists on wearing every.single.day.  I blast good music, pull out the empty boxes and get to work filling them. After all, holiday season is coming and there’s so much stuff in their rooms that they never play with - and in their quest to get more and more, perfectly wonderful toys and books are sidelined. If they aren’t going to use them, I’m going to find places to put them.

I’m setting a goal this month. I want to rid my house of five bags of trash from bedrooms. (Think this is a lofty goal? Remember I have six kids and they are all s-l-o-b-s. Five bags is probably too easy of a goal.) I also want to find at least ten really good items to list here on Zwaggle.  Then I can use those Zoints to look for holiday gifts for my kids and their friends, my nieces and nephews -because THAT season is all “Items in the mirror may be closer than they appear.”

And then, my friends, I plan to treat myself to a coffee. After all, a week (or two) of really solid work deserves a specialty gourmet beverage loaded with sugar and fat and caffeine - my three favorite food groups. I’d love to treat you to a coffee as well - leave me a comment telling me your plans for house cleaning and organizing - share your favorite tips and time saving moves - and I’ll use my favorite buddy random.org to send one of you lucky readers a Starbucks gift card.

Ready, set, ORGANIZE!