By Jayden turned six. March 6th, 2021. The fire truck boy is six and he blew out his candles on a cake that was — for the first time in six years — actually GOOD. Because Chloe made it. Chloe's fire truck cake was architecturally sound, frosted evenly, and recognizably a fire truck without requiring the viewer to squint or use their imagination. Six years of progressively improving fire truck cakes, and the one that finally looks professional was made by a nine-year-old. I have been outpaced by my firstborn. I accept this with grace and only a small amount of competitive irritation.
Terrence came for the birthday. He drove up Friday night, stayed through Sunday. He brought Jayden an Atlanta Braves hat ("because Georgia teams are the best teams" — Kevin, a Tennessee man, would disagree). Jayden wore the hat on top of his fire helmet, which is logistically absurd and visually incredible. A hat on a helmet. The boy is accessorizing for battle.
The party was bigger this year — vaccines have loosened the grip. Mama was there (no mask, face to face, hugging everyone). Oliver and Danielle came (first time in over a year). Wanda came. Diego came — DIEGO, the fire truck friend, in person, for the first time since before the pandemic. Jayden and Diego saw each other in the doorway and SCREAMED. Two six-year-olds, screaming, running into each other like tiny football players, hugging and jumping and making fire truck sounds at a volume that should have required a noise permit. A year apart. A year on screens. And then: in person. The collision of two boys who missed each other is the most violent and beautiful act of love I've seen all year.
Sarah turns twenty-nine next week. March 15th. Twenty-nine. The last year of my twenties. The decade that contained: two babies, a degree, a career, a boyfriend who became a co-parent, a pandemic, a third baby, and more cornbread than any one person should reasonably consume. My twenties. The decade of becoming. Next year I turn thirty. Next year I get the sunflower tattoo (I've been waiting — the tattoo is for thirty, the age of deciding who you are, the age of planting yourself and growing toward the light). One more year. The sunflower is coming.
Birthday chili and cornbread. Jayden's meal. The constant. Six candles, one wish, classified (but I saw his eyes go to the fire truck cake and I know the wish was fire-related and I respect the consistency). He blew them out. He ate cake. He wore the hat on the helmet. He screamed with Diego. He was six and he was happy and the happiness was the whole point.
Every year it’s chili for Jayden’s birthday — the constant in a party that keeps growing, getting louder, and (thanks to Chloe) getting better-looking by the year. With Diego screaming through the doorway and Mama finally there face-to-face and a hat balanced on top of a fire helmet, I wanted something warm and communal on the table that everyone could just reach in and grab — no fuss, no plating, just food that feeds a room full of people who are genuinely happy to be in the same place again. This Chili Queso Dip is exactly that: a bubbling, cheesy, spicy bowl you put in the middle of the chaos and let the party do the rest.
Chili Queso Dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 can (15 oz) chili beans, undrained
- 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel), undrained
- 1 block (16 oz) processed cheese (such as Velveeta), cubed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess grease.
- Season. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the chili beans, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and cubed processed cheese to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Melt and simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 8–10 minutes.
- Finish. Stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the dip is too thick, add 2–3 tablespoons of milk and stir until you reach your desired consistency.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl or keep warm in a slow cooker on the low setting. Serve immediately with tortilla chips alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 780mg