Bond, James Bond

James Bond's got nothing on us! Just kidding...

So ever since I was 12, I've been obsessed with James Bond. I've seen every movie even Her Majesty's Secret Service with George Lazenby, which wasn't technically part of the Ian Flemming series. If you ask me who my favorite Bond is, I still have a tough time deciding but will always go with Sean Connery (followed by Daniel, Pierce and Timothy... never liked Roger). And as you can imagine, everyone who knows me knows that I'm a Bond fanatic. So it was no surprise to anyone at work that I would be the happiest employee in the world when they made our annual company holiday party theme Casino Royale. I work in HR for Mondial Assistance, one of the largest travel insurance and assistance services companies in the world. We speak over 40 languages and have offices all over the globe. I absolutely LOVE the international flare and culture and couldn't be happier. John and I decided to dress the part for the holiday party. We had dinner at Tobacco Company with a large group of my HR team. I enjoyed an arugula and chevre salad to start, and a to-die-for medium rare gorgonzola crusted 8oz filet for dinner. YUM... The party was a hit. We played black jack and listened to our company band perform. Overall, an excellent 007-worthy evening.

Today, John and I went on a quick bike ride to try out my new bike. What we didn't anticipate is how cold we got so quickly. I had on several cold compression and fleece layers too! It was so frigid we only made it one quick loop to Pony Pasture and back (along Riverside Drive). Oh well. At least we got to enjoy a hot bowl of my chili afterwards.... Double YUM! Since I haven't talked about food in a while, I'll share my chili recipe. It's the EASIEST recipe and impossible to ruin:

• 1 packet of Sauer's Hot Chili Seasoning
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of great northern beans
• 1 can of dark red kidney beans
• 1 can of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 30 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 lb of 96% lean ground beef thawed

Toss all ingredients in crock pot (mix well), and let sit for 4-6 hours. Service with a dollop of sour cream, finely shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese, and of course Chalula hot sauce. You can cook in a pot on the stove too but I prefer crock pot. Viola! The best damn chili you'll ever have, especially during these next few days of 30-degree RVA weather. Enjoy!