Illinois Club has authentic midwestern chili-fest

Dianne Johns and Carolee Bailey

On a cool Wednesday evening in October, roughly 45 Illinois Club members gathered at the home of JD and Nancy Olson to enjoy a true midwestern chili-fest.

Each of the seven cooks prepared a different type of chili for the event. Types of chili served included venison chili, vegan chili, jalapeno chili, beanless chili, and American chili. Each of the chefs received their own special chef’s hat to wear throughout the evening. The normal side dishes and desserts were included in the meal.

One of the evening activities for the Illinoisans was to identify famous landmarks located throughout the state of Illinois from pictures posted throughout the house. Not only did the landmark have to be identified, but the city in which the landmark resided had to be identified as well. The winner with the most correct answers won a prize.

We also had a raffle for a special NFL 100-year Chicago Bears t-shirt. That was a popular item as there were many tickets to draw from. All decorations were finished in orange and blue (Bears colors) to welcome another season of Chicago Bears football!

As the evening went on, many guests sat in the patio area enjoying good conversations and exchanging stories with their friends from the “Land of Lincoln!” It was great food, great fun, and a great evening!