Bena Mae’s Kitchen: A Halloween Tale

This supposedly happened in a little town in New Mexico, and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it’s absolutely true!
Although the first time I heard it was on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion a few years ago, it’s the same story and nothing is changed by the difference in location. I had to disentangle myself from the cold Minnesota weather to a warmer climate of New Mexico, but other than that, the humor is still there and fitting for a Halloween tale.
This guy was on the side of the road hitch hiking on a very dark night and in the middle of a storm. The night was cold and wet and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly, he saw a car coming towards him and stop. The guy, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door – and only then realized that there’s nobody behind the wheel!
The car starts very slowly. The guy looks at the road and sees a curve coming his way. Scared, he starts to pray, begging for his life. He hasn’t come out of shock when, just before the car hits the curve, a hand appears thru the window and moves the wheel. The guy, paralyzed in terror, watched how the hand appears every time they are approaching a curve. The guy, gathering strength, gets out of the car and runs all the way to the nearest town.
Wet and in shock he goes into a cantina, asks for two shots of tequila, and starts telling everybody about the horrible experience he just went through. A silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy was crying hysterically and wasn’t drunk.
About half an hour later two guys, muddy and wet and obviously worn out, walked into the same cantina and one said to the other… “ Pedro, that’s the same guy that got in the car while we were pushing it!”
Happy Halloween!!

30 Minute Chili

1 pound ground chuck beef (80% lean)
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 pkg (1.25 oz each) chili seasoning mix
1 can (16 oz each) beans in chili seasoned sauce, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
1 can (8 oz each) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
1 cup water

Serving Size: 8 servings (1 cup each)

Cook beef and onion in large saucepan over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until beef is crumbled and no longer pink, stirring occasionally; drain.
Stir in seasoning mix. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes, stirring several times.

Cook’s Tip
Chili may be topped with shredded cheese, sour cream or sliced green onions, if desired. Chili also may be made with ground turkey in place of the ground beef.