It’s never easy to say goodbye to someone you love. Last week, my husband Jon and I had to say farewell to our beloved dog, Megan. She lived 13 beautifully full years before she passed, and although we knew her time would come sooner than later, it’s still never easy…
If you’ve been reading my column for a while, you may recall that I’ve spent several seasons working with sled dogs in Alaska and Wyoming. I met Megan in the dog yard my very first winter – stunningly strawberry blonde and, unlike some of the dogs on my team, too polite to tackle me when it was time to harness up and run. She was gentle, laid-back and so incredibly sweet.
At the end of my first season, I decided that the 10-year-old, soon-to-be-retired athlete deserved to rest and relax a while, and that that should be with Jon and me in Mississippi.
Some may think it cruel to bring a snow dog to the South, but Alaskan huskies (the gold standard in the world of dog mushing) are surprisingly quick to adapt and thrive in almost any environment – they’re just built different. Megan was a prime example of that adaptability as she shed her thick undercoat within a month of living in Columbus and proceeded to spend her days sunbathing on our patio.
Even on the hottest days, I would have to be the voice of reason and convince her to come back into the air conditioning – classic stubborn husky!
While I’d met Megan in her role as a touring dog ferrying people from all over the world out on short day trips, her early years were spent as an athlete. Scott Janssen, “The Mushin’ Mortician” (owner of Janssen Funeral Homes Inc. up in Alaska), took Megan out for multiple Iditarod sled dog races during her younger years, each one consisting of about 1,000 miles through the Alaskan wilderness. Long story short, Megan was an incredible dog.
As is the case with so many living things, Megan encountered some unexpected health issues over the last years. Last spring, she’d stopped eating altogether. I took her to the vet, and he gave me a long list of possible ailments, but said, “First things first, you just need to get her to eat something – anything!”
Ahh, yes, you had to know I was going to connect this back to food somehow!
So, after trying all the fancy dog food toppers I could get my hands on without any luck, I finally just went to Walmart and bought a rotisserie chicken. I came home, removed the skin, shredded it up for her, and… she ate the whole bird! So, I went back for another, and she kept eating. Even after she eventually got past that first slump and began eating her normal dog food again, any time I bought a rotisserie chicken for a recipe, I made sure to buy a second bird just for her. She went on to live another beautiful year with us, and I went and bought a rotisserie chicken in her honor this week. Megan would gladly eat it as is, but I’ve decided to revisit a favorite recipe for white chicken chili.
When I was mushing dogs in Wyoming with my dear friend and fellow musher, Hannah, we would make a batch of chili together every week. After long days in the cold and snow, the last thing we wanted to think about was cooking – but of course we were always starving by the end of the day. Being able to throw a bowl of chili in the microwave ended up being an absolute lifesaver.
We got tired of the classic beef- and tomato-based chilis pretty quickly, so Hannah asked her mom for her white chicken chili recipe, and let me tell you, it’s as delicious as it is easy to prepare. All you have to do is shred up a rotisserie chicken, cut up an onion, some garlic and a few peppers, and the rest is just adding some canned goods to the mix and letting it simmer. Hannah and I both like some heat, so we opted for some fresh jalapenos and chili powder as well, but you’d omit these to stay true to her mom’s classic recipe.
Jon and I enjoyed a big bowl of this while sharing photos and memories of our sweet girl this weekend. It was an absolute honor to get to be her caretaker during her three years of retirement, and I will miss her dearly.
If you have a dog, I hope you’ll hug them extra tight and maybe even give them a treat for me – perhaps some Megan-approved, undeniably delicious rotisserie chicken!
HANNAH’S MOM’S WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
3 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces shredded jalapeno pepper jack cheese
For topping: sour cream, cilantro, lime and tortilla chips
Instructions:
■ While it is still hot, shred the rotisserie chicken and set aside.
■ In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Dice the onion, green pepper and jalapenos. Once the oil is hot, sauté the vegetables until soft.
■ After the vegetables have softened, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, along with the spices, stirring constantly so as not to burn anything.
■ Once everything is incorporated and fragrant, add the salsa, diced tomatoes and drained beans, along with the chicken broth and shredded rotisserie chicken.
■ Bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes.
■ Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
■ Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted and fully incorporated.
■ Serve with a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Kristin is a Columbus local and a graduate of MUW’s Culinary Arts Program. She lives downtown with her husband Jon and her naughty cat Sokka. In her free time she enjoys baking, making stained glass art and hanging out with her friends. If you see her in town, say hi!
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
