The Best Chili in the World

If you’ve ever been to Terlingua during chili season, you know it’s not just food, it’s a full-blown experience.

The legendary Terlingua International Chili Championship brings together serious competitors, bold flavors, and a whole lot of chili pride. And when we’re talking about the best of the best? We’re talking about the 2x world champion himself: Tom Dozier.

And let me tell you something: this chili? It’s the real deal.

A Funny First-Year Story:

Our very first year in Terlingua, I was asked to sit at the final table at the CASI chili cook-off. Huge honor. I was so excited to taste the best chili in the world.

And right before I was supposed to walk over?

Our pizza oven blew up.

Literally.

Smoke. Chaos. Total disaster. I never even made it to the table. I didn’t get to try a single bite of chili that year.

Small-town business ownership at its finest. 😂

But here’s what I can tell you: THIS chili, the one from Tom Dozier’s blend, is the best in the world.

2x International Champion

2x Terlingua Ghost Town Champion

2x Texas State Fair Champion

2x US National Open Champion

We used to sell it at the restaurant we ran here in Terlingua, and people went crazy for it.

The Secret? It’s in the Blend.

The magic is in the seasoning.

👉 Grab your spice here: https://www.ghostownchili.com/blends(Go buy it. Trust me.)

It’s simple. It’s authentic. It tastes like Texas in a bowl.

The Easiest Award-Winning Chili Recipe (Makes 2 Pounds)

No complicated steps. No guessing. Just bold, delicious flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef

• 8 oz tomato sauce

• 14 oz beef broth

• 8 oz water

• 1 Ghost Town Chili packet

Instructions:

1. Brown and drain 2 pounds of ground beef.

2. Add:

   • 8 oz tomato sauce

   • 14 oz beef broth

   • 8 oz water

3. Bring everything to a boil.

4. Add the Ghost Town Chili packet.

5. Lower heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Add your fixin’s and serve hot.

That’s it.

No beans. (This is Texas red, y’all.)

Add Your Fixin’s

This is where you make it yours:

• Shredded cheddar

• Sour cream

• Diced onions

• Jalapeños

• Fritos

• Fresh cilantro

Or eat it straight out of the pot like a true chili fan.

As a business owner in Terlingua, we’ve seen a lot of food trends come and go. This one doesn’t fade.

It’s simple. It’s authentic. It carries history.

And in a place like Terlingua, right outside Big Bend, food is about community, storytelling, and a little bit of friendly competition.

Tom Dozier nailed it.

If you want to taste the spirit of the desert in a bowl, this is it.

Go grab the blend. Cook it up .Invite some friends over.

And if your oven doesn’t explode mid-cookoff… consider it a win.

Thanks for being here! Cheers to good chili and even better friends!

Small Town Dreams Or Business Nightmares?

Let’s talk about building businesses in small towns because I think people romanticize it, especially when they see the desert sunsets and the “small town dream” aesthetic.

Hi, I’m Mallory, and I run businesses in a small, remote town called Terlingua, and let me tell you, it’s not glamorous in the way people imagine. It’s beautiful, yes. It’s fulfilling, absolutely. But it is not easy.

Out here, you don’t just run a business. You become a full-time problem solver. Deliveries don’t always show up on time and sometimes they don’t show up at all. If a freezer goes down or a toilet breaks, there’s no “same-day service.” There’s no backup vendor around the corner. You troubleshoot, you improvise, or you wait. And waiting in a remote town can mean days, not hours. Weather can shift overnight and completely change your foot traffic. A cold snap, heavy rain, high winds, that’s your revenue that week. There’s no extra strip center down the street bringing overflow traffic.

You also wear every single hat. Owner. Manager. HR. Maintenance. Marketing department. Social media manager. Sometimes all before noon. Staffing is harder. Resources are limited. Convenience doesn’t exist. You learn very quickly that if you want it done, you’re probably going to have to figure it out yourself.

But here’s what I’ll say, what you lose in convenience, you gain in resilience. You learn how to adapt fast. You learn patience whether you want to or not. You stop expecting things to be easy and start expecting to grow through it. And when you win out here? It feels earned. Deeply earned.

There’s something powerful about building a business where community actually matters, where customers drive miles to support you, and where every busy night feels like proof that grit works.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not polished. But it’s real. And I wouldn’t trade the lessons or the strength it’s built in me or anything.

As always,

I'm here cheering for you!

Three Years: Sobriety Rocks

Three years ago, I made a decision that changed the entire trajectory of my life and it wasn’t just moving to Terlingua, buying a pizza place, or building new businesses. It was quitting drinking.

I didn’t quit because I hit rock bottom. I didn’t quit because something catastrophic happened. I quit because I was tired. Tired of feeling anxious. Tired of waking up foggy. Tired of seeing photos of myself and not feeling like the woman I knew I could be. Most of all, I was tired of spending energy on something that was quietly taking more from me than it was giving.

When I look back at old pictures, I don’t feel shame. I feel compassion. She was doing the best she could at the time. She was navigating stress, ambition, entrepreneurship, and life the way she knew how. But she wasn’t fully aligned. She wasn’t clear. She wasn’t operating at her highest level.

And deep down, I knew I wanted more. I knew I deserved more.

Sobriety didn’t magically make life easier. It made me sharper. It gave me clarity I didn’t realize I was missing. It gave me my mornings back. It gave me my discipline back. It gave me my edge back.

Entrepreneurship requires energy, real energy. Not hype. Not motivation. Sustainable, focused, consistent energy. When I stopped drinking, I stopped negotiating with myself. I stopped needing weekends to “recover.” I started showing up more intentionally, in my businesses, in my marriage, in my health, and in my faith.

The physical changes came. The mental clarity deepened. But the biggest shift was internal. I trust myself more now. When I say I’m going to do something, I do it. When I set a goal, I pursue it without compromise. There’s a quiet confidence that comes from keeping promises to yourself.

Three years sober isn’t about what I gave up. It’s about what I gained.

I gained presence.

I gained momentum.

I gained discipline.

I gained peace.

If you’re sober curious, hear this: you don’t need a dramatic story. You don’t need a rock-bottom moment. You don’t need permission. Sometimes the strongest move you can make is choosing clarity, even if everything on the outside looks “fine.”

For me, this decision was about alignment. About building a life that matches the vision I have for myself. About removing anything that dulls my focus or shrinks my potential.

Three years in, and I can confidently say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Clear. Focused. Grateful.

And just getting started.

If you ever want to talk, feel free to reach out. I know sometimes that's all it takes to make a decision. Love you.

-M