from: Shape Magazine
Ingredients
1 c lite vanilla soy milk
1/2 c calcium OJ
1 banana (I like frozen ones), peeled, obviously
Directions
Chunk it all in a blender and smoothie it up.
Not Chili Again!!
Yes, my hungry friends … Chili again! But a different chili and something new and different to go along with it … I guess all of this starts back in mid Feb when I went on the ski trip with Mikey (co-worker/friend) and we stopped at the Happy Cooker in George Town, CO. Awesome little lunchy type place where I had some black bean and chorizo soup (or was it chili?) and some jalepeno cheddar bread. YUM! On the way back from Vail (site of the drinking … err ski trip), we stopped again and once again had this yummy yummy meal (and some quiche too, if I remember right). Fast forward to a few weeks ago when we went with Mikey and Holly to Goodwill. There was a breadmaker there for $8. Pretty good considering the cheapest one Target sells is $70. I didn't want to get it, because we already have too many freakin' kitchen appliances, but somehow, we ended up with it anyhow. I think that jalepeno cheddar bread was on both Mike's and my minds.
Of course with the ensuing May drama and travel, it languished on our counter in need of cleaning. But when Matt and I cleanded the house (paticularly the kitchen/pantry) on Saturday, I decided we must use it. So I looked up a recipe for the bread online and (sadly) we had all of the ingredients. It was phenomenal!!
Sunday, we decided we needed chili to go with it … specifically black bean and chorizo chili. The internet was searched, groceries were procured, and we had a truly lovely dining experience. Continue reading “Not Chili Again!!”
Cinnamon raisin bread for bread machines
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of water
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
3 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 1/2 teaspoons regular active dry yeast or 3 teaspoons bread machine or quick-acting active dry yeast.
3/4 cup of raisins
Directions
Add to bread maker. Bake on Sweet bread cycle. Add raisins at the beep or after first kneading
Jalepeno Cheese Bread for bread machines
Ingredients
7 ounces water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup jalapeño cheese, shredded
1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, chopped
2 1/4 cups white bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Directions
Place ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacture. Select Basic bread cycle and start machine.
Black Bean Chorizo Chili
Ingredients
1 pound chorizo, cut into bite size cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounce each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14 1/2 ounce each) diced tomatoes with hot peppers, undrained
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth or 12 ounces dark beer
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
garnishes: sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced green onions
Directions
Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, green pepper and chorizo. Cook until sausage is done, stirring to crumble. Drain well.
Return chorizo mixture to pan. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
If you like a thicker chili, mash some of the black beans before adding the beans to the meat mixture. Ladle into soup bowls and add toppings of choice.
Turkey and Bean Chili
from: Everyday Food Jan 2005
Ingredients
4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 pounds ground dark-meat (7% fat) turkey
4 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup minced garlic cloves
2 medium fresh jalapeño chiles (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired), minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes in purée
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
Coarse salt
3 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
toppings!
Directions
Heat a Dutch oven (or other heavy 5-quart pot) over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until crisp and brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Raise heat to high; add turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add onion, garlic, and jalapeños; cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cocoa powder, and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
Break up tomatoes with a spoon or your hands, and stir them in along with the purée. Add molasses, 1 cup water, and 4 teaspoons salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, partially covered, 30 minutes.
Add beans; continue cooking, uncovered, until meat and beans are very tender, and chili is thick, about 30 minutes more. Serve with desired toppings.
Nutritional Info (1/8 recipe)
480 calories; 13.7 g fat; 46.6 g protein; 47.1 g carbs; 14.5 g fiber
New Meal Monday – You Know You Missed Us!
Last night Matt and I made Turkey and Bean Chili. Normally, we like to make a couple of recipes but A) this was a meal in and of itself and B) it was a lot of work!! but ….
It was worth it!!
This is some of the best chili I've had. You had no idea that there was not a speck of beef in it and it tasted very flavorful. We served it, as is our custom, over fritos, with cheese on top. And yum-yum-yum-yum-yum!!
I suppose this is a bit time-consuming for your every day cooking, but it would be a great make-ahead and freeze or refrigerate meal.
We're Back!
Actually, we've been back since late Friday, but we had a jam-packed weekend and colds. I'm still coughing up a storm.
Thanks for all of the shout-outs about our puppy. It's always nice to hear people are thinking of you when you're down. We're still in the stage of thinking about May as if she's still around and it sucks when she's not. We miss her lots.
New Orleans was vair fun. We had a great time and got to be with Dan, who we never see, cuz he's so busy becoming a lawyer and my lil' sis', Kelly. We did the Bourbon street thing and Kelly and I discovered that we like sidecars (1p brandy, 1p triple sec or cointreau, 1p lemon juice, rim cup with sugar, if you please), we spent way too much $$ at the French Market, and we paddled around the bayou in a canoe! Good times. 
Pictures will be posted … oh hell… I dunno when. Soon, I hope. Continue reading “We're Back!”
Rest in Peace, Dear Friend
Well, this post is a bit late in coming, but there is a good reason it's late. On Monday, we lost our dear friend May. She hadn't been quite as spry since her first seizure. She no longer wanted to chase her toy and she stopped greeting us when we came home.
On Saturday, after we got home from hiking, we found May right after a seizure. Before we could get her to the emergency vet, she had 3 more. They had to give her beau coup meds before she would stop and when we finally picked her up on Sunday, she was a shell of her former happy self. She was barely lucid, twitchy, and snapping at everything. She chouldn't walk either. We had a nice last evening with her despite the crummy stuff, including giving her lots of attention and some garlic bread.
On Monday, Matt took her to see her regular vet, and we'd already decided. If she was going to continue along this path, it was time. I went to work on Monday but I got the call early and after crying in the restroom for about 10 minutes, I met Matt and Holly, who had gone with him, and we skipped the rest of the day to remember May.
Have some garlic bread and a roll in the snow and remember the greatest doggie ever. I just know she's making “May Angels” in the sky.
Haircut
So on the way home from work (well work by the way of the gym, dinner and Ben & Jerry's) Matt and I stopped into Fantastic Sam's to get trims before we left for New Orleans. My hair had been driving me nuts, cuz it was too long and getting rather unmanageable.
I sat down with my stylist and I we were talking about what to do with my hair. Somewhere in there, “Layers” were brought up. I thought we had decided to NOT do them, but lo-and-behold, I sort of … err… ended up with them.
I think, after careful consideration, that I like them. But I'm still not entirely sure. And I know it's going to bug me that I can't put up my hair without the aid of barrettes…