(Vegetarian) Sweet Potato Chili

(Vegetarian) Sweet Potato Chili

Serves about 12

2T (garlic) olve oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
7-8 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (plus one can of water)
1/4 c. tomato paste
1t cumin
1/2 t corriander
1/2 t ground chipotle powder
2T chili powder
1/2 T cocoa
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 cups frozen corn
15.5 oz. can garbanzo beans
15.5 oz. can black beans
15.5 oz. can dark red kidney beans

shredded cheddar cheese
fresh cilantro
other toppings of your choice (diced onions, sour cream, etc.)

Heat oil in a large stock pot, add onions and cook about halfway, until just starting to soften.  Add garlic and jalapeno, continue cooking until onions are translucent.  Add tomatoes, diced tomatoes, water and tomato paste.  Stir.  Add in all seasonings, sweet potatoes and corn, stir well.  Simmer 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are almost fork-tender.  Stir in beans and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.  Add toppings of your choice and enjoy!

GORP ...and catching up...

Hey!  So, it's been awhile since I've posted...  again.  Over a month, jeeze...  and even longer since I've done a "sit down and chat with whoever reads my blabbering on" kind of post.

Anyway, if you follow me on Instagram, you might already know that my awesome best friend bought me a "late birthday" gift recently.  A book that I've been eyeing for quite some time: Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan!!!  I love it so, so much.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

I was browsing Pinterest recently and came across this board full of beautiful illustration inspiration...  the works by Carson Ellis caught my eye and I decided to start doing some research on this talented artist.  Turns out that, not only does she do album art/band posters/etc. for one of my favorite bands (The Decemberists), but she's married to the Colin Meloy, the lead singer!  I adore them both.  

Continuing my research, I found that Meloy and Ellis have created a series of children's fantasy books together, The Wildwood Chronicles.  Check out this video to learn more about the books and to watch Ellis draw a coyote soldier (also to prevent me from going on and on and on about it!).  I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good story.

Also gorgeous.

Anyway, you might be wondering why I'm going on about two seemingly unrelated books, but they have something in common that had been on my mind before ever picking up either book: GORP.  Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts.  Trail mix!  Food in Jars has a recipe for GORP granola and in Wildwood, Prue -the main character-, grabs a bag of GORP to take along on her adventure....  We have an abundance of raisins in our house, peanuts were on sale at my favorite grocery store and Halloween left us with a heap of M&Ms...  this was obviously all meant to be.

Not to mention that it's easy enough that my six-year-old was able to make it (almost) on his own.

GORP (Good Ol' Raisins & Peanuts Trail Mix)

3 cups roasted, lightly salted peanuts

2 cups raisins

1 1/2 cups M&Ms (we used half regular and half peanut M&Ms)

Toss it all in a bowl.  Mix it up.  Enjoy!  ...but don't pick out the chocolate and leave the peanuts and raisins (Prue says it's illegal!).

Creamy Potato Soup

Dinner was so good the other night...  Creamy potato soup that I jazzed up according to individual tastes...  I loved it, the kids loved it, my husband went back for seconds (which is very rare for him)!

potato soup topped with cheddar cheese

Creamy Potato Soup

adapted from this recipe

12 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1/2 c. butter
1 medium red onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 cups (64 oz.) vegetable (or chicken) stock

kosher or sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Boil potatoes in a large stock pot in salted water about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.  Set aside.

In the same pot, melt butter and sauté onions and garlic over medium heat until softened and translucent.  Stir in flour and cook for about a minute.  Whisk in vegetable stock and continue stirring until most of the lumps of flour are gone.  Add half of the potatoes to the pot and puree using an immersion blender (or carefully using the blender you use for smoothies...  just be sure to cover it with a towel to avoid any hot liquid spattering).  Loosely mash the remaining potatoes with a spoon and stir into the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in heavy cream and serve as is, or top with whatever sounds good to you!

Enjoy!

The kids and I had our soup with leftover broccoli,

chopped carne asada and a little sharp cheddar.

Yummy!

Chia Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowl

Chia Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowl

adapted from this recipe
makes 1-2 servings

1 cup Greek Yogurt (I used vanilla)
1/2 cup [your favorite kind of] milk [or kefir] (I used almond milk)
1/2 Tbsp. agave nectar [or honey], or more to taste
1/4 cup chia seeds

toppings/mix-ins of your choice (I stirred in about 1/4 cup of thawed mixed berries, then topped with 1/2 banana, sliced and 1 Tbsp. slivered almonds)

Combine yogurt, milk, agave nectar and chia seeds in and airtight container (like a mason jar or tupperware).  Stir, seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight to allow the chia seeds to absorb moisture and become gelatinous.

Add fruit, nuts or other toppings and enjoy!

Carrot, Ginger, Grapefruit & Orange Juice

1 grapefruit, peeled
1/2 medium orange, peeled
2 small-medium carrots
1" knob of ginger

Juice, stir, enjoy!

Alternatively, if you don't have a juicer, you could put all of the ingredients in a blender, then strain through cheese cloth.

Cushy Bobble Bath Mat {crochet pattern}

Cushy Bobble Bath Mat

MATERIALS:

9mm/M hookAran cotton yarn, doubled

Stitch guide:

sl st: slip stitch

bobble: pick up next stitch, yo, pull through, yo, insert hook into same stitch, yo, pull through, yo, insert hook into same stitch, yo, pull through (6 stitches on hook), yo, pull through all six stitches

sc: single crochet

ch: chain stitch

DIRECTIONS:

Chain 50, ch 1 turning stitch

(increase in multiples of 2 stitches)

*bobble 1, sl st 1*; rep from *to* to end, ch 1 turning stitch

Repeat row 1 39 more times (until mat measures approximately 24" x 15")

Coconut Chocolate Chip Chai Hot Chocolate Cookies

I don't know if it's the recent chilly weather or that the kids are going back to school soon, but I'm already going into fall mode (and August hasn't even started!).  I'm in the mood for spicy, warm goodies.  

Holy crap, you guys...  these things are so freaking good.

...and, yes, I'm sure I could've come up with a shorter name for them...

Coconut Chocolate Chip Chai Hot Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from this recipe.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1/4 cup instant chai drink powder (I used Trader Joe's pumpkin chai mix)

• 
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips and coconut.

• In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and chai powder. Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in chai-sugar mixture. Place, about 3 inches apart, on silpat or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. 
• 
  
• (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week)

Best served alongside a homemade foamy mocha

topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon.