Monday, January 17, 2011

Labor-Inducing Chili with Sexy Honey Cornbread

Greetings from Sunny San Diego! We are taking a brief and much needed vacation from all the snow to visit our dear and pregnant friends, Kelli and Phil. We wouldn't be too upset if Hannah made an appearance, too.

Our flights were cancelled because of the blizzard yesterday, but we finally made it yesterday/ last night. We haven't spent time with Kelli in several years, so we don't have much on the agenda. Today we hung out and read pregnancy books, caught up, had amazing sandwiches with fresh west coast ingredients for lunch, and made it out to the beach to watch the sunset. Oh, and it was 75 degrees outside and sunny, which you can't beat with a stick (we just checked Watertown's weather-- 10 degrees. 10.)

Tonight we are cooking dinner together. In an attempt to jumpstart labor, we whipped up some of my gut-busting chili. We made a big pot so that the majority can be frozen an eaten later on, after Hannah is born (which could be any minute now...). And since this is vacation, we also have a barrel (yes, barrel) of cheese puffs and a bottle of whiskey. Those pregnancy cravings are so unpredictable.

"What the hell-- it's payday!"

Some of you guys have been asking for my chili recipe for a while now. I'm sorry its taken me so long. I haven't made it since last chili season. Tonight we made it along with a recipe for honey corn muffins that Kelli got from Down Home with the Neely's.

Which brings me to an interesting topic... cooking shows. It is my own personal belief that the only requirement for having your own cooking show, other than having the ability to cook, which covers most people, is having an obnoxious aspect to your personality. Paula Dean's voice, the Neely's sex drives, and Giada de Laurentiis's everything. But for some reason, you can't not watch them. Once an episode of any of those shows catches your attention, you are stuck there for the next 30 minutes. There's no way out.

Anyway, those horny Neelys make delicious corn bread, which is why we're here. Kelli made these in like, 5 minutes.

You probably don't need to make a bunch of sexual innuendos while you're making these, but it can't hurt.

Mix together:

1c yellow cornmeal
1c flour
1T baking powder
1/2c sugar
1t salt





In another bowl, whisk together:
1c milk
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4c honey




Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just mixed. Evenly divide batter into muffin tins and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.



seck-sy

You should probably make these corn muffins while the chili is simmering.

For the Vegetarian Chili, you will need:

3-4 cans whole peeled tomatoes
2-3 cans tomato sauce
a small jar mushrooms
small can sweet corn
small can chopped black olives
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1 can red kidney beans
1 can white kidney beans
1 can black beans
lots and lots of chili powder
s + p
garlic salt
oregano
basil
bay leaf
parsley

I don't measure any of the spices, I usually just taste as I go and end up adding more chili powder. But I like my chili with a kick. Anyway, the hotter it is, the faster that baby comes.

Throw everything in the pot together and simmer for as long as you can. The longer it cooks, the better it is. Of course, if you want meat in your chili, brown and drain it first, then add the rest of the stuff. I usually don't have room in my pot for anything else.


chop those vegetables, Devil Dawg!






Heeey, who put those onions there?



I recommend using an electric can opener.





a masterpiece.

2 comments:

  1. looks delish! i am def making that cornbread. and i got a new automatic can opener too! Looks like youre having fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. My mom says that Jamie Oliver never washes his hands on the show so she can't watch.
    What??

    ReplyDelete