Chili Con Cornbread

Not my chili, but looks like it. MMM...

"The act of longing and belonging must be experienced in life." Yogi Well-Being Wisdom


I don't know who said that but they sure hit the nail on the head. I happen to do a lot of longing when it comes to my sweetheart, as do a couple of my girlfriends. I can vouch that once the weather takes a turn for down-to-the-bone cold not being able to get a nice warm hug from your mister is the WORST!! The solution: consuming comfort food. Warm, hearty, stick to your ribs and stay with ya comfort food. (Well, it at least tides ya over... kinda.)


The other night I had the opportunity to not only whip up this kind of meal but also share it with the object of all this longing. It was a treat in more than one sense! Plus the recipe is big enough for you to get 2-4 additional meals throughout the week and keeps very well. (Oh, and the chili takes less than an hour, total. You can't beat that with a stick.) Try it while you long for your mister or make it for both of you, curl up on the couch and stay out of the windy, ice-cold weather outside.


Easy, Quick black bean Chili:

3 15 oz. cans of black beans
1 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 lb. of ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey-you pick)
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
chopped fresh jalapeno to taste
minced garlic to taste
onion to taste
chili pepper to taste
addt'l spices... to taste
approx. 1/4 c. brown sugar (I find the ratio of sweet to spicey a personal preference, however. Therefore, depending on how hot you want the chili to be you may want to add more or less sugar.)


This is your basic base to making a quick chili: sautee the onion, garlic and chopped jalapenos in olive oil in a large pot. Add your meat and brown. Add beans and tomatoes, red wine vinegar, all other spices and brown sugar. Allow to simmer up to an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more seasonings to meet your preference.


Serve with warm cornbread topped with more fresh cut jalapeno and cheddar cheese.

Hold on tight, spider monkey!

Adding onto Bologna's post, I'd like to express my sentiment:

Carrying on... despite all the cons of rock climbing-- e.g., blistered hands; having to wear shoes made for elf children; rope burn; harness wedgies; puffy forearms; bruised shins, arms, elbows, face, head, shoulders, knees & toes, knees & toes...--I still LOVE the sport. As a novice climber, I'm still learning the ropes. *ba-dum, ching!* I was introduced to this crag-grabbing activity back in April and fell in love with its physical and mental demands. While your body is getting an awesome workout, the pink & grey matter inside your skull is always trying to think of the next move.


Last night I went to Earth Treks with my BFF, Dana. We're prepping for a weekend of food, fun, friends, and rock climbing adventures at Seneca Rocks, WV! Not to mention, we're going during the weekend of the annual chili cook-off held at the climbing school there...mmm, yum. Anyway, let me tell you a few reasons why ET is awesome:


1) Harness bulge. Although at first it makes you somewhat uncomfortable, the crotch-y bulge of male rock climbers-caused by the shape and design of climbing harnesses-provides for a great source of entertainment.

2) Hot, manly men. I've never seen more muscular, rugged men in one place. They have big broad shoulders, scruffy faces, legs thicker than chickens', and the smell of their bare feet in sweaty climbing shoes is to die for.

3) During what other sport could you say, "Hey, you've got a little pink nub between your legs!"? (FUN FACT: This actually happened. I was watching my friend climb indoors at ET and he couldn't find foot placement, so I thought I would be a good friend and give helpful advice. I guess I should've found words better than "little pink nub" to describe the foothold.)

IN CONCLUSION, everyone should climb rocks--inside and/or outside. It's a great, easy, fun way to increase your level of fitness. A person will burn an average of 700 calories in just ONE hour of climbing. Give it a try! You could be the next Spiderman, Edward Cullen or Chris Sharma.

P.S. - Please forgive the absence of the rollerblading video. I will have one next week, I promise! My roommates refused to videotape the indoor move I was working on and yelled at me when I was practicing, because it was "too dangerous". :)