::spicy vegetarian chili::

taylor said he wanted chili. so this is what i was able to throw together. it was really good, in my opinion, especially for being essentially an experiment in rummaging through the fridge and pantry!

{spicy vegetarian chili}
INGREDIENTS
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can rotel
1 can black beans
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. adobo sauce {from canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce}
2 tbsp. chili powder
dash of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 - 1c. beer, or other liquid like broth, water or wine
2 tbsp. olive oil
DIRECTIONS
In large pot or dutch oven, saute onions and peppers in olive oil until well softened. Add spices and adobo sauce and stir. Add beans, rotel and tomato paste. Add liquid until desired thickness. Stir uncovered for a few minutes on medium heat until bubbly. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with cornbread and cheese.

I did not drain or rinse the beans very carefully. Meaning, I allowed the beans and rotel liquid to serve as some of the soup liquid. This is SO flexible, good and easy!

::overnight yeast pancakes::

this was such a fun experiment. but mostly because i'm a nerd. i mixed these up on friday night. took them out of the 'fridge on saturday morning and only had to clean the bowl in the morning. no flour or other pantry items strewn about. taylor liked the little bit of cinnamon in them, but would probably have preferred that i not have substituted a cup of white flour for wheat. we have to alternate our hearty with our less-than-hearty pancakes.

{ Overnight Yeast Pancakes }
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (i substituted a cup of wheat)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups warm milk (due to the wheat flour, i added 1/4 cup milk)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl combine flour, white sugar, salt, cinnamon and yeast; mix well. Add vanilla, milk, butter, and egg until well blended. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Allow to reach room temperature before making.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. {oiling with butter before each new batch, is yummiest} Stir the batter with a whisk.* Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Flip when bubbles begin to form throughout. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

*try to make a few just scooping out the batter with a 1/4 measuring cup BEFORE whisking. most of the reviews said they had better results when they DIDN'T stir. They were definitely thicker before I stirred the batter, but it depends on if you like spread out, flat pancakes or less spread out, more fluffy ones...

::pizza margherita::

pizzas have proved to be a yummy and versatile way to incorporate veggies and good cheese into our lives. i've successfully frozen the dough after rising and then on the designated day, allowed it to thaw through the day in the fridge, and then come to room temperature before rolling out.

{ pizza margherita }
INGREDIENTS
this pizza dough
1/2 a roma tomato, thinly sliced, then cut into bite sized pieces
about  3 tablespoons to 1/4 c. good basil pesto (homemade or fresh from a Central Market or Whole Foods type food bar)
fresh mozzarella cheese
freshly cracked pepper
DIRECTIONS
oven to 500. roll out prepared dough. spread pesto generously and evenly on the pizza, leaving a little crust. crumble/drop/ small cheese chunks. cheese spreads significantly when it melts, so don't fee like you have to cover up the pesto. leave holes, a little bit goes a long way. place tomatoes evenly around pizza. sprinkle tops of tomatoes with pepper.

bake for about 10-12 min on a pizza pan or a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.

enjoy!

::chipotle black beans::

i had made this before so i don't know why it wasn't on here. perhaps i made it before {vittles} was in place. it's a good, easy and versatile dish. you can control the heat with the amount of chipotle peppers, sauce and their seeds.

Chipotle Black Beans
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
5-6 cups cooked black beans or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 seeded chipotle chiles in adobo, minced (set 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce aside)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
fresh cilantro, minced
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers, and cook until translucent.
Turn heat to medium and add garlic, cumin, paprika, cocoa, salt and minced chipotle peppers. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, then mix in reserved adobo sauce. Stir to combine, then add beans immediately.

When the beans are hot, add vinegar and honey or sugar. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving over rice.

i did all this in a casserole dish in the microwave. i don't know how you fell about that but it was a quick, one pot dish from prep to service to storage, and that was nice. . . Adjust peppers and sauce according to taste.

{image belongs to foodpeoplewant}

{the proper care and feeding of polos}

I realized as I folded laundry this evening that I have a useful domestic tidbit worth sharing. It starts with a confession.

I was tortured as child. Granted, in her defense, my mom was a working teacher throughout my middle school and high school years and couldn't be bothered with the likes of our soddy laundry piles that showed up at their leisure with complete disregard for their sheer volume and soddiness. She had better things to do with her evenings at home after a full day of teaching Trigonometry to sassy high schoolers. Like eat bon bons and soak her feet in peppermint oil.

So she made us do our own laundry. Egad. I know. And it is within these roots that my domestic trivia begins. I still have some explaining however, so stick with me. We wore uniforms and I was a vain yet lazy high schooler. Who wanted to avoid ironing at all costs. So let's talk collars. In my vanity, I liked (ahem, like?) the look of a straight-standing, well curved collar. No flat collars and no creased collar curves. (Now, oxford collars are another matter, but laziness and thus the non-iron uniform brand were involved.) So in my lazy vanity, I discovered how a nicely standing, well-curved polo collar can be achieved with a little preliminary work and no ironing.
Please note: "The Prep." When a polo comes out of the dryer and is still warm, shake it out and promptly hang it. Button all buttons, and pop the collar. Hang in closet with the rest of its preppy friends.

Let's take a closer look at this red one here. What has happened? This is unfortunate.Now granted, this is a golf polo in which the sun and sweat and non-ironing facilitated an irrevocable crease. But if you have a husband who is outside often, or who does not differentiate between his athletic and non-athletic collared shirts, or who likes to wear sporty polos for their shininess at other occasions, or if you have a small, or large, boy whose clothes are often subject to sun and sweat and lack of collar ironing THIS could be your fate.

SO shake them out, get preppy with them and they will last long, stay lovely and you will be able to avoid the iron.

Thanks for your time.

::sugar cookies::

i'd never made sugar cookies from scratch, at least not that i could recall. although these were simple, they were really good, soft, chewy, rich and dense.
{ sugar cookies }
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, **softened**
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. {I recommend, flattening just a bit, like with a snickerdoodle, using the bottom of a glass.}
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

frost if desired.

::wheat scones::

here's a good scone recipe to use when you don't have sour cream. make buttermilk by adding 1 T. white vinegar to 1 cup milk and letting it sit for 5 - 10 minutes. it can also be made with all white flour.

wheat scones
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
Grate in the butter with a cheese grater. Add sugar. Then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in enough milk to mix to a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface, knead lightly but allow mixture to stay flaky, and press in to a circle about 3/4-inch in thickness. Cut into 8 or 9 triangles and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.