There was a time in a writer’s life that called for some distraction. That’s all she wrote.
Distraction.
You have yours. I have mine. No, it’s not TIFF, a.k.a instructions for living and all round recipe for bringing it.
My Top Ten if you missed it
Mine is baseball. And don’t come asking for stats. I have smarty pants relatives who know far more than I do about weird and wonderful baseball stats.
Me? I like the head game played between pitchers and batters. The slow pace. The big hits. The pure anticipatory thrill every time one of those boys (they’re all boys to me after you watch a champagne clubhouse jam) raises his bat. As for when it will be her bat, have you checked out Pitch yet, the new drama starring Canadian actor Kylie Bunbury as a talented pitcher who becomes the first woman to play in Major League Baseball? Episode four of the inaugural season airs tonight.
Here’s the trailer in case you missed it
So our team is in the play-offs and if you’re into lucky rituals, chili is a good bet for a fall Hump Day in play-off season. Open the pantry. You’ve got this. Maybe stop in on the way home and pick up some ground beef. I promise this is a quickie. Up the spice if you like your chili smoking hot.
Make up a quick batch today and fire it up for the big game tomorrow.
And the Jays? Quickies are not in their wheelhouse. Ball girl here doesn’t have actual evidence of this, but game time last night went into extra innings so…
We’re going to Texas, baby. Don’t call me during game time. Just come on over and bring your game voice.
Easy-Peasy-Pantry Chili
What you need:
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- 1 large chopped onion
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (or more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 cans kidney beans ( 15 ounce cans)
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce ( or more to taste)
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped chipotle peppers (smoked, dried jalapeños)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup beer ( dark if you have it)
Garnish: Sour cream, chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese.
What you do:
- Brown beef in large frying pan. Add onion, spices and tabasco.
- Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Dump it all into a big pot ( I use my Dutch oven for this). Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, paste, chipotle, sugar, and beer. Make sure to add all the juices from the cans. Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes. Give it a good stir every now and then.
- Serve in big bowl with whatever garnish suits your fancy.
- Store chili in fridge and reheat for game time.
Nice sides are roasted beets and greens.
Nice finishers are toasted walnut apple crisp. Come back and visit me again for that one.
Want more? Rituals are the smile of life. My new food memoir details some of our family favourites. Hint: we like cake.
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