October 1st

Hello there , dears ! Cool weather has arrived to these parts - much to the dismay of the Summer Girl ! We dress and eat differently now...fewer salads and more steamy things . Lunch yesterday demanded something hearty , so Veggie Black Bean Chili and Homemade Cornbread appeared . After a beef burger was sauteed to crumbles , chopped onion and celery, shredded carrot and garlic joined in . Sun dried tomato , balsamic vinegar , pepper , chili powder , cumin and a dusting of good cayenne followed suit , with a small can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and one of diced tomatoes ,with a small can of sauce. The seasoning was adjusted and a bit of brown sugar tossed in to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes . As that bubbled along , the oven was preheated with my favorite iron skillet inside as a cube of sweet butter melted in its midst . By the time the butter melted , the oven was ready . The neat thing about this method is that as the batter is poured into the tilted skillet and the excess butter spooned onto the top , it's already beginning to cook in the hot pan . What emerges 25 minutes later is golden , fragrant and delightfully crispy outside...light and tender inside . The only thing left to do is to grate some 100% cacau chocolate into the chili pot , stir well , ladle some into a warmed bowl , serve with a buttered wedge of cornbread and enjoy ! ...and so I did ! Have a wonderful day !