Black Bean Stew with Butternut Squash

It was a dark and stormy night, wind shrieked past the corners of the stuccoed dwelling splattering the driving rain onto the freshly washed windows.  When, oh when would she learn to wait until April to wash those panes of glass which so lovingly let the coveted morning light shine into the familial home (for it is in San Diego that our scene lies).  

But in San Diego it doesn't rain, or it hadn't rained much more than the usual 10 inches or so annually until a year ago when the family obtained the two tiny balls of white Maltese fluff... the same fluffs who don't care to get their manicured toes wet when it's time to "do their business".  The same fluffs who stand outside past bedtime on the soggy lawn (but not alone... no never alone...) with the somewhat impatient mother whose hair is wet even with the hooded protection of a somewhat too thin jacket.  She stands there, coaxing the little fluffs, telling them that it will be a long night and that they should "go" now.  But they are more interested in the flying leaves and the strange feeling of wind and rain on their teddy bear-like faces.  Finally they are done and the mother returns with the wet and "not-so fluffy" Maltese fluffs to the warm and aromatic house.

Aromas of beef and chili spices envelope the warm rooms of the house, for the mother had known it was going to storm and what better way to beat the unbearable (yes... it was in the low 50's...brrrr) cold on a stormy day than a hearty stew?  Filled with vibrant butternut squash the stew was visually a sight for cold eyes.  Chipotle chiles and a slightly spicy chili powder brought a warmth other than the actual physical heat of the dish, and the cilantro and pepper jack cheese brought a Mexican Chili-like flair to the steaming bowl of goodness.  Pearl barley added a healthy fiber to the flavorful mix and the tender chunks of grass fed beef made the husband's spirits soar.

With full bellies and happy heads, the family slept through the remainder of the storm awaking to gleaming but streaky windows and welcoming a new day.

Beef Chili with Poblanos and Beer

With our scarves tightened and Ugg boots layered with socks we faced the bone-chilling wind chill of 46º a few nights ago to take the pups for a little walk after dinner.  Not going too far so as not to chill our fingers we returned to warm ourselves by the fire and got to clearing the dishes from our undeniably appropriate cold winter night's chili.

46º may not sound so cold, but for us in San Diego, it's life changing!  Socks have come out of hiding, ugg boots have replaced sandals at the high school, and we've switched the coffee from iced to hot.

Newspaper showing the "drastic" dress difference in San Diego from season to season!

In all seriousness... when I moved here after spending 3 winters in Louisville, KY I laughed at how everyone was so cold all the time.  I even sounded a bit like my parents saying, "Well, if you'd dress properly, you wouldn't be so cold!".  We enjoy sunny days on the empty beaches in January, and gardening and planting roses in February.  Over the years though, my winter "gear" has worn out and I find myself heading out on chilly mornings with just a light sweater and floppies, and yes... improperly dressed, I too am complaining about the cold.  

Thinking chili is the perfect winter meal in any region I set out to sautee my poblanos, onions and garlic in the early afternoon.   Adding spices to the vegies and then combining them with the browned beef along with a bottle of dark beer to simmer had the aromas wafting through the house for hours before we topped our steaming bowls with my favorite part of chili, the "goodies".  Chopped, fresh cilantro and green onions were sprinkled over grated cheeses along with a dollop of sour cream.  Some of us added a scoop of rice, but we all enjoyed a side of Buttermilk Cornbread Biscuits fresh from the oven.

With our bodies warmed and satiated we leaned back in our chairs, sighed and decided that Life is Good.

Southwestern Turkey with Garlic-Ancho Chili Paste, and our Giveaway Winner!

Our Guest Baker Duo is working on another kind of duo this weekend at the Coastal Dance Rage dance convention in Pasadena.  For six hours a day Liv, Molly and their dance team have been learning hip hop, contemporary, tap, jazz and ballet from some of the big names in the industry.  tWitch and Nappy Tabs (Napolean & Tabitha) seem to top the list in popularity with their So You Think You Can Dance status, but the level of instruction has been overwhelmingly impressive and both girls worked hard enough to get noticed and received scholarships to the convention next year.  Luckily we had a fresh batch of Liv & Molly's Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins to help fuel their energy starved bodies.  This afternoon they worked together to come up with a random equation to pick our Giveaway winner!  Seems that 6 random numbers added together divided by 2 and then divided by 4 comes to the winning number 9, which equates to Taylor at Greens and Chocolate.  Congratulations Taylor!

Liv & Molly pose with SYTYCD star tWitch!  Quite a presence in the class.  His energy was absolutely contagious.  Watching him get out on the dance floor and simply dance among the girls was amazing!

Liv gets a squeeze from Napolean (of Nappy Tabs - Napolean & Tabitha!)

Napolean's other half, Tabitha (Tabs).  Both choreograph for SYTYCD. 

Molly receives her scholarship from Ian Eastwood (ICON)! 

Almost done with our weekend we are headed home in preparation for our Thanksgiving week.  This year is a traditional menu for us, however we have done alternative menus in the past - one including a Southwestern Turkey with a Garlic-Ancho Chili Paste which provided an extraordinarily tasty bird.  In combination with our Chipotle Lime Sweet Potatoes, cornbread and a Southwestern salad we had a non-traditional but wonderful holiday.  Unfortunately I don't have photos of my non-traditional bird, but I wanted to share the recipe for anyone who may be looking for something a bit different this holiday.  Found on Epicurious, I have only used the paste portion of the recipe, but we liked it so much we have used it numerous times, always with perfect results.