Still Sick/Yummy Chili/Example of Internet Activism

I'm still sick with that effing sinus thing (aka "the crud") and too boot I think I may have candida. I see my naturopath tomorrow & hope she can help heal me before I present my workshop on Saturday. Last thing I need is for a group of my sisters & brothers hearing me hack, snort & wheeze my way through the session. So here's my chili recipe, which my beloved said was the best chili she ever had and even though she has to say nice stuff about my cookin', I know when she's really impressed by a dish.

Fran's Garden Steak Chili
1 1/2 lbs of organic steak chopped (I like hangar steak especially because there's little fat after cooking and it has a rich flavor & texture)
3 1/2 cups water
1 28oz. can of diced or stewed tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 can kidney beans (rinsed)
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 large carrot
4-6 cloves garlic chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 very small lemon
1/4 cup molasses
sea salt to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil

In a dutch oven on medium high heat coat bottom with olive oil & brown the steak and add garlic & onions. Saute a few minutes then add water, tomato paste & diced tomatoes. Allow to the mixture to get to boiling then turn heat to medium low and add the rest of the ingredients and squeeze the juice from the lemon into the pot. Cook for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Then turn heat to low & simmer another 2 hours. Serve with freshly baked cornbread and sprinkle sharp cheddar cheese on top of chili.

Now in news outside of my own little world...
One great example of Internet activism happened last week when CNN posted a story about Black women voters and their "dilemma" with having to choose between a female presidential candidate and a Black male one. Now I'm not sure how many comments that initial story got but there was so much reaction, so many folks commented, that CNN had to post another story later that day about the reactions to their story. Wow! My favorite gossip blog Jezebel reported on the story and noted one commenter that CNN also noticed named Tiffany who said:

"Duh, I'm a black woman and here I am at the voting booth. Duh, since I'm illiterate I'll pull down the lever for someone. Hm... Well, he black so I may vote for him... oh wait she a woman I may vote for her... What Ise gon' do? Oh lordy!"

A few of the commenter's on the Jezebel blog thought Tiffany was a rawk star saying things like:

"Buy that woman a drink", "Tiffany seems like an awesome lady", "Dear Tiffany, you have my vote" and "Tiffany, I can be biffle with yuo." (huh!) Anyway it seems like Tiffany by daring to speak up and use humor at the same time made a lot of people's day that day, especially mine.

This Internet interaction illustrates the power of people of color speaking out. To the point CNN had to take notice and reflect on it's narrow focus. Congrats to Tiffany, all the responders and CNN for taking the time to change the world just a little bit.

It's moments like that that give me hope to keep going, keep being an activist and love life. Reminds me of something Martin Luther King Jr. once said:
"Almost always the creative dedicated minority has made the world better."-Martin Luther King Jr.

Peace y'all!
~F

Recipe 4 U! Warning it's MEAT!

A break from my wordy meanderings today. A recipe for Pot Roast that I concocted on my own with just a wee bit of help from my mama & the Sober Kitchen Cookbook. But I pretty much winged it & it turned out to be one of the best pot roasts I've ever tasted. Now for all you vegetarians I'll post a recipe soon for delicious cottage cheese patties and one later for a vegan curry dish. I'm starting with the meat first because I can.

Fran's Frantastic Pot Roast

Chuck roast. About 4 pounds
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 tbsp butter
6-8 cloves of garlic minced
Celery salt
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Dried parsley -to taste
Dried Thyme -to taste
Pinch of dried Rosemary
1 or 2 bay leaves
2 tbsp flour
6-8 very coarsely chopped carrots
2-3 lbs red baby potatoes
water

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Put butter in roasting pan once oven is fully heated. Brown butter in pan and put the beef (I always rinse my meat before cooking) in the pan & put that in the oven. Sear the beef in the oven for 15 min. on one side and 10 min. on the other side of meat. Then turn the oven down to 325 degrees and add water until you have a 1/2 inch of water in pan. Also add 1 cup of the onion but not all. Let this all cook for 20 min, then baste roast and continue to baste every 15 to 20 minutes. After the roast has been in the oven for 40 min. or so add garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary to roast and juices. After 2 hours of cooking add thyme, black pepper & celery salt. After another half hour add sea salt and if you like more pepper. This would also be a good time to add 1/4th to 1/2 cup water.

I recommend cooking the roast for about 3 1/2 hours. In the last hour add the sea salt & more pepper if you like. In the last 40 min. add potatoes and the rest of the onion and put the lid on the roasting pan. 20 min. later add carrots and parsley.

After 3 1/2 hours remove meat & veggies to a baking dish and put in oven while the roasting pan will go on the stove top where you'll make the gravy.

Put the roasting juices in a glass measuring cup straining it through with a small mesh strainer on top. Put the garlic/onion/spice mush into the roasting pan. Next try to take off as much fat off the top of the juices in the glass measuring cup as possible without wasting the juices. Add 1/3 cup water to the roasting pan & turn the burner on the med-low. Cook the mush and water in the roasting pan constantly stirring until hot. Turn heat up to medium & slowly add the roast juices until fully blended. Then slowly add flour and any additional spices you want.

Then you'll have the honor of serving a Franastic Pot Roast!