Chili days and chili for supper

Hi readers,

I hope you have managed to stay warm and cozy this weekend. It’s been pretty nippy out there but my favourite saying has applied to the past few days. “Cold hands, warm heart” is something my Gammy used to say and Maggie even gave me a Kate Spade travel mug with that written on it.

Right now, I am on hour 10 of my bus ride back from StFX University in Nova Scotia. At the start of the semester, our Dean of Student Affairs, Jackie Bailey, invited me to join a delegation of eight students and four staff/faculty to travel to the east coast for a leadership summit. I was beyond thrilled to represent Bishop’s and absolutely flattered. The bus ride hasn’t even been that bad since I’ve been accompanied by inspiring people. I’ve been pretty stressed these past few weeks and this little weekend getaway to the coast was just what I needed. It was amazing to meet students from the U4 League schools, Acadia, Mount Allison, and St Francis Xavier. We are all tiny primarily undergraduate liberal arts schools that share similar values about what education should be. I even got to sit at the head table at the opening dinner with StFx’s President, Dr Sean Riley, as well as Olympic gold medalist, Mark Tewksbury, and Olympic coach Debbie Muir. The campus is so beautiful; it reminded us of a New England private school. I went for a run while there to look for the ocean but when I couldn’t find it a few of us recruited our bus driver to take us on an adventure to find the sea. Overall, I had a remarkable weekend that will definitely remain one of my favourite memories of being a Bishop’s student.

 Here are a few shots from the weekend:

They gave X cookies on our beds!!

What a beautiful business building

Ocean adventures with Serge, the bus driver

The brave souls who endured the chilly ocean breezes

This was the poster I put together with help from Diane and Chelsea

Showing off my Dri-fit BU Gaiters shirt #selfie

We <3 free wine

Jason made wonderful closing remarks

Again, beautiful centre

Flashback to a week and a bit ago, during a particularly cold day, I made this batch of Quinoa Chili for my friend Erin’s birthday. Everyone at the party asked for the recipe and so I will share it here! I guess that’s the point of having a food blog I guess!!

Quinoa Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans (vegan!!)

makes 6 hearty bowls of chili. From Milk Free Mom

- one 29 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

- one 6 oz can tomato paste
- 32 oz vegetable stock
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 cup dry quinoa
avocado and green onions for garnish  (optional)

✿ Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot (I used my new dutch oven) over medium low heat. 

✿ Add onions, and cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. 

✿ Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

✿ Add the beans, stock, and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper . Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes – 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. 

✿ Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick for your liking. Top with avocado and chopped cilantro. 

Enjoy and have a fantastic week!

xox Gaby

p.s. The blue dutch oven I received for Christmas from my parents was accompanied by an immersion blender I will be using any day now to make nice warm soups!