A bite of gratitude, not to confused with a bit of. Yes, the “e” makes all the difference and is vital to this post. I am going to add another new and exciting recipe but first wanted to take a bite of some gratitude. Remember the “e” is important, whether it’s in the beginning, the middle, or the end holding everything together. Kinda like glue but in this post I am talking about family, and that binding agent would the Cindy, my mother in law. She has been a part of my life since late 2019 and I am extremely grateful for my relationship with her. Never once have I felt out of place or not part of this family and I believe that stems from the core of what Cindy brings to the table. How is it that she has raised 5 kids, in the circumstances that she had and still keep a glowing smile on her face. Is she superwoman, hmm, maybe, at least in my eyes I see strength that isn’t just found on isle 6 of the grocery store. No, this is deep in her core, and it’s inspirational, it’s infectious, and I am truly amazed at this woman. I never see her ask for anything but always giving everything so I wanted to show her my gratitude and let her take a bite out of a new recipe, vegetarian chili. Cindy thank you for all that you do! You have been extremely helpful, kind and loving and I am honored to call you mom.

Ok so after a tasty start, let’s jump into the recipe. We invited Cindy and Johnny over for a birthday dinner and I knew I needed to find a new and scrumptious treat for all of us. After a few hours of researching and reading various ideas I came up with the plan of vegetarian chili. Who doesn’t like a good bowl of chili?! This chili was going to be completely different than what I am used to, and that excited me. 

I laid out the ingredients and started prepping to cook. I cut up some sweet potatoes, garlic, onion, green and red pepper and set aside. After opening up the cans of beans, I rinsed them and prepared the pot for some of the items. This is one thing I love about chili, it is SO simple to make! I added the potatoes, onion and peppers in the pot and cooked until the onion started getting soft. Add in the garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes. Grab the beans and rest of the ingredients and add them to the pot. Add water just until the beans are covered and lte it come to a boil. Change the temperature to low and let simmer for an hour or so, unitl potatoes are tender.

As the time got closer to serving time, I created a toppings bar of avocado, sliced scallions and cilantro so that everyone can customize their own bowl. You can add cheese or sour cream, whatever you might fancy. I also ended up adding some cornbread to the dish which was a perfect addition. Another new recipe, another new delicious meal, and another group of happy bellies. I kept this post short and simple for a reason, yes it is a recipe, but it’s way more than that.. remember the “e”, it’s everything, and just happens to be at the end of Cind(e)… happy birthday!!