ready, set, go!

One thing I love to do, is make dinner (any food, for that matter) at home. This saves money, although it takes time planning and searching, and you know all the ingredients going into your bod, even if it is 1 stick of butter, thank you Paula Deen, "HEY Y'ALL!"

I present to you black bean chili topped with avacado and sharp cheddar and homemade biscuits with sharp cheddar. Cheddar is so yummy, no?

black bean chili (makes 6 servings):
ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
half of an onion (I used a red one because that's what I had on hand)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz can of stewed tomatoes
2.5 cups of dried black beans soaked and drained
3.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1.5 - 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depends on your level of hotness)
salt and pepper  to taste
1.5 - 2.5 cups of organic chicken stock (I eyeballed this)
1/2 cup of frozen corn

toppings (optional):
avocado
sour cream or greek yogurt
your choice of shredded cheese
cilantro

directions:
heat oil in stockpot on medium heat. add onion and carrots and saute for about 4 minutes then add garlic. pour in stewed tomatoes, black beans, and seasonings. add in enough stock so the chili is not too runny (unless you want soup?). lastly, add in corn. let this all cook together for an hour or longer.

cheddar biscuits adapted from Paula Deen (makes 10 - 13):
ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter or 8 tablespoons, cubed
1.5 - 2 cups sharp cheddar
3/4 cup milk

directions:
preheat your oven to 410 degrees. mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. add in the cubed butter and mix until it resembles cornmeal then add in sharp cheddar. slowly incorporate the milk into the dough. put dough on a floured surface and roll out to a 1 inch thickness.

grab a biscuit/cookie cutter or a small (wine) glass and cut out pieces, be sure to place down hard enough that you do not have to twist the cutter. place the biscuits on a greased pan and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. turn the oven up to 425 degrees and bake for another 3-5 minutes.