GOLDEN SWEET CORNBREAD

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This past weekend Houston was threatened by the prospect of wintry precipitation.  So Houston did what it always does in these situations, and preemptively shut the city down.  Personally, I didn’t mind a few days of hanging around with nothing to do and nowhere to go.  Fortunately, it turned out to be a big old nothing burger, although it was pretty cold for these parts.  Another hard freeze is predicted for this weekend, although there is no ice or snow in the forecast, so it’s bundled up business as usual.

In preparation for the freeze, while parts of the country were blanketed by snow, Houstonians blanketed their plants with freeze cloth, which as best as I can tell, does nothing.  They also did panic shopping, myself included.  Surprisingly,  the grocery store was sold out of ground beef.  That can only mean one thing — Chili!  Fortunately, I had ground beef in my freezer, and made a big pot of chili with beans, which is always great on a cold evening.  Interestingly, conservatives tend to make not very good chili — they have trouble being liberal with their spices.

To go with the chili I made this recipe for Golden Sweet Cornbread, a favorite of mine and my kids.  The recipe is foolproof and delicious.   If you are feeling fancy, whip up a little cinnamon honey butter to spread on the hot cornbread, which will make it next level.

(By the way, if you want to make a vegetarian chili, just stick her in the freezer.)

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GOLDEN SWEET CORNBREAD
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk (can use low-fat)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add milk, oil, and egg to dry ingredients, and whisk until thoroughly combined.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until cornbread is golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 20-25 minutes.

A-maize-ing

 

COWBOY BEANS

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I found this bolo tie at an estate sale:

I was amused by the gavels hanging off the ends:

I’d bang that

I can’t picture any attorney I know wearing this, although I think it would be pretty gutsy to show up in court sporting it.

Did you know that the bolo tie is the official State Tie of Texas?  Yep, House Concurrent Resolution No. 12 was signed by Governor Perry in 2007, making it official.  The resolution states that the “heritage of the Lone Star State is closely associated with images of cowboys and the western frontier, and these elements inform several of the current Texas symbols, including rodeo, the official state sport, and the longhorn, the state large mammal.”  It goes on to state that the bolo tie is a “singular fashion associated with the American West,” and is “distinguished by its decorative clasp that fastens a length of cord or string; a staple of the western-wear fashions sported by a large number of Texans,” which “conjures up the romance of the pioneer era and speaks to the determination and independence that figure so prominently in Lone Star lore.”  “The selection of a bolo over a standard tie can suggest that the wearer refuses to be bound by convention and relishes the freedom to exhibit a distinctive sense of style even as they maintain a dignified, formal appearance.”  For these reasons, among others, the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas designated the bolo tie as the “official State Tie of Texas.”  Learn something new every day!

Rodeo (the official State Sport of Texas) is winding down here in Houston.  It’s a fun time of year, when everyone who wants to be a cowboy can pretend to be one.  Cowboy hats, bolo ties, bandanas, and cowboy boots can be spotted everywhere.  Rodeo and the “Texas justice” bolo tie are the inspiration for this recipe for Cowboy Beans.  This grub can be served as a main dish (like chili) or a side dish, and is great for potlucks.  If you use a sweet barbecue sauce, feel free to omit the molasses (or not).

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COWBOY BEANS
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 4 ounces bacon, diced into ½" pieces
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
  • ¼ cup pickled jalapenos, chopped
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
  • 2 14-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/1-2 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Instructions
  1. Place bacon in a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until bacon is crisp, approximately 10 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic, roasted peppers, and jalapenos and cook a few minutes more, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant (be careful not to let it burn). Remove bacon mixture to a separate bowl and set aside.
  2. Add beef and taco seasoning to pot. Cook beef, stirring frequently, and breaking up with a spoon as necessary, until beef is cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Add bacon mixture back to pot and stir to combine.
  3. Add beans, broth, barbecue sauce, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, and hot sauce to pot. Stir to combine, and cook covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, approximately 15 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Come ‘n get it

Doing it justice

(or as some influencers would say, “what I thrifted and how I styled it”)