Heading into the weekend, I thought I'd share with you a few of my essentials for tailgating season. We're down to the last two home games of the year for Iowa football, and the colder weather has me dreaming of chili and warm hot chocolate to help ward off the chill of the impending early morning tailgate. 

While I enjoy the atmosphere and camaraderie of bonding over a folding table filled with food and a cooler full of beverages, one of my favorite things about game day is seeing what my fellow Hawkeyes have come up with for a tailgate spread and the awesome people watching. It is my opinion that someone should really come up with an I Spy or Scavenger Hunt game for tailgating. On my version would be things like:

Grilling - Flippy Cup Tournament - Playing Catch - TV at a Tailgate - Open Fire Pit - Etc

What would you include?

If you are interested in finding out where to purchase any of my Iowa Hawkeye Tailgate Essentials, you can just click on the little images above and you be will redirected to the store. 

What is on your essentials list for tailgating?

The Presidential Election

Happy Hump Day! We've made it halfway through the week, and my what a whirlwind of a week it has been! Yesterday was election day, and America has voted to keep Barrack Obama as our nation's leader for 4 more years. T & I spent the entire evening watching election coverage as the votes came in, and shaking our heads at some of the politicians and commentators who really just don't understand the concept of treating everyone fairly regardless of gender, race, social standing or beliefs.

In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I would like to state something I'm thankful for in regards to election season. I am SO THANKFUL to have grown up in a family that did not push their individual beliefs about politics onto me. I understand that many people like to be vocal about their political standings with their friends and families, and that is your right. I am so very thankful however, that I was able to make my own informed decisions based on my personal experiences, values and beliefs. As an American, I value my freedom and the right to vote for whatever party I choose to favor whether that be Democrat, Republican, Independent or Other. Part of what makes us the unique wonderful individuals we are, is having the opportunity to make our own decisions. 

Did you get out and vote?

Exploring Grandad's Bluff and Hixon Forest

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was relatively uneventful, and most of it was spent watching endless amounts of football. Originally, we'd thought of traveling to Bloomington, IN for the Iowa vs. Indiana game, but after learning that the forecast was rain, and the trip would take us over 9.5 hours, we decided to stay home.  It was a tough weekend for the Hawks, and Iowa lost to Indiana 24-21 after a hour and half rain delay (not a common occurrence for college football). Sad day...

In other news, T and I recently went exploring in La Crosse, and found ourselves on top of the bluffs for a beautiful late afternoon walk in Hixon Forest, and watching the sunset from Grandad's Bluff. If you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend checking out the Bluff if you get a chance. It's so unique to see the city from such a different vantage point.

A beautiful fall afternoon walk through Hixon Forest.

This part of the forest seems very Little Red Riding Hood to me. Looks like the perfect spot for the big bad wolf to hide!

 Can you find us?

T and I at Grandad's Bluff looking out over La Crosse.

A view from the top.

Sunset. Maybe my favorite picture of the day. Gorgeous.

 Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Vegan Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili

November has arrived! What could possibly be better on a cool fall day than a warm bowl of chili? Thinking...thinking...thinking...That's right, not a thing. Unless, of course, you can find yourself on an exotic vacation in the tropics. Now that would probably be better than a bowl of chili. For most of us though, that just isn't in the books, and we decide to settle for some cozy home cooking instead.

In our most recent CSA haul, we had many sweet potatoes to use up, so I searched and searched for a new recipe to try out. I came across an intriguing recipe for Vegan Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili on Pinterest, and decided to give it a go.

Recipe adapted from Milk Free Mom

Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-Wah, is a relatively new food for me. I originally heard of it through vegetarian cookbooks and health food magazines. I can now say that it has become much more mainstream as I keep seeing recipes popping up via Pinterest, blogs, and conversations with health food lovers.

Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown for it's edible seeds. It is an excellent source of protein, and is also gluten and cholesterol free, making it a darling of people following a healthy diet. It is available in health food markets, and in the organic section of most grocery stores. Quinoa has become so popular in fact, that the United Nations has dubbed 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa. Pretty impressive!

VEGAN QUINOA & SWEET POTATO CHILI | Yield: 6 Servings | Prep: 5 min. | Total Time: 35 min.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 29 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 6 oz can tomato paste
32 oz vegetable stock
2 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size chunks
1 C dry quinoa
salt & pepper to taste
water to your liking for consistency
avocado, cilantro, mexican cheese for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add onions, and cook until translucent and starting to brown (about 10 min.). Add garlic and cook 2 min. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook 2 min. stirring constantly. Add black beans, sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 min. then add quinoa.

Continue cooking 25-30 min., stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked, and the chili has thickened. Add water if chili becomes too thick for your liking. I probably added about 1 C for the consistency shown above.

Garnish with avocado, cilantro, mexican cheese to serve.

This quick and healthy dinner option was very easy to make, not very time-consuming, and very filling. It will keep for several days in the fridge, or can be frozen for up to one month. The second day chili reheated was even tastier after the flavors had a chance to meld together overnight in the fridge. I hope you like it as much as we did!

Have you ever cooked with quinoa?