A Hurricane . . . in Ohio???

Yes, that's right. We were hit with hurricane force winds yesterday that tore siding off people's houses (not ours, luckily), uprooted trees, and downed power lines all over the city. We lost power last night and I discovered I would have made a terrible pioneer woman. As John sat at the kitchen table huddled over a magazine, I couldn't stop complaining about the lack of modern conveniences. I spent the evening text messaging my sister on the cell phone - the only piece of modern equipment still working. We cracked each other up pretending to be experiencing a true hurricane. She complained her swing set was smashed to smithereens while I "worried" about storm surge from the lakes in the neighborhood. It is so great to have a sister who understands my unique sense of humor and how trivial our own worries can seem in the face of others' true emergencies.

Seriously, though, I think it would be incredible to be one of those reporters who keep us filled in on all the action LIVE from the hurricane zone. I would be great at that job! My short legs would be sturdy in the wind and I have stamina like nobody's business. I can stay up all night . . . no problem. Unlike the reporters I saw wearing ugly blue raincoats, I would wear a cute polka dot parka with a matching rain hat and boots. Can you picture it? I'd be a hit! Oh, I think I hear the Weather Channel calling now.........

Anyway, we got our power back this morning and had a great day. John went to work and Megan and I made some delicious White Bean Chili. When John got home from work, we ate our yum yums out on the patio and enjoyed the evening. We even found a caterpillar for Megan to examine. There is something about White Bean Chili and the company of the two coolest people in the world. Simply magic!

Try some magic for yourself. Make my mother-in-law Julia's recipe for White Bean Chili and I'll bet you have a perfect evening! It is so, so GOOD.


White Bean Chili (1/2 Recipe)

Servings: 4

2 cans Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken breast
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 4 oz. can green chillies
1 tsp. cumin, ground
¼ tsp. paprika
1 ½ cups Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ tsp. oregano
3 cups chicken broth


Cook chicken breasts in chicken broth until done if they are not already cooked. Remove chicken and cut up into 1 inch pieces. Saute onions in oil until tender. Add garlic, chillies, cumin, oregano and paprika. Cook 2 minutes. Add beans and broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken. Reduce heat to medium and heat thoroughly for 10 minutes. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle cheese on top.


*For lower-fat version, I use olive oil cooking spray instead of olive oil and reduced fat cheese.

*You can double the recipe for more servings.
*You can prepare all the ingredients and put in the crockpot to keep it warm.