Quiet and Good Sunday

I got this glass jug yesterday for a great price;

I'd been wanting a glass container with a lid

for my orange juice for years

so I was really happy to finally find one

that was of good quality and affordable!

*

A good friend of mine made this great

vegetarian chili when I was visiting her

last week...

I modified it as I did not have the same ingredients on hand.

It turned out very well. :)

2 cans Kidney beans

(I would of had red but the store

was out of them)

1 can tomatto (28 ounces) with juice

1 zuchinni chopped

2 onions chopped

some frozen corn

1 bell pepper

I put in a few frozen carrots; my friend used

3 carrots chopped

(I would of too but was out of them)

*

Cooking instructions:

chopped onion (and celery if you have it, 3 stalks), carrots,

diced bell pepper and two minced garlic cloves -

sautee them in olive oil until softened.

Add ground cumin (I also added some whole cummin seeds

for good measure), paprika (and gound garlic if you did not

have any garlic cloves on hand).

Sautee a bit more.

Add two cans of drained and rinsed kidney beans.
Heat through for a bit.

Add can of diced tomattoes plus water to get rest of juice

out of can.

Then add chopped zucchini and, to quote my friend exactly,

"a generous pince of oregano" and bring it to a simmer.

the zucchini will add more moisture so no need to add more water.

Simmer for around 20 minutes (I think I did less but don't know,

I tend to start reading when waiting for things to simmer and time

in cooking for me is always quite fluid...).

Don't overcook!

Add frozen corn at end (my friend rightly taught me that this

will keep the corn's sweetness) and cook for about 5 minutes

(no more) longer.

For non-fasting seasons and days, add

(real if you can find it affordably priced)

a generous portion of grated

mozzarella cheese to

the individuals bowls.

And Presto,

My dear sweet good friend's chili is made

and ready to eat!

It has been named 'Rainbow Chili as it is quite colourful!

I've been enjoying the weekend.

Saw my library friend and her cute cat.

Reading books.

Washed my dishes. This my friends is always a feat in my house hold.

I swear, I turn around and the dishes have multiplied while

I was not looking.

Cleo had been a bit sick but I think she is getting better.

I am not too worried,

as I just now turned around and found her sprawled out on

the forbidden coffee table top.

So hopefully she is surely on the mend.

Just to be sure, I have not kicked her off the coffee table...

*

I got a book from our church library

(I have a few books out from it, I tend to dip into books and

then go to others and then back again...)

and this afternoon have been reading the introduction to

contemporary ascetics of Mount Athos

and as per usual, loving it.

For a few reasons the introduction has been an enjoyable read:

1. I get to learn a bit more history about Greece and

how St. Paisius collected manuscripts that eventually

became the Philiokalia

which I have not read yet as I have some in between reading

to finish before even considering it...

but of course I am a librarian and that Saints collected

books to create new books is right up my alley.

2. The introduction as it is giving me

not only a sense of the time period

and of what Orthodoxy can offer to us,

but the names of many others to learn about

and other books that have been published.

I was please to get volume I so I could familiarize myself with it;

St. Herman's Press has it on sale this month

and I think I am going to get it with some of my

Agatha Christie money (from selling my collection for

the reason of building an Orthodox library).

If it works out, will report back.

Have to figure out how much shipping will cost

and whether I should send it to my parents in the States

or pay the international rate to me in Canada.

Decisions, decisions...

*

Meanwhile, back to Cleo care, cleaning and

reading...