Miscellaneous Goodness

All I hear about the Midwest is that it's miserable and spring can't come soon enough.. here's a little song to help you get through!

Best Chili (Soup)
Vanessa whipped this together the other night, and it's SOOOO GOOD (and vegan!) The initial consistency is more of a soup, but you can reduce the liquids or add some brown rice like we did. Recommended to consume with a local brew and some chips 'n guacamole!


1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 package (or more) Soyrizo
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 10-oz cans diced tomatoes (with green chilies)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 15-oz can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt & pepper to taste
Garnish:
chopped cilantro
lime cut into wedges

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions and garlic; cook until soft, ~5 minutes. Add spices and Soyrizo, cook another few minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, and broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.


Vanessa got a hot new haircut!


This is somewhat baffling to admit, but I was channel-surfing earlier and was compelled to stop on the local government station.. who knows why I did, but it turned out to be pretty informative -- who knew that the SF Board of Supervisors kicks so much butt?! Supervisors are similar to aldermen in Chicago; they represent areas of the city and propose measures. Right now they're debating funding a renovation of their own chambers to accommodate disabled access. One of the supervisors is disabled, and it seems like a no-brainer, right? But we're in the throes of a nasty budget deficit, so the arguments are kind of interesting.

Supervisor Alioto-Pier is my new personal hero! She tore those fools UP! I like those ladies who know what's goin' on.

I recognized Supervisor Tom Ammiano as an older version of the guy who was in 'The Times of Harvey Milk' (which is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to watch). It's awesome to see him in the position that Harvey was in, continuing the work that he started. Warms my heart!

And this fun bit is from Wikipedia: "In 1999, Ammiano came into conflict with some in San Francisco's Catholic community when the Board of Supervisors, at Ammiano's urging, granted the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a charity group of drag queen nuns, a street-closure permit for Castro Street for their 20th anniversary celebration on Easter Sunday.^[1][2] Said Roman Catholic Archdiocese spokesman Maurice Healy, "While we are offended by what they do, we're simply asking 'Please don't do it on Easter Sunday, the holiest day of the Christian year.'" An Archdiocese newspaper compared the Sisters' event to neo-Nazis celebrating on the Jewish holiday of Passover.^[3][4][5] Some believe the controversy, which was repeatedly brought up by Ammiano's Catholic detractors, may have hurt his 1999 mayoral bid among San Francisco Catholics."