22 Jan #Wellness Wednesday – Podcasts and Chili Edition
Ya know this is that time of year in January that likes to jump up and bite you on the soul! It’s getting super cold even in southwest Ohio. We know many of you have been suffering with more cold longer.
Elliott and I have something we like to do when its getting cold and you just want to stay indoors.
Listen to some Podcasts and eat some chili. We have some podcasts to warm your mind & heart and a chili recipe to warm your body & soul
We have four podcasts to recommend and you can find all four on the free app Stitcher.
Gender Reveal @genderreveal with wonderful host Molly Woodstock (They/Them) founder & host and a team of cool people including Z. Griffler, Ira M. Leigh, Breakmaster Cylinder, and Liza Yeager brings an incredible wealth of inspirational and yes, educational content. It is described as a podcast for nonbinary folks, for people who don’t know what nonbinary means and everybody in between. Molly interviews trans artists and activists, answers listener questions, analyzes current events all in the service of as said in info “get a little bit closer to understanding what the heck gender is”. They even created a educational series including terminology called Gender 101 (additional classes with more advanced numbers 🙂 ex: Gender 102, 103, 201, etc.). So you have a resource to point those curious and well-meaning friends, relatives and others who need those answers! Let’s face it, if you didn’t want to answer those questions any other time of the year, you really don’t want to deal with them now and thanks to Molly and team, ya don’t! Just pass on the link to the curious and you relax and enjoy all that amazing awesome content.
Transitional Wisdom withfun & charming hosts Nash and C and musician/engineer AJ. This is described as a podcast by trans* people for trans* people (and their allies) and as an LGBTQ+ community based having platform. Only listened to one episode so far, but can highly recommend this, especially if you are considering having or have had phalloplasty -episode 49. Also totally fascinating if you haven’t or aren’t.
Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly (CBC radio) is a generally fun-filled listen because Terry is just such a great story teller and with a full portion of the always zany & satisfying Canadian dry humor. Under the Influence tells the story of why and how marketing happens and influences culture and people for better or worse. Especially check out podcasts S6-E15 & E16 where Terry highlights the ludicrous and limiting practice of Gender Marketing, how and why it started (capitalism, why else right?) and the limiting impact is has on how culture and people view themselves
The creative and earnest Jad Abumrad creator of Radiolab, brings a delightful 9 part podcast called Dolly Parton’s America (co-produced by NYC studios). The description of the podcast states that in this deeply divided time, why is it that one of the few things most everyone seems to agree on is their affection for music legend Dolly Parton? Jad , joined at times by producer lovely Shima Oliaee, explore that question in interviews with Dolly, Dolly’s colleagues and friends, and other musicians – all around the world – who have some really interesting ways of covering Dolly’s enormous creative output. Dolly is described in the show by another iconic musician as someone who is so prolific and creatively on the mark, that in another time she might’ve been regarded as a Mozart and definitely she is touched by something [we read touch by a extraordinary creative force]. Especially check out the episode called – “The Only One For Me, Jolene” This episode explores how Dolly Parton turned the formulaic “Other Women Song” on its head and one musician who covers the song wonders, ‘does the absolute adoration poured on Jolene from the first-women narrator of the song signal a potential lesbian or three-way encounter as a logical outcome?’. At the request of the cover artist, Jad puts this question to Dolly for her take. If you only intend on listening to this one episode, bet you can’t stop afterwards. Went in thinking of this as a nice little entertaining but basically empty snack and found it just as addicting and filling as a bag of potato chips or whatever else you can’t put down.
While you listen make and eat some chili. We know there are a lot of chili recipes and styles out there, but we strongly feel that chili has to have (1) a meat like protein (there are starting to be some good meat subs out there) – in this chili recipe they use ground beef, (2) beans, and (3) a broth – that can seep into some carbohydrate added as a base for, or an to addition to the chili.
(1) Can beans drained and rinsed (Kidney or black beans or if you really like beans you can add two cans and use both)
(2) 1 lb ground beef (or other ground protein or protein substitute) browned and drained.
(3) 1 16 oz. can of either tomato sauce (smooth) or tomatoes (chunky) depending on if you like your chili chunky or smooth. Or if you want a bit of smooth and a bit of chunky 8 oz tomato sauce and 8 oz canned tomatoes. Hey, we’re flexible.
1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 onion, 1 head of garlic cloves (we like garlic and it cooks a long time) and 0-2 jalapenos (depending on hot you like your chili).
Cumin, 1 teaspoon if you like it and 1 tablespoon or more if you like it a lot. We use a lot, I call it Elliott-Nip.
Cayenne or red pepper flakes if you like spice. If you do like spice you probably have an idea how much you want to use. If you aren’t sure, no more than 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne OR red pepper flakes or zero if you don’t like spice
Cut the jalapenos and other peppers in half and remove seeds and white veins. Use gloves because you don’t want to touch you eye after you touch the jalapeno. You can prep the peppers and onions by whirring them up in a food processor (we like a smooth broth) and put it in a dutch oven. Keep the gloves on if chopping.
Or if you like chunky, just chop these up to whatever consistency you like and saute them in the dutch oven before adding anything else.
smash and rough chop the garlic.
If the veggies aren’t already sauteing in the pan, add them. Then add the 16 oz can of tomato sauce OR canned tomatoes depending on if you like smooth or chunky Or both an 8 oz. can of sauce and tomatoes if you want a little bit smooth a little bit chunky.
Turn the heat on med. high and add the beef and garlic right away and stir. If you are using cumin or red pepper flake or cayenne add it now. Stir. Taste. Add some salt (not a lot, some, like a teaspoon), taste, add some more salt if you want, but don’t make it too salty because it will concentrate in flavor over time. Once it boils, turn down to simmer for 3 hrs. You can cover or leave the cover off, either way add liquid when it gets too low. Water is fine, but you can use a broth too if you want.
Listen to some podcasts, take a bath, snuggle in a blankie, relax.
When the chili is done serve it up over carbs (rice, spaghetti, macaroni, kasha, bulgur) or put carbs on top – oyster crackers, wheat crackers, saltines.
Add some cheese and more jalapenos if you want.
Or just go commando (chili only). We don’t care, its your life, we’re just here to give you ideas. And we didn’t make you go through our whole life story just to get a dang chili recipe – you’re welcome.
Enjoy your nice warm bowl of Mmmmm and listen to some more podcasts. Then feel free to go to bed early if you want, its winter!
Much love and #transjoy to you. B.UR.SLF cofounders