Welcome back!

This is the new incarnation of the Bad Kitty. So much can change in a year, like leaving a blog and coming back to it. The reasons for my previous departure were many. First, I love baking, but a lot of my family did not like having sweet temptations around all the time. That made it hard to recipe test (what has the world come to when you can’t give cookies away?). Then I started cooking more, baking less, and crafting. I started gaming with my husband and friends, making game night meals. Therefore, this blog will now be about all those things. It is also no longer gluten free, but it is vegan and delicious. I hope I can lure all of you back that used to read me, and find some new people, too.

Last night we played Dark Sun, which is a really fun roll playing game my husband runs. He has been covering my classes since I lost my voice, so I took over cooking duties. I decided to make a family favorite, Enchilada Soup! This is a thick bean soup Jason invented for me when I had my tooth pulled last year. I was miserable and on painkillers. When he asked if he could get me anything, I whined I wanted enchiladas. Since I couldn’t chew, he took all the flavors and made a soup out of them. Now that is what I call a husband! :> This time, I took some liberties with the recipe, but here is what I did –

Enchilada Soup

¼ cup chili powder (at least)
2-3 tablespoons of flour (regular, whole wheat, or gluten free)
2ish tablespoons of cumin
1 large tablespoon of Mexican oregano (dry)
5-7 cloves of roasted garlic
½ of a large red onion
3 15 oz cans of pinto beans, with the liquid
1 cup of water
1 large teaspoon better than beef bullion (optional)

Topping- optional – sliced green onions, minced cilantro, heirloom yellow tomato

Heat a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the chili powder, flour, cumin, and Mexican oregano. Toast for about 1 minute ish, until you smell the spices. Add the beans, water, and garlic cloves. Dice and add the onion. Add the better than beef bullion if using. Simmer on medium low for about 10 minutes, then puree it all using a blender or immersion blender. Add toppings if using, serve.

I served this with house made guacamole, sliced strawberries, and watermelon. It was a huge hit, and almost a party wipe! (In game terms that means it was almost all gone). Next week I think I will make Seitan and Dumplings. If I go that way, I will take a picture and post the recipe.

Off to get some more writing and housework done. Thank you for sticking around to read this blog and I will try to update every other day. Some will be food related, some craft related, and some game related, however, it should all be fun!

-Madelyn