“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new Fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.”

Every week I walk past a home on my way to food shop. The home has a white picket fence that since spring has been overflowing with flowers and herbs; Roses, Chamomile and Lemon balm. This week all the flowers are gone, dried and died back. Late August on the coast means Summer harvests have been collected, canned, eaten or preserved. I spent an afternoon on my weekend making a big batch of Fire Cider. It will be ready just in time for the Autumn Equinox and will keep us strong and healthy when we enter the dark half of the year.

Although the days are still hot, the evenings are noticeably cooler. This recipe is coziness in a pot, perfect for chilly (no pun intended) nights. All you need? , one pot, the ingredients noted below and a healthy appetite.

Let make Chilli Mac n Cheese!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 diced onion
• 1 cup of ground beef
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) in olive oil and garlic
• 3/4 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons of chilli powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
• Sea salt and white (or black) pepper to taste
• 1 1/4 cups of elbow macaroni
• 3/4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks.
2. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans, chilli powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer the stir in the pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Top with cheese and cover until melted ( about 2 minutes).
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

I set out some corn chips with fresh guacamole to go with the Chilli Mac n Cheese.

As Summer creeps toward Autumn, I look forward to the new season. For now I’m basking in lazy hot afternoons and cooler night breeze, anticipating what I’ll make with the Winter Squash growing in the garden and enjoying blazing sunsets with indigo and pink skies.

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Love,

Jennifer