Day 52 - Chili con Quijote; Rod

With Glacier Bay behind us, we called Bartlett Cove on the radio and let them know we were departing, then turned west out Icy Straight toward the Gulf of Alaska.  Had the weather forecast been less favorable, we would have been forced inland toward Chatham Straight.  We are thrilled to be able to head out to what Douglas calls the "exquisite" Outside Passage.   With ten knots wind or less forecast through the week, we'll head down the outside of Chichagof Island, hopping from cove to cove toward Sitka.  Twenty miles before we actually get to Sitka, we'll dodge inland and head toward Petersburg, where we'll take a break from the cruising life for a couple of weeks.  I'll fly home to do some backpacking and Kay will meet with her son Chris and take a ferry out to Sitka.  Vi will fly home and Tom, Tina and Sue will join us for the next leg at the end of July.

Tonight we're in Mite Cove in Lisianski Inlet (as with most places around here, it's named for some Russian dude).  We arrived early and decided to get cooking.  There was hamburger to use up before it went bad, so I fried it up with chopped onion and bell pepper, then added the result to a large pot with cans of kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, and chili powder: Mom's chili recipe!  I grew up on this stuff (and revised it a little).  Thanks Mom!

Chili con Quijote

1 lb ground beef

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 large (29 oz) can of kidney beans

1 small (15 oz) can of black beans

1 small (15 oz) can of pinto beans

1 large (29 oz) can of diced tomatoes

1 can of corn

1 jalepeño pepper if you like it hot

salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste

Fry the hamburger until cooked and crumbled.  Mop the liquid out with a wad of paper towel and discard.  Add the onion and green pepper and continue cooking until soft.  Transfer to a large pot and add the remaining ingredients (or start with a large electric frying pan).  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for an hour or more stirring occasionally to keep it from burning on the bottom.  When it's thick and bubbly (the thicker the better, but don't let it burn!) , turn off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of sugar.  For best results, let the flavors meld for an hour or a day.  Serve with cornbread, tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, avocados, sour cream, or whatever floats your boat.