FOOTBALL WEEKEND

This weekend is a huge weekend for football across the country.  Everyone is watching and waiting with baited breath to see which teams will be fighting it out for a chance to play in the Super Bowl.  Irwin did not have a "man cave" per say, unless you counted the way he took over the living room on football weekends, which was fine with me - at least I knew where he was and what he was doing on Sunday afternoons.  Irwin always felt the playoff games were much more intense than the Super Bowl, and a weekend such as this is when he would be planted in front of the TV for the next two days, fitting in the bathroom breaks on commercials and halftime.

Besides watching the games along with him, it was my job to keep the food and the snacks replenished.  I not only had to have crunchy snacks on hand, but also regular food (which he usually ate in front of the TV during halftime of the second or third game) because god forbid he should go hungry and not make it through the games.  The menus for each week changed.  Once in a while I got to sneak in some healthy alternatives to his usual array of snacks, but it was a challenge.  As I said before, Irwin was a creature of habit and liked to keep his routine pretty much the same, even for watching football games.

I am planning on watching the 49ers today and the Giants game tomorrow, even though I feel Green Bay has them beaten. They are going to need Manning to be on top of his game, get a few turnovers in, their defense had better bring better than their A game, and their running back had better make some serious yardage in the first half of the game.  Irwin really made sure I knew about football; he absolutely loved everything about the game and made sure I could enjoy it with him.  It also made life easier for him, because he knew there was no way I was taking him out of the house for any reason if there was a game on that I wanted to watch.  He really was a smart man; no Sunday shopping expeditions for this Green household!

Here is a healthy chili that will definitely be included in my football weekend and on my snack table in front of the TV, keeping in line with my New Year’s resolution that no takeout food shall enter my house or be eaten by me. Enjoy the games, whichever ones you watch, and...LET'S GO GIANTS!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS

         1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

         1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced

         1 large onion, diced

         4 cloves garlic, minced

         2 tablespoons chili powder

         4 teaspoons ground cumin

         1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile 

         1/4 teaspoon salt

         2 1/2 cups water

         2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

         1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

         4 teaspoons lime juice

         1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.