White Chili and Fried Brains

I'll confess that my brain ceased functioning before class even started last week. Tony and I spent all afternoon in a meeting to discuss Willowdale's action plans, rewrite what was necessary, haggle over wording or concepts, and, ultimately, vote on acceptance. It was a long afternoon!

I loved the concept mapping, especially Inspiration. I've checked the blogs of several classmates and that one seems to be a favorite. Inspiration seems to offer the most flexibility and it's easy to use. Lynne had a good point in her mention that concept mapping on the handheld might be difficult for her kids because you can't always see the entire map. Inspiration scores the highest in that area as well.

By the time we got to ebooks, I flatlined. I honestly have no idea how to start. Midway through, I came to for a few minutes, so I think if I can figure out how to start it all, it might be okay. Ebooks look wonderful! And they offer so many solutions to curriculum - ways to enhance teaching, to emphasize those concepts that are difficult to grasp, better and more examples of concepts, the ease of having it all on the handheld - so many positives! Obviously, I'll be spending some time on this by myself to figure out what I missed during my momentary lapses!

Several people asked for the White Chili recipe, so here it is:

1 pound large white beans
6 C. chicken broth (I used beef because I like the flavor better)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped and divided
1 T. oil
2 4-oz. cans chopped green chilies
2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
4 C. diced cooked chicken breasts
3 C. grated Monterey Jack cheese

Combine beans, chicken broth, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very soft, 3 hours or more. Add more broth, if necessary. In a skillet, saute remaining onions in oil until tender. Add chilies and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add to bean mixture. Add chicken and continue to simmer 1 hour. Serve topped with grated cheese.

Add condiments as desired: chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley, chopped black olives, guacamole, chopped scallions, sour cream, crumbled tortilla chips, salsa.

See you all on Thursday!