Cornbread and Chili

Sprouted Kitchen, one of my favorite recipe blogs (and the blog that inspired me to start playing around with food photography) posted this recipe for Cast Iron Cornbread that I have been wanting to try ever since I read it! The ingredient list wasn't too long and it was actually pretty simple to prepare and wow, it was the best cornbread I've ever made. I will definitely be making this again. I think the best part was the sprinkle of cheddar cheese that crisped up on the top...and the nice crust that the cast iron pan gave it!

We paired the bread with a chili recipe that we made as we went (to taste). The ingredients included extra lean ground beef, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, chopped onion, stock, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, salsa, chili powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, honey. This seems like a lot of spices, but the flavor was so good...there was a little spice and a little sweet at the same time. I can't wait to east left-overs tomorrow! We topped the chili with a spoonful of sour cream and chives with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar.

Yum, the meal was comforting and delicious! I went back for another sliver of bread...so good!

I ended up going for a 3.5 mile hilly run after work while the sun was still shining. I did the same loop as last Friday twice and the second time was pretty tough, but I pushed through and only walked half-way up one hill and once crossing a street...not bad! My pace was around an 11 minute mile, and I am hoping to get it down to a 10 minute mile by summer.