In two days, the tree outside our balcony has turned from bright green to gold.  It’s fantastic.  The fall days this week have been wonderful.  A cool breeze comes through the open windows in the mornings.  Warm weather stops by for afternoon walks in the park.

I took this photo this afternoon.  Can you spy the Cash Register Building (the place that makes Denver’s skyline recognizable) through the leaves?

It is a chilly Sunday in Mile High!  Like, the perfect day to make this delicious recipe before the big game (which we are skipping to see Gravity in 3D this afternoon…!)

This soup comes from a recipe I adapted from Monica years ago.  She made it in the fall years ago when I first moved to Denver and it’s wonderful.  Harvest-y.

This is a dairy-free, egg-free recipe.

The soup is simple to make, very good and hearty and one pot can feed a couple for many days.  It requires cans of beans, tomatoes, corn and lean ground turkey.  EASY people.

What you need:

2 lbs. ground lean turkey

Olive oil
4 cloves crushed or minced garlic
Cumin (secret ingredient – do not skip!)
One coarsely chopped yellow onion

2 regular sized cans of diced tomatoes
2 regular sized cans of kidney beans (red, dark red, your choice!) – drained
2 regular sized cans of pinto beans – drained
1 regular sized can of corn in water (or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn) – drained
1 32 oz. box of vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium) or 2 regular sized cans of broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook ground turkey in a large pan on the stove and drain.  Set aside.

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat, pour a thin layer of olive oil so that it covers the bottom of the pot.  Add chopped onion and garlic and cook for a bit.  Then, add about a half tsp. of cumin and stir about.

Meanwhile, get your kitchen partner to open all the cans and drain the beans and corn in a colander — this can be a daunting process.

Turn the stove burner up to medium heat and start adding the canned items – tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans and corn.  Stir.  Add cooked ground turkey to the large pot. Stir. After this, dump the entire box of broth in and stir.

Add about a tsp. of salt and a shake or two of pepper.

Bring the soup to a boil for about 10 minutes.  Turn the burner down to a medium high and cook with the lid on for 1 hour.

Great with bread, or if you’re really feeling funky, Fritos corn chips!

Obviously I’m glad the west is finally facing fall.  After this summer’s crazy days (drought, fire, floods) we are looking toward the cooler weather and autumnal good feelings this new season tends to bring out of Denverites.

And we’re off to a good start.  With snow expected in the mountains on Friday and cooler weather settling into the city starting tonight, I’ve taken out my chilly-weather scarf collection and can’t wait to start snuggling in for the season.

I love a scarf with a jean jacket or over a t-shirt in the early fall.

There is nothing like a bunched up scarf over a fun blazer or jacket.

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A knitted oversized scarf for extra chilly days.  You could make one yourself with circular needles.

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Sassy, dotty summer scarves can be worn into fall too.  Imagine a cardigan over her t-shirt and some boots to go with that cute skirt.

And I always find myself looking up new ways to tie scarves.  A coworker and friend of mine wears scarves all fall and winter long and she’s always got some fun way of wrapping and styling.  Here are some ideas!

Who said you needed eggs to bake an awesomely delish chocolate cake?  Well, Dianne, C’s mom, sure never did.

While at home last week, my poor dad discovered, though the help of a scratch test and an astute (would we want them any other way?) allergist, that he is allergic to eggs and dairy, and that he’s really going to need to start monitoring his diet if he wants to feel better.

This diagnosis has thrown things at the Berninger house into a bit of a tailspin, as, like I have mentioned in previous posts, my dad is a breakfast lover and craves a good dessert.  He’s also a GREAT maker and drinker of milkshakes and really enjoys half-and-half in his…everything.  The brakes are on now.

Of course, there are many choices and substitutes out there for people with food allergies and he’s actually lucky to be developing (or re-developing in his case) this allergy at a time when almond milk is on the shelves at the neighborhood grocery and there are more butter alternatives than one can count.

When I started dating Chris, Dianne gave me this recipe.  It’s her favorite easy chocolate cake and she makes it for herself every now and again.  Chris grew up eating it as a simple weekday dessert.  Come to find out, it was developed during World War II while items like milk and eggs were rationed.  It contains pantry items.

My dad can (and should!) eat this!

Here’s what you need:

8 x 8 baking dish
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pinch salt

6 tbs. oil (vegetable, corn or canola)
1 tbs. vinegar (apple cider vinegar works best, but is not required!)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup water

In the 8 x 8 baking dish, mix all dry ingredients together.  I use a whisk so things don’t get too out of hand.

Then, with your hands, make three holes in the mixture and pour the oil, vinegar and vanilla into the holes.  I put two tbs. of oil into each of the holes, fill one hole with vinegar and the other with vanilla.  There are so many possibilities and variations on this step.

After that, pour the cup of water over the whole mixture.

Mix.  Rubber spatulas work well!

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Ensure the middle is done by sticking a toothpick in the center of the cake.  Let cool.

Then you can fancy it up and sprinkle some confectioner’s sugar on top…though this is not necessary.  It’s perfect on its own!

Enjoy!

When I find myself missing Miles Glitter Kitty, I like to Google “cute cat things” on the internet.

I found these the last time I did that.

These just spoke to me.

Thank you Seo Kim for your fun, witty drawings.

Meow, meow, meow.

Miles does NOT appreciate any of these hugging actions–except sometimes Heat Pad Cat with my dad.  He’s  very independent.  Some would call it aloof.  I call it thoughtful.

So true.

If C knew me when I was single and living with Miles, he would have felt like this — second fiddle.  Gulp.

Follow Seo (pronounced Sue) Kim on Tumbler.

And in a wonderful news, we get to see Miles next week.  Yay!