Skiing in Breckenridge and Vegetarian Black Bean, Chickpea, and Sweet Potato Chili Recipe

I am not a morning person.  I wanted to leave for Breckenridge at 8 AM.  One of my fellow skiers wanted to leave at 7.  So we compromised at 7:30.  Sounds like a good idea, right?  Except for the little detail where my six (yes, SIX) alarms did not go off and I slept through four (yes, FOUR) phone calls trying to wake me up.  Usually, I am a very light sleeper.  If anyone so much as peeks into my room, I am instantly awake.  I blame  daylight saving's time!  I woke up thinking, "Wow, it is really bright in here for 6:30...oh, it must be the time change."  Then, I looked at the phone and saw it said 8 AM...

Luckily, I wasn't the only one to have alarm clock troubles and despite our late start, we still completed a great five hours of skiing!

The view from the summit of Breckenridge's new Peak Six!  Braving the wind was definitely worth it!  The slope is steep, but powdery.  Temperatures reached the mid-50s today so I didn't even complain about being cold (which typically happens at least once a run!)

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To make up for getting such a late start, I cooked a warming vegetarian chili when we returned home.  I took elements from the traditional vegetarian bean chili my mom makes and various Pinterest recipes to create my own. 

The chili was super easy to make and perfect after a day on the slopes!




Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 small can (about 1 cup) whole kernel sweet corn
1 cup salsa (I used mild)
1/2 cup water
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
Optional: Mexican cheese (or a vegan cheese option)

Directions:
1) Drain and rinse beans.
2) Add beans, water, and salsa to a pan and bring to a low boil.
3) Add in vegetables, exempting corn.
4) Boil for ten minutes, cover, and reduce to simmer.
5) Once vegetables are soft, stir in drained corn .
6) Simmer five to ten minutes until vegetables have reached desired softness.
7) Add cheese and serve!

This recipes makes five one cup servings at approximately 200 calories each.

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