Jalapeño Pepper Chicken Casserole

Photos taken indoors aren't as striking as they are in the summer, but that can't be helped in these fall days. The air is cold, the leaf blanket covers the back yard, and the parking lot is dark and moon-lit as I leave work.

One way to counter act these dreary days is in the kitchen. Last night I made this delicious meal. Everyone loved it! From Kayotic Kitchen.


Jalapeño Pepper Chicken Casserole Recipe, with my alterations

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
3 jalapeños
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
2 cups grated cheese,divided
2 tbsp oil
2 oz butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp mustard powder
nutmeg
pepper
salt

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
Slice chicken breasts and put them in the oven for 20-30 mins with a pinch of salt & pepper.
Slice the veggies and garlic.
Heat the oil and lightly sauté the vegetables on the range.
Grate the cheddar.
Mix the flour and mustard powder.
Heat the butter, slowly add the flour mixture. Be careful to stir out lumps.
Keep stirring the roux while you cook it for 2 minutes.
Pour in the milk and stir, then add 1 cup cheese.
Season the sauce with 1/2 a tsp salt (you can add more later) and a good pinch of pepper.
Throw in a dash of nutmeg.
After the chicken is done, drain the juice. Add veggies over the chicken, and pour sauce over all. Throw the rest of the grated cheese over the whole thing.
Pop the chicken back into the oven for another ~20 minutes until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling.

In other news,

My feminist book club has been going really well. We read _Pornland_ by Gail Dines, and everyone agreed that pornography has hijacked our sexuality as a culture, and that we should take it back. The misogynistic scenes in the book spoke for themselves. I have become more vocal in my anti-pornography stance, and I'm learning a lot about what it has done to our young people. I highly recommend this book, as long as you're aware of the graphic descriptions it contains. For some other anti pornography resources, check out AntiPornography.org and StopPornCulture.org. Also, as Dines says, being anti-pornography is not equivalent to being anti-sex, just as being anti-McDonald's is not equivalent to being anti-food (page x of the book).

We found out that our landlords are going to sell the house in April, so we'll need to find another place to live. This is a real bummer, since we've been having so much fun in this house.

Money is a little tight, so we're staying in a lot. I'm reading like mad- I hope to make it to 50 books this year!

I've also been thinking a lot about body acceptance. If you're interested, follow the subreddit Body Acceptance. Also, I've been practicing intuitive eating (aka the non-diet). There are so few people in the world who have heard of the Health At Every Size principles, and I wish more folks would resist the dominant cultural narrative that says that thin= healthy.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. Have a great fall!