Fair warning: I have never had "legit" posole in my life, so I don't know what it's supposed to taste like. That said, even if this isn't authentic, it's easy and delicious.

I got the recipe from Bon Appetit, but I made a few tweaks.

Chile Paste

• 2 dried ancho or pasilla chiles (you should be able to find these in any grocery store, but if not, most Hispanic grocery stores carry them)
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (I'd recommend finding a tube of this!)

Soup and Assembly

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 15 oz. cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 8 cups turkey stock, low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
• 2 cups shredded, cooked turkey or chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tortilla chips, sliced avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges for serving (ESSENTIAL!)

For the chile paste:
Remove seeds from chiles; toast in a small, dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning until browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes. {Side note: I was multi-tasking when I did this, so my chiles got blackened...don't be like me. If you burn them, you'll be picking the burnt bits out of your soup when you should be eating it.} Place toasted chiles in a medium bowl. Add 2 cups of hot water to the bowl; let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Pulse chiles in a food processor or blender with reserved liquid, garlic, and tomato paste until smooth.

Soup and Assembly:
Heat olive oil in a large pot (6-quarts is perfect) over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 6-8 minutes {Side note: I caramelized the onions for a little deeper flavor. This takes a little while longer, but it's worth it.}. Add your chile paste and cook, stirring until thick and darkened, about 4 minutes. Add hominy, stock or broth, meat, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges {Side note: don't skip these--they add a freshness to the soup that's so good and the avocado adds creaminess that's to die for.}.
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I highly recommend making this a few hours (even a day) before you plan to eat it. Like many soups and stews, the longer the flavors have time to marry off the heat, the better. After I simmered it for 15 minutes, I turned off the heat, put the lid on the pot, and let it sit for an hour and a half. If it's too cool when you're ready to eat, let it reheat on low for a few minutes. 
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My deepest apologies for the excessive side notes. If you know me, you know I'm detail-oriented, which is a nice way of saying that I talk entirely too much.

Dear Chickpea!
Oh! How I love thee,
Even more than a marathon of Always Sunny.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
You're always a winner.
Even for brinner!

I don't know what I would do
If for some reason I lost you.
I would most certainly boo-hoo.

Salt and cumin makes you delicious
Tomatoes and garlic make you nutritious.
Every meal with you is like Christmas!

We won't even talk about hummus
I could eat as much as a hippopotamus.
What rhymes with hippopotamus?

Even your name is cute!
You go with everything to boot.
You don't even make me poot.

Nom
Nom nom
Nom nom nom.

*Drool-worthy image stolen from http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2012/02/15/roasted-chickpeas-bacon-pecans/. Sorry Julie! 


...fingertips, that is.

If you know me, you know that I'm a class-A klutz. 

That's why this post is being typed with 9 fingers instead of 10.

In an effort to make sure that my husband has hearty, healthy meals, I bought a shit-ton (yes, that is a unit of measurement) of summer squash and zucchini. The best way to quickly get perfect slices is to use a mandolin slicer.

If you've never seen one, they look like a guillotine that fits on your countertop (see above).

Oh, the irony.

I decide that I don't need the guard because it usually just gets in the way and what I was slicing was easier to just hold.

WRONG.

The more I slice, the more speed I gain. I got into a rhythm.

BIG MISTAKE.

I got cocky.

BAD IDEA.

Suddenly, it happens. 

Before I feel anything, before the blood begins to flow from my finger, I realize what I've done and my brain says, "Whooooaaa, Lady, we can't handle this--we're out."

I keep my bloody hand in the sink while hanging my head down toward my knees.

"I cut myself..." I push from between my lips. "I'm going dowwwnnn..."

DH jumps up and wraps a paper towel around my fingers so I can get horizontal and get my feet up.

You can tell how much your spouse loves you by how they react in a situation like this and mine was PERFECT.

He was a little scared--he called urgent care offices even though I told him I wasn't going to one.

He bandaged up my bloody finger even though he was scared he was doing it wrong.
(A piece of advice: Enough tape will stop any amount of bleeding. No experience required.)

He dealt with the mess I made in the kitchen and called the Chinese man to make a late night delivery of dumplings and chicken fried rice.

He made me laugh about the situation...kinda.
As I was laying in the floor trying to un-wooz my head, he called from the kitchen--"Hey! I found the chunk of your finger! Wanna see it?"
Umm, yeah, no. I think I'm gonna die.

Anytime I stirred in the night, he said, "How's your finger?" from the fog of a dead sleep.

It's healing nicely, but one side of my finger comes to a point now...

I've said it many times before and I'll say it many times again--I should have orange cones that perpetually circle my body. I am an accident waiting to happen at any moment.

Thankfully, I have darling people around me who take care of me and love me when my awkwardness leads to an injury.