A Non-Work Day & Way Too Simple Chili

No work today! Yee Haw! So happy...although I did run by school to check out the new library. Except for the Titanic of a story area in the middle of the room (which I told the powers that be was not a good idea), it looks great! Titanic and all...I'm very excited and am looking forward to getting settled in there and finally getting back to being a real library media specialist and not a traveling dog and pony show.

Other than than, I have taken advantage of this day off. This morning I set a pot of chili to cook. I used my brother Shea's recipe and it is yummy! Especially for this perfect chili weather we are currently having. I also watched Blades of Glory this morning. Good Grief! I was not expecting to laugh so hard! John Heder is hilarious. The peacock suit...people!!! Great choice of movie for a day off! I even took a nap AND I have the remainder of the day to...I don't know...watch another movie, pick up the pile of Jackie's Christmas apron that is still on my sewing table in a heap, attempt to sew aforementioned apron, read, hit the mall for an hour or two...so many options.

Now, back to the chili! Shea's recipe was perfect, ridiculously easy as the name implies and did I mention it was yummy! I rarely end up following a recipe to the letter only because I somehow always seem to be short an ingredient or two. In the case of the chili:

• I only had one can of tomatoes on hand, so I had to sub with a can of tomato sauce.
  
• The diced tomatoes were a bit chunkier than I can handle, so I put 'em in my handy dandy little chopper till they were of a chunkiness(technical cooking term) comparable to salsa.That's not really changing the recipe is it?
• I got really brave and added a dash of baking cocoa too...saw that in a chili recipe I read the other night. I figured if I'm adding cinnamon, what's a little chocolate going to hurt?
  
• I sprinkled in a little Mexene chili seasoning(probably could have done without it).

I let it cook in the crock pot all morning and by lunch it was mighty MIGHTY tasty! I have a new chili recipe!I love it when things I cook turn out to taste good! I'm looking forward to lunch tomorrow because we all know chili is one of those things that gets better the next day!

Shea's Way Too Simple Chili Recipe

Ingredients:
1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
1 Can Bush's Chili Magic Chili Starter TRADITIONAL style
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (I use the Ro-Tel Chili ready variety)
1 Package Shredded Taco Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Ground Cinnamon (optional)

Steps:
1. Brown and drain ground beef
2. In crockpot (MUST BE COOKED IN CROCKPOT) combine Chili
magic, 2 can's diced tomatoes (one can of tomatoes can be drained for
thicker chili), and finally ground beef.
3. Stir concoction.
4.Salt and pepper into crockpot until chili has a layer of salt pepper
dusting over about 70-80% of surface. I typically do 3 to 1 ratio of
pepper to salt.
5. (OPTIONAL) Add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. This is tricky. I'd
recommend trying it without the cinnamon first, then if you like it, try
a dash of cinnamon the next go around.
6. Cook overnight on LOW, no less than 8 hours.
7. Top with loads of shredded taco cheese.
8. It's not really rocket science t'all, but tastes pretty good.