a shameless self-promotion . . .
One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.
Our photo is currently number 18 out of 382 photos.
You can vote by clicking here.
Remember a 10 is good!
Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!
*smile*
I have mentioned that one of our traditions is to have chili for dinner on Halloween evening. This tradition started more than 20 years ago when I went to my friend Laurie's house on Halloween evening back when we were in University. Her parents would have a huge pot of chili, we'd dress up to hand out candy, and later hit a bar or two. Great fun. The dressing up and the bars have gone by the wayside but the chili lives on!
This is chili for a crowd! After we finish eating and it has cooled down, I fill numerous containers and freeze it.I generally don't use a recipe and am often asked how to make it, so last night I wrote down the ingredients as I put it all together.
4 lb minced meat (I use a combination of beef and pork. Last night I used 2.5 lbs beef and 1.5 lbs pork)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 stalks of celery, cut in half lengthwise and then chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
3 jalapeno peppers, halved, de-seeded, and chopped
1 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp ancho chili powder
2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried chopped chili pepper
1-12 oz can tomato paste
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2-28 oz cans diced tomatoes
2-24 oz cans plain tomato sauce
4 cups water
2-18 oz cans kidney beans
In a large frying pan or non-stick pot saute the meet until cooked through. Remove from pan and drain off the grease.
In the same pan, saute the onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeno pepper until soft.
Add the spices to the sauteed vegetables and stir until fragrant.
Add the beef back to the pot. Add in the remaining ingredients up to the beans.
Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring often to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. When it comes to a boil reduce the heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Check the spice level - if you like you chili with more of a 'kick' you can raise the spice level by adding hot sauce.
Drain and rinse the beans. Add the rinsed beans to the chili.
Cook for half an hour.
Enjoy
We like to serve this in a large bowl with some grated cheddar on top, a dollop of sour cream, and some cilantro or pickled jalapeno pepper on top. We serve it with a hunk of hot bread on the side for 'dunking'. YUM
