chili time of year

where we live it is now truly fall. crisp nights and leaves changing colors. i have been on a walking kick so i am more aware of the season changing around me. you see, the bean decided that he didn't want to fall asleep laying down in his bed for his nap. at first this made me insane as all sleep related issues do but then i decided to find the silver lining. this forced me to get some exercise outside everyday. so, i load him up in the stroller with a snack and some rice milk, put the chickpea in her wrap and start walking. i am sure it is quite a sight but the neighbors must be getting used to it since i walk the same route everyday.

at the beginning of this new routine i was in a tank top everyday and the leaves were all on the trees. then things started changing. leaves turned from green to orange and red. instead of only hearing the sound of my feet hitting the pavement i now also hear the crackle as i stomp on the dried and fallen leaves. it is actually my favorite part of the day. and even on a day like today, when i am so sick i want to be curled up on a ball in bed, i am looking forward to trekking my little route.

in honor of the fall weather and falling leaves i feel it is time to start cooking chili. one of my favorite foods. i made up a huge batch the other day because my newest discovery is that if i can't do the original "big cook" by making lots of meals on the weekend i can do a new "big cook" when i get time to cook i cook a ton of the one thing i am making. so, two huge pots of chili were made. luckily it came out fantastic.

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first fall chili
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red onion
red pepper
hot pepper
ground meat
garlic
ground tomatoes
black beans
kidney beans
cumin
cayenne pepper
chili powder
bay leaf
frozen corn

sautee the onion, peppers and meat. add the tomatoes and beans. spice to your liking with chili powder, cumin and cayenne add bay leaf. add the corn. simmer as long as you can!

notes: i like a lot of garlic so i use what seems like a crazy amount. the red pepper adds some sweetness to the chili that was really nice. i did not drain or rinse my beans this time. i saw rachel ray say this was ok in a bean soup she made once so i went for it. mostly to save time. it tasted fine!

i like to serve my chili in a bowl on top of brown rice with grated cheese and sour cream. when i make it for ds i call it taco dip soup because he has the idea that he likes taco dip. the cheese and sour cream seem to disguise the beans enough that he will eat them. woo woo dada likes the who thing on a plate with no sour cream. got a favorite chili recipe? let me know, i love chili!