Chili - With No Problems!

I made chili on Friday night (to go with the cornbread) and I actually ate it without any problems. I am one of those freaks of nature that can make gallstones with no gallbladder. Chili always seemed to complicate issues. I don't know what it was about it. I would be in excruciating pain about an hour after a bowl of the stuff. A year and a half ago I had a procedure to remove a couple of stones and the surgeon made a little incision to hopefully allow future stones to pass along through - and so far, it seems it has been a success. I was a little unsure until I ate that chili and passed the rest of the evening is satisfied peace.

Chili is chili is chili (don't shoot me) - even though we all have different recipes and different levels of heat we enjoy, and we all think that OUR RECIPE is the best, when all is said and done, they have similar ingredients and taste pretty much the same. I am a non-measurer. I don't think I ever make my chili the same way twice, and Friday night was no exception. It tasted delicious to me and to four teenagers and one husband, on Friday night, and I think I even got Savannah Tawater (The Queen of Picky Eaters - really, the kid lives on buttered spaghetti noodles and french fries) to eat a little bit of it yesterday, so it must be pretty good. So I will do my best to recreate the recipe in writing here. You give it a try and let me know how yours comes out.

Painless Chili

Ingredients:
3 lbs. ground beef
2 large onions
3 stalks celery
3 medium carrots
3 cloves garlic
1 28 oz. can tomato puree
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 14 oz. cans fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. salt
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. adobo seasoning
1 T. cowboy rub (this is a McCormick seasoning blend I found and LOVE)
4 T. chili powder
2 T. olive oil

In a food processor, finely chop the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Heat olive oil in a VERY large pot. Add in the chopped vegetables and sauteed about 5 minutes just until they begin to soften. Add in the ground beef and cook thoroughly, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease off of the meat and return to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients except the beans and stir well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and let it go. Mine simmered about 2 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the beans and heat through. Serve with that cornbread I posted on Friday night :)

Tonight we are going to attempt a trip to the Franklin Drive-in. The remnant of Tropical Storm Lee is rolling though town, so we will see if we actually make it. Tomorrow is a day of either fun in the sun or fun inside... and cheesecake :)

Until next time, stay dry and loved, my friends!