A Chill in the Air and Chili on the Stove!

Malabrigo Rasta

Finally!  Winter has hit Hampton Roads.  We can now wear our Malabrigo Rasta Cowls, our Madelinetosh Honey Cowls and our Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande Shrugs.  I bundled up in my first knit sweater made with Alpaca Boucle and a crazy yarn from Ironstone.  Oh, it feels good to wrap up in all those wonderful knits!


Rasta Cowl by Carla



Madelinetosh Honey Cowl by Mickey

Today was a fun day at the shop.  With the cold air blowing at 35 mph, I discovered that the windows in the front of the store were terribly drafty.  So out came the coffee and the caulk gun.  While the ladies enjoyed a fresh cup from the Keurig I hopped from window to window killing that frigid draft.  Luckily, it worked!  But, after all that, I decided to leave early.  After Kiki arrived I ran home to put on a pot of Chili.

My recipe is simple.  It is an alteration of a recipe from an old friend of my husbands.  I cook by adding a handful of this and a drop of that, so bear with my measurements.  They are not exact, but they work. 

Andrea’s Family Chili

1 Package stew beef

1 onion diced

1-2 lbs lean ground beef cooked and drained (or cooked on the grill if it’s not too cold out)

2 McCormick brand Original Chili Seasoning packages (do not substitute)

1 can diced or crushed tomatoes 29oz

1 large can tomato sauce 29oz

1 large can tomato paste 16oz

2 cans light kidney beans 16oz

2 cans pinto beans 16oz

2 garlic cloves crushed or minced

Optional hot seasoning mix or other hot chili powder to taste (I don’t add any to mine)

Top with Cheddar cheese and diced red onion

Directions:  Cook Ground beef separately and drain well.  In a large pot, brown stew beef with onion.  Once brown, drain the fat and add all of the canned goods (tomatoes, beans, paste, etc.)  Stir well.  Add cooked ground beef.   Add seasoning packages and garlic. Additional hot chili powder or other hot seasoning can be added if desired.  Cook on medium to low flame for 1 ½ - 2 hrs or more.  The longer, the better.  Stir often.  Stir again.  Stir some more.  There is nothing worse than burnt Chili.  Top with minced red onion and cheddar cheese to taste.



Dragonfly Fibers' Traveller

 Hopefully this recipe and some chunky wool from The Yarn Club will keep you warm this week.  I’m off to work on my CasuCowl in Dragonfly Traveller.

Happy Knitting,

Andrea