Are You Ready for Some . . .

Football! Not that semi-pro style that everybody has had their panties in a bunch about all Saturday; this is big boy football!

I’ve never been a fan of the college game. For some reason, I never found myself emotionally attached to a school and thus never cared to watch. But when it comes to the major leagues, I get excited. Now, I don’t go ga-ga for NFL football in general, just da Bears. I’ve spent my morning and now part of the afternoon in a tizzy of anticipation. I have chili starting to bubble in the crock pot. Mollie, who is glad to be out of the house, is picking up some crackers for said chili. And I’ve been toying with reviving an old tradition; bringing out the bobble heads to watch the game!

Today’s chili is a bit of a trial run. In my previous 1-2 chili endeavors, I have been experimenting with different ingredients and spices, trying to add a distinguished ‘flavor’ to the family chili. Today, I have to tone down the spices a little so that Mollie doesn’t give Annaliese heartburn, but an internet search has provided me with a few extra flavors to try. Here’s what I went with:

2 Pounds of Ground Beef
2+ Cups of Chopped Onion
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis
3 Cans of Kidney Beans in a Chili Sauce (a recent Aldi find)
1 8 ounce Can of Tomato Sauce
3 Tablespoons of Chili Powder (2 Regular, 1 Hot Mexican)
1 Heaping Smidgen of Cayenne (Mollie has a neat little measuring spoon.)
3 Dried Arbol Chilies
1 Tablespoon of Crushed Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Cocoa
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon of Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Salt
3/4 Cup Beer (Not surprisingly, I have some Dos Equis on hand. Read why: The Most Interesting Man in the World.)

(Recipe Note: If I had my way, there would probably be 1/2 Tablespoon more of Chili Powder, 1/4 Teaspoon of Cayenne and 5-7 Arbol Chilies.)

I am not sure if this will give me the spice and flavor I am searching for, but I think this is a good starting point. I plan on toying with the spices in the future, but tonight, I hope to find full enjoyment in my bowl of chili as I settle down to watch the first ‘real’ quarterback the modern Chicago Bears have ever had.