A Perfect Saturday {and a super easy chili recipe}

Today we spent some time at Montgomery's annual Octoberfest. It was a little warmer out than I had hoped for, but we still had a good time. We walked the streets checking out the food & crafts, looked at classic cars, listened to a great band {Karen even got a scarf from an Elvis impersonator!} Then we got some great ice cream cones & relaxed for a bit on a bench at the train depot. I had the best raspberry truffle ice cream & wish I had thought to take a picture of it. Seriously, it was that good.

I made our dinner before we left the house that morning...my very easy chili recipe. Now, I usually don't make such a big batch of chili, but any time I make soups or chilis now, I double the recipe to have enough to freeze for other days. That's a HUGE help when you have a one year old. 

The secret to my chili is McCormick's Mild Chili seasoning mix. A friend recommended it to me & it does give the smooth taste I'm looking for; the chili always turns out great.  Mike & I both had some for dinner this evening - mine with a peanut butter sandwich & Mike turned his into a dip with some Frito Scoops. I have plenty left over for lunch tomorrow & more than enough to freeze two containers full for dinners another day (and maybe enough for lunch on Monday too!).

Super Easy Chili

3 lbs. lean ground beef

4 packets McCormick's Mild Chili mix

2 cans chili beans

2 can kidney beans

2 cans tomato puree (28 oz each)

2 cans diced tomatoes (14 oz each)

1 cup water

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (adjust to your taste)

Brown & drain hamburger, return to pot. Stir in seasoning mix, beans, tomatoe puree, diced tomatoes & water. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat & cover, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

*Note - I drain & rinse my beans before using.