Heart-warming chili + sweet cornbread

Nothing makes me happier than feeling the crisp breeze outside, hearing the rustling of the leaves, and sitting in front of this...a warm, wood-burning fire. It's so welcoming & cozy.

What could possible warm you up even more than a bowl of hearty chili with homemade cornbread! My Mom and I got to work in the kitchen while Daddy-O took care of keeping the fire going. Make sure to give this recipe a try when the weather gets cooler where you live.

Ingredients List:

• one white onion
• one green pepper
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• one package of lean, ground turkey (or ground beef)
• Salt & Pepper
• Good quality olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp Chili powder
• 1.5 tsp Paprika
• one can black beans
• one can kidney beans
• one can diced tomatoes (unseasoned)
• one bottle of beer (I used Coors Light)
• Small can of sweet corn
• splash of vegetable stock for flavor

First, dice your onion and green pepper.

Place your ground turkey in a soup pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil to cook up the meat.
Is it just me or does anyone else get kinda grossed out by the smell when meat is first cooking? Bleh! Oh well...it's worth the final product.

In a larger soup pot, saute' the onions and green peppers in good quality olive oil. I only use Laconiko brand (http://www.laconiko.com/) because it's really important to me to have unblended, PURE extra virgin olive oil.
Once your meat is browned, drain it in a strainer so all the fats are removed. Then add the meat into the larger soup pot with the onions and green peppers. Add your black and kidney beans, along with all your beautiful spices.

Then add a splash of vegetable stock, your small can of corn, the can of diced tomatoes, your choice of beer, and S&P.

Don't all of those colors look so good?! Now cover, and bring to a simmer for about an hour. What to do for an hour, you ask?? Make CORN BREAD, of course! Prepare yourself...this cornbread is the best I've ever had.

Cornbread Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Stone ground Yellow Corn Meal
• 1 cup all purpose, unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp oil (either olive oil or canola)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sweet corn

What to do:

Place all of your ingredients in a large bowl. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray then spread cornmeal mix evenly into the baking dish.

Place baking pan in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until the cornbread is cooked through.
Ooops!! I really tried...but I just couldn't wait until this cooled down. Needless to say, my taste buds came back the next day. Serve crumbled in your bowl of chili OR you can even eat it with a tiny bit of butter & honey. Kali Oreksi!! Let me know how you like it...

xoxo, C.