Halloween Fun!

Every year at Halloween we get together with our friends, The Cumbests. I cook a big pot of chili, Sherry makes a dessert or an appetizer (or both as she did last night). We take kids trick or treating and have a great meal together.

Now for the kids Halloween costumes......

Anthony was a Disco dancer. (I had a cute afro wig but he wanted nothing to do with it!)

 

Ally the pink cat!

 

Amber the scarecrow and Hayley (Amber's best friend) the doll . Nice try! Ha!

 

My Best Friend Sherry (as supergirl) and I was a warrior dash racer. Original, right? I had my Mickey Ears on earlier in the day but it was too hot to wear what I wanted to go with them so settled on this little number.

 

I'm a horrible mother and somehow didn't get a picture of Andrew. He was a Power Ranger. Bradley was a party pooper and didn't dress up.

 

I also meant to take a picture of the Chili but forgot to do that too. I will, however, share my recipe with all of you. It is really the best chili I've ever had. My dad has supposedly won competitions for his chili "back in the day", I've never had it or seen a recipe. Hint Hint dad! Make me some chili.....or some lasagna. (When I was younger, my dad made us Lasagna...once. It was delicious and we've told him so for years but he's never made it again!)

 

Hope you all had as good of a Halloween as I did! Now onto the chili recipe!

This chili is best made the day before so the flavors can marry overnight.

 

3 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

8 cloves of garlic

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

7 tablespoons chili powder

4 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons hot sauce of choice

4 - 15 oz cans Kidney beans (drained)

2 - 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 - 15  oz can tomato sauce

1 can beer (I use whatever I have on had)

6 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

 

Sauté Onions, garlic, and bell peppers in oil until soft. Add meat and cook until browned. Drain fat off  (its ok to leave a little bit on). Add everything else to pot and let simmer 15 min. Let cool and refrigerate over night. Reheat and eat the following day.

 

This makes a huge pot (enough to feed 4 adults and 8 kids and still have some left over). It freezes really well so even if I'm just making it for my family, I will still make this big batch, then I will freeze it in gallon Ziploc bags (or for my mother in law, quart size bags). It makes enough for one meal doing it that way.

Just a little tip, if you don't normally freeze meals but are thinking of doing it, using Ziploc bags is a great way to do it because you can lay them flat in the freezer and stack them on top of each other. (just don't forget to label the bag!)