Chili for chilly weather

Hi friends, it's that time of year when Mr. Winter visits with cold temperatures, making blankets, heaters and "warm comfort food" necessities. For those of you who are visiting Face to Face from those "ohh so cold" places, you may be thinking, "What do you know about cold weather living in Texas?" Point well taken. However, having gone through a number of days with the wind chill in the teens recently, I know enough that I am not made to live in consistently cold climates. It is a jolt to our southern, coastal city when freezing temps arrive. I myself am cold natured in an apt. with not a ton of insulation and high ceilings in the living room so I found myself in my robe with my blanket and fuzzy shoes. I felt quite cozy until I realized that I could not keep my nose from being cold. I decided to make a big pot of chili and wanted to share this tasty and quick recipe taken from Allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS: 1.5 lbs ground beef, 3 stalks celery (chopped), 1 green bell pepper (chopped), 1 onion (chopped), 1 tsp. crushed garlic, 1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste, 1 TBSP. white sugar, 1 cup cold water, 2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans (undrained), 1 TBSP. chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS: In a large pot over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Stir in celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, water, and beans. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Enjoy a bowl full of warm comfort food.