Snow is Here...Let's Make Some CHILI!!

I love chili!  And in my usual fashion, I don't really have a recipe, and seem to make it a little different every time.  But, the last few times I have made chili, I have actually made it similarly.  I love adding all the ingredients to the crock pot and letting it do its no fail *magic*. 

I dice a few carrots, a green pepper, an onion, one can each of (drained, rinsed) black beans and kidney beans, a can of tomatoes (have used RoTel lately), and a few ounces of diced stew meat (optional).  I then add about 46 oz of tomato juice.  To this I add a little brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, and few other secret spices.  Finally, about an 45 minutes before we are ready to eat, I add some quinoa to help give it some more texture.  The quinoa also helps absorb some of the liquid so it is not so "soupy."

I also make cornbread using the basic recipe of the back of the Quaker container.  To this, I add a can of drained, rinsed corn.  We sometimes add the cornbread to the chili, and sometimes eat it by itself with a little honey.

To the chili, you can add a little cheese, light sour cream and green onions for garnish.  Hope you like the chili as much as I do!