I’m so thankful that we’re in a great neighborhood. Between all of us, there’s always something going on. Over the weekend, we hosted the monthly wine club. We call it the wine club but have clearly deviated from the wine only themes. The last party was “Martini Night”, and we decided on “Mexican Night” for this month’s party.

I love Mexican food. In fact, I craved it with every pregnancy. When I say I craved it, I craved it. It had to be Mexican, and it had to spicy. I never had the normal pregnancy cravings that my girlfriends had like pickles and ice cream. I did, however, crave all sorts of candy with my first. Starbursts, skittles, chocolate covered almonds, M&M’s, snickers, and double chocolate covered whoppers. I had six bags of candy with me at all times. No lectures from my sweet husband about how candy was probably not the healthiest choice… Nope, he was there for me, like he always is, and I love him for it! (I know that was off-topic, but I’m prone to do that. I’ll refocus!)

So, now you know… I love Mexican food. I will be posting many delicious Mexican recipes this year, the first of which is Mexican Chili. This is an easy “pleasy” recipe and pretty darn good, if you ask me.

What you need:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (or some shakes of dried)
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 small cans green chiles
2 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chiles (I use extra hot.)
1 (1 1/4 oz) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz) package Ranch dressing mix (not the dip mix)

Optional garnishes:
sour cream
shredded cheese
chopped jalapeno

Brown approximately 1 1/2 pounds ground beef with 1/2 cup onions. If you like onions, feel free to add more! Drain the fat, then add 1 heaping teaspoon garlic to the beef mixture. Cook for about 2 additional minutes.

Place beef mixture into a crockpot. (If you’re short on time, add it to a pot instead.)

Before you add the rest of the remaining ingredients, read this first:

Now, you can add the remaining ingredients. Don’t forget the taco and ranch seasoning mixes. Place the top on the crockpot, and cook for 6-8 hours. (Or, simmer in a pot for about an hour.)

Just checked the weather:
Foggy
9°F
Feels Like: -4°F

It’s freezing in Denver… Hope you’re staying warm!