SUPER NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS CROCK POT TURKEY CHILI TO WARM UP YOUR WICKED COLD DAYS!

Before I begin, I must tell you about a new addition to my blog. It's CATEGORIES, so now, if you are looking for say, a chicken recipe, you can search for it easily on the right hand margin of the blog--just scroll down. Of course this blog is still a relative "youngster", but as time goes by, more and more recipes will be added. I am here to please!

There's a wicked, wicked cold wind blowing around here today, and our "high" is pretty low--somewhere in the teens. So girls, get out those crock pots! I keep mine in my new 7 foot tall "appliance pantry". I seriously, seriously do not know how I survived without this! In it I keep all of my appliances that I don't want cluttering up my kitchen counters, plus dog food bins, baking/cake pans and all of my cookbooks. So nice to FINALLY have a place for everything! Someday soon I'll have to show you my nifty new BAKING SHEET pantry, but I digress; here's the bottom of the pantry, where I store my crock pot:

So, in our household, we've pretty much eliminated eating ground beef, choosing to cook with lowfat ground turkey, instead. To be truthful, I believe nothing, and I mean NOTHING, replaces a good old fashioned REAL cheeseburger, medium rare, but most of the time we try to be good. You will just love this chili recipe--super easy and super good for you, with very little fat. If you're a multi-tasker, like me, while you're browning your ground turkey, you can be opening and straining cans of kidney beans (always use the dark red beans--many more vitamins!) and corn (the corn is optional here, but I like it). You will want to rinse them well, as they are loaded with sodium:

Next dice up some green bell pepper, some onion (I like to use red in this recipe) and, of course, GARLIC! I use 3 cloves--you can use more or less, depending on how much you like it!:

Add all of the above to your slow cooker, then add your spices, like chili powder and salt and pepper. I felt like a little extra heat today, so I added my "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun spice that I found in New Orleans:

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. I like to garnish mine with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and sour cream--mmmmmm!!!:

Perfect for a blustery winter's eve (or lunch!) Enjoy

LESLIE'S CROCK POT TURKEY CHILI

Serves 8-10

1.3 lb. package 97% low fat ground turkey

2 16oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 14oz. can corn, rinsed and drained (optional)

2 14oz. cans diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 large red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tblsp. chili powder

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Garnishes:

sour cream, cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, tortilla chips, optional

Brown ground turkey in a skillet. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Garnish individual servings, if desired.

TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful that I think I've finally found a mineral makeup that matches my ruddy winter skin tone and covers up my flaws, of which there are endless!

2. I'm grateful that Big Daddy is home from Buffalo, safe and sound. He's off to Hartford, Connecticut this weekend for more business-- my busy man!

3. I'm grateful that this head cold that has lingered FAR TOO LONG is finally, finally lightening up. I can smell things again!