Cold weather recipes

Me and Bear have been a little under the weather the past few days and it is in the 50's and rainy outside. In light of that I thought I would share some of my favorite comfort recipes. These are from my favorite recipe website www.allrecipes.com .

Flatlander Chili (from www.allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cups canned red beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS
Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
Add all ingredients to a large kettle. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

This makes a lot so I typically half the recipe. As a Texan I feel it is my duty to up the spices and add a chopped jalapeno or two but besides that this is a wonderful recipe. I serve it with Saltines and thick slices of sharp cheddar.

Tomato Basil Soup (as featured on www.allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return the puree to the stock pot.
Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

I usually serve this with grilled cheese sandwiches. I make my grilled cheese with wheat bread buttered on the outside, thick slices of sharp cheddar, and garlic salt dusted on the buttered outside. Yum!