January is the month for the slow-cooker

While I’m not a dedicated collector of airmiles points, I do collect enough to indulge in what I call ‘pointless appliances.’ You know the ones I’m talking about. You don’t really need them and they take up space in your cupboards but they’re just cool. This slow-cooker is one of those appliances. I used my airmiles point to buy it and I don’t use it very often. But when January and February arrive, I haul it out and make soups, chili and once a whole chicken. The chicken didn’t work very well but I love using the cooker to make chili.

My recipe is probably nowhere near original or genuine chili but it works for me. All my measurements are eyeballed.

1 cup of black beans

1 cup of kidney beans

1 can of corn (more for texture)

1 cup of chick peas (optional)

a handful of lean ground meat

1 bottle of sauce

2 chopped tomatoes

1 green pepper

1 clove of garlic

a sprinkle of oregano

a dash of cinnamon and allspice

chili powder to taste

Toss all into the cooker with some oil and set it for eight hours on a low heat.

I do freeze half of it since it makes a big pot.