Hellooooo! I hope everyone had a fantastic New Years!  We did!

So today I was looking for a great crock pot chili recipe as the weather called for it.  Nothing like a hearty chili on New Years day, simmering away while we watch the Mummers strut.  I couldn’t’ find one that I wanted to use. I knew I wanted to include beer and a few other ingredients, so I kind of made it up as I went along.  It turned out fabulous.  Oh and you MUST eat this with corn bread 🙂

Ingredients:

approx one pound of ground meat of some sort (I used 93%lean beef)

one can diced tomatoes

one can diced tomatoes with chilies

one package frozen corn

one amber ale

one onion chopped

one heaping tablespoon each of cumin and chili powder

one teaspoon oregano

one teaspoon kosher or sea salt

2-3 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

1. Brown onion and meat

2.  Add this to crock pot along with all other ingredients

3.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours.

4. Enjoy!

OK, so everyone knows that you need something sweet after something so savory!  I ALWAYS need dessert.  I blame it on my taste buds 😉 I have been making these cookies from the Williams Sonoma Essentials of baking cook book for the last couple of months since a friend turned me on to them.  Um..yummmm.  Seriously. THE best cookie recipe I have ever tasted (and I am an expert) EVER.  I bake them on parchment paper and undercook a tad to make them chewy. Holy yum.

I NEED sweet things around the house and I feel better knowing that I made these and there are no preservatives or anything un-natural 😉  I also only use white chocolate chips and milk chocolate ones.  Sorry, I don’t like semi-sweet or dark.  Haters, leave it in the comments 😉  The total number of cups I use is two (one white, one milk). I think I finally have the recipe memorized at this point.  Anyway, the recipe can be found HERE.  Make them NOW!  Thank me later.  What is your favorite cookie recipe!?