Mom's Classic Chili

Can last weekend be every weekend?

It would involve: kissing monkeys, fuzzy navels, bakery breakfasts, wooden play sets, lego duplos, picture-taking, gift-giving, hug-receiving.  Margaritas, cloudless skies, byowine, video-watching*, story-sharing, trip-planning.  Thus was the weekend of a very welcome (and very overdue) visit from four of the loveliest people I know: my two parents, my favorite older sis, and my adorable nephew, Ben.  It was a full house for roughly 48 hours (+1, thank you daylight savings!), and it was wonderful.

We went to the zoo, we built our own tacos, we feasted on Italian cuisine.  We discussed Thanksgiving 2013 (Tulsa here I come! ps I'm making pie), we discussed Christmas 2013 (Colorado, here we come! ps I'm making cookies). 

But before we did any of this, we ate chili.  My mom's chili.  But I made it.  She had given the recipe to me years ago, which I had chicken-scratched on a piece of notebook paper, and I finally took it out from my arsenal of soup recipes to make for the ones I love.  It was a hit (by everyone except Ben, who decided to feast on macaroni and apples- no hard feelings though.  That boy could ram his new bike into my car and then trek it through my newly planted pansies and I would still love him to bits and pieces) and paired nicely with my go-to cornbread- the perfect way to celebrate both the arrival of the beautiful fall weather, and the arrival of my beautiful family.

*{see video here}

Mom's Classic Chili

Serves 4-5 (serves a family)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground chuck beef

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1 (28-ounce) can italian whole tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups water

2 teaspoons salt, or as needed

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or as needed

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Sauté until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add chuck and sauté until brown, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cloves, basil, oregano, and cumin.  Stir 2 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, crushing with back of spoon, tomato paste, and water. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hour 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Adapted from my mom :)