Super Easy and Delicious Veggie Chili (in the slow cooker)

Note: no picture with this one because my last batch of chili is in the freezer and I'm currently sick and very behind on my posting. Enjoy the recipe, I've had this one drafted up for a while!

This chili is so easy and everyone seems to love it, even the meat-eaters of the family. Everyone asks for the recipe and I'm slightly ashamed to give it because it is so easy.  I customized the recipe from Quick-fix Vegetarian, aka my cooking bible.

I apologize in advance for all the asterisks, but I have some comments and customizations that you should definitely read through.

Easy Slow Cooker Veggie Chili

Ingredients

24 ounces chunky salsa*
2 T Chili Powder**
1/2 cup ketchup (trust me)
1 t salt***
1/2 t fresh pepper***
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 c water
1 lb frozen veggie crumbles (optional but highly recommended - I use Morningstar Farms brand)

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker, cook on low 4-6 hours. Eat it with crackers, tortilla chips, corn bread, whatever strikes your fancy. I like to make vegan cornbread and add green chiles.

Now the modifications:

*Sometimes, instead of salsa (usually because Mike ate it all so we don't have any), I use this easy alternative recipe for homemade salsa. I just throw all these ingredients in the slow cooker first and stir it up and then add the remaining chili ingredients. To make it simpler, I use freeze-dried herbs, garlic from a jar, and I add the whole can of diced tomatoes, juice and all. It's really good and fresher-tasting (and probably cheaper) than store-bought salsa.

**If a non-spicy person is visiting, I use 1 T chili powder. If it's just us, I use 3 T. It's all about personal preference.

***Instead of salt and pepper, use 2 t steak seasoning. Trust me. The stuff is amazing for chili.

30 Days of Lists - Days 15 - 21

Continued from yesterday's post! Feel free to share your own list items :-)

What would be on your lists?

30 Days of Lists - Days 8 - 14

30 Days of Lists is back! Since I skipped last week, there will be a Part II tomorrow. 

Please feel free to share thoughts or items that would be on your lists! I don't mind (as long as you aren't mean). Actually, I would love it. I love comments.

Tuesday Treasures

Borrowlenses.com - You can rent camera equipment over the internet! I heard great things from trusted blog friends so I ordered a really nice lens (and filters!) for this weekend. Look forward to some awesome pictures next week! I'm going to be camping out at a really photogenic spot on Sunday night, getting up well before dawn, and freezing my butt off while doing it. You know, like a real Colorado photographer. 

Rifftrax - I have always known that the MST3K/Rifftrax guys are comedic gods, but this is the first time I've tried syncing up a track at home. Mike and I watched Rifftrax: Twilight. It was sooooo funny. I highly recommend it. And now I need all of them. If you're not familiar, Rifftrax tracks are audio downloads of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew's comedic commentary that you sync up with movies you own (or can get from netflix). Hilarity ensues. They were so funny at w00tstock, I nearly peed myself.

lynda.com - This software training site is not free, but it is reasonable, and the tutorials are really great. I have been using InDesign for 8 years or so and I completed the first few lessons for one of my design courses and I have already learned a ton of stuff I didn't know. Plus, the guy who gives the InDesign tutorials is really likeable and entertaining. He isn't boring like everyone who gives CPE courses for CPAs (shoot me). If you need to learn a certain type of software for work, school, or for your own purposes, I would definitely check it out.

Star Wars Moleskines - Seriously, what part of that could I not love?

Guest Post - San Diego Comic Con

I'm guesting over at Campfire Chic today, talking about Comic-Con and Nerdified Shirts.

Check it out!

Tourist at Home: The Air Force Academy

While my dad and stepmom were in town, we went over to the Air Force Academy for a tour. I had no idea that it was open to visitors, but anyone with a Driver's License is welcome as long as you allow a surly airman to search your trunk. The campus is just gorgeous, but the real treasure is the chapel made of aluminum, huge windows, veins of stained glass, and one of the most amazing pipe organs I've ever seen. I've heard there is a several year-long list to get married in there.

Apparently we missed an impressive planetarium so I've got to go back! Next time we won't accidentally go on Parent's Weekend. The campus was incredibly crowded. We were lucky to get a parking spot.

Colorado Balloon Classic

It's balloon season again! Hot air balloons are among my absolute favorite things to photograph, so I was really excited to learn that the Colorado Balloon classic takes place in Colorado Springs every year.  It's not as extensive as the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (because nothing is), but it was impressive, close-by, and gorgeous with the backdrop of the mountains. They even had the requisite breakfast burritos. It made me really excited for the Balloon Fiesta next month! Here are my favorite shots.

A bride is tossing her bouquet from the above balloon.

Tuesday Treasures

I'm working on a different format with these. Let's try it out, shall we?

This Free online wine-tasting course. Straightforward, and without snobbery.

These are amazing engagement photos. Make sure you scroll down. Guys too, you will like these.

Martha Stewart's Halloween projects are the best craft projects ever. Also, if you're crunched for time or they are too complicated, go to Michaels and buy her premade kits that are half-done for you.

This Top Gear clip makes me laugh every time. I don't know why. It's short, don't worry. 

Fall leaves. Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite season. This is probably because I grew up in the Arizona desert and the onset of Fall meant that the heat would break. Eventually. Every year I intend to go on a Fall road trip, and every year something would happen ("something" being my old job making it impossible because they didn't understand the concept of having a life). This year, I AM GOING!

These Library candles. They sell them at my favorite adorable gift shop in Manitou Springs. I have the Walt Whitman scent. Ok, that sounds odd. You know what I would really like? A candle that smells like old books. Does that exist? I know there is one that smells like new books. Maybe if I burned it along with this leather candle? Is there also one that smells like dust? I may be onto something, here.

Vintage arcade games. There is an awesome arcade here that we have frequented on occasion. It's the next thing that I need to take pictures of. We all know how much I loved the Musee Mecanique (website plays creepy loud music, turn sound off before clicking). The one here is not as cool as that, but it is still pretty sweet. And it has skeeball!

Trains. They are my favorite way to travel. They are basically the only mode of transportation that doesn't make me even the littlest bit queasy. They make cool sounds, and they are great for multitasking. Since there isn't really a train system in Arizona, I have never taken an Amtrak trip. It's on the life list, though. I have taken a bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto, though, so that's something.

What things are you treasuring right now?