cooking for the family

I have enjoyed cooking for my family for many years now. My children are all grown and some with families of their own. Since they all moved out I had to cut down on the amount of food I cook. My husband pointed out to me that I was making way too much and it was either being thrown away or stored in the freezer until the freezer burn forced me to throw it away. *sigh* Ok, I cut back and began to cook for just us two with maybe enough for 1 night of leftovers.
Now when the kids come home for a visit I am frantic with worrying whether or not I am making enough food for everyone. I think I should adopt some kids or take in boarders or something just so I can continue cooking larger amounts.
This morning my daughter and her family headed back to SC after spending a few days visiting. It was a nice visit with all of them.  As with all family visits it is really nice to see family and bittersweet when they leave. This afternoon we got a call that one of our sons was coming for a quick visit before heading back home and would arrive at the house shortly before dinner time. I had something laid out for me and my husband that would be just enough for two for one night. Quickly I had to scramble and decide what to fix that would feed the two of us and our son and his girlfriend. Chili to the rescue!

Brown some ground beef. Dice one medium size onion and one medium size bell pepper. Peel and dice or grate 2 small cloves of garlic. Toss it all in with the beef until the veggies are soft and the beef is cooked through. Add in 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed and about 1 1/2 cups of pinto beans. Add in one 8 oz. can of diced tomatoes, 4-5 cups of water, and about 3 - 4 tbsp of tomato paste. Season it with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. I also add in a spoonful of sugar to help cut the acid in the tomatoes.

Let it all come to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let is slow cook for about 20 min. Add in some oregano, stir well, and taste it for flavor. If you need to add any of the spices this is the time to add more.

Serve it with crackers or some fresh made cornbread. Perfect for a cold night.