Martha Monday: Chili

This week's Martha Mondays pick by Megan at MegansCookin is a great one: Martha's chili in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living.

As much as I loved the article, however, I just couldn't bring myself to make the recipe. My Midwest taste buds can't handle all the chilies, onions and garlic in the recipe. Plus, I absolutely adore my husband's chili. There are certain recipes I just don't try, because he's pretty much perfected them to our liking.

So I asked my husband to make his chili in honor of Martha Mondays. He even wrote the recipe down (without me asking him to do it), so he could share his "secret" with the world.

If you can't read his handwriting, here's our favorite chili recipe:

• - 1 lb. ground beef
• - 1 c. coarsely chopped onion

Brown the ground beef and onion together, then partially drain off the fat. Then add:

• - Two 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes
• - 1 tomato can full of water
• - 1/1-2 Tbls. chili powder
• - 1 Tbl. beef bouillon
• - 3 Tbls. brown sugar
• - One-half 16-ounce can of kidney beans
• - 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce

Let simmer over stove until ready to eat.

Fun Iowa fact: Tone's spices are made in nearby Ankeny, Iowa. When we travel to Ankeny for shopping, we can smell what spices Tone's is working on that day (oregano is one of the strongest scents).

I like to add a little cheddar cheese and Frito "croutons" to the chili. My husbands recipe is a nice balance of spicy, hot and sweet. And I love the whole crushed tomatoes.

Please visit the Martha and Me blog to see how the other members prepared their chili.