What do you make when it's below zero outside....Auntie's Easy Crockpot Chili

     So here in Iowa it feels like -20 degrees with the wind chill...I know people across the country ask how anyone can live here.  (It's the same question I ask myself when I see hurricanes on TV.)  I guess the answer for all of us is that this is home.  My great grandfather settled here in the early 1900s.  My grandpa raised my father and his siblings on the same farm.  And, now I live 6 miles from that farm with my little family.  This summer my grandpa and grandma received a Century Farm Award at the Iowa State Fair.  My husband and I hope to keep the farm in the family for another generation.
     During the cold stretches here on the plains, comfort foods are a must.  However, I am still trying to lose the baby weight, so I try to eat healthy.  One of my go-to comfort foods is chili.  This recipe was handed down from my husband's great aunt.  It's tried and true and oh so easy.  Whether you are trying to stay warm or just need an quick crowd pleaser, this crockpot chili is one you just have to try.

Auntie's Easy Crockpot Chili Ingredients 

Auntie's Easy Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Ground Beef, browned and drained
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 - 46 ounce bottle of V8 Juice
1 - 28 ounce can of Bush's Baked Beans, drained
1 - 30 ounce can of Mrs. Grimes Chili Beans (do NOT drain)
2 Tbsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of ground Cayenne Pepper (or more if you like it hot!)

Dump everything in your crockpot.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8.  The flavor is better if you can dump it all together the night before.  (The chili gets spicier the longer it sits!)  Enjoy!

Alter a Men's Flannel Shirt into a Cute, Feminine Top

I love Black Friday!  However, sometimes I buy things that weren't exactly anticipated.  This year I picked up a small men's flannel shirt in the chaos of that night for just $6 at my local Wal-Mart.  But, when I got home, I found that it was far too baggy for me.

Before - Men's Flannel Shirt that needs some Alterations

So what's a girl to do?  I decided to alter the shirt with a really quick fix...a three line gather.  It's so easy that anyone who can thread a needle can do this alteration.

  

Three running Stitches

Gathering the Fabric

Materials:

- A shirt that is too baggy

- Embroidery floss in a complimentary color

- Embroidery needle

- Scissors

Steps:

1) Measure and cut about 1 foot of embroidery floss.
2) Knot the thread on one end.
3) Thread the unknotted side on the needle.
4) Starting about four inches from the left hand seam, pull the thread through the underside of the shirt (so that the knot is on the inside of the shirt).
5) Thread the needle in and out with about an inch between each stitch.
6) Repeat this process so that you have three lines.
7) Gather the material by sliding the fabric down the thread.
8) Secure each line by knotting on the end of the thread inside the shirt.

After - Men's Flannel Shirt Altered into a Cute, Feminine Top

So the next time you make an impulse buy, have no fear.  You can make it work for you with this simple alteration!