Apologies to all
I have just been very busy and when I think about coming up here in an office that needs to be shoveled out...blogging is the very last thing on my mind. I haven't tried anything new. Well, that's not true. I had one day off, yesterday and went for a quick coffee and a quick read of knitting books at B&N yesterday. I know I should have been blogging but I need some "ME" time. I went to the cookbook bargin table out of habit, and darned if I didn't buy another stinking cookbook. What was I thinking? I was thinking that I don't have time for food fashion shoots, but just dinner. So I bought...

I tried one recipe as soon as I got home and it slow cooked in the crockpot for 5 hours. I tested the Hearty Chili Mac but didn't take any pictures. I was way too hungry to style a lovely photo so I scarfed it down. It turned out well. If you do not have a crockpot you really should invest in one that has different cooking times on it. Mine is a Rival and it have four times, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, and 10 hours. I love this because I can be home all day and keep an eye on a pot roast that is cooking for 8-10 hours. The smell really does fill the house.

This is a super mind numbing easy recipe. We used to make this very same thing but browning ground meat, two or three dashes of chili powder and a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese. I think maybe this is the grown up verision. Either way this is the poor man's or starving students cheap eats.

Hearty Chili Mac
4 Servings

1 lb of 90% lean ground beef
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes,drained
1 cup diced onions
1 TBS chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano, dried
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups of cooked macaroni

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to separate meat. Drain. Add beef, tomatoes, onions, and all the spices to slow cooker; mix well.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.

Stir in macaroni. Cover and cook 1 hour.

Okay, as we all know I always screw around with any recipe. I made this one simplier (as if I was complicated to begin with) because I could.

Adjustments: I needed more than 4 servings. So I used a package of the 93% ground beef (the commissary sells it that way, what can I say-I refuse to weigh the meat for a recipe like this). Then I added two of the canned diced tomatoes, with the juices (this will be revealed later why). I always increase my dried spices, just because I can and I tripled them. I did follow the directions and stirred the stuff up. Oh, back up...I cooked the onions while I browned the meat. Saves me time and I liked my onions cooked! I was not going to cook the macaroni in yet another pan. I am just too lazy for that. One more pot to wash or heaven forbid, load in the dishwasher. I measured out two cups of dry elbow macaroni and dumped it in with everything else. Word to the wise. You will need to NOT drain the tomatoes and then add one more can of water. The macaroni will absorb all that anyway. I have to say that the macaroni did get a little soggy but no one here complained.

So no photo but take my word for it; it was completely filling. I have visions of corn muffins dancing in my head, but alas, I fell asleep in the chair watching the news while the crockpot did it's thing and no muffins were made. Oh well...