Misty's Chili Mac

Misty's Chili Mac (Two versions)

Misty's Drive Through Sue Chili Mac 

Ingredients:

1- 8 oz package Macaroni style Shirataki noodles (konjac root noodles), throughly rinsed and drained 
1- 15 oz can tomato sauce 
1- 15 oz can Red Beans, rinsed and drained
1 TBL chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder 
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir often until heated throughout. For me, this made two large servings and the amount of mozzarella gives each serving only 5 grams of fat. The slow carbs come from the beans. The noodles come from the konjac root and don't add any significant fuel.

Note: This version is more soup like.

Misty's Smokey Bean Chili Mac 

Ingredients:

1- 8 oz package Macaroni style Shirataki noodles (konjac root noodles) - throughly rinsed and drained 
1- 7 oz jar tomato paste
1 & 1/2 cups Smokey Red Beans with a small amount of liquid from making the beans*
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

To make this like my original recipe, you'll need to click the link in the ingredient list and make a batch of my Smokey Red Beans first. Then combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir often until heated throughout. For me, this made two large servings and the amount of mozzarella gives each serving only 5 grams of fat. The slow carbs come from the beans. The noodles come from the konjac root and don't add any significant fuel.

Note: This version is thicker & less soup like. 

Options:

*You could use canned red beans drained & rinsed, but the recipe will need 1 TBL chili powder & 1/2 tsp onion powder and a little water or non-dairymilk.

Background:

I came up with this recipe because I really like the Amy's Chili Mac freezer meal & I wanted to see if I could create something similar that would be a single fuel (slow carbs, E for energizing if you are a Trim Healthy Mama) rather than a heavy personal choice XO (Trim Healthy Mama Crossover) that is really pushing the carbs and not really balanced with the protein. This is a much lighter but still delicious and filling meal.

Pizza Eggs THM S

Pizza Eggs are inspired by the Pizza Omelet from the Trim Healthy Future Cookbook, but I am not a huge Omelet fan. Also, I feel like Omelets take more time and attention to fix well. 

To make these, i dump a bunch of frozen, chopped spinach in a non-stick skillet, add chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) and generously sprinkle Italian seasoning. Cook until spinach is completely thawed and tomatoes are looking cooked. 

Next crack 2 or 3 eggs on top (some of our chickens lay really small eggs and sometimes I just want the meal to last a long time). 

Mix the eggs up with the veggies and cook through. 

Once cooked, add the cheese of your choice. My favorite is parmesan and nutritional yeast. I have also used Sharp Cheddar. I know that mozzarella would also be delicious. Of course, combinations of cheeses would be great, too. For Dairy Free, you could use just nutritional yeast. 

My current favorite combo is parmesan, nutritional yeast, and extra sharp white Cheddar.

Shells and Tomato Juice

Ingredients:
8 oz package gluten-free shell pasta
32 oz tomato juice
Pink Salt
Very Generous Peppering (fresh cracked is especially good)
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
A little non dairy milk (optional... I like mine to be a certain color, because my Mom used to put milk in this when I was growing up at home). **You could also use a couple tablespoons of heavy cream or half and half instead of the butter and milk. I have done that, too.

Directions:
Cook pasta in water, as directed on package.
Drain and put back in pot with all the tomato juice, seasoning, butter, and milk.

Warm the mixture and be sure the butter is melted. 

You can add a can, or two, of black-eyed peas, mostly drained, but not rinsed OR home cooked black-eyed peas (i make a big batch in the crockpot from dried). This is also super good with a side of green beans with butter. Tuna is also complimentary to any of those combinations. 

Orange Creamsicle Sipper THM FP

This is the secret recipe for my Orange Creamsicle Sipper: 

2 Vitamin C Shine tea bags, hot steeped in 1 & 1/2 cups of water (or cold steeped in 2 cups water)

1 serving on Orange flavor Calm Drink,  Approximately 3 squirts of Vanilla Crème stevia (adjust to taste, could also use a combination of stevia and Vanilla extract),

And lots of ice 😁

Black-eyed Peas in the Crockpot

Black-eyed Peas in the Crockpot 

3 cups dried black-eyed peas 

10 to 12 cups water

1and 1/2 TBL mineral salt 

Cook in crockpot on high about 4 to 6 hours, or low (usually overnight), until desired tenderness. I do cook them on high overnight, too.

It took some trial and error to figure out the correct ratio of salt to peas, but I finally got it. I knew there had to be a way to make Crockpot Black-eyed peas taste great, with just salt and water like the canned ones. And I was right!

Black-eyed peas are one of my very favorite foods! You can see in the picture above, one way I like to eat them: with cornbread (pretty Southern USA). The top picture is cornbread from a family size pan and the picture just above is a single serve microwave cornbread (both made with Masa Flour).

 I also like to pair them with Wild Rice.

This is a bag each frozen caulirice, peas, green beans, corn, and yellow squash cooked in a skillet together until thoroughly cooked. Scooped a portion onto the plate and topped with black-eyed peas. 

Black-eyed peas with shells and tomato juice is another great combination. 

Macaroni & cheese with black-eyed peas and green beans cooked with butter is classic comfort food to me.

Drive-thru Sue Style 4 Cheese Cauli-mac THM S

1 bag of frozen cauliflower florets 

1/3 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup extra sharp white Cheddar
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 TBL parmesan
Generous sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt and black cracked pepper (freshly ground is tastier)

This is the Drive-thru Sue version, so try to pick up cauliflower in a package that you can steam in the microwave. 

Once the cauliflower is steamed, empty the bag into a smallish mixing bowl, pasta bowl, or extra large cereal bowl. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a fork, breaking up large pieces of cauliflower so that you have more uniform chunks.

Microwave again for about 60 seconds to warm all the cold cheese.

ENJOY!

This dish is a great way to eat more than one serving of non-starchy vegetables. It's packed with protein and flavor. And it's not really 4 Cheese, because one of my "cheeses" is actually Nutritional Yeast. I choose the 4 "cheeses" because they are super flavorful, and we usually have all of them on hand. I try to keep bags of frozen cauliflower on hand, too. It's a quick and easy meal to make in under 10 mins by my estimation. I steam my cauliflower for 6 mins, add the cheeses, and microwave all for 1 minute. 

Cheesy cauliflower has become one of my healthy comfort foods and this version is tastiest and quickest way I have come up with fixing it.  You could easily make this a Purist style recipe by choosing to cut up a fresh, organic head of cauliflower and heating it up in your Instant Pot, oven, or on your stove top. You could make your own cottage cheese!

The possibilities with this recipe are practically endless. You can steam cauliflower however you like, switch up the cheeses, and heat in all however you choose. You could even top it with some homemade FP breadcrumbs and crisp that under the broiler. 

I hope this gives someone some great ideas to love Cauli-mac!

Vegetarian Cowboy Grub THM E

1 batch Taco Style Lentils 
2 package frozen caulirice
1 recipe taco seasoning (or packaged mix)
1 bag frozen corn (or 1 can, drained)
2 cans drained and rinsed pinto
beans, or black beans, or 1 of each (just less than 4 cups from the crockpot)
Diced tomatoes (fresh or canned), if canned, use 1- 28 oz or 2- 14.5 oz
Water to allow seasoning to simmer

Put everything together in a large skillet or pot. Simmer until everything is cooked thoroughly. 

This is a variation on a Trim Healthy Mama recipe called Cowboy Grub. I use my version of Taco Style Lentils (recipe linked above). Just to be clear, because of the Taco Style Lentils, you will need two recipes or packages of Taco seasoning; one for the Lentils recipe and one for Grub recipe. You could use the Taco Style Lentils as a meat replacement and make the Cowboy Grub with the original Trim Healthy Mama recipe, which you can find on Facebook, the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook, or the Trim Healthy Mama membership site.

You can top with Nutritional Yeast, or sprinkle parmesan, to add cheese flavor and keep as a Trim Healthy Mama E meal. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips, if desired. You could also top with 0% fat Greek yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese. As a Trim Healthy Mama XO, you could add cheese or full fat sour cream.  Salsa would be a great addition to any version. 

I like to eat this hot or cold. It's one of those meals I think is good either way. As a mostly Drive Thru Sue, I love how simple this is to put together. I also love that, with the exception on the frozen caulirice,  this can be made exclusively with pantry item dry/canned goods. I do believe I have seen some packaged caulirice on the shelves at the grocery store... so, you might be able to get literally everything as shelf stable items. You could also make this more Purist style and make your own caulirice from a fresh head of caulirice, in addition to chopping fresh tomatoes.  There are many ways to adapt this recipe, make it your own!

Note:  You can easily halve the Cowboy Grub recipe and use the rest of the Taco Style Lentils for nachos, tacos, or Taco Salad.

Smokey Red Beans

I love making beans overnight in my Crockpot.  I saw some recipes for Smokey Beans and thought, I could make those even simpler...and I did.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups dried red beans
8 cups water
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 TBL mineral salt

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients to a large Crockpot or slow cooker.
Cook on high Overnight, turn to low, or warm, in the morning depending on how soft you like them, or how soon you plan to eat them.

I also added a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar to the pot in the morning, as I have heard it helps with the digestion and occasional side effects 😉 of beans.

I had these with a single serve recipe of Cornbread from Briana Thomas's Blog.

Pumpkin Chia Pudding

I love to tweak and make different versions of recipes. I took another chia pudding recipe and adapted it to make it without yogurt (mostly because I was out of yogurt). So... without further ado...

In a pint jar, mix the ingredients: 

1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk

3 TBL chia seeds

Some drops of Vanilla

A generous sprinkle of cinnamon 

3 to 4 doonks stevia (or sweetener of choice)

**For best results, stop here and mix the chia seeds for a little while. They will mostly want to float at first. As you mix them, let them sit, mix them again (I do this while I prepare something else in the kitchen), mix again, let sit again... you get the idea. You will see the seeds start to suspend in the liquid as they absorb the milk. Now you can add the last ingredient.**

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Next, mix it all again until the pumpkin is mixed all the way through. I like to use a fork to mix in the pint jar, it sort of works like a whisk, but it is smaller and easier to use in the space.

Lastly, put in the refrigerator to set up overnight. The results taste like crustless  pumpkin pie to me. You could, of course, use pumpkin pie spice in place of (or addition to) the cinnamon. 

You can make multiple jars for the whole week, or the whole family at one time. Just gather jars and your ingredients when you are making something else that doesn't require constant attention.  You can take turns stirring each jar just a bit until it reaches the suspend and then add the pumpkin to each and mix all of them one last time. 

If you like pumpkin pie, tapioca pudding, or chia drinks or pudding, you will probably like this. 

Baked Spaghetti Squash

One of our favorite healthy remakes is Baked Spaghetti Squash. I'm going to keep it simple to the way we usually make it, and then explain more options and details after the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash (usually between 3 and 4 lbs)

2 - 24.5 ounce jars of Mezetta Napa Valley Marinara Sauce 

1- 2 lb block of Cabot Extra Sharp (White) Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1)  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2)  Ready a 13x9 inch casserole type pan.

3)  Cook the Spaghetti Squash however you like, then scoop out the strands as two halves.  You can scoop the first half directly into the bottom of the 13x9 pan. Spread the Spaghetti as evenly as possible to cover the whole pan.  You may need to kind of cut and shred it with a fork. 

4)  Pour the first jar of sauce on top and spread as evenly as possible over the Spaghetti Squash. 

5)  Layer 1/3 to 1/2 of the shredded cheese on top of the sauce.

6)  Repeat the three layers. 

*Warning: it is usually a little trickier to spread out the second layer of Spaghetti Squash.  It doesn't have to be perfect.

7)  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until sauce is bubbly, cheese is melted and as browned on top as you desire. 

And now for the talky part...

My Mother-in-law's Rigatoni used to be a favorite family dish and my homemade version of Baked Spaghetti (idea from Fazoli's Baked Spaghetti).  In the past years since I have not been blogging, our whole family has realized that (for health reasons) we need to be gluten-free AND a friend of mine introduced me to Trim Healthy Mama (a lifestyle way of healthy eating that is low glycemic and doesn't exclude any food groups, and is meant to personalize). 

So, first I swapped ingredients to make the recipes gluten-free free.  When I started my Trim Healthy Mama Journey, I realized that was way too much carbs and fat together.  I decided to turn it into a Trim Healthy Mama "S" (for Satisfying) meal. And that was when Spaghetti Squash entered the picture. We were already eating it like regular Spaghetti, but baking it like this took it to a whole other level of enjoyment. 

I like to cook my Spaghetti Squash in my Instant Pot. I rinse/wash a 4 lb Squash and use a paring knife to cut slits all over the outside. Then I put 1 cup of water in the pot, place the Squash on the trivet and cook on the manual setting for 45 mins (smaller ones take less time, of course). When I take it out, I use a large knife to cut it in half and scoop out the seeds.  Then I follow the instructions above.

If I get too large of a Spaghetti Squash, my other favorite way to cook the Squash is in the crockpot. You start out basically the same as the Instant pot, but you only need to make 4 or 5 slits in the Squash, and no water needed. Cook on low for 5 or 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  This takes more planning, but with the Crockpot or the Instant Pot, the results are a squishy, easy to cut in half, cooked Spaghetti Squash. 

The sauce I mention just happens to be easy to find in the town where we live and is sugar free (yes, some store bought Spaghetti Sauce contains a significant amount of sugar).  We have used lots of different brands and flavors of sauce. Make this your own,  use whatever sauce you like!

The cheese is just our favorite cheese to use in so many things.  It's also (usually) easy to pick up in town. It's Kosher Dairy and Halal, naturally lactose free, and Cabot is Certified B Corporation.  And the flavor is like no other cheese I can even compare it to.  BUT you could use mozzarella or a combination of cheeses.  Like I said, make this recipe your own! When you change the sauce, or the cheese, you'll get a whole new dish of flavors. 

If you haven't already put these things together and baked them up, and you decide to try my ideas, I would love to hear what you think!

Cinnamon Apples

I probably shouldn't count this as a recipe, but I couldn't help sharing this delicious snack idea.  Many who read this may have thought of this idea before, but I was clueless!  I had Cinnamon Apples at a church dinner, and I couldn't believe it was just apples and cinnamon!  I had to try this for myself.

For years, I put lemon juice on sliced apples to keep them from browning.  I did not know that sprinkling cinnamon on apples would also keep them from turning brown!  Bonus: they taste like apple pie!!!!  

So, all there is to Cinnamon Apples is:

1.  Slice up an apple

2.  Sprinkle on some cinnamon

3.  Eat now, or package up to eat later

Incredibly easy, amazingly delicious!  If you haven't tried this before, you must.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

This has to be my favorite crock-pot meal right now! These are pics of the gorgeous chicken tacos my hubby put together.

Crock-pot Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

5 to 8 frozen chicken breasts

2 packages homemade taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Add all ingredients to crock-pot, or slow cooker. 

(You can use whatever taco seasoning you like, but the link sends you to my homemade recipe... I go with less cumin for this recipe, because cumin is really spicy).

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 3 to 4 hours.

When cooked, shred meat with a large fork (see my cool plastic-y one that my sister-in-law got me in a package for Christmas last year?).

This is a great, fast, meal.  All the rest of the ingredients are dry or refrigerated:

cheese, tomatoes (and/or salsa), lettuce, taco shells (or chips, for taco salad), or soft taco shells, and maybe some guacamole.

My hubby like his taco shells warmed in the oven, but that only takes 10 mins.  While they are warming, I can get out all the rest of the taco pieces, and shred the meat.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and Gravy is one of my favorite meals ever.  I will eat sausage gravy with bread, but my family likes biscuits.  My hubby grew up in Iowa, and didn't know what biscuits and gravy was until he went to a Hardee's in Missouri.

My kids are biscuit snobs now.  I grew up with biscuits out of a package (I'm sure Mom made them from scratch sometime, but I always remember popping open a package).  When I started reading labels, I stopped by package biscuits so often and started making them from scratch. Now my kids only like package biscuits for Monkey Bread and Empty Tomb Biscuits.

The biscuit recipe I like to use is from my Better Homes and Garden's cookbook.  That is the cookbook that I think every new wife needs... it has everything in it.  I bought my sister one when she got married, and I don't think she uses any other cookbook.

The sausage gravy is made just like my grandma or great-grandma probably made it... without a recipe, but I can put the basic instruction on here.

Sausage Gravy

Ingredients:

1 lb sausage (our is mild, I believe... we usually get a half or whole hog processed each year from someone we know who raises them.)

Milk (probably 1 to 2 cups)

Flour (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Pepper to taste... or see (I sprinkle until I can see it all over, even when I stir everything up)

Directions:

Cook sausage into crumbles until fully cooked.

Our local sausage is usually pretty lean, so I don't have to pour any fat off... you will want just a little bity bit to make the gravy.  If it is swimming in fat (like hamburger is many times), then do drain the fat off.

Next, sprinkle flour over the sausage, start with about 1/4 of a cup, but usually not more than 1/2 a cup.  You can go ahead and stir the flour in with the sausage.  It will kind of coat the sausage like when you bread chicken.  Then add milk to cover the sausage and keep heating on med to high while stirring until thick and bubbly.  While heating the milk and flour, add pepper.  The more the better in my book.  I just keep adding pepper and stirring till it looks like a picture of country gravy.  Move off the burner and serve over biscuits.  

Spinach Quesadillas

The first time I had spinach quesadillas was at a Garfield's restaurant when I was visiting my now husband at college.  I was a vegetarian for four years, three of them in college.  We passed by the restaurant at the mall and they were advertising spinach quesadillas.  I really wanted to try them, so we did.  Then I decided I could recreate them... and I did.

So, here's my original recipe:

Spinach Quesadillas

1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 -2 cup bag of mozzerella cheese

1 package flour tortialla shells, or soft taco shells

Now:  I chop up a bunch of fresh spinach and add mozzerella till the mixture looks "right".

Also will want:  salsa and sour cream for dipping

 Mix spinach and cheese in bowl.

 Spread spinach and cheese mixture on tortilla shell.

 Top with another toritiall shell.  Cook in quesadilla maker... if you have one, or fry in skillet on both sides.

Cut with a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Strawberry Shortcake and Blueberry Muffin Waffles

Ellie and I came up with some different toppings for regular old waffles.  They make great breakfast or snacks!

I call this one the Strawberry Shortcake Waffle.  

Top with cream cheese and strawberry preserves.

Ellie came up with this one:  Blueberry Muffin Waffles.

Top with butter and then blueberry preserves.  Mmmm...

Orange Cow

This is a close relative of the Purple Cow.  My kids came up with this when their Daddy was going on his first ever liquid only fast.

Orange Cow


Ingredients:
1 can of frozen 100% orange juice concentrate
Saved can from OJ, filled with milk
ice

Directions:
Pour (or scrape) the frozen OJ into a blender.  Next use the can from the OJ, filled with milk, and pour the milk into the blender.  Fill the remaining space with ice cubes (about one tray's worth).  Then blend until slushy.

Serve immediately.

Cake Mix Cookies

This is such a cheater recipe... cookies really don't take that long to make, but cake mix cookies are so moist!  Also, I don't freak out so much about making them on short notice.  Thomas volunteered me to make cookies for AWANA and his work this week.

I had picked up some cake mixes on sale last month (also had a coupon or two!).  I want to make up some of my own cake mixes in a jar, but I haven't gotten around to making them yet.  Amy Bayliss had a 10 day series on Canning Jar ideas... and I love the idea of making up homemade mixes in canning jars to have them handy.  I really want to eat healthier, but I grew up cooking with convenience foods... and that is a hard habit to break.  This was a Betty Crocker recipe that I altered slightly... I actually made it slightly easier & more versatile.

Ingredients:

1 box (or canning jar) of any flavor cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten

6-12 ounces of chocolate chips, or other chips, or candy pieces (optional)

Directions:

Mix everything together & spoon onto cookie sheet (I usually do a dozen per sheet).  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 mins.  Edges should be brown, centers will be soft.  Cool 1 minute on pan, then move from cookie sheet to wire rack.

So, here are some ideas:

One year when we visited my cousin and her family, I used vanilla (or yellow, or white) cake mix and chocolate chips for one batch, the other batch I used a chocolate cake mix and swirled milk chocolate and peanut butter morsels.

For our homeschool co-op Holiday Party (we combine Thanksgiving & Christmas) I used a vanilla cake mix, chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint.

Right now I'm making plain vanilla (I think the kids we decorate these), plain chocolate (if they were for me, I'd add chocolate chips!), spice cake and cherry chip... each separately.  The family will take the vanilla and chocolate to AWANA & the spice cake and cherry chip cookies will go to work with hubby.

I think the spice cake would go great with butterscotch morsels, or reeces pieces... and chocolate goes good with almost anything.

Misty's Taco Style Lentils

Tacos are an one of those meals that are so quick to make.  I would say they are a staple around our house.  I was delighted when I tried the recipe for Taco Style Lentils from the Hillbilly Housewife and the family all like them.  Taco Style Lentils makes tacos even more affordable and easy to keep ingredients on hand... since lentils and rice are not as perishable as meat.  The recipe from the Hillbilly Housewife includes bullion cubes, so I altered the recipe slightly, because I cannot seem to find bullion cubes that do not have MSG in them.  Here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry lentils
3/4 cup brown rice
1 package homemade taco seasoning (or other package taco seasoning)
4 cups water

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45-50 mins.  You can also make it in the crockpot on Low for 6 to 8 hours.  The author of the recipe had never made it on high, but the rule of thumb is usually about half the time for High, so probably 3 to 4 hours.

Serve as you would taco meat... Taco Salad, Burritos, Taco Shells.

Misty's Easy Taco Soup

This is a combination of other taco soup recipes I've tasted and a taco style lentil recipe I've used from the Hillbilly Housewife website.  I made up this recipe, along with a Simple Chili recipe, and left them simmering in crockpots for after church, when we were having another family over for lunch. I love the way the house smells when something is simmering in the crockpot.

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger-cooked (you could make this with turkey burger, or another can of beans)
1 can black beans
1/3 cup brown rice
1/3 cup lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
1 or 2 cups of water (depending on how soupy you want it, or how long you'll be gone)
1 package homemade taco seasoning (or other taco seasoning)

Simmer in the crockpot on Low, or on the stove top.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. You could also serve with baked potatoes, or corn bread.

Misty's Simple Chili

I made this Chili Recipe and my own version of Taco Soup before church one Sunday and left them simmering in two crockpots.  I also turned the oven into a slow cooker for baked potatoes; I washed them, pricked them with a fork, and wrapped them in foil.  I put them in the oven at about 250 or 300 degrees and they were so yummy! I could have pulled out another crockpot and made the potatoes inside that instead, but Ellie prefers the potatoes in the oven (Wyatt prefers them in the microwave).  I love crockpot meals for after church and other busy days.  My hubby used to say "Chili and tacos are the same thing, and I prefer tacos."  Today, he actually asked for chili, so I thought this was a good day to share this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger (or turkey burger...or you wouldn't have to use meat at all)-cooked
2 cans dark red kidney beans
1 can chili ready tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes)
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion (or some other diced tomatoes with peppers, etc.)
2 Tbl and 1/4 to 1/2 Tbl chili seasoning
approx 1/2 Tbl onion powder

Simmer in crockpot on Low, or on stove top.