I would allow 1/2 to 2/3 pound of meat per person - eight pounds total would be more than enough, especially if the canned product contains beans. Some products that come in cans are really good - not all cans are created equal. I use a lot of canned tomatoes, and I will on occasion use canned chili sauce, but I read the ingredients on the can carefully before buying it. It should contain mostly chili and no tomato - it is better to add the tomato separately yourself, and I frequently leave tomato out when making chili. I recommend Ancho chili powder if you want to increase the chili flavor without adding heat. My meat of preference for chili is pork butt/shoulder, and the cooked meat is called carnitas. Lars

1. What are you wearing right now? Blue jeans and teal shirt What have I eaten today? Oh gee... For breakfast I had a smoked salmon salad, snack: watermellon and almonds lunch: orange and 80 calories worth of ice cream, snack: more watermellon and almonds. It is only 4! I had eyed a Lean Cuisine for dinner, but writing this I just realized what a pig I have been today so I might just skip. 3. What did you have for dinner last night? watermellon and almonds 4. What is your favorite flower in your flower garden? a 14 foot high jasmine 5. Other than the main colors in your home now, what colors would you like to change to? I would really like to someday own a gray Neoclassical with a slick black front door. Maybe that is just a reflex because it is the complete opposite of the yellow country Victorian we are finishing building now. 6. Are you an online shopper or do you prefer to go to a store in person? Either. I *love* to shop, but I never buy much. Getting out and visiting shops is thrilling enough for me that I don't feel like I need to buy the proverbial t-shirt. 7. If you do shop online, what is your favorite website, other than Amazon? Is Craigslist shopping?? I have been looking out for several things and prefer to buy vintage or antiques. Antique stores (in real life) just thrill me to no end. 8. Do you paint your nails? I break my nails on the darn piano and I only paint my nails when they are long... so not very often. 9. What one thing this week are you looking forward to doing? It is a weird week here, so I am just hoping that everything runs smoothly. A win would be no more poisonous snakes this week. What type of car do you drive and the color? We just bought a new vehicle wild color. All our vehicles end up some crazy color. They can't make a color that is too wild for us! :O)

You can bet that what is labeled as "STEW-MEAT", in the chain stores, will be tough. It's usually meat that can't be used for anyrhing else but stewing (long braising). Yes, you should brown the meat first...but that has nothing to do with how tender it will be. When I want good meat for stewing, I buy a roast and chunk it up myself. I usually look for a top or a bottom of the round. Brown it well, and then braise it with the veggies in my slow cooker....using just about the same recipe that you would use for a pot-roast. DH does some of my grocery shopping and every once in a while he brings home what he thinks is a "bargain" in stewing meats. I even have tried the pressure-cooker to tenderize the meat....but it does not turn out satisfactorily!

Starlight: Did you find out what meat you bought??? Trica: I didn't know you drank Beer.lol! *************************************** Chile can be made many ways and using different meats. I've used Sausage a lot also Beef and Sausage. Can't eat too Hot ! Sometimes it is cooked slow, like a Pasta Sauce, with a lot of meat and onions added. Then a can of beans added when it was almost done. I took some Sauce out of the freezer for tonight, to use with Rigatoni. Think I'll save enough and do the Chile thing. Starlight , you are a trouble maker. LOL!!! LOU