Fall in the Carolinas

Trying to capture the beauty of some of the leaves as they just begin to turn here in the Piedmont section of North Carolina. Taking a picture with a camera just doesn't portray the beauty that is seen with the human eye. The first picture was taken with a flash, the second without. As if with a paintbrush, the Artist carefully transitions from the center green to a beautiful yellow and finishes the edges off with a gorgeous red.

It was quite brisk walking Maestro this morning...about 38 degrees!! He thought it was absolutely wonderful, bouncing along, trying to grasp the leash in his mouth as if trying to walk himself. This morning if he could walk himself, I would have let him, as the chill in the air had me dragging my feet and wishing I were still tucked warm and comfortably under my covers in bed!! Once back from the walk, I decided it was time to make some "comfort food", so I proceeded to get the crockpot out of storage and make some of my delicious Weight Watchers Chili. I'll include the "complicated" recipe below.

1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

2 cans pinto beans

2 cans kidney beans

2 cans diced tomatoes (with chili peppers is good)

1/2 can of corn kernals

1 envelope Taco or Chili seasoning

1 envelope Ranch Dressing (dry)

Saute the beef or turkey in saucepan. Add onion, if desired. Add the envelopes of seasoning and mix well. Put in crockpot. Add the canned ingredients; stir well. Cook in crockpot on high for 4-6 hours. If you desire a spicier recipe, add canned chili peppers and/or extra chili seasoning. Great comfort food for cold days!!

Enjoy!!