“Do you have a can of kidney beans?” I called to ask daughter Lee who lives around the corner. She checked the pantry and reported two kinds of beans but no kidney.
“Do you have a can of kidney beans?” I called to ask our daughter-in-law Angie who lives around another corner. She checked her pantry and reported that she also has two kinds of beans but no kidney.
When making chili with beans, one almost has to have beans – so I had to trot off to the supermarket, which delayed my chili making. I like chili anytime, but especially on cool/cold days. This day, however, I wanted to practice my chili making skill because our church was having a chili contest for its fall family activity and I wanted to enter.
I liked the recipe of Mary Jones of Easley. Mary’s husband, Rev. Tom M. Jones, retired several years ago, but, like most ministers, doesn’t fully understand the meaning of the word “retire.”
Mary and Tom married a long time ago while they were still at Southeastern Seminary at Wake Forest. Over the years, he pastored churches in North and South Carolina, the last full-time position at First Baptist Church, Travelers Rest, in South Carolina’s Upstate. Following that 10-year service, he served as director of missions for Piedmont Association for 15 years. Since his retirement in 1998, he has served four interims, including Calvary Hill Baptist, Cross Roads Baptist and Ridgeland Drive Baptist, and as interim administrator at Easley First Baptist. He currently volunteers at United Christian Ministry in Easley and occasionally fills in as a supply pastor.
Mary teaches a drawing class to middle and high school students one day a week at the Christian Fine Arts Academy in Easley. Now that she has time to pursue her love of art, she has several pieces hanging in a local gallery, as well as handcrafted cards there.
The Joneses have two children. Their daughter, Jill Jones, lives in Anderson. Their son Philip, his wife Kristie and their two children – Colby and Keelie – live in Mansfield, Texas.
Mary Jones
Mary remembers well where she got this recipe: She clipped it from a magazine many years ago. She and her husband both enjoy the chili, and she makes it frequently during fall and winter. She usually serves it with corn bread, and some chili lovers like theirs with saltines. Some like to add chopped onions or grated cheese on top of the chili before eating, but the Joneses prefer theirs without those additions.
Our oak trees are dropping a lot of acorns – a sure sign of a cold winter – so plan now to make Mary’s chili. Some cold day soon, cook it on a Saturday or early Sunday morning and it will be waiting for you after church, warm and delicious, for … Sunday Dinner.
Chili Con Carne
1 pound ground beef
¾ cup chopped green pepper
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped onion
1 1-pound can diced tomatoes
1 1-pound can dark red kidney beans
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
In a heavy skillet, cook the meat, onions and green peppers until the meat is light brown and the vegetables tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer about 1 hour. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Makes 4 servings.