Made this last night as I was having difficutly falling asleep. I didn't care for it, however (it was "OK" at best). I prefer hot cocoa, tea or plain 'ol steamed milk without the fixins to do the trick. A good concept. Just didn't suit my taste. I like nutmeg, but mine wouldn't mix with the milk (when stirred) and was therefore difficult to drink (I felt as if I were inhaling nutmeg - which has a VERY strong / woodsy smell and scratchy texture). Perhaps cinnamon would be a better choice? Thanks for sharing anyways!

Pretty darn good chili I must admit! Spicy enough, but not so much that my eyes water!!! Made this for myself tonight. It is cool here in Chicago (I guess fall is setting in early...), so I was in the mood for something to warm me up. I was worried that this would be WAY too spicy for me (I enjoy spice, but not EXTREME heat), but was pleasantly surprised : ) Since I was only serving one and wanted plenty of left-overs, I made half the recipe. Couldn't find chili beans in HOT sauce, so I subbed for ones in mild sauce (Busch's 16 oz. can) and only used 1 (15.5 oz.) can of dark red kidney beans instead of buying both dark / light varieties and only using half of each can (just seemed wasteful). I also subbed half a lb. of Jimmy Deans zesty hot sausage for some of the beef (added a 1/2 lb. ground round to equal 1 lb. meat as directed). Everything else was exact, including preparation. Next time, I would like to prepare the chili in my slow cooker, and, to make it palatable for my bf (he doesn't like beans in his chili - or at all!), I'd omit the beans, up the meat (2 lb. meat) and add a half can or so of chili sauce (to make up for the chili beans with sauce). It's just a darn shame that my bf won't be enjoying the left-overs... Served hot off the stove with a sprinkling of shredded (sharp) cheddar, some Frito's scoops and plenty of water to tame the heat! I'm still in search for the PERFECT chili, but this (so far) replaces any that I have made. Thanks for sharing!

These were excellent and they should have been with all the time involved. I used fresh pineapple, green and red peppers, and red and yellow onions. I followed the advise of others and marinaded the mushrooms separetly. I also used beef with the same marinade and it turned out great too!