Poor Man's Slow Cooker Chili

I love my slow cooker. I try to use it whenever possible, and I was a bit worried when I first converted to vegetarianism that I wouldn't get the opportunity to use it very often. So I was delighted when I saw this recipe posted on A Year Of Slow Cooking (sorry, still don't know how to make links to other blogs -  can anyone point me to a tutorial on this?).

Out came the slow cooker and away I went. Very simple.

Ingredients:

1 can Black Beans - drained
1 Can Garbanzo Beans - drained
1 Can Kidney Beans - drained
1 Can Corn - drained
1 jar pasta sauce (I used a can of natural tomato and basil)
1 cup tomatoes
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Turmeric
1 Cinnamon Stick

Basically gently combine all the ingredients. Cover. Cook on Low 7-8 hrs, or High 4ish hours.

That's it. How easy is that!? This really was a cheap meal, especially as I ended up with the meal I ate that night, plus seven portions which went into the freezer.

I can't help but think that it could be even cheaper, if dried beans went in, rather than cans, and more environmentally friendly (even though the cans will be recycled). I'm still familiarising myself with the do's and don'ts of dried ingredients, but I'm sure they would work in a slow cooker and in a meal along the lines of this recipe.

Oh hello, Tasha. I wasn't trying to photograph you, but you jumped up and got in the way.

This is what I was trying to phtograph - the calla lilies outside the window, with lemon tree and (dimly) Mexican Orange Blossom against the garage. It was dusk when I remembered I wanted to photograph them. I might try again tomorrow in better light.   If I remember.