Mom's Chili

My Mom always made the BEST chili! The only problem is she rarely measured the spices. When I was still pretty young she gave me directions on how to make it for dinner one night while she was working. I can still remember the first thing she said to me when she saw my finished product - "Why is it so thick?" What Mom neglected to tell me was that she would fill a quart jar with water, use it to rinse the "good stuff in the bottom" of all the other cans and add it to the pot. A small trick really, but it made a big difference in my chili. Of course, it also included home-canned tomatoes. Now I know everyone has a favorite version - with beans, without beans, ground chuck or a chuck roast. But, I always enjoy seeing new recipes! Since we are experiencing our last cold spell (hopefully) of the season, it seemed a perfect time to cook up a pot. This recipe is pretty spicy, so you can adjust it to suit your taste.
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Mom's Chili
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1 pound ground beef, seasoned*

1 large onion, chopped

1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 cans dark red kidney beans (16 oz)
1 can beef broth (16 oz)
1 cup water
1 can hot chili beans (16 oz)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
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*Season ground beef with a little chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt & pepper. This is not included in the above measurements.
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Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet. Drain. In stock pot, add whole tomatoes. Break them up into smaller pieces. I usually just use my hands, but you could use a spoon or knife. Add beef broth, kidney beans, chili beans, crushed tomatoes, and spices. Pour water into one of the empty cans and continue to move it from one can to the other so that you rinse all the cans thoroughly. Add this mixture to the pot. (You can skip this step if you are trying to lower your sodium content) Bring to a boil, add ground beef mixture, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 hours.