Snow storms, chili and chocolate raspberry cream cheese pie

I took full advantage of a snowy nowhere-to-go day.  Last week was nothing but go go go.  Got the house decorated for Christmas and cleaned up for company last week.  Went to a live music show in Pittsburgh one night and to my office Christmas party another.  Woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat and a head cold.  So I declared today "do nothing and rest day".  Feeling much better now.  But the wind is howling outside and the snow is flying.  The picture is the view out the front window looking across the street at our mailbox.  Even the mailman must have thought the weather was awful outside as we didn't get any mail today and we ALWAYS get mail.

After I caught up on some much needed sleep, I decided a pot of chili was in order.  I really like white bean chili so I read a few recipes, found one that sounded like a good base recipe and then as usual I changed most of it.  I had 2 cup portions of cooked squirrel meat all ready to go in the freezer, but shredded or cubed chicken would work just as well.

White Bean Squirrel Chili

1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 can Cannellini beans drained
1 can black beans drained
1 can corn undrained (I used a pint of frozen homegrown sweet corn with the liquid)
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder (could use fresh garlic and saute with the onions and peppers, but I didn't have any)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups shredded cooked squirrel meat

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Saute the onions and green peppers in the olive oil until crisp tender.  In a crockpot, stir together the beans, corn, tomatoes, spices, meat, chicken broth, onions and green pepper.  Cook on high 3-4 hours or until hot and bubbly.  Add cheese right before serving.  Still until the cheese is melted.  Serve in bowls.  Add a spoonful of sour cream if desired.  I served this with a loaf of beer bread, but of course any bread or biscuits would do.

For dessert I made a chocolate raspberry cream cheese pie.  I had made this recipe before, but I couldn't find it so I just winged it.  Figured I would write it down here so I could find it later when I needed it.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

1 prepared chocolate graham cracker crust
1   8 oz. pack of cream cheese
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of seedless raspberry preserves
1 cup of melted semi sweet chocolate chips
1   8 oz tub of frozen whipped topping thawed

Beat together cream cheese and sugar into smooth.  Then beat in the raspberry preserves.  Then the melted chocolate chips.  And finally the the whipped topping.  Spread into the prepared graham cracker crust and chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours.  In the summer, I usually garnish this with fresh raspberries.  Today though was all about making a simple dessert.