Stout makes the beef taste beefier in this chili. For best results, pick out a five-pound boneless chuck roast and have the butcher grind it for you.

Recipe Suggestion: Sam Adams Cream Stout has a malty sweetness that's just right.

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander

5 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 pounds onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pounds red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1/2- inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds yellow bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1/2- inch pieces
2 large jalapeño chiles with seeds, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
7 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons (packed) minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce*
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer (such as stout)

Sour cream
Chopped green onions
Coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

*Available in the Latin foods section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.

Toast cumin and coriander in skillet over medium heat until darker and beginning to smoke, about 4 minutes. Cool.

Sauté beef in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until no longer pink, breaking up with spoon, about 8 minutes. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, all bell peppers, and jalapeños. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Add mixture to pot with meat. Mix in toasted spices, chili powder, and chipotle chiles. Add crushed tomatoes, beans, and beer. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle chili into bowls. Serve with sour cream, green onions, and cheese. Makes 10-12 servings.

For a richer tomato flavor add a can of tomato paste.

Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Email it to: OSSJournal@ossone.com. If your recipe is chosen you'll receive a Free "Thank You" gift so be sure to include your name and address!

Is your office hindering your performance or contributing to your productivity? If your office is neat and organized, it will boost your daily output. You will look forward to tackling projects because you can find them and work easily and you may actually have more energy. A pleasant and organized work environment also creates a positive atmosphere that can channel your energies in the right direction.

If you have a home office or if your employer gives you the go-ahead, empty your office to give it a thorough cleaning. Vacuum up lost paperclips and dust bunnies and if necessary, shampoo the rug. Take down the window treatments. Clean the blinds or send the drapes out to be dry cleaned. If the paint is drab, refresh the walls with a new coat of color. Consider choosing the right paint hue.

Cool colors tend to have a calming effect. Blue, green and the neutrals white, gray, and silver are examples of cool colors. If you're usually high energy, a cool color can create a soothing environment for you to work.

Warm colors rev us up and get us going. The warmth of red, yellow or orange can create excitement or even anger. Warm colors convey emotions from simple optimism to strong violence. The neutrals of black and brown also carry warm attributes. If you need a boost in the morning to get going, then opt for a warm color that will rev up your energy.

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In ancient Rome, February 15 was Lupercalia, the festival of Lupercus (or Faunus), the god of fertility. In Christianity, at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early lives of the saints under the date of February 14. Two of the Valentines lived in Italy in the third century: one as a priest at Rome, the other as bishop of Terni. They are both said to have been martyred in Rome and buried on the Flaminian Way. A third St. Valentine was martyred in North Africa and very little else is known of him.

However, the connection between St. Valentine and romantic love is not mentioned in any early histories and is regarded by historians as purely a matter of legend. The Feast of St. Valentine was first declared to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I around 498. It is said the pope created the day to counter the practice held on Lupercalia, but this is not attested to in any sources from that era.

The first recorded association of St. Valentine's Day with romantic love was in the 14th century in England and France, where it was believed that February 14 was the day on which birds paired off to mate. Thus we read in Geoffrey Chaucer's (c. 1343-1400) Parliament of Fowls, believed to be the first Valentine's Day poem: "For this was on saint Valentine's day, When every fowl comes there to choose his mate."

It became common during that era for lovers to exchange notes on Valentine's Day and to call each other their "Valentines." The first Valentine card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415 when he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. Valentine's Day love notes were often given anonymously. It is probable that many of the legends about St. Valentine developed during this period (see above). By the 1700s, verses like "Roses are red, violets are blue" became popular. By the 1850s, romantics in France began embellishing their valentine cards with gilt paper, ribbons and lace.

Valentine's Day was probably imported into North America in the 19th century with settlers from Britain. In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther A. Howland (1828 - 1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received. Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary".

In the 19th century, relics of St. Valentine were donated by Pope Gregory XVI to the Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland, which has become a popular place of pilgrimage on February 14. But in 1969, as part of a larger effort to pare down the number of saint days of legendary origin, the Church removed St. Valentine's Day as an official holiday from its calendar.

Meet our Staff! Each month we will introduce you to one of our associates. This month our Featured Employee is Mr Derrick Tindal! Derrick is the OSS Lead Furniture Installer and has been with the company since 1992. He has three grown children and one granddaughter. Derrick loves music and plays the electric bass guitar. He loves to see the smiles on our customer faces when an installation is completed and they see their new office(s) for the first time. Derrick loves the coastal areas and his favorite movie is "A Soldiers Story". Thanks Derrick for being a part of the OSS Team!