Ensuring good luck for the New Year means including black-eyed peas on your menu. This chili makes for a hearty crockpot dish with "attitude" for New Year's Eve. I based it on a recipe from Phyllis Good's Fix-it and Forget It Christmas Cookbook, and liked the results so much I won't limit making this just at New Year's. Add corn bread and a tossed green salad to round out the menu. (Note: I used reduced -fat pork sausage which has 30% less fat than regular, and it left no excess fat to drain off in Step 1 below. Turkey or chicken sausage would also leave little or no excess fat to drain away.)