USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Hart

Ah winter, football, and chili cook off season. I've never entered a chili cook off because I don't deal well with the five alarm kind. Gringo chili is more savory than spicy. The trick with this recipe is having everything on hand. I coupon shop the spices every few months so I always have cumin, chili powder and the rest ready to go! We Need: • 2 pounds ground beef or turkey • 2 carrots or two handfuls of baby carrots diced • 2 stalks of celery washed and diced • 1 green pepper diced • 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder • 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder • 2 Tablespoons Sweep Paprika • 1 teaspoon crumbled basil • ½ teaspoon ground coriander • 1 teaspoon cumin • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 35 ounce can tomato puree • 1 small can tomato paste • 1 12 ounce can of beer (You can lose this if you want gluten free, but I'd add a little water and maybe some extra spice to make up the difference.) • 2 15 ounce cans of Kidney beans- rinsed and drained DIRECTIONS: Saute meat in a little olive oil until b...

Ham Casserole INGREDIENTS: • 2 Cups cooked ham—cubed or cut into strips • 1 Cup of cooked rice • 1 Can cream of celery soup • 1Cup shredded cheddar cheese • 1 Tablespoon of onion powder • ½ Cup light sour cream DIRECTIONS: Cook rice and cut ham into bite-sized pieces. Mix all ingredients together and bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour. Serves 4.

And not that they give you the scratch either ;-) I'm shocked at how many people use Bisquick to make pancakes when this is just as easy and tastes so much better! Scratch Pancakes INGREDIENTS: • 2 eggs • 2/3 Cup milk • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 2 Tablespoons of sugar • ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract *** 1 CUP FLOUR!*** I'm a dumbass! DIRECTIONS: Blend all ingredients together—batter may be lumpy. Cook in electric frying pan or range top over medium heat. When pancakes start to bubble, flip. Serves 3. **Jenn’s note. Do NOT do what I do which is try to wash dishes while cooking because that results in scorched pancakes!

Pepper Steak I've been scouring through my recipe book to find recipes for special dietary considerations, i.e. low acid, gluten free, ect. I will go back through what I have already posted and label each recipe to match individual dietary needs! We Need: • 1 small marbled steak cut into thin strips • 1 small onion • 2 cloves garlic • 1 stalk celery • A dozen baby carrots • 1 large red, orange or yellow bell pepper • 1 can of beef broth • Dash of Worcestershire sauce • 1 Tbsp cornstarch to thicken Directions: Brown meat in a little olive oil on medium to medium high heat. While meat is cooking, dice veggies. When steak is cooked through, mix in veggies and spice with ¾ can of broth. Mix thickening agent with remaining cold broth before adding to pan. The sauce will start to thicken like gravy after a few minutes. *Serve over rice. Make sure your rice is not enriched rice! The coating that makes it enriched may sometimes contain gluten!

Pepperoni Roll This is one of my made up recipes that I tried out for a Super Bowl party in 2008. It’s my number one requested appetizer for football get-togethers! Ingredence: • 4 ounces sliced pepperoni • 8 oz mozzarella cheese • one 13 ounce container roll out pizza crust • olive oil • parmesan cheese • oregano and garlic powder to season DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unroll dough from tube on ungreased cookie sheet. Stretch until dough reaches and even thickness. Spread a layer of cheese and line pepperoni on top of cheese. Roll dough up slowly, making sure insides don’t spill. Brush crust with olive oil and sprinkle on parmesan cheese and spices. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes on middle oven rack. Remove and allow to cool before cutting into bite size sections. Serves eight.

Linguini and Ham with Peas *** We Need: • ½ sweet or yellow onion • ½ Cup water • ½ Cup milk • 1 chicken bouillon cube • 1 Tablespoon of flour • 3 Tablespoons half and half • 2 Cups cooked ham sliced into thin strips or cubed • cooked peas or broccoli for color • ½ pound cooked linguini • grated Parmesan or Romano cheese Directions: Sauté onion in a little olive oil til tender. Mix 1 tablespoon of flour with combined milk and water until smooth. Add bouillon cube for seasoning and pour over cooking onion slowly so no lumps form. Cook til thickened, adding half and half to create cream sauce. Add finely cut strips of ham and cooked veggie of your choice until heated through. Add Linguini and serve topped with grated cheese. *** Note: In the picture I used angel hair pasta because that was all I had on hand! Much better tasting with the linguini!

Jenn's note: I've had quite a few family things going on this holiday season, so I've asked the Laundry Hag, Maggie Phillips, to post a blog in my absence. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers, A.J is doing much better! Here's what we make in the Phillips's household every holiday as a desert that will feed any group of guests be they the in-laws or a ragtag group of wayward SEAL's. Careful though, it only lasts about a week and I know from experience downing one of these alone is a recipe for bigger pants! A modified Libby's recipe turned superman sized! Superman Sized Pumpkin Roll INGREDIENTS: • 6 eggs • 2 cup white sugar • 1 and 1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin puree (I use fresh but canned works) • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoon baking powder • 1 teaspoon salt • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon • 2 teaspoon ground ginger • confectioners' sugar for dusting • 2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (Again I use the Neufchatel) • 8 tab...

INGREDIENTS: • 3 pounds of apples. I use Macs, but Empires work too. Do not use Granny Smiths or Delicious varieties as they yield a very thin, watery sauce. • 1/2 C water • 3/4 C sugar DIRECTIONS: Core the apples, removing all seeds. If you want pink applesauce, or if you're lazy like me, leave the skins on! Cover apple slices with water and bring to a boil. Note: Do not leave the apples boiling; as soon as they reach a boil reduce the heat. Don't do what I did, which is walk away and get on the computer because I scorched my pot and ruined the sauce! Cook covered on low heat for five minutes. Add sugar and cook three minutes more. You can also add a dash of cinnamon if desired. Remove from heat and let sit for ten minutes. Put through food mill to even out consistency and separate apple from skins. My boys fight over this job. You can serve it warm or refrigerate. Makes 1 Qt.

INGREDIENTS: • 2 packages Cream cheese ***I use Neufchatel cheese • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese • 1 cup shredded mozzarella • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise • 1/4 cup skim milk • 2 packages frozen spinach - thawed and patted dry • 14 ounces artichoke hearts - cut in 1" pieces • 1 clove of garlic minced or 1 tsp garlic powder DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place first 5 ingredients in a microwave- and ovenproof dish with lid (such as corningware). Heat in microwave for one minute or until all ingredients are easily incorporated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place first 5 ingredients in a microwave- and ovenproof dish with lid (such as corningware). Heat in microwave for one minute or until all ingredients are easily incorporated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place first 5 ingredients in a microwave- and ovenproof dish with lid (such as corningware). Heat in microwave for one minute or until all ingredients are easily incorporated. Mix the spinach, garlic and artichoke heart p...

An excellent way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. Perfect for cold weather! INGREDIENTS: • About 2 Cups mashed potato • 2 Carrots or 20 baby carrots • 2 Celery Stalks • 1 medium onion • 3 Cups Vegetable or Chicken stock • ½ tsp dill • 1 tsp thyme • ½ tsp sea salt (regular salt works too, but sea salt has more flavor) DIRECTIONS: Chop and dice veggies. Cook with potato and spices in stock until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes on medium high heat. Should thicken on its own, but you can always add a little four and milk mixture if soup seems watery.

Parmesan-Onion toast. This is a great appitizer for any gettogether, like Thanksgiving or football games. Quick and easy for a different kind of snack. This is a great appetizer for any get-together, like Thanksgiving or football games. Quick and easy for a different kind of snack. INGREDIENTS: • 1 loaf mini rye bread-- Usually found in bakery section of supermarkets • 1/3 Cups Parmesan Grated Cheese • 3/4 Cups Mayo • 1 Medium Onion -- Diced and sautéed in olive oil • Dash Worcestershire • Salt and pepper to taste. DIRECTIONS: Spread mixture on mini rye bread. Bake at 350 degrees in oven or toaster oven on conventional bake for five to ten minutes or until mixture is puffy and bread is brown. *** You can make the onion mixture ahead and refrigerate so it's even easier to make on the spot!

Originally, this was a recipe for zucchini bread, but I'm the queen of lazy improv in the kitchen. Buying canned pumpkin is quite a bit easier than processing zucchini! INGREDIENTS: • 3C Flour • 2 tsp Cinnamon • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp nutmeg • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt • 2C sugar • 1 15 oz can of pumpkin • 2 eggs • 1/2 oil • Dash cloves and ginger DIRECTIONS: Stir first 6 ingredence together. In another bowl mix sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Combine then add oil. Pour in 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.

German Oven Pancake INGREDIENTS: • 3/4 Cup Sifted Flour • 1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar • 4 Eggs --Yes that's right 4-- • 3/4 Cup of Milk --Maybe a little shy • 2 Tbsp Margarine • 1/4 tsp salt • **Powdered sugar ** DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease dish. WARNING: This puppy rises like nobody’s business, so I suggest something with high sides. The dish I use is oval 12x10 and 3 inches deep. Beat eggs slightly gradually adding flour. Stir in milk, melted margarine salt and sugar. Bake 15-20 minutes until it rises and top starts to turn golden brown. Dust liberally with sifted powdered sugar. Serves 4.

Southern Spoon Bread A friend brought this to Thanksgiving dinner years ago and it was an instant favorite. We only have it twice a year, since it is a calorie and cholesterol train-wreck, but it's so worth it! A great side dish to go along with most any soup; perfect with Autumn Soup. INGREDIENTS: • 1 8 1/2 oz box jiffy Corn Muffin Mix • 2 Eggs Beaten • 1 Stick of butter~ softened, not melted • 1 15 oz. can Corn Nibblets • 1 15 oz can Creamed Corn • 1 Tbsp sugar. DIRECTIONS: Mix all until moistened. DO NOT OVERMIX batter. Bake @ 375 for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Toothpick check like you would a cake, to verify it's cooked all the way through.

My grandmother, who passed away in 2006, was always scouring cookbooks, clipping recipes out of newspapers or magazines and mailing them to me, wherever I lived at that time. Autumn Soup is one of the best she ever stumbled across; a perfect treat for when the weather turns nippy. Pictured above is Nan's Corgie, Willie, and Danny from fall of '05. Autumn Soup INGREDIENTS: • 1lb. ground beef *** • 1/2 a large onion or 1 small onion • 8-10 oz. of mixed frozen veggies • 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce • 2 Cans beef broth or 2 Cups water with 1 or 2 beef bullion cubes *** • 1 bay leaf • 1/2 tsp. oregano • 1 can Mexicorn • 1/2 bad egg noodles*** If you nix this, this qualifies as a gluten free recipe! Try potatoes instead!*** DIRECTIONS: Brown beef and sauté onion; drain grease. In a separate pot cook egg noodles and drain. Add to beef mixture. Combine all remaining ingredence in large pot and cook on low heat four hours to allow flavors to combine. ***Though I've never tried it, I a...

INGREDIENTS: • 1 Qt: Strawberries --Hulled and sliced • 1 Graham Cracker Crust* • 1 and ½ Cups Water • 2/3 Cups Sugar • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch • 1 Package of Strawberry Jell-o (Instant/ Sugar Free works perfectly.) *If you are the industrious sort, you can make a graham cracker crust by smushing (Yes, that’s the technical term ;-) graham crackers and shortening into a pie plate with a pastry blender, but for us mortals there’s always Keebler. DIRECTIONS: Boil Water. In Separate Bowl Mix Sugar and cornstarch. Add to boiling water. Stir. When Clear, add jell-o. Remove from heat. Slice strawberries and placed in prepared pie crust. Cover with jell-o mixture. Refrigerate 5 hours to set. Serves six.