Mom's chili

Chili is one of those dishes that has tons of variations, and generally people seem to prefer the one made in their family. Here is ours.

Mom's chili

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 28 oz can stewed or whole tomatoes (if whole, cut them up a bit in the can first, or use tomatoes you grew in your garden, stewed and frozen in the fall)
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I like one can light and one can dark)
2 cans chili beans (in chili sauce), slightly drained of excess liquid

Spices:
4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tbsp dried garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
pepper

Mix all in crockpot in morning and cook on low until dinner.

Mom's meatloaf

Our favorite meatloaf recipe. I got this recipe over 20 years ago from a colleague who grew up as the youngest of ten kids on a farm in North Dakota-her family's recipe.

1.5-2 lbs hamburger (I usually blend 1 lb hamburger and 1 lb ground pork)
1 c dry uncooked oatmeal
2 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 c)
1-2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp prepared mustard

Mix these and put mixture into a mound in a big casserole.
Topping:
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c ketchup
1 tsp dry mustard powder

mix topping and spread over raw meatloaf

Bake at 350 for 45-60 min. Internal temp has to be at least 160F.