Mom Tate's Chili with Mom Dunn's Cornbread

So what would make a non-fan of chili post a chili recipe? My mom's chili. Growing up, I didn't know that there was food that didn't taste good until I ate outside of my mom's kitchen. It didn't matter what my mom was serving up, it didn't go on our table unless it tasted good. I'm not sure why, but I've never enjoyed eating chili until I visted my parents this past summer. And my mom made chili. Now, when she first served it up, I asked her, "When did you start making this?" because I didn't remember ever eating chili from my mom before. "What, this? I've always made this." Yeah, right. I know if you'd made this chili before, mom, I'd eat chili more. Either way, I'm glad she was willing to tell me how she threw this together. I just added some stuff of my own.

Chili

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes(preferably with green chiles)
1 can tomato sauce(same size as diced tomatoes)
3 cans assorted beans, drained(I had black, pinto and navy)
tabasco, about 5 dashes
sugar or molasses or ketchup
garlic
oregano, about 3 tsp
cumin, about a tsp
worcestershire sauce, about 5 glugs
allspice, a few shakes
salt and pepper

Add ground beef, onion, salt, pepper, allspice, and garlic powder to pot. Brown meat. When good and brown, add remaining ingredients. If you want it soupier, add another can of tomatoes. Add the salt and pepper and sweetener to taste. Simmer down about 15-20 min.

Ok, so this cornbread is so luscious, I feel guilty not posting it under desserts. Its moist, dense, and mouthwateringly sweet-the perfect foil for a hot spicy bowl of chili. Actually, the perfect foil for a big bowl of creamy honey-butter and a tall glass of ice cold milk. Jeanie, this is one of my favorite things to eat!

Cornbread

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Beat in cornmeal, flour and milk. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. CAUTION-DON'T OVERBAKE!!! Bake just until center doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan; the cornbread won't necessarily be browned except on very edges.

Corn Bread