Sometimes I get a little help from the most unexpected sources.

As my kids were holed up inside during the recent deep freeze, we hunkered down in front of the TV and watched a little preschool-friendly programming. It's not my favorite show, but sometimes "Barney" can reach my kids and teach them a lesson or two.

In this particular episode, a group of kids dressed in Western and cowboy garb mixed up a big batch of chili. The kids took turns dumping in different ingredients: Beans, chili powder, onions, etc. Aha! I thought. Chili can be gluten free, and since Barney made it, they may actually try it.

I set the ground work by putting out a big pot and started prepping the ingredients. The kids had fun helping me. When we were done, we had a healthy gluten- and casein-free dinner that warmed us up on such a chilly evening.

Heinz brand canned tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce and even some "chili" tomatoes are gluten free. Click here for the company's list of gluten-free products.

I wrote down the recipe, although you can let your little cowboys gather up the fixin's of their choice!

Barney's Chili for Chilly Days
1 pound of hamburger, browned and drained
2 cans (15 ounces) stewed tomatoes
2 cans (15 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cans red kidney beans, or beans of your choice
1 small onion chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons garlic
2 teaspoons salt

Mix tomatoes, tomato sauce and hamburger in large stew pot. Mix in veggies and spices, or have your little helpers dump them in. Simmer for 45 minutes. Great with Gluten-Free Pantry's Cornbread muffins or a slice of gluten-free bread.