share! Everyone has a story, and we hope you will help us tell the tales of a variety of Des Moines cooks. Please send us your ideas. Tell us the names, contact information, and a little about your cooking friends. Send to Recipes@DesMoinesCooks.com. jennifer's go-to weeknight recipe: Anne's Chicken Jennifer loves how recipes circulate. The recipe she shares here is a case in point. “It’s called Anne’s Chicken, and I got it from my Aunt Nancy in Michigan. I have shared it with many others, so I know it has gone to Connecticut, Georgia, Virginia, Nebraska, and New Mexico. Those people likely have shared it with others in even more directions.”     Here’s the cool part. “So many people around the country are making Anne’s Chicken, and no one has even a clue who Anne is. I love it.” 4 chicken breasts 2 tablespoons melted butter Salt and ground black pepper 1 package dry Italian dressing mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1(8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed 1⁄2 cup white wine                         Wash chicken and pat dry. Brush with butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle dry salad dressing over chicken. Cook on low in covered slow cooker for 5 to 6 hours. About 45 minutes before serving, mix soup, cream cheese, and wine in a small saucepan. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour sauce over chicken. Cook 30 minutes more. Serve with rice or noodles. Makes 4 servings.

By day, Jennifer Glover Konfrst of Des Moines is communications manager at Iowa Public Television in Johnston. She handles day-to-day network promotions; works with graphics, and oversees on-air promotions and the Advance monthly program guide. She is one of the hosts during IPT’s Festival. Recently she worked on the network’s digital conversion. But at 5 p.m., the busy mom faces her toughest audience: husband Lee, an attorney and vice president of public affairs with PolicyWorks; daughter Ellie, newly 9; and son James, 6. The question boils down to this: What’s for dinner? “The slow cooker is key, even when it’s warm outside,” she says. “I have more time at night, so I get food ready for the next day then. It’s just easier.” She preps anything she can on the weekends to make the weekday meals easier. “I’m really big on chicken and ‘cream of something’ soup for casseroles,” she says in rapid-fire delivery. “The key word here is ‘simple.’” Jennifer doesn’t pretend to have a hot meal on deck every night. With viola lessons, golf lessons, and soccer practice, it’s often OK to suffice with turkey sandwiches and fruit. It is important to her that the family eats together on Sunday. Weeknight dinners focus on meals such as baked spaghetti fortified with lots of veggies, various chicken casseroles, buffet-style tacos, and chicken salad with watermelon. Ellie and James love to help in the kitchen, especially with making cookies. “We use this time to practice math skills and measuring techniques,” says their proud mom. Lee also knows his way around the kitchen, but Jennifer says their rule is that one cooks and the other cleans up. Jennifer doesn’t like to clean up at all, so she often tackles the cooking duty. Her favorite time in the kitchen is spent baking, and she indulges herself several weekends each month. “I love that it’s what I like to do, but I also can share it with others. That’s important.” Cakes and cupcakes—with her special signature touches—are favorite choices. She recalls a Bob the Builder birthday cake with crushed Oreos for “dirt” as a fun success.

“I caught the baking bug in fourth grade. I remember making cinnamon rolls and sending them to work with my mom. I attached a big note, pointing out that there were egg shells in the rolls. I guess some people didn’t like that, but, hey, I thought I should give the warning,” she says with a chuckle. Jennifer’s public relations bug was no doubt influenced by her dad, Mike Glover, senior political writer for the Associated Press. “However, I went to Drake University in Des Moines to become a social worker. I just took a journalism class to appease my dad.” She ended up with a double major in political science and public relations and later got a master’s of public administration. She and Lee met in college. “We have completely reversed roles. He was majoring in radio and TV management, and I figured I’d go to law school someday. Now he’s an attorney, and I’m in television. Go figure.” And the question begs: How does she keep talking all during Festival? “Just listen to me. That’s not something I ever have a problem with.” Did Ellie just roll her eyes?