Sausage Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bulk sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 6 cups water
• 4 medium potaoes, skinned and cubed
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups milk
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cook the sausage, onion and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, drain.
2. Stir in the water, potatoes and bouillon.  Bring  to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.  Add corn; simmer 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and pepper until smooth.  Gradually stir in milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir into sausage mixture.  Add salt to taste.  Cook for a few minutes, then enjoy.

Sometimes I make this in my slow cooker and just add the thickening right before we are ready to eat.

New nesting boxes

Last week we got our new chickens.  Sam wanted to make new nesting boxes for the chickens to lay their eggs in. 

I think they turned out really good.  There is one chicken who thinks she needs to lay her eggs under the boxes, I don't know why.

Last Friday we got to go out to dinner we some of our friends, we had such a good time.  The boys spent the night at Mom and Dad's house, they love to do that.  On Saturday they took Caleb to the Whitaker Center for his birthday.

On Sunday we took the boys to play on the playground at a nearby school.  They had fun .

I'm not sure what is going to happen with Gabe's kindergarten class next year,  in order to save money they are talking about having them go every other day for a full day.  One week they would go Mon Wed Fri and the next week they would go Tues Thurs.  Right now they have am and pm kindergarten.  I guess we will have to wait and see.  I am not sure how that would save money other than you wouldn't have the busses running midday.

Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Combine the crust ingredients; press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 6 minutes.  Cool.
2. In a large bowl beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually add in sugar; mix well.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. In a small bowl mix cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice. Add to cream cheese mixture.
5. Fold in sour cream.
6. Pour into crust.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until center jiggles.  Do not overbake.  The center should not be completely set when removed from oven.  Cool thoroughly on wire rack.  Chill overnight.

Playing in the mud

The boys love to play in the mud puddles by our shed, on Monday after it had rained Gabe was playing up there with Logan and Alyssa.

Don't you just love Gabe's outfit?  His jeans had gotten wet and he wanted to wear is pj bottoms.

Alyssa wasn't too sure if she wanted to walk in the mud puddle or not.

 Bryce

Lately Gabe has been using the pillows from the couch upstairs to make a "high spot", as he calls it.



Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) together.
2. Cut in the shortening.
3. Beat egg into the water, add to the flour mixture. Mix until blended.
4. Roll dough out thin, cut in squares.  Add to boiling chicken broth/water.  Cover tight and boil 20 minutes.
5. Add cooked chicken, carrots and potatoes, (I like to cook the carrots and potatoes ahead of time.) , until heated through.  Then add frozen peas and cook another minute. 

New Chickens

Yesterday we got our new chickens,  they are starting to lay eggs already.  Our old chicken weren't laying very many eggs and there was usually one or two broken.  We figured out yesterday that they were eating the eggs.  No wonder I wasn't getting many eggs.

Church Play

Yesterday Caleb was in a play at church about Queen Esther.  He had a really good time.  They gave everyone burger king crowns to wear.

The boys being silly in their burger king crowns.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2-1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  In a seperate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.  Stir in the eggs and mashed bananas until well blended.  Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.  Pour batter into prepares loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.  Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Spring is Coming

I am loving this weather today, so glad that spring is coming.

The boys found our first flowers blooming tonight.

Gabe wanted to put them back in the ground after they were in the house for a little bit.

You know spring is coming when Gabe brings this home from school:

                                       Green bean plant

The boys have been playing outside a lot this week

               New calves

(Kandy x Deann)

Gabe the deer

Yesterday Gabe decided he was going to be a deer.

Bowling

Saturday we took the boys bowling.  They had such a good time.

Here Gabe is wiping the sweat off of his face.  He made sure he filled his pockets with tissues in case anybody needed one.

Gabe after he was done bowling

                                                   

Caleb running back after he had bowled

I have really enjoyed this weather lately.  Now that it is light until 7:00 we can be outside more.