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.