We are the Friesen's: Official Recipe #1 -- Cheese and Corn Chowder (with Ham)....

Welcome....Here's a glimpse of our happenings!

The verses that have REALLY spoken to me (Sarah) lately....

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." Matthew 7:24-25

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. I Peter 5:8-9

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' Acts 17:26-28

May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. Deuteronomy 5:32-33

God, our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It's up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation. Deuteronomy 29:29 (The Message)

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Official Recipe #1 -- Cheese and Corn Chowder (with Ham)....

As I sort of "promised," here is my first recipe for the slow cooker....Cheese and Corn Chowder (with Ham). I put (ham) in parentheses because it technically isn't in the recipe. I just know that with Marc, my loving husband, there better be some sort of meat in the main course. This recipe is from yesterday (Monday), and here is what it looked like starting out. Actual recipe to follow -- notes from me will be at the end of this post.

3/4 Cup Water; 1/2 Cup chopped onions; 1 1/2 Cups sliced carrots; 1 1/2 Cups chopped celery; 1 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. pepper; 15 1/4 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained; 15-oz. can cream-style corn; 3 Cups milk; 1 1/2 Cup grated cheddar cheese; A) Combine water, onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper in slow cooker. B) Cover. Cook on High 4-6 hours. C) Add corn, milk, and cheese. Heat on High 1 hour, and then turn to Low until you are ready to eat.

And....the finished product....

NOTES: A) We're not fans of celery in this house AT ALL, BUT I do realize that celery adds quite a bit of flavor. So, I opted for celery seed instead. I have no idea how much I put in; however, I felt it was too much. So, I will cut back next time. B) Since I mentioned "next time," we (Marc, Emma, and I) all agree that this recipe is a "keeper." C) I added 2 Cups of cubed ham midway through the first cooking cycle. Admittedly, it was good with ham. D) I did not cook this recipe on "High." My slow cooker gets quite warm, and cooking on "Low" was fine. E) I did NOT use 3 cups of milk. I think I used 2, and it was still a bit much. Next time, I will scale back to 1 1/2 Cups, probably. F) I personally think this recipe would be "kid friendly." Luke's one of the more picky children on this planet (yep, we've enabled it -- no commentary, please). So, he didn't try it. Kate, who is not so picky, probably would've liked it; however, she's not great with a spoon yet. I didn't feel like messing with soup with her at the table. Fortunately, I had some leftovers for her to enjoy.