Clam Chowder

So there was this one time (or maybe more than one time) in my childhood.  Mom made clam chowder.  I very kindly said "thank you for this delightful meal, Mother.  But I'm just not hungry tonight." (yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I said.) Anyway, Dad said nice try to that one and then invited his friend Stubborn to the table.  He told me I wasn't leaving the table until that bowl of soup was gone.  In my head: "well then you're going to be waiting a while cause that ain't happening."
Aaaand we sat at that table for hours. And in the end Dad and Stubborn won that night.  And maybe that's why clam chowder is one of Dad's favorite meals.

The Recipe (serves 8)

• 1 c. finely diced white onion
• 1 c. finely diced celery
• 2 c. diced potato- cooked and cooled (don't salt them)
• 2 cans minced clams
• 3/4 c. butter
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1 qt. half and half
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T red wine vinegar (or any vinegar)
• pepper to taste

1. Cook potatoes and drain.  Allow to cool.
2. Drain liquid from clams and reserve.
3. Place celery and onions in saucepan. Add liquid from clams.  Add enough water to cover vegetables.  Simmer until tender.
4. In heavy saucepan, melt butter, add flour blending well. 
5. Stir in cream, blending with wire whisk.  Add vegetables- don't drain.
6. Stir in clams, potatoes, salt and pepper.  Heat thoroughly.
7. Add vinegar

Creamy White Chili

YUM.  The first time I remember having this was when we went to visit our Anderson cousins in California a few years ago.  Aunt Lori made it and as far as I know my mom got the recipe from her.   Danny loves it because it's hearty and filling.  I love it because it's so easy in the crock pot.

Last year when we lived with the Pages, Easton learned how to unscrew lids.  I don't know what we were thinking, putting all the spices at his arm's reach, but the cumin was the first to be dumped all over the floor.  We vacuumed it up.  From then on, every time we vacuumed, it smelled like cumin.  If we wanted to trick people into thinking we'd been slaving in the kitchen all day, all we had to do was vacuum the floor, and the room instantly smelled like this chicken chili.  We try to remember it in a positive light.

These are the Anderson cousins (courtesy of Maggie's blog).  Today Uncle Russ got sustained as second counselor in the  bishopric in their ward, so I guess this recipe is a toast to that.  Congrats, Russ!

 

 Uncle Russ, Aunt Lori, and cousin Maggie

 Here's Kennedi and Collette with Maggie and Hallie.  Couldn't find one of Jake, but he probably prefers it that way :)

And here is the RECIPE

• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 1 med. onion
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 (15 1/2 oz) cans Northern Beans, drained
• 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
• 2 (4oz) cans mild green chopped chilis
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. whipping cream

1. Cube chicken and cook in oil with onion and garlic powder.
2. Stir everything else together in the crockpot.
3. Add the chicken, and cook on low 2 hours (everything is cooked so really you just need to heat it throughout)

Taco Soup

This recipe is wiggling its way into my family memories enough to consider it a family recipe.  A few thoughts about this recipe:

• Courtney thinks this is a Halloween recipe.  Mom often made this for us before we went trick-or-treating.  I remember her making stew but hey, to each his own memory.
• This recipe also reminds me of Danny because the man inhales this soup.  It takes a lot to fill him up and this is hearty enough to do the trick- most of the time.  
• Ok, not family-related, but this reminds me of scout camp stories- is it true they really all bring a can of food and they mix it together into a pot and dig in?  Well this recipe is basically all cans so yes, I feel like a boy scout when I make this.

 The recipe:

• One large can of tomatoes
• 2 cans corn with liquid
• 2 cans kidney beans with liquid
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 packet Hidden Valley ranch mix
• 1 lb. hamburger

1. Brown hamburger and set aside (try to pat most the grease off).
2. Puree the tomatoes in the blender.
3. In a large pot mix tomatoes, corn, beans, seasoning, ranch mix, and hamburger.Don't drain the corn and beans- dump everything in!
4. Heat on stovetop or in crockpot
5. Top with sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips or Fritos

Chicken Noodles

I don't have many memories of my Cook Grandparents. They both died when I was little. This recipe, however, is one the Grandma used to make, so I felt like I was getting to know her just a little better when I made this. Aunt Mary is the expert on making homemade chicken noodles, so I called her for tips.

The recipe:

Noodles:
Whisk the following together with a wire whisk:
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp salt
Using a fork, mix in 1 cup of flour.
*Dough will be sticky

Using lots of flour, roll half the dough into a circle, as thin as you can get it. Make sure there is plenty of flour on top of the dough. Then roll it up and cut it into thin (1/8") noodles. Fluff them a little so they come unrolled. You can let them sit on a baking sheet (my mom has always dried noodles on a sheet so I put a pillowcase over my baking sheet).

Boil a whole chicken, or you can boil just parts for a small group. Usually about an hour or on lower heat a little longer. Take the chicken our and remove meat from the bones. bring the broth to a boil. Add chicken bouillon to the broth for taste. When the broth is boiling, add the noodles and let cook for about 15 minutes stirring constantly. Turn down the heat so you don't scorch the noodles.

Then make your mashed potatoes, and serve the chicken and noodles on top. Sounds crazy, but it's delish! Danny even said he liked it- and that's saying something. He wasn't as excited to pose with his food, but he obliged. There he is with his "seconds"