Cheddar Chowder, Eat up me hearties yo! ho!

2 Cups water
2 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup cut raw carrots
1/4 cup cut celery
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Boil then Simmer

Make sure your vegetable pot is big enough that you can pour in the cheese sauce in at the end. A stock pot will do. Now I throw the water in first and turn it on Med heat and just start chuckin the veggies in the pot while I'm cutting. I put more or less of the veggies I like or what I have on hand. More potatoes make a thicker chowder. Then I cover and let simmer while I start the white sauce.
You can also add in cubed ham at this point while it is simmering.

White Sauce *Very Important*
1/4 cup butter (half stick and none of that margarine crap)
1/4 cup flour ( all purpose or whatever you have in the cupboard..go bisquick if you’re desperate)
You need to melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat . Now if you are making "as is" use a 2 qt sauce pan. If you are doubling up, pull out your big pot. Whisk in the flour til smooth.
This is where you have to slowly stir in 2 cups of milk (any milk you have on hand, well not just any milk keep it fresh but not like breast milk fresh). Pour in like 1/5 of a cup at a time. Which if your doing the math is like breaking down your pouring to 10 times in for 2 cups.
You need to keep stirring with the whisk the whole time. Very crucial to keep it smooth and not pour it all in at once or you will get clumps.

Once you have your white sauce then the glory of the cheese is added. 2 cups of a med or sharp cheddar shredded. If your feeling extra cheesy go for it. There is no such thing as too much cheese. Keep stirring til smooth. Don't scorch the pot but keep the cheese sauce hot.

Next pour your Hot Cheese Sauce into the vegetable pot and stir. Taste and observe the glory of the Lord.

Bonus Sprinkle on some Montreal Steak Seasoning or Canadian Steak Seasoning or any steak seasoning that you would sprinkle on a potato to give it a kick.

Sweet Potato Pie and shut my mouth

Place in a greased 9X9. Double it and it will fit a 9X13
3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of milk
2 eggs beaten

Top with
1 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of butter
1 cup chopped pecans ( you can leave this out for your nutless friends)
1/2 cup flour (all purpose or whatever is in the cupboard)

Bake 350 for 30 mins

1996 Englewood Church Cook Book "A Thyme for Sharing" submitted by Sue Lemons

Movie Maker Practice

Claassens Summer 2009

Here I am on my 3rd day of Technology Training, some of which I have already received last year. So I decided to start a family blog instead of listening about the intros to technology inventory.

At this point the Claassens are starting a huge new chapter in their history book. Mark was let go from William Morris Agency following the merger of WMA and Endeavor Entertainment. A scary moment but a bright future is approaching and more info will be given soon enough.

Kids are busy enjoying the pool now. It was the first year that I kept the pool blue, but a rock fell in sometime in March and then it started losing water. :-( As of June 14th we now have a pool. Yeah!!!

Trips to date:
For June, we went to Kentucky Kingdom with the Girls Scouts. We went as a family but Emi and Marlee's troops were there. We had a lot of fun but it is no Disney World. I guess I have become a snob when it comes to theme parks. Last weekend, we went to the Ichthus Festival in Wilmore, KY. We were able to see a lot of great Christian bands and enjoyed hang out as a family. Favortie concert was of course Fireflight. : -) Thursday we will head down to Atlanta Fest and then off to South Carolina for the Wood Reunion.

Okay, I managed to kill an hour and a half and now it is time to go home! Yeah!!!