Crockpot Ham Chowder

Put ham in crockpot and cover with water...cook on med-high for 5 or so hours...then I filled the whole pot with potatoes cut into cubes and 3-4 garlic cloves chopped.  (Fresh chopped up garlic adds soooo much flavor, so much better than just seasoning!)

I added a little broccoli to cook with the potatoes, then put them in the blender with half the potatoes out of the crockpot so they would be completely blended... (and my kids might not notice them!!)

 

Blend up half your potatoes in the blender so your chowder is creamy, but good to still have half the potatoes not blended so your soup has big potatoes chunks!  Then pour all that back into crockpot....

Then I took out the ham and diced it up and put it back into the crockpot. 

Added chicken boullion (I use wild trees organic product for any seasonings I need to add)  Also added 1 cup parmesan cheese, and about 4 oz of cream cheese.

 

Ham

3-4 garlic cloves

chicken boullion

5-6 potatoes, diced

cream cheese

parmesan cheese

salt/pepper to taste

Add vegtables...broccoli or corn if you want

 

My kids loved this...the ham just fell apart and was so good.  My husband even ate it again the next day which says a lot for how picky he is!!  :)

 

Grandma Becky's graham crackers with fudge frosting

one of my favorite desserts!

Also amazing spread over white cake....it makes a hard, fudge frosting 

2 squares chocolate (I used one of each semi-sweet and unsweetened.
1 cube butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
Boil above ingredients until it forms a soft ball in cold water..pictures below show how.  It took 12 minutes of boiling to form the soft ball stage...

after about 4 minutes of boiling

after it can form a soft ball when fudge is dropped into the cold water, then remove pan from stove and add 1 tsp vanilla.

Then stir until thickened...took about 3-4minutes of stirring.

have your crackers ready!

3 minutes of stirring still too thin

4 minutes of stirring

cools very fast and thickens!

happy kid!

Dinner and dessert from the garden

 Dinner and dessert from the garden!!

 



We made brownies with zucchini and added delicious tomatoes on top of our tuna melts!

I didn't even tell my husband or kids until the next day that there was zucchini in the brownies.  They had no idea!  So good and moist too!

Great brownie recipe below copied from www.mommyimhungry.blogspot.com
 

 

 

 

Frosted Zucchini Brownies
from blogchef

Chocolate Frosting-

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup canola oil
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups zucchini (shredded)


Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the frosting- In a small saucepan over low heat melt together the cocoa powder and margarine. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, with a mixer, blend confectioner’s sugar, milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in the margarine/cocoa mixture, allow to mix for a couple of minutes. Set in fridge to chill and set up more. Spread over cooled brownies, allow to set up (I placed mine in the fridge for a couple hours) then cut into squares. The longer these brownies sit, the thicker the frosting will become.

Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish. (I lined with parchment)

In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until well blended. In another bowl combine the flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. The batter will be dry and crumbly, don't worry. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched.Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting.

 

 

Garlic bread Tuna Melts with garden tomatoes!!  Very easy to make!

Just buy garlic bread (I love the kind from the bakery with big chunks of garlic) Slice the bread and put tuna mixed with mayo on top, then sprinkle with cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  Fresh tomatoes from the garden sprinkled with salt and pepper really added to the flavor.  Kids loved it too.