Calling All Grandparents: We Are Special

Are you a Grandparent?

And that sign says United We Sing, not United We Sin. Although sometimes that might be true.

Did you know that schools honor Grandparents?

This is the day when parents are pushed aside and Grandparents get to shine....

This is my grandson Ashton.

He is one of the most important people in my life.

Sometimes it is okay for US bloggers to leave our food creations and focus on family.

I want to share with you today the program that was created especially for ME because I am a Grandma.

Okay, not just for me. I will now remove the selfishness...

It was created for many Grandparents.

I hope I can make it through this post without many tears.

Oh Lord, I can feel the burn already.

This is how thankful the kindergarten class is for the U.S.A.

They look pretty thankful, huh?

Did you know that every letter of the alphabet represents something important in the United States?

Yup, the kindergarten class proved it.

They chopped down five little cherry trees.

They even did some cooking.

See, this IS appropriate for a foodie blog.

They created the recipe for Old Glory (the flag).

There are many symbols that represent the United States.

The kindergarten class went through them all.

And if you look really close, the Declaration of Independence is up-side down.

Maybe that is why some things go harry in this country?

With me being a Grandma, I spent most of the program wondering if my grandson (Ashton) was going to get to participate.

I almost threw a fit right there in front of everyone and screamed, "What about MY grandson?"

Ashton got to participate in the My Flag song.

He had a very difficult routine to memorize to show the importance of our flag.

Well, maybe it wasn't that difficult, but my grandson is important and he did wonderful.

They sang about Yankee Doodle with wooden knock sticks.

And this right here is our America.

These children will grow to maybe become our next president, our important leaders, doctors, and whatever else they long to become. They are our future. They will be our guides. We (as grandparents) need to support them.

"Lord, you keep the lamp of my life burning brightly. You are my God. You bring light into my darkness. With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers. With the help of my God I can climb over a wall." Psalm 18:28,29

Delicious: Cheeseburger Chowder

Oh my goodness....

Do you have kids, or a husband even that demands cheeseburgers at meal time at least once a week?

This recipe will satisfy the most die-hard cheeseburger lover.

Who doesn't love a cheeseburger piled high with cheese, tomato, and dill pickles?

This is the most amazing soup I have ever ate.

I was just a little unhappy with the hamburger amount. I would increase the hamburger amount to 1 pound. I will supply the recipe with changes.

Instead of using chicken broth, I use chicken soup base. I just follow the directions according to the container amounts.

Last Saturday was one of my full-day school days. I go to school every other Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It makes for a long day of learning.

On my way home from school I stopped by the grocery to get the ingredients for this soup, not planning on making it as soon as I walked in the door.

My daughter asked what I had in the grocery bags, and I told her, "Ingredients for cheeseburger chowder."

She automatically started jumping up and down and started chanting, "Can we make it now? Can we make it now?"

Oh yeah, I really didn't want to take any time to relax (my brain) after being at school all day....

But what did I do? I dug right in and my daughter and I created this amazing cheeseburger chowder.

Here are the first words out of a teenagers mouth: "This is flipp'n amazing!"

Tried and Tested by a teenager....Take her word for it, cheeseburger chowder is awesome.

Cheeseburger Chowder

1 pound ground beef (I used ground chuck)

1 onion, chopped

Shakes of season salt to satisfy your taste

2 TBS flour

2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth

1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 pound Velveeta cheese (pasteurized cheese product), cut into cubes

Dill pickle relish for garnish

Crackers of your choice

Brown meat with onions and season salt in a small Dutch oven (I did not drain my meat when it was done cooking. I used ground chuck).

Stir in flour; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes; cook on medium-low heating for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in Velveeta cheese; cook and stir 8 - 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Spoon into soup bowls; top with relish (I added some shredded white cheddar cheese to mine).

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy

"Do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

Hebrews 6:12

A Stay At Home Kind of Day: Home-made Pizza

It was a stay at home kind of day, and I felt like being creative in the kitchen.

I have been searching and searching for a home-made pizza crust recipe. I have finally found one and it is a whole wheat crust. Can pizza actually be good for you?

As I was preparing to make this pizza crust, my daughter jumped in and helped. I love it when I get help in the kitchen.

She enjoyed the kneading part.

This dough only has to raise for 30 minutes. Easy, quick, yummy pizza....

This recipe makes 1 - 14 inch pizza.

I yelled out the size and this is the response I got....

"You know how I love pizza, you better make two of them."

So, I made two of them.

To paint you a picture, there was only three people eating.

Did I have lots of pizza left over?

Yup, almost one whole one.

And the crust puffs up while baking, so that meant a thick filling crust.

When my daughter and I got the dough pressed on the pizza stone (I sprinkled the stone lightly with Semolina flour before pressing the dough down) I drizzled the dough with olive oil and sprinkled on Parmesan cheese and garlic salt.

We added the pizza sauce (1 - 15 oz. can spaghetti sauce mixed with 1 tsp. sugar). We used a half of a can for each pizza. I'm not a big fan of saucy pizza.

Then we put on a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. We added our toppings, which consisted of frozen deluxe pizza toppings that was supplied by my working in a frozen pizza factory daughter.

We all decided that this pizza would be great, or even better with fresh toppings. Fresh green pepper, onion, pepperoni, bacon, and anything else fresh that can be put on a pizza.

The frozen deluxe topping mix was a plus in getting this pizza made quickly.

We then added another generous amount of cheese on top of the toppings.

Doesn't that look delicious?

The crust is thick and flavorful. I will definitely keep this pizza crust recipe close to the kitchen.

Here is the crust recipe, the toppings are up to you.

Pizza Crust/Wheat

1 pkg. (1 TBS) active dry yeast

1 1/2 c. warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

2 TBS vegetable oil (I used canola)

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour

2 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 3/4 to 2 c. all-purpose flour (I used the 2 c.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; add oil. Combine whole wheat flour, sugar and salt; add to yeast mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose four to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 - 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 - 20 minutes (I left mine rise for 30). Punch dough down. Pat dough onto the bottom of a 14 inch pizza stone sprinkled lightly with Semolina flour. Form an edge while pressing the dough. Add the toppings of your choice and bake for 30 - 35 minutes in a 350 degree F. preheated oven. When crust is golden brown it is done.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy

"The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing."

Psalm 145:15,16