Count My Blessings
January 2017
Crock Pot Clam Chowder
By Kathleen A. Moore
As I scoot to the mailbox, the January winds sting my
face. Clomping up the steps with the
mail tucked under my arm, the warmth in the house beckons me. I peel off my red
coat and flick my gloves near the heater.
My quick trip home at lunch provides a refreshing break from
the workday routine. Today, however, the
gray skies of January preoccupy my thoughts.
I survey the fridge, then the freezer, thinking about dinner. It’s in between pay periods, too frigid to
run errands after work, I ponder what to make.
Opening the pantry surveying the choices, I find:
Oatmeal?
Spaghetti (no sauce)
Tuna
(no mayonnaise)
Minced
clams……..hmm.
Clam
juice, vegetable broth,
This could be good.
Opening the fridge, I see celery and onions.
Yes, this may work.
I pull out the crockpot from under the microwave cart, I
quickly throw in the ingredients and plug it in. My break time is over and the
urge to call out for the afternoon overwhelms me but I resist.
In the afternoon, the clock tics slowly. Blustery January days don’t draw out folks
from their warm homes to come and get library books. The darkening skies on the way home blacken
my mood. The temperature dropped 5 degrees since lunchtime. The wind holds the screen door open against
my pull.
As I enter the house,
the smell catches me off guard. The clam
mixture wafts through the house instantly calming my restless spirit. Soon a batch of biscuits are in the
oven. As I use the ladle to fill the
blue corning ware bowl and slather butter on the biscuits, I am suddenly aware
of the blessings of a cold day.
