Crock Pot Clam Chowder

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.