Chicken Corn Chowder

TRY CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER!

PLAIN KANSAS
BY ROSANNA BAUMAN
The weather is beautiful right now, 70 degrees and sunny. We are making the most of it by pouring concrete for our new feed mill. But tomorrow the weather is expected to turn chilly and we will quickly be plunged back into the depths of winter.

The list of chores - from laundry to rebuilding barns - is endless on the Bauman farm.

Our winter to-do list is frightfully long. We have three barns to deconstruct, a new barn to build, and another barn to renovate so that the feed mill can be installed. Plus we have two processing plants that need to be remodeled and updated. All of this needs to be completed before the baby chicks come in three weeks and spring planting begins in 8 weeks. Also our grandparents house was flooded by a broken water line, so we need to remodel the entire basement, master bedroom and bath by April. Also, the USDA has stacks and stacks of farm paperwork that we must complete asap.
When faced with a daunting list like that we aren’t sure where we should start. Just as soon as you start on one project something happens to delay it or another project needs emergency treatment. Having an impossible-sounding to-do list, however, can energize our family as we like challenges.

Rosanna Bauman is German Baptist Brethren and lives and farms near rural Garnett, Kansas.

As Marvin joked the other day our farm mission could be “work harder, not smarter.” At least that is what it feels like we are doing some days. Don’t tell us it can’t be done because we will likely try it just to see if it really is impossible. But even adventures can become boring and long and stressful. When that happens the most attractive thing on our to-do list is doing something that isn’t on the list. Sometimes it is the best thing to do as well. When I start feeling like my to-do list is a dark cloud resting on my head I do something rash to regain my sanity such taking a leisurely walk right when I am on deadline. The other day was a terrible day at the butcher plant. The fax machine broke, the vacuum machine wasn’t working well, the inspector was being nit-picky and the customers were all wondering where their meat was. As I was growling to myself about the latest chain of events one of my favorite songs drifted to mind: “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savoir ALL the day long.” Oops that was a timely reminder that no matter how long the day, there is still reason to praise. Suddenly out the office window I saw a red-tailed hawk swooping above the tall grass. I mostly see hawks sitting motionless on fence posts so I sat in awe of this performance. For over 10 minutes the hawk kept hovering over this grass patch looking for mice. I sat and absorbed the peace that radiated from the swooping hawk in the golden sunshine and it was not a waste of time.
Stressful situations are every day around here but that doesn’t mean that we need to meet the situation with a stressed disposition. Because when we become stressed that is when our immune system become weakened and soon we have the stress of being sick on top of it all. I think that is why our family is rarely sick because we subconsciously take steps to reduce our stress.
Last Saturday I began feeling cold and wimpy. That is a sure sign that I am sick. So I slept it off despite my urgent to-do list and listened to my cravings: eating broth and noodles. The next day I was feeling back up to par!
I am sure it won’t be long before I feel overwhelmed again so the challenge is remembering to pause, breath a prayer and take a moment to appreciate life. And eat a little chicken soup.

This is a chicken soup that has it all and it is a great idea to keep a bit in the freezer or canned up for when you are sick and having chicken soup cravings. We don’t serve many chicken dishes on chicken dressing day but this chowder is one item the employees dig into despite the fact that they are having chicken on chicken dressing day. Corn is not commonly found in chicken soups and its inclusion is part of the reason why everyone likes it. Using the wide homemade egg noodles also helps make this an awesome chicken soup.

Plain Kansas: Chicken Corn Chowder For the Soul