Life's A Bitch Make Clam Chowder

Well hello again to all you foodies out there in web land.  I hope your week is going better then mine.  Yesterday we got notice that the mall that Madjon's cafe is in is closing so am losing my lease.  We have until Jan. 10th to leave.  Is that not a pisser, that's all I can say on here anyway, boy believe me I have been yelling it @#@#@#@#@!  After building my business up for the last 3 years, without a vacation or a fun time to be had they come in and throw a piece of paper at me telling me that the mall is closing.  My whole heart is in the cafe.  How do I say this, the people who love my food and love me.   They are my family and my heart hurts that I may not see them again.  I've cried with them and laughed with them.  I've won about 37 food awards at my cafe. The problem with another place is MONEY, you know that green stuff which I don't have a lot of to invest in a company because I put all my money back into the cafe to pay people, etc, etc.  If you have ever been in business you know how that goes.  Any who my heart is very sad this week and I have been crying like a baby.  I want to go to the parking lot and yell my lungs out!  Everyone keeps saying that when one door closes another one opens, I only hope I know when to walk though that door.   Any who I hope your holidays are great for you and yours.  Let's talk Madjon's Clam Chowder, you will love this.  I made up the recipe for a TV show we did at Simply Kitchen in Augusta, Ga.  Lucy is a very nice lady.  Hey Lucy!   One of Lucy's employees emailed me begging for the recipe because she took some of it home and her son, whom she can get to hardly eat fell in love with it and from what I understand she makes it all the time for him.  Recipe Follows:

Madjon's Clam Chowder

1 stick butter, melted
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1 ham steak cut up
1 bag carrots sticks
4 to 5 pounds white potato's cubed
1/2 pound smoked bacon cooked crisp, save drippings
1 tabs. garlic chopped
2 bay leafs
1 teas. Mrs's Dashes
1 tabs onion powder
1 teas. garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
dried parsley flecks
1 teas thyme
1 teas Old Bay
Hot Sauce a little
4 Chicken Cubes
32 oz Chicken Broth
1 jar clam juice
4 small or Large cans of chopped clams, not the paper (he he)
1 pint Half and Half

Peel and cut up potato's, melt butter, add onion, garlic, celery,bacon cooked with a little fat, and carrots, cook till onions are clear.  Add all spices and broth, cubes, bay leafs and whatever I have forgotten to mention to the pot even the potato's but not the half and half.  Cook till the potato's are tender and add the half and half.  Serve with some cheese on top like cheddar.

Please let me know how you like this chowder, I know my family loves it.  I hope your week is better then mine is and also I hope the door does open and I know when to walk though it.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again, Eileen Hutson, madjon.