My Favorite Recipes

Jennifer Claassen was born and raised in Portland, but she has the bonafides of a country girl. Her great-grandparents were fresh from Ireland when they participated in the great Oklahoma land rush in order to obtain a homestead. Their son, Jennifer’s grandfather, was eager to go to Kansas State University, and he persuaded the university president to offer “Papa” the job of caring for his invalid wife in order to get a degree. Grandpa graduated in agriculture and spent his career in agricultural extension in Kansas.

Jen told family members she wanted to marry a farmer when she left Portland to attend Biola University in Los Angeles. That brought lots of laughs from her family—how many farmers would she meet in Los Angeles?

She met Wes Claassen at Biola and knew him for four years. She became acquainted when she dated his friends. They started dating in April of his senior year. Wes graduated in business and accounting. Jen finished her degree in elementary education the following year. They were married in December of 1995.

They moved to Dusty to the farm to live, and Wes worked at the LeMaster and Daniels accounting firm.

This was a big change from Los Angeles. Home seemed so far from town, and Jen leaped at the chance to ride with neighbors and friends to Colfax or Spokane. She got to know lots of neighbors and adjusted to living out in the country. She also completed her master’s degree in education at Gonzaga University after moving here.

They made a house switch four years ago. Wes and Jen moved to the main house with the farm shop nearby, and Wes’s sister and husband moved into their former house. Wes’s parents moved to Grandpa Claassen’s former home.

Their son Bo was born in 1997, and he’s a freshman at Colfax High School. Daughter Lauren was born in 1999 and is finishing seventh grade at Jennings Elementary. The family increased dramatically this spring when the Claassens adopted three children who had come to live with them as foster children. In April, Hunter, 10, his biological sister, Paige, who is 6, and Ben, who is 2, were formally adopted.

Wes enjoys having riders in the tractor and combine, so he has plenty of candidates.

The older children are increasingly involved in school activities. Bo participates in jazz band, FFA, football and track. Lauren was in volleyball, cross country and band this year. They encourage their kids to try lots of different things in junior high so that they have more options in high school.

Their sports fan, Hunter, frequently checks ESPN for scores, then runs the remote to check on multiple games at once. He knows who is being traded and who is being drafted for several sports.

Paige loves coloring, dolls and kindergarten. She has a beautiful singing voice and is not afraid to try anything. Ben farms the carpets when not outside farming in the dirt.

Jen became interested in foster care after studying at-risk children. They were foster parents in 2001-2003, but Jen had health problems. It took a number of specialists to diagnose and treat her illness. A pacemaker was the solution, and the rest of her body improved.

They relicensed for foster care in February of 2010. Jen and Wes were interested in having more children, and foster care and adoption were the answer.

The Claassens have learned to travel with a crowd, too. The took a road trip to Kansas City to visit family, and the newest arrivals were welcomed by their extended family. With five children, doing laundry while on vacation was a must.

Last summer all seven of the Claassens went camping in Glacier Park where they enjoyed hiking and seeing wildlife. The trip has some setbacks when Hunter complained of a toothache, and the tooth had to be pulled in Kalispell, Mont. Before they left town, Bo was treated for strep throat and double ear infection.

This summer they will go to Disneyland in June. Their trip includes visiting Wes’s grandmother in San Luis Obispo and four or five days at the beach.

The effects of having five children, ages 2 to 15? Jen says she realizes she doesn’t have much control, and has to prepare meals in a hurry most days. She has learned to be ready for anything, and the children have responsibilities to keep the household running smoothly.

“Life is just an adventure, and with five kids, how can it be anything but that!” and Jen smiles.

Recipes:

Meatball Soup

3 cans chicken broth 14 oz each

1 1/2 cups bow-tie pasta (we also like to use a package of fresh cheese tortellini)

1 pound of precooked Italian meatballs

2 small zucchinis cut into thin slices

French’s French Fried Onions

Bring broth to a boil. Stir in pasta, zucchini, and meatballs until the pasta is cooked al dente. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with fried onions. Total cook time 12 minutes.

Crock Pot Ham and Potatoes

12 medium potatoes

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup margarine

Salt and pepper

2-3 cups chopped, cooked ham

Peel and chop potatoes. Cook in just enough water to cover the potatoes in a saucepan for 3 minutes; drain. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Spoon into crock pot. Cook on High for 3 hours or low for 6. Stir every once in a while.

Easy-go-to meal

1 store bought rotisserie chicken

1 package bow-tie or penne pasta

1 bunch of asparagus

1/2 cup butter

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Directions: Grab a chicken on your way home from sports practice. Boil pasta according to package directions. Steam asparagus for 2-3 minutes. While the pasta is cooking debone the chicken and tear in bite size pieces. Drain pasta and toss all ingredients together. 10 minutes from the front door to the table!

BBQ Pork Chops

8-10 pork chops

1 1/2 cups ketchup

4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

4 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 cup water

1 1/2 cup sugar

Mix ingredients together and pour over chops in a large crock pot on high for 4 hours.