Today is my birthday! While semi-patiently awaiting dinner and dessert this evening with my favorite person, I decided to share this chowder I made this weekend with you guys. After all, the amazing people that read this blog (and those who write their own!) have inspired me so much within the last year. I have befriended some amazing women and men thanks to Dining With Dani. I am spending today reflecting on how much I have to be thankful for at the start of this year, and that includes every single one of you.

One of my roommates favorite things about living with her is that I cook and bake almost every day. Some of it is for the blog, but some of it is just for fun. So when she asked me to make her corn chowder, I happily obliged. Actually, I crinkled up my nose at first. Mashed corn? Gross. But then I remembered that I’ve had corn chowder before — at Whiskey Cake back in December. Remember how much I raved about it? After thinking about that amazing afternoon, I was thrilled to try to recreate it for Ashley. The best part though was when I got a text telling me how amazing it was and that she planned to eat the whole crockpot in one sitting. That’s my girl.

Recipe: Chunky Jalapeno Corn Chowder

What You Need:

• 1 bag frozen corn kernels
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

   

  What To Do:

  1. Combine all ingredients except for the heavy cream in a crock pot and cook on HIGH for 8 hours.

  2. Stir in the heavy cream and use a potato masher to lightly mash the remaining chunks of potato.

   

Confession: This not only was my first time to make relish, but it also was my first time to eat relish. I don’t like pickles and I have spent my whole life thinking relish was just finely chopped pickles. However, with this version it is just like having all the grilled veggie side dishes right on top of the main course. How can you say no?

Recipe: Corn & Pepper Relish

What You Need:

• 4 cups fresh corn kernels
• 4 cups cabbage, shredded
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

  What To Do:

  1. Heat spices, sugar, and vinegar in a large pot until the mixture begins to boil.

  2. Add in veggies and heat the veggies are soft.

  3. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the relish into mason jars. Let mixture cool completely before placing the glass jars in the fridge.

  4. Serve relish over burgers, hot dogs, and chicken!

Happy Fat Tuesday! Are you doing anything special? I don’t really do anything for Mardi Gras, but I do use Fat Tuesday as a day to eat, eat, and eat some more.

Today’s post was supposed to be these amazing Blueberry Biscuits I found over at One Lovely Life, but when I made them they didn’t look so great. Don’t get me wrong, Emily’s recipe tasted phenomenal. My biscuits just were not pretty enough to photograph and share.

I did make a few other things for Fat Tuesday. I have to say that my photographs for the Almost-Famous version of Chipotle’s corn salsa are the most proud I have been of any pictures I have taken, food-related or otherwise, in a long time. It also tastes like the real deal. I can’t take credit for the awesome flavors, since I adapted a recipe I found at Garnish With Lemon. Make sure you make lots of this, because once you start eating it is so so hard to stop.

Recipe: Almost Chipotle’s Corn Salsa adapted from Garnish with Lemon

What You Need:

• 3 ears of corn, uncooked
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and halfed
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• generous handful cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• What You Do:
  

  1. Place poblano halves on cookie sheet with the outside of the pepper facing up and broil for 10 minutes.

  2. While the pepper broils, boil one small pot water. Slice kernels off of your ears of corn. When the water comes to a boil, add kernels for 3 minutes. Drain.

  3. Take your poblano out of the oven and remove charred outer layer. Chop into small pieces.

  4. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

  Serve with chips or in tacos.

  Side note: The chips in the photographs are called Beanitos. I found them at Target and got them because not only were they on sale, but they are made with beans instead of corn and are also gluten-free. No one in my house wanted to try them. Their loss because they ROCKED.