Welcome to the Meany household

Last Saturday was the perfect day. People are still talking about our wedding. I don't mean that pridefully. We desired that people walk away from our ceremony with a sense of the Lord's presence and we both believe He was there. The ceremony was so beautiful and we are completely blessed to have had so many people attend. I wanted a big wedding but not extravagant and I believe thats exactly what we had. I mean, come on, we have pigs in a blanket at the reception!
We left for our honeymoon Sunday afternoon. Miami, then on a Carnival cruise to Key West and Cozumel. We had a great time. The weather was beautiful and we could not have asked for smoother sailing. We relaxed and just enjoyed the week together...alone at last :)
We got home Friday night and prepared for Saturday...cleaning and unpacking day. We got up around 7:30 and started the day. I was going to recreate some CinnaStack French Toast that I got at iHOP in Miami, but didnt have any brown sugar so we had Gigi's cupcakes for breakfast...so healthy I know! Calorie counting starts back Monday. We hit the gym HARD Monday night! Brian started on the two foot tall grass in our yard and I started laundry. 6 hours later the yard was beautiful and we had not a dirty piece of laundry in the house. By 4:00 the house looked beautiful. We invited our parents over dinner as a "thank you" for all they have done for us over the past few months and to celebrate Brian's 29th birthday. The food was awesome if I do say so myself. I tried my hand at key lime pie for the first time...it was pretty good on taste...didn't quite set up that I would have wished.
Part of the purpose of this blog is to share recipes with you that I try and either ditch or perfect. Today I will share a Chicken Caesar salad with a few tricks to make it healthier and the Cheddar Corn Chowder and Cheddar Jalapeno cornbread we had for supper.

So here is goes.

Chicken Caesar Salad



Ingredient List: for 2 servings

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 head romaine lettuce
2 Tbsp. bacon bits
10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 Tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. Bolthouse Farms Caesar Parmigiano Yogurt Dressing




Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add salt and pepper to chicken generously. Chicken soaks up the flavor!
Add Olive Oil to saute pan over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan, let it sear on both sides (about 3 minutes on each side) until lightly browned.
Place chicken in oven to finish baking. (about 15 minutes or until 160-165 degrees internal temperature) Let chicken rest so juices can redistribute.
Chop romaine to desired size.
Assemble salad with romaine, bacon bits, tomatoes, parmesan cheese.
Toss with 4 Tbsp. of dressing.
Add sliced chicken on top.
Enjoy!


Cheddar Corn and Potato Chowder

Ingredient List: Serves 6-8

8 oz. bacon
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 cups chopped yellow or red onion
2 Tbsp. butter (1/4 stick)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (or more if you like it spicy :)
6 cups chicken stock (STOCK not broth)
3 cups medium diced red potatoes
1 1/4 lb. frozen sweet kernel corn
1 cup half and half
1/2 lb. sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 lb. extra sharp cheddar cheese

Put bacon and olive oil in soup pot (or dutch oven if you have one). Allow bacon to render. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel to drain. (we're gonna use this to garnish later).
Add butter to pan.
Add onions and saute until translucent and getting sweet!
Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook flour 3-4 minutes.
Add chicken stock slowly stirring constantly. You don't want lumps!
Add potatoes to stock.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Soup will thicken just slightly.
Add corn and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Add half and half and cheeses.
Allow to cook on low for another 5 minutes.
Taste test and when you're happy it's ready!


Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

Ingredient List: Serves 6-8

1 large egg
1 1/3 cup milk or 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup pure vegetable oil
2 cups Martha White Self-Rising Enriched White Corn Meal mix
2 jalapeno peppers (take out white pith and seeds and chop small dice)
1 cup sharp chedder cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Add 2 Tbsp olive to oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron if you have it). Put pan in oven to preheat oil.
Beat egg in medium bowl.
Stir in milk, oil and cornmeal mix until smooth.
Add jalapeno and cheddar and stir lightly.
If it's too thick add a little milk. If too runny, add a little more cornmeal.
Pour into preheated skillet and return to oven.
Bake 20-25 minutes. Test center to ensure doneness.
Enjoy!




I hope you'll try these recipes and enjoy them with your family!

More to come over the next few days.

All the love from the Meany house to yours :)