Seafood Chowder and Honey Cornbread

I wasn't even going to post the Seafood Chowder recipe as I did not like it at all. But, I do not like seafood in soups/chowders unless it's my father's clam chowder - AND I'm not a fan of bacon in my soups either.. I figure this recipe must be decent though, as Hubbs ate not one.. not two.. but three fakkin bowls of the stuff! Therefore, I'm sharin' =) The Honey Cornbread, on the other hand, was delicious. Not too sweet and not too crumbly. Unfortunately, I didn't cook it long enough (as you'll see in the picture) and the very middle was smooshy - but the rest of it was pretty tasty! Seafood Chowder Courtesy of Recipezaar 3 slices of bacon, chopped 1 TBS. olive oil 1 c. celery, sliced 1 c. onions, chopped 2 c. chicken stock 1 bottle of clam juice 2 c. potatoes, peeled & chopped (I used baby reds, so I didn't bother peeling) 1 c. carrots, sliced 1 can (15 oz.) tomato juice 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. sea salt 1 TBS. corn starch (See Note) 1 TBS. water 1 lb. of seafood (I used a bag of assrt. seafood that I purchased at Trader Joe's - shrimp, bay scallops and calamari rings) Saute bacon in medium to large stock pot until crisp, add 1 TBS. olive oil, onions and celery sauteing until soft. Add stock, clam juice, tomato juice, potatoes and carrots. Season with salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 35 minutes. Add seafood and a slurry made of the cornstarch and water. (1 TBS. cornstarch and 1 TBS. of water didn't come close to thickening this chowder - so I added 2 TBS. of both and it still didn't thicken.. I gave up, basically because it wasn't a big deal to us that the chowder was more like a soup. So if you want this thick, I suggest starting with 2 TBS. of cornstarch and water and then adding more to get the thickness you desire). Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Honey Cornbread Courtesy of Recipezaar 1 c. all purpose flour 1 c. yellow cornmeal 1/4 c. sugar 1 TBS. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 c. heavy cream 3 TBS. honey 1/4 c. vegetable oil Preheat oven to 400º F. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and then slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Transfer to either a 9" springform pan or a 8" x 8" baking dish that's well greased. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until toothpick comes out clean. (guess who was rushing and forgot to check with a toothpick? *sigh*) Slather slices in butter (ya'll) and enjoy! ;)