30-Minute Corn & Chicken Chowder with Tuna Melts

When I was a teenager, I never understood the saying “there are never enough hours in the day”. When I’d hear it I’d scoff. “There are a whole 24 hours in a day. If you can’t fit everything into 24 hours, what the hell are you doing with your time?

Ah, youth.

Now I catch myself saying those words all the time. Once you factor in time spent sleeping (I pretty much require a full 8 hours to function), working, commuting, walking the dog, there really isn’t a whole lot of time to do other, non-responsibility-type things. Like reading. Or napping.

Life since adopting Parker has been a bit of a whirlwind; he’s a jack russell / corgi mix who’s not even a year old, which means he’s a little bag of beans and bursting with energy.

When I’m lying in bed on a Saturday morning, listening to the rain pound against the window, (I hate to admit this) I regret having gotten him. I love him to bits and he’s such a good dog, but in those bleary eyed moments, I can’t help it. Let me sleep, I think. Whyyyyy did I get an active dog, I think. I hate living in an apartment and having to get fully dressed to just take you out to pee.

But then I get a face full of kisses and cuddles and all traces of regret disappear. Waking up early and getting outside is good for me – it means he gets a long walk, but more importantly, it means I get a long walk. I spend a good 2-3 hours a day walking him, rain or shine, around the neighbourhood or up in the mountains. He doesn’t need that much every day, but I like him comatose 😉 On the odd day I can’t find the time, I find myself getting anxious and itching to get outside.

I thrive on the exercise and being outdoors. It’s something I enjoy, and I actually crave it. I used to go to the gym 4-5 times a week, but since getting Parker, the time I would spend hoofing it on the treadmill, I now spend hoofing on a mountain trail. There’s something about the feel of the sun/rain on your face and the smell of the fresh air that’s completely invigorating.

Now, having said all that, I can also be extremely lazy. Once Parker and I have gotten our hike in for the day (or our long walk to/from work) I’ll happily hunker down on the couch or spend a few hours playing around in the kitchen. Parker will even spend the rest of the day on the couch!

If I didn’t have an active dog, I probably wouldn’t be as happy (or as in shape!).

So on a week night, after all that time spent sleeping, working, commuting, exercising, there isn’t a lot of time left for, say, cooking dinner.

I love me my easy recipes that use up pantry/fridge staples and come together in half an hour. Especially cozy recipes that I can indulge in after a long day at the office or an afternoon hiking in the mountains.

This soup is just that: ridiculously cozy yet easy to make. I actually have Matt to thank for this recipe, which isn’t something I would have necessarily thrown together myself, but it’s quite a nice meal to cozy up with and it’ll be in my regular meal rotation from now on.

To start, fry the bacon, then cook the onions in the bacon grease (like the classy person you are). Add in spices and cooked chicken (or raw, if you want, just be sure to cook it through before continuing), a can of chicken soup, a can of cream of chicken soup, some milk, and let it simmer and get all bubbly. Throw in some frozen corn and let it cook until the corn is hot, then enjoy with a sprinkle of green onions and a cheesy tuna melt on the side. Perfect for dipping!