Back to school and some tasty eats!

(Aidan's necklace says "kindergarten kids rock!")

So this year I put my oldest on the bus to 8th grade (no pics of the mopey preteen today, sorry!), my middle child on the bus to kindergarten and my baby got dropped off at preschool.
("Mom! I forgot to give you a hug and a kiss!")
(he sooo handsome and SO ready for preschool!)

Aidan and Austin started on Tuesday, Avery on Thursday. Thursday night we had a classic New England dinner to celebrate the new school year and mom's newly found free time!
Recipe for the stuffies (I give this out to customers who purchase baking shells from me and they rave about it!):
6 large quahog clams
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped chourico (spicy Portuguese sausage), or chorizo
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced red & green pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 loaf Portuguese masa (sweet bread), cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

-Heat a medium pot over high heat and bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil. Add the quahogs and cover the pan. Steam them until they open, at least 6 minutes. Discard any quahogs that do not open. Strain broth and reserve 1/4 cup. Remove the quahogs from the shells (leaving the shells intact; do not snap apart) and chop the meat.
-In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the chourico, onions, and peppers and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour white wine into pan to deglaze; allow to reduce 2- 3 minutes. Add the chopped clam meat, lemon juice, and hot sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
-In a large mixing bowl, pour the chourico mixture over the cubed bread and add the cilantro, parsley, bread crumbs and clam broth. Mix gently, and then stuff each clam shell with about 3/4 cup of clam stuffing. Wrap the clam shells in aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.
-Serve immediately with lemon wedges and your favorite hot sauce.

Recipe for the chowder (aka "chowda"): Sooooo simple- I cheat on this one unless we're having guests; then I'll make it from scratch.
I use:
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 TBSP of butter
1 cup of frozen corn kernels
1 strip of bacon cut into tiny pieces (I know, healthfood dinner this NOT)
-Over medium heat, brown the bacon, drain the pan and then add the onion and butter- cook until translucent. Add the corn kernels and toss around the pan with the onion just to coat them in the butter and warm them through.
-Next the cheat: 2 cans of Snow's condensed New England Style Clam Chowder
-Cook the chowder according to package directions (I believe it's 1 can of chowder to 1 can of liquid). Once the chowder is heated through, add in your bacon, onion and corn.
-Season with black pepper and a dash of dill weed, serve immediately.