Time to pull out those old decorations you don't want anymore. Or maybe you just need to revamp them. That is what we did Thursday night amidst some great food (we stuffed ourselves).
Dearest Faith is getting an early head start on her Christmas gift making. All we know is that vodka and lemons are involved.
Fabulous Chicken Tortilla Soup (above)Toppings (below)
The soup was amazing. We took a little tour through the garden to mark progress. I did some painting on a Halloween decoration that needed some help and we all went home with our arms full. On top of all that Melissa made lemon pistachio cookies that were heavenly. As a gift, we have included the recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup to liven up your chilly autumn days.Chicken Tortilla Soup:
1 onion, chopped (I use ½ large red onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced (or more if you like)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder (more like a palm full)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons cumin (more like a palm full)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I use two reg. cans of petite diced w/green chilies)
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth (feel free to add stock to taste)
1 1/4 cups water (no water needed)
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked (or one can)
1 cup white hominy (or 2 if you like) 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers (not needed if you use tomatoes w/ green chilies)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 – I usually don’t rinse)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked (or 4 – dice before cooking)
Optional Toppings (but totally a must)
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped green onions
sour cream
cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced (or more if you like)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder (more like a palm full)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons cumin (more like a palm full)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I use two reg. cans of petite diced w/green chilies)
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth (feel free to add stock to taste)
1 1/4 cups water (no water needed)
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked (or one can)
1 cup white hominy (or 2 if you like) 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers (not needed if you use tomatoes w/ green chilies)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 – I usually don’t rinse)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked (or 4 – dice before cooking)
Optional Toppings (but totally a must)
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped green onions
sour cream
cilantro
Directions:
1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano – then add tomatoes, corn, hominy, green chilies, beans, cumin, cayenne and cilantro. Add the chicken and simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.
1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano – then add tomatoes, corn, hominy, green chilies, beans, cumin, cayenne and cilantro. Add the chicken and simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.
*Note from Faith: I never really measure any of this but this is a good start. Play around with it until you love it. You really can’t go wrong.
