Update/Recipes Part One

Again, I have been neglecting my blog. Since being in our new home for almost two months now, we have had many new adventures. We had David's family over for a visit which was great! Then our friends Wade and Elizabeth came down and we went rafting! While it was very fun, the sun apparently did not get the invite because it was so cold.

Being in my own kitchen once again, I have been cooking... especially a lot Mexican food. I'm not sure why, I just find it fun to create new Mexican inspired meals. I will have to post in sections as I am very behind- and missing pictures for many meals and fun activities...

We had my parents and sister over for dinner a few weeks ago and I made my chicken tortilla soup that I made up awhile ago. We ate, went in the hot tub, and drank pina coladas!

Recipe #1: Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a large stockpot, saute one medium diced yellow onion, one finely chopped jalapeno, 3 diced carrots, 3 stalks of celery chopped, and two cloves of garlic-minced. Add salt and pepper to taste and one packet of taco seasoning. Once onions are soft, add 1/2 chicken stock, 1/2 water to fill the pot 3/4 of the way. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 3-4 (can be frozen) chicken breasts and mildly boil for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked. Once chicken is cooked, take out and shred. Then add 1/2 bag of frozen corn, 1-2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans, and the shredded chicken. Cook for about 15-20 more minutes. We top our soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, fresh lime juice, hot sauce (if you want) and serve it with warm corn tortilla strips. I cut corn tortillas, lightly spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt, and bake until lightly brown. YUM