chicken tortilla soup

But FIRST!!!

Last week, I saw this idea.  The result has been most eye-opening, humbling, freeing, healing.  So, I had to share...

The idea is to make a "sorry box," a box of repentance, where we write or draw things we want to say sorry for.  I told the boys this is just between them and God, but they have chosen to share some.  As I was explaining, one boy lunged for a pen and paper and wrote "I stol a cat" and stuck it in the box.  Now that happened 4 months ago (a stuffed cat from Goodwill :), but that is a burden he has been carrying.  Something he wants to erase, but can't.  So, we confess. We name.  He already knows.  But when we uncover our sin to Him, He covers it over with His grace.  With His forgiveness.  With His love.  Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for us, we can have...get this...peace with God.  

By His wounds, we are healed!

We will keep adding to the box until Easter, when we will throw it away to symbolize it. is. finished.  Our sins are forgiven, and God remembers them no more!

To share this idea with the boys, I spent some time looking up verses to explain this to them.  Here are some that have brought me to tears.  I hope you will take the time to read of His amazing love for you.  

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults.  Keep me from deliberate sins!  Don't let them control me.  Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.  Psalm 19.12-13

People who cover their sins will not prosper.  But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy.  Proverbs 28.13

When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long.  Finally, I confessed all my sins to You and stopped trying to hide them...and You forgave me!  All my guilt is gone!  Psalm 32.3,5

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just and will forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong.  1 John 1.9

He personally carried away our sins in His own body on the cross so we can be  dead to sin and live for what is right.  You have been healed by His wounds!  1 Peter 2.24

You were dead because of your sins and because of your sinful nature was not yet cut away.  Then God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave all your sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us.  He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross.  Colossians 2.13-14

I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins.  Hebrews 8.12, Jeremiah 31.34

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us.  Psalm 103.12

Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who could ever survive?

But You offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear You.  Psalm 130.3-4

But He was pierced for our transgressions, 

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,

and by His wounds we are healed.  Isiaiah 53.5 

All praise to Him who loves us 

and has freed us from our sins

by shedding His blood for us!  

Revelation 1.5

Because I promised...There are so many variations to this recipe you could do.  Use rotisserie chicken if you don't have to be GF.  I put *another chicken option* below.  Red peppers would be delish.  You could leave out the corn and add another can of black beans.  You can add in corn tortillas cut into strips.  Use what you have, and have fun!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 Grilled Split Chicken Breasts (Meat taken off bone and shredded - I did this the night before when we had leftover grilled chicken)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup Diced Onion
1/2 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
Red Bell Pepper would be amazing too, just didn't have any.
3 cloves Garlic, Minced

2 teaspoons Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Salt
1 can (10 Oz.) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies (FYI: I used the Aldi mexican diced tomatoes and the can was 14 oz. :)
32 ounces Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 cups Hot Water
1 can (15 Oz.) Black Beans, Drained

1 cup Frozen Corn

1 cup Chopped Cilantro
FOR THE GARNISHES:  Sour Cream, Diced Avocado, Grated Monterey Jack Cheese, Cilantro

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add cumin and salt. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.  Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, black beans, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.  Add cilantro.  Check seasonings, adding more if needed.  Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced avocado, grated cheese, more cilantro - whatever you like.

*Another Chicken Option*

2 Whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil
Cumin

Garlic Powder
Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice on both sides.  Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. 

Source: Adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/chicken-tortilla-soup/ 

We enjoyed this for a few lunches this week, along with some grilled corn quesadillas.  By enjoy, I mean yes it's delish.  But, I love my lunches with these little buddies, and find joy in any shortcut to be more here.

chicken rice soup...just like home

We've been fighting off some colds over here.  Nothing sounds quite as good as my mom’s chicken rice soup.  Of course, what sounds even better is my mom making it for me...  How lovely that would be.  And was.  But it's my turn now, to give my kids the same memory I have of this hitting the spot on an under the weather sort of day.

Chicken Rice Soup

6 c. chicken stock

2 carrots

2 celery ribs

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. cooked chicken (or leftover thanksgiving turkey I'd frozen)

2 c. cooked rice

1 c. cilantro

Cook chopped veggies in chicken broth until tender.  Add cooked chicken, rice, and cilantro until heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I've been well-cared for, as you can see.  Jude made me some lunch of his own too - fresh fish he caught from the ocean and told me "your food is weady, mama" (above pic).  

He even made me some hot tea (again, using his "skeeky bath toys").

Jack's motto all-around is that laughter is still the best medicine. 

There is a super-fun new club that just opened in our living room.  And I was invited!  

I am so blessed to be learning from Ann Voskamp's 

One Thousand Gifts: a dare to live fully right where you are   

"What will a life magnify?  The world's stress cracks, the grubbiness of a day, all that is wholly wrong and terribly busted?  Or God?"

Magnify Him with thanksgiving.  Psalm 69.30

"As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible."  
above excerpts from Ann Voskamp's book

Even here. Even today. Even under the weather. Abounding in thanks, for

the chance to be home with my loves,

lingering hugs in the kitchen before work,

morning fellowship with a couple who is ready to leave it all for the sake of Your name,

little one stopping his cry when he hears my voice,

continued direction with our house,

years that have built trust,

hope and peace!

magnify Your name in this all. 

chicken black bean soup

This has been my day.  Introducing littlest one to the potty.  With backpacks hung for 2+ weeks and a slower week planned, I thought we would tackle it.  2 successes out of 7.  I’ll take it! 

So, after my attention was on Jude all morning, during his nap this afternoon, the boys and I made and decorated Christmas cookies…the simple way.  Thank you, Bekah, for the GF box mix to try out!  We made Christmas ornament cookies this year.  BY FAR, the easiest way of making Christmas cookies we’ve done, and perhaps that’s what made it the most enjoyable.

With all this going on, I’m thankful for recipes like this.  Hearty soup cooking all day long, because with 3 very lively boys, there is plenty else to do…

chicken black bean soup

2 chicken breasts

2 cans black beans, drained

30 oz. rotel tomatoes

1 c. salsa
1 T. cumin

14 1/2 oz. can tomato sauce

cilantro (add at end)

Place in crockpot on low 6-8 hours (depending on how quickly your crockpot cooks).  Shred chicken at some point, after 4 hours or so.  Add back in the shredded chicken to finish cooking.  I add a huge amount of chopped cilantro right before serving.

Source: Julie - this always makes me think of you :)  love and miss you girl!

Like savor these ever-growing boys...

Miles drawing baby Jesus with a lightsaber (surely God smiles at this mind He created), or

Jack's chicklet teeth on top of that ornery grin of his, or 
Freshly bathed little one with his footy jammies, his Christmas kitty ("who is shy"), a sippy cup of milk and a cookie with "pinkles" on it.  

As much craziness as a day can hold, I want to relish these moments. 

potato soup

It's winter out there! I'm back to drinking 3 cups of tea a day to keep warm. I pull an apple out of the fridge and run it under hot water before slicing. I live in my knee-high socks. I'm tempted to bake with the oven door open.  Those snuggies don't look like such a bad idea :) And we make lots of soup. Potato has been the soup of the week, mostly because we still have a box of these babies I bought in the fall for 4.25 from a farmer up the road. 

And because Andy owned this cookbook (the Creative Cooking Collection) before we ever met, which I find completely cute.  

Potato Soup

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups water

2 cups red potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 T. butter

3 T. flour (I use GF rice flour blend)

Black pepper

Smoked paprika

3 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup cubed smoked ham

Chopped fresh parsley

Bring water to boil in large pan over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and cook until tender when pierced with fork, 13-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; cook and stir 4-5 minutes until onion is tender but not brown.  Add flour.  Season with black pepper and paprika; cook and stir 3-4 minutes.  Set aside.  Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of liquid (add water to make 1 cup, if necessary).  Gradually add onion mixture, milk and reserved liquid to potatoes in large saucepan; stir well.  Add cheese and ham.  Bring to boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Garnish with parsley.

Jude's new favorite song is My God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.  I've needed that reminder this week. Because we saw an extremely amazing deal of a house come on the market a few days ago. It wasn't even out 24 hours, and we offered more than they were asking, but they accepted another offer. I had some woe is me moments where I let the feeling of being unsettled and all the unknowns overtake me. I wanted to believe others when they said something better was out there, but doubted. That day I turned to Luke 12.22-34 (from the New Living Translation) and read just what I needed to hear:  Don't worry whether God will provide it for you.  These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs.

I still could not get that house off my mind.  So, I continued to pray that God would do the impossible, even if there was another accepted offer. And the call came today! The realtor said they would reconsider our offer. I have no idea what happened with the other offer. They originally told me it wouldn't fall through because they had offered cash. 

At this point, it's not even about getting the house. I can honestly say I'm at peace if we don't. Because I've seen God's hand. And that has been enough for me to be reminded that He IS so big. There's nothing He cannot do....and that includes leading our family. 

venison chili...just like the pioneers

Saturdays are for…

Pulling out the sleeping bags and dragging each other around in them or sliding down the stairs in them or cuddling up to watch Mr. Bean in them...

Knit. Purl. Knit. Purl.  Every possible “spare” minute  (When will I learn and start these in June?)…

Overflowing with thankfulness…

 

A pot of chili…

I’ll be the first to admit, I never thought I could cook with deer.  But, we were given some venison.  The thought of cooking with Bambi was just a little disturbing to me.  So I tried to think of myself as being all pioneer-like and was inspired.  I thought chili was the most incognito dish I could hide some in.  No apology needed for the substitution... It was delicious!  So, thanks to the true pioneers who shot the deer with a bow and arrow and shared their bounty with us :)

I know everyone has their own version of chili, and you can just substitute venison for the ground beef.  But, here's what I did.
Chili
1 lb. venison (or ground beef)
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
15 oz. dark red kidney beans
15 oz.  light red kidney beans
15 oz. chili beans
1 quart (or 30 oz.) canned tomatoes
1 pint canned salsa (or, you could use another 15 oz. tomatoes)
1 T. cumin powder (I also used 1 T. cumin seeds this time)
2 t. chili powder
bunch of chopped cilantro, because we add that to everything
Brown meat with onion, pepper, and celery.  Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Add undrained cans of beans and tomatoes.  Simmer (atleast 20 minutes, but the longer the better).  Adjust spices to liking.  Add cilantro just before serving.  (Picture taken before this...)
Good served with tortilla chips and cheese.

broccoli cheddar soup

Days are long.  Nights are even longer when daddy is away.  So when we told the boys he had a trip this week, their disappointment was evident.  Then, I numbered all the fun things I’d planned for our time while he was away, including dinners at some friends’ houses, Toy Story 3 premier (for us), special pizza/popcorn craft night with mama, etc.  Miles exclaims “This is gonna be the best week ever!”  Andy and I looked at each other with a smile and sigh of relief.  These boys love their dad.  And, we miss him.  And, I could make myself very sad thinking about that anymore…

But what a beautiful reminder it has been to give thanks in all things.  Just as the boys needed to be reminded of the blessings that would happen this week to refresh their spirit, so must I.  Sure, there have been times when bedtime can’t come soon enough, and then once it does, the creaks of an old house in the country flood my mind with wonderings, and I long for morning…So I’ve had my pen and paper poised to record the many blessings.  And, I love how the boys come write what’s on their mind.  Jack drew a picture of the earth this morning, then he drew Saturn and said he’s thankful for all the aliens who come visit him.  

But on the more “realistic” notes...

- Waking up with my love gone, and the words of Psalm 121 on my mind "Where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth!  He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep."

- The twinkle in Jack's eye when he tells me of a sneaky boy at school, pauses and looks at me and says "Well, I'm sneakier than him."

- Jude's warm, pudgy hand holding my 2 fingers on our morning errands.

- Those little blue eyes that search mine.

- Watching Miles in the rear view mirror belt out "O God you are my God" on the way to school.

- Jack's apology last night: "Sorry, mom, for the way I act...everyday" 

- The first of the morning hugs.

- Lying down in peace, trusting the One who keeps watch over us.

- And, a big batch of

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

6 tbsp. butter, divided
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
4 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. onion salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. flour (rice flour blend for me :)
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the carrots to the pan and cook a couple minutes more.  Stir in the broccoli, chicken broth, onion salt and garlic powder.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter.  Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, whisking constantly.  Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.  Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheese until completely melted.  Remove from the heat and add the cheese sauce to the soup pot.  Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.

Source: http://annies-eats.com/2009/11/05/broccoli-cheddar-soup/