Total Addict

My parents are due to come in town in 6 hours ... I still have to clean a bathroom, mop a floor, make cornbread and a salad, clean the kitchen, finish some laundry, clean the living room, bathe children and put said-children to bed ... and did I mention that Eric had 3 shots today and another tooth popped up? Ugh!

But here I am ... blogging. Escaping my reality and connecting with my friends and family ... all while holding Eric in a murderous Baby Bjorn that he is too darn heavy for!

There was a request for Santa Fe Soup, so I'm posting that recipe. It's a recipe from my friend, Lauren, that she got from the Body for Life Cookbook, I think. Anyway, it's pretty healthy. I would definitely suggest making the little baked tortilla chips ... the soup need the texture and flavor of those. I also suggest serving with cheese. I think she did last time, and I loved the soup. When I made it, I felt like the soup really could have used it. Anyway, here's the recipe.

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1/3 c brown rice (uncooked)

4 portions chicken breasts

1 lime, halved

2 tsp. taco seasoning

6 corn tortillas

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 can (4oz) diced green chilis

6 cups chicken broth

4 T salsa

1/4 c sour cream

2 T cilantro, chopped

Cook rice according to directions on package. While cooking, place chicken in shallow dish, cover with lime juice and then coat with taco seasoning. Grill for 6 minutes or bake in oven (25 mins.). Once chicken is cook, cut into strips or chunks.

Preheat oven to 350. cut tortillas into 1 inch strips and bake for 15 mins. Set aside.

Heat oil in pot and sautee garlic and onion until transparent (8 mins).

Add cooked rice to pot, saute 3 mins. Add chilis, sautee 2 mins. Pour chicken broth into mixture; bring to a boil. Add chicken. Reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes.

Place tortilla strips in bottom of bowl, spoon soup into bowls. Garnish with salsa, sourcream and cilantro.

Freezes well!

Also, instead of pork chops and potatoes, I made a pot roast. They were on sale, and it sounded pretty good. I am not a particularly adept cook when it comes to roast. I love to eat roast, but I don't know how to prepare them very well. So, I scouted out a recipe from Paula Deen on the Food Network. This recipe was easy and it made the best broth ... which in turn made the best gravy I have ever made in my entire life. I did make some changes based on a reviewer's comments and based on what I had in the pantry. I bagged the house seasoning. I added 2 tsps. beef bullion and 1 can beef broth in lieu of the Chardonnay and the bullion cubes. Here's Paula Deen's recipe for Pot Roast: Enjoy!

1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast 1 1/2 teaspoons House seasoning, recipe follows 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 3 bay leaves 3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes, crushed 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup Chardonnay Sprinkle roast on all sides with house seasoning. Using a skillet over high heat, sear roast until brown in oil. Place roast in a slow cooker, and layer onions, bay leaves, crushed bouillon cubes, garlic, and cream of mushroom soup. Add the Chardonnay and cover with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Cook on the low setting for 8 hours. House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months