Chicken Enchilada Soup

Eddie said "This is the soup I have been looking for all my life!"

Well, not exactly. But, he has talked about a soup he had in a restaurant many years ago..... Finally, I found a recipe that he thinks tastes just like that soup, wherever it was!





CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
recipe from Real Mom Kitchen , just slightly adjusted

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (10 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups skim milk
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
shredded Pepper jack cheese

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine beans, tomatoes, corn, onion and bell pepper. Place chicken breasts on top of mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup.

Top individual servings with pepper jack cheese. Crushed tortilla chips, avocado chunks and sour cream would make great toppings as well.

Yield: 4 -5 servings

Crafty Jewelry Display

Here's another recent craft that I did, inspired by all the great stuff on Pinterest.

There were at least five or six different versions of jewelry displays similar to this. Almost all of them used a regular picture frame. There were different materials used to hold the earrings (even chicken wire!), some had hooks for necklaces, some did not.

I used a regular picture frame, glass and backing removed. I used window screen material to hold the earrings. The only thing I had to buy were the small cup hooks that I inserted along the bottom to hold necklaces ($2.00).

I think it turned out great! Very happy with it!

P.S. That's is NOT a dog collar necklace, it's a bracelet that you wrap around the wrist twice before buckling.

See my inspiration for the project here.

Keys? Phone? Wallet?

My husband has a bit of a problem when leaving the house with everything he needs in the morning. I have recently developed the habit of saying to him "Keys? Phone? Wallet?" as he walks out the door. Trying to be a helpful wife.....

The other day, I saw a picture of a rug stenciled with the words keys, phone, wallet. It was meant to be placed at the door as a reminder. I liked the idea, but the rug doesn't exactly fit my idea of appealing home decor.

So, I came up with this framed picture of all the necessities hubby should have as he leaves the house. These are actual pictures I took of his keys, phone and wallet. I hung it next to the back door that we use every day.

We'll see if it really serves the purpose!

Broccoli Soup

BROCCOLI SOUP

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 stalks celery, diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups broccoli, cut up bite-sized
salt and pepper

Sauté celery, carrots and onion in oil until onions are soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add broth and broccoli; bring to a boil. Lower heat, then simmer until carrots and broccoli are soft, about 45 minutes.

Blend soup using an immersion blender or in a regular blender in batches. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top with fresh grated Parmesan if desired.

So healthy and much more delicious than expected!

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

This recipe is based on one (that I found on Pinterest) for Mediterranean Tuna Panini. Although that sounds really great, I'm trying to avoid bread in order to lose some weight. I served it over a plateful of iceberg lettuce topped with a little Greek salad dressing.

I adjusted the recipe for a smaller portion and slightly changed up the ingredients and proportions. Here's my version.

MEDITERRANEAN TUNA SALAD
inspired by recipe at EatingWell.com

1 (6 ounce) can solid white albacore tuna, drained

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives

1 tablespoon chopped capers

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lite mayonnaise

black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients until combined.

Yield: 2 servings

This was the best tuna salad ever! I don't want to go back to the kind with hard-boiled eggs and pickle relish.

Crafty Housewife

So sorry I haven't been here for a while! I am addicted to Pinterest and have been over there wasting all my time... Well, actually, I'm here to prove that it has not been wasted time. I have been doing a little crafting based on some of the great things I have found at Pinterest.

The crafting may slow down as I'll be back to school next week for my final semester!! But, I do have a new project.... I'm going to create a home office for myself. I have been sharing Eddie's office all this time. Not a terrible thing, just tired of looking at pilot/airplane/flying stuff. I want my own pretty things! Like purple and pink things, Georgia Bulldog things, X-ray things, creative/crafty things!


Anyway, here are some things I've made lately...

Infinity scarf from a t-shirt (I buy t-shirts for crafts for $1 -2 at thrift stores)


Scarf and hat decoration for a wine bottle gift (ready for next Christmas), made from a thin fleece material (free! I already had this fleece)


Pencil/pen holder - sweater (one I was about to donate) wrapped around a Mason jar, there is one seam up the back and I used hot glue to hold it to the bottom of the jar (free! already had all this stuff)

Thrifted canape spreader (bought for 21 cents!), I removed original handle and added a pretty wine cork

Redneck Wine Glasses - had the Mason jars on hand, bought the candlesticks at a thrift store for $1 each, used 5-minute epoxy to put them together

To see the originals that inspired me, check out my Pinterest board titled "Made It, Got It, Did It!!!".