Joy in the Kitchen!

I've been wanting to try a Chicken Tortilla Soup for a while but there are so many recipes out there I couldn't choose which one to try.  My daughter is visiting this week from Tennessee.  She woke up this morning with all congested and though soup sounded good for dinner. She likes Chicken Tortilla Soup so we just made our own version (to add to the myriads out there) with the ingredients she likes best. My younger girls had a cross-country race today and we'd arrive back home just in time for dinner.  This soup cooked up nicely in a crock pot so when we got home all we had to do was bake the tortilla strips.  They could have been baked ahead, but I ran out of time before we left.  My daughter thinks she'd like to try this lightly thickened, but I liked it just like this.  If you like it spicier you could add some cayenne or other hot pepper. Chicken Tortilla Soup 6 C. chicken broth (canned or made up from water and bouillon) 2-3...

Several years ago on the Frugal Families forum I'm a member of, someone posted a favorite crock pot recipe called Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken.   The thought of garlic and brown sugar was NOT my idea of a good mix!  I gave it a try though since it was getting such good reviews and I was totally wrong!  Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken is so delicious!   I love using my crock pot on busy days.  Monday's I get home from work about 15 minutes before our usual dinner time.  I'm tired and everyone is hungry!  Having a nice meal already cooked is a wonderful thing to come home to.  All you need to add on this recipe is rice.  Minute rice or rice precooked and reheated with a little water would be easy enough.  I'm only gone from 3:00 - 6:00 so I can put my rice in my rice cooker and it cooks and stays nice and warm until we're ready to eat.    I love eating Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken with quinoa in place of the rice but most of my ...

My husband and I are beginning a contest to eat healthier.  Of course I will win, but in the process he gets to benefit from the healthier meals I fix as well.  These Shredded Chicken and Black Bean Stuffed Tortilla's fit right into our goals.  Tonight I made whole wheat tortilla's that use oil as the fat instead of my usual recipe using white flour and shortening. (though those are wonderful!  I'll post that recipe another time.)  If you haven't tried making flour tortilla's yet, it's REALLY worth the effort... so much more tender and tasty than the ones you purchase at the store.  I used a crockpot to cook the filling.  If you don't have time or don't have a crockpot, you can do it in the oven or stovetop on a low temperature for a little shorter time.  I didn't serve this with cheese OR sour cream tonight, but if I weren't determined to beat Dave in this contest I would.  LOL  Good luck Honey!  ;o) Shredded Chicken and B...