Chicken Tortilla Chowder

The cold weather and snow had me craving something warm and hearty! This week I received my quarterly "Taste of Home" recipe magazine that was filled with easy soup recipes. The chicken tortilla chowder looked delicious and seemed easy enough to do. Just as the snow began to fall I ran to the grocery store to get the ingredients. It was delicious! The tortilla strips made for tasty noodles. Even my picky eater Caleb loved it! There are also tons of leftovers. I figure we'll have enough for lunch after church tomorrow (if it's not cancelled due to this unexpected 5-6 inches of snow) and I'll have enough for lunch at work on Monday!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans (10-3/4 oz. each) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted

2 cans (10-3/4 oz. each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

2 cups 2 % milk (I used skim milk and it didn't seem to make a difference)

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (11 oz.) Mexicorn, drained

1 pkg. (10 oz.) ready-to-serve roasted chicken breast strips, chopped (We used half a package of the new Tyson frozen grilled chicken and it added a good taste... you could also use Perdue short cuts)

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies (these were tricky to find in the grocery store, but ortega makes a small can of them... I don't like spicy foods so I only put a few spoonfuls in... Jason added extra to his bowl)

3 flour tortillas (8 in.), cut into 2-in. x 1/2 in. strips

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Additional shredded cheddar cheese, optional

In a large saucepan (I used a large, two handled pot), heat the soups, milk and broth, stirring frequently. Add corn, chicken, chilies; bring to a boil. Stir in the tortilla strips. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired.

Fun 3 Day Weekend!

Today is MLK day! I love being a teacher on days like these! I am very grateful that I had today off as we are finishing a hectic weekend!

On Friday night I went out with my Mom and her friends to celebrate Mrs. Gloria's birthday.

On Saturday we had two birthday parties, each for a girl named Hanna(h)!

The first party was for my niece Hanna at the Bounce Party N' Play!

Caleb really got a workout running through all of the obstacle courses and going down the slides! I got a twisted ankle! Apparently since I've lost 30 pounds I think I'm invincible and decided to climb up a huge, inflatable wall. Not a good plan! I've definitely been humbled!

It is hard to believe that Hanna is already 2! It was only 2 years ago when she was this tiny:

She is happy and healthy now! God and modern medicine are amazing!

After Hanna's 2nd birthday we headed over to Hannah's birthday! This Hannah is my friend Bonnie's stepdaughter and was at an indoor pool. Unfortunately Caleb is still terrified of swimming after an incident a few years ago. I don't know what to do! I have been back and forth about putting him in swim classes. I would hope it would get him over his fear of the water, but I worry that being forced into the water would traumatize him! He spent the party watching the other kids swim and "guarding" the pizza (he said he was too busy to swim because someone had to guard the pizza!). It was fun any way!

On Sunday we spent the morning at church, I went to a coworker's baby shower, and then my family went to dinner. Whew!

Today I am not doing much! Just folding laundry, laying on the floor with Blake to play (Caleb is with my parents), and maybe making a quick trip to the post office and Target. I hope everyone is well! :)