Chicken Tortilla soup

This is one of the easiest soups I have ever made...and we make a LOT of soup here in the winter. Hayden loves this soup and it is so low in Carbohydrates that we usually pair it up with a Quesadilla or Taquitos from my favorite...Trader Joe's ...

I start with a purchased Rotisserie chicken....and premade low sodium chicken stock. This is not one of my "from scratch" recipes, this is one of my Quickie recipes, but it is SO yummy!

You will need:
1 Rotisserie Chicken - Cut the meat up into small pieces
8 cups of  Chicken stock (or 2 of the big containers)
1 large onion
Garlic 6-8 cloves depending on how much you like
1-2 chipoltes (mince them if you get them from the can)
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 can of diced tomatoes (you can use the ones that have diced chiles in it for a little extra kick)
frozen corn (1/2 bag) or can of corn
1 tsp of dried oregano (Mexican if you have it)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Tortilla chips or corn tortillas which you can fry or bake
Avacado (how many you need depends on how many people in your family like them :) )
Monterey Jack cheese or Queso Fresco for topping

Chop and then saute the onion and garlic until golden brown, add the diced tomatoes and Oregano, let them heat together for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes and chipoltes. Salt and pepper lightly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 -30 minutes, let it get nice and reduced....then add the chicken and corn to heat through. About..10 minutes. Add the juice of the lime and removed the Chipoltes.

Spoon into bowls and top with cheese and tortilla strips!

SOOO Yummy!...And the soup usually has a nice Red color to it, so perfect for Christmas...haha...

Oatmeal Cookie Breakfast Bar - Holiday version

Similar to an Oatmeal Cookie...but I cut all the sugar in half and use a combination of whole wheat flour and white flour. I find that when I use all wheat they are a bit too dense...if you want to increase the sugar just double what I have listed here. For the Holidays I change up the "additions" a bit...I add more dried fruits ~ which basically means I just grab whatever is looking good to me at Trader Joe's that day!

2 sticks of Butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

*2tsp Benefiber* totally optional, but it works for us!

1 tsp cinnamon (I exclude this because I am allergic...)

3 cups oats (either quick cooking or old fashioned)

THEN, add...

1 cup walnuts

1 cup cranberries

1 cup dried apples (chopped)

OR:

1 cup almonds

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup dried cherries

OR:

ANY combination of dried fruits and nuts....it is that easy!

I use a regular size ice cream scoop and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. I use silpat sheets to prevent sticking and then store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers. They normally don't last long enough to go stale!

Enjoy!

Holiday cooking ~ Hayden Style

I am going to dedicate this month ~ and this blog to Christmas/Holiday cooking with recipes that are a bit lighter in the sugar department.

I will also offer a few FOOD gifts to go along with my Handmade Holiday pledge!

Fun and maybe not so Fattening!!

Lets start tomorrow with My Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Holiday version...

I will give you 3 Recipes a week...2 Holiday recipes and 1 Gift idea! Please feel free to share with me!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours...we have more blessings than the day can hold, and we hope that you do too!

Giving Thanks ~ Part 3

Today I want to show my gratitude to

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia ~ aka CHOP

Their reputation is amazing..you don't see commercials like you do for other Children's hospitals, but the work that they do for Children is AWESOME!

We have driven the 2.5 hour drive there countless times. I think I am now on autopilot when we go...but every time we are there, they make my child feel like he is #1 to them.

We live in the DC area, there are several hospitals well within a 45 minute drive. We bypass them and continue to Philadelphia.

Hayden has been going to the hospital for over 9 years now and when we head to CHOP he doesn't sweat it. He enjoys it there - as much as you can enjoy a hospital - and feels comfortable there. This is huge for a mom.

Today, I offer a BIG ~ HUGE ~ Heartfelt THANK YOU to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia!!

Giving Thanks ~ Part 2

I am not going to lie...I love a Double Cheeseburger, French Fries and a Diet coke from McDonald's....I know, it is NOT the best burger in town, but I do love one every once in a while.

More than that...I love their Ronald McDonald House! As I mentioned on my other blog, not all blessings come in sparkly packages or from joyous moments. Sometimes we have to find those blessings in the rubble.


This is one of those blessings. Please take a moment to check out their Facebook page or their website. You might be surprised by what you find.


If you feel so inclined...throw some extra change their way.

Giving Thanks

I am very Thankful for many reasons, but one in particular is that Hayden continues to grow and be strong and healthy.

90% of his maintenance is diet related. High protein, low carb diet...

Good food can be expensive! We are fortunate to be able to buy what we need, but not everyone is so fortunate!

There are people in our own country who can not afford to feed their families. Please take a moment to visit the Share Our Strength website to see how you can help. $1 can make a difference!

Give Thanks!