Tortilla Soup Easy Recipe

 

Tortilla Soup Easy Recipe - (Soups, Mexican Food)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 cups water

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can beef broth

1 (14 1//2 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (or may substitute 10 oz. can RoTel diced tomatoes and green chilies)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 (12 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (1/2 of 1 1/4 oz. envelope)

Tortilla chips, coarsely crushed (about 3 cups)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz.)

Directions:

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes, and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine water, beef and chicken broths, undrained tomatoes, onion, and green pepper. Bring to a boil, add chicken, and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add corn and taco seasoning. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

To serve, place crushed tortilla chips into each bowl. Ladle hot soup atop. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Thoughts On Tortilla Soup:

I don't know about you but I can eat soup all year around. It doesn't matter if it is hot outside I still like to eat soup, especially if it is great Tortilla Soup! I am a jalapeno lover so I like to add some fresh-cut raw jalapenos to my soup. If the jalapeno peppers are too hot for you then you can add some crushed red pepper. Where are my spicy friends? I know my last recipe was a Mexican dish but this falls into the soup category and I give myself a pass for posting it today.

Extra Information:

Did you know that tortilla soup was invented in Tlaxcala the Mexican state? Tortilla soups is a staple food for the Mexican people. Every family may make it just a little different but it is a sure thing you just may find some sort of tortilla soup in their house. You can learn more about tortilla soup by visiting Slurrp.

Quick Question:

Have you ever tasted tortilla soup? What do you think about the recipe I shared here? If you haven't tasted this Mexican soup I would like to encourage you, like always to give it a go and whip a pot of soup up. Another question for you. Did you see my last recipe? It is a Mexican recipe as well. You may like it. It is called Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas. It is a Mexican easy recipe you will love just as much as tortilla soup.

My Thoughts:

Here is a picture of a pepper plant my mother bought for me for my birthday. I thought you would enjoy seeing a picture of it. My daughter put it in a bucket and has been watering it. I can't remember the name of this pepper but it turns red when it is ripe and it has a smokey flavor to it. I wish it was an heirloom plant so I could save the seeds and grow more. They grow really big and I love them.

It has been a busy week so far. I am looking forward to the weekend to try some new recipes. I have a friend where I work who shared with me some taco chicken. I am still trying to get that secret recipe. It tasted super. I do know there is taco seasoning in the chicken but there is also other ingredients as well. I think recipes should be shared. I don't understand "secret" recipes that people do not want to share with others. I could understand if it was a donut chain or fried chicken empire but just a regular recipe that you cook at home should be shared with the world.

I think this is a good place in this recipe blog post to mention something that I heard and I can get your feedback on what you would do in that same situation. I was at an apartment complex and the neighbors upstairs were being very loud. I heard yelling and they had their windows open for everyone to hear. I know you might expect me to tell you I heard a couple fighting but that is not what I heard. I heard a mother yelling at her four year old daughter. It wasn't just once but it went on and on. It was hard for me to listen to. Some of the things I heard made me want to go knock on her door and ask if everything was ok. Actually if I am completely honest I wanted to go yell at the woman for yelling at her child like she did. I didn't do anything. I just left and thought about it a lot this evening. I felt so sad for that little girl. Kids should not be spoken to that way. What would you do in that situation? I know this is a serious topic to share in a recipe blog post but this is also my personal blog where I share things in my life. At any rate, I would love to hear from you about this recipe or anything else I write.

Thank you so much for reading! Have a super blessed day!

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie Easy Recipe

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie Easy Recipe - (Beef)

Ingredients:

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Bisquick reduced fat baking mix

1 cup skim milk

2 eggs

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Cook ground beef and onion until the meat is brown. Stir in salt. Spread on a pie plate, and sprinkle with cheese. Stir the remaining ingredients with a fork until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake for 25 minutes or until the knife inserted in the center comes clean.

Serves: 6 people

My Thoughts: (WARNING: This may sound like a gripe session but I am staying positive. Maybe you can relate to some of this.)

It has been a crazy week, and I need a slice of Impossible Cheeseburger Pie. My youngest daughter was not home Friday to meet the UPS guy who delivered her phone so it went back to the delivery center and will most likely be delivered Monday. Someone has to sign for the delivery. I was hoping she got her phone Friday because if you read my last post, I was worried someone would find my daughter's phone and keep it for their own use. That is exactly what happened. You would think people could be decent and return a very expensive technology device to the local phone store but nope. How disappointing. I know it is hard times for many people but I am of the opinion that people should live by the "Golden Rule" as much as possible.

I found out that someone found the phone because of the Find My app on my phone. I looked for my daughter's phone location and it did not show the location but a new phone number was in her spot. I texted the spot and explained that my daughter had lost her phone at the river and told them I would give a reward for them returning the phone. After a few minutes, I received a text back that said "Sorry wrong number" and I knew at that moment the person had found the phone put in a new SIM card, and was not going to return the phone. I didn't bother to text back.

My second daughter looked up the phone number on the Cash App and found the person's name. I looked up the person on Facebook and found a local person with that name. I didn't bother contacting them on Facebook because of the text they had sent me. I stopped by the local cellphone store and asked a store worker what I could do about my daughter's personal information on her phone. He told me to call my service provider and put in a lost/stolen report on the phone and then call Apple to help me wipe my daughter's phone clean so it would basically turn the phone into a "paperweight" and render the phone useless if they tried to use it with another service provider. That did make me feel better and I am going to do that for sure. I will keep you updated on that situation.

Then when I got home Friday night after work I didn't have Internet service at my house. It's a little personal to share but this is a personal blog after all so I will share what is going on. My wife and I have separated. (We are back together now, and saving our marriage.) It is sad but it happens in life. We have been married 32 years this October. We got married young. I hope that if she reads this post she isn't upset I shared it here. This blog is like therapy for me and it does help to write things out sometimes. There is an upside to the situation if you could say that. My wife and I are good friends in the situation and both of us are very nice to each other. Both of us agree that is the best thing to do and we do not point blame at each other. We are still figuring things out and going to file an uncontested divorce while we agree to share custody of our 16-year-old daughter. I shared that to explain my Internet service interruption. My wife rented an apartment and ordered a new Internet service account in her name for her apartment. The service provider said they could open her new account in her name but she already had an account in her name at our home. My wife was told that they would text me for verification purposes to have the home account in my name. I never received a text while I was at work so it wasn't set up. Hence, no Internet service at the house. I'm not mad at my wife. It wasn't her fault at all but I am a little discouraged at the Internet service provider and will let them know when I call Monday to set it up. I am staying positive and trying my best not to let things get to me.

After helping my wife move some things to her new apartment, I had to mow the yard. The mower started acting up and died a few times. Finally at the end of mowing, when I was close to being done, the mower died and I could not get it started again. It was getting dark so I just put it in neutral gear and pushed it to the backyard by the fire pit. What a weekend! I have been using my phone as a hot-spot to access the Internet so I am doing that while I write this post and streaming Netflix. My daughter is watching a good family movie that she really enjoys.

All in all, I am still very positive and grateful for all the blessings in my life. Can you relate to any of this? If you are going through a tough time right now, it is my nature to encourage you that things will get better. There are good times and bad times they say. Naturally, we don't like the bad times but I am of the opinion that we can make the bad times as good as possible by maintaining a good attitude and prayer.

Thoughts On Impossible Cheeseburger Pie Easy Recipe:

So where in the world did the Cheeseburger Pie recipe come from? The inventor of this delicious recipe goes by the name of Derek McNabb. He is the Rosebowl Cafe head baker. The original creation had two Agus beef patties. It had pickles, onions, mustard, and two types of cheese inside it.

Extra:

Can you freeze Impossible pie? The answer is YES and all you have to do is wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and place it in the freezer. When you are craving this tasty dish, just take it out and place it in the oven until it is warmed well. Also, if you missed my last post, you might enjoy it. It is called Texas Matador Casserole Easy Recipe. 

Quick Question:

Have you tried this recipe? Would you give it a try and mind sharing your experience and photo with me? I sure would love to hear from you. Whatever thoughts you have please feel free to share. Thank you so much for reading this recipe blog post. I appreciate you very much! Until next time, have a great day and enjoy this easy recipe.

Texas Matador Casserole Easy Recipe

 

Texas Matador Casserole Easy Recipe - (Beef)

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz.) pkg. dry egg noodles

2 lb. ground beef

3 tsp. salt

3 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. pepper

1 (16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

2 cloves minced garlic (can substitute refrigerated jar garlic)

1 small pkg. cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

6 to 8 green onions, chopped

1 cup. Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook noodles in boiling water and drain. Brown ground beef with salt, sugar, and pepper in skillet. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and garlic. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes over low heat. Add the noodles, sour cream, cream cheese, and green onions. Place in a large casserole dish and cover with grated cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with a green salad and French bread.

Serves 10 to 12 people.

My Thoughts:

I mentioned in my last post about my daughter losing her cell phone in the river and you might be happy to know that I bought her a new phone. I know kids these days spend too much time on their phones but my daughter is a great kid. She doesn't sneak out, do drugs, say bad words, smoke, or any other things that would be considered deviant behavior. Now, before you think I completely spoiled my daughter, I also want to add that I am having her pay for the phone herself.

She will more than likely pay for her phone by continuing to sell her baked goods at the Farmer's Market. Hopefully, I get to take her this week on Friday as long as I don't have to work. I usually have Fridays off if I work a 40-hour work week. The new phone I purchased for her is exactly like the old one she had but it is white. It is a used phone and my provider has let me finance it out over time. This works out for me and I am glad to do it. I purchased insurance on the phone should another incident like this happen again the phone will be replaced or fixed easily.

It has been hot here in Missouri and we have been in an excessive heat advisory. Where I work it is very hot and close to 100 degrees inside. Even with big fans blowing on us it still feels like a convection oven and sweating a lot is just a given. My home air conditioner went out and stopped cooling a couple days ago. The fan would still blow but it wouldn't cool. My step-father works for a heating and air company and has been in that business for many years. You might imagine who I called. It got up to almost 90 degrees in the house and we have lots of shade around my home. Two giant pin oak trees. One in the front of the house, and one in the back. The house is also surrounded by trees. It still got very hot in the house. That's how bad this heat advisory has been.

My stepfather did come while I was at work and fixed the unit. He said it was a blown capacitor. He said it is a common problem and they have to change those out like people change their underwear. He has a unique way of talking. He did say that to help prevent the capacitor from going out I could make sure the filter is changed regularly and keep the outdoor unit cleaned by spraying water from a hose into the unit cleaning out dirt and dust.

Since I worked on the second shift, he did all this while I was at work. When I got home the house was cool to normal. It was a very comfortable 72 degrees. Where do you keep your thermostat set?

Thoughts on Texas Matador Casserole

I'm not sure why this recipe is called Matador but I can tell you, if you don't already know, there is a Matador, Texas. Who knows, you might even be living in Matador, Texas while reading this. Matador is a small rural Texas town that is similar to the one I live in Missouri. They may have more horses than we do but I would guess we have as much cattle here in our area. You can learn more about Matador, Texas by reading this page.

Matador Casserole has egg noodles and beef and it is sure to fill you up. It is very creamy and has lots of cheese. I just love pasta and cheese.

Extra:

Do you know what the most famous food is that comes from Texas? If you guessed Texas Sheet Cake you are right. Texas sheet cake is super easy to make and I will probably share a great recipe here in the future. If you missed my last easy recipe on Chicken Kiev you can read about it here.

Quick Question:

Did you enjoy reading about Texas Matador Casserole? What about my situation with my daughter's cell phone? What is your favorite Texas recipe? I know I usually ask more than one question but I always have more than one to ask you. As always, if you have a recipe or a comment about this one, I would appreciate you for leaving a comment here. Thank you so much for reading and have a great day!

Chicken Kiev Easy Recipe - Chicken Dishes

 

Chicken Kiev Easy Recipe - (Chicken Dishes)

Ingredients:

8 pieces boneless chicken breasts
About 2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes
Parsley flakes

Breading:
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

Place chicken between plastic wrap and lightly flatten out. Put butter cubes, green onions, and parsley flakes in the middle of each piece of chicken. Fold in the sides and roll up.

To bread, mix egg and milk in a bowl, and place flour and bread crumbs in individual bowls. Dip chicken in flour, then egg mixture, and then bread crumbs. Let chill for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

To bake: Lightly brown in a skillet, then place in baking dish. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees or deep fry.

My Thoughts:

Before I get to writing about this wonderful Chicken Kiev Easy Recipe, I need to vent a little in this post. It has been a good weekend but also a bad weekend. I had the pleasure of attending my 30-year High School reunion and seeing former classmates. It really was a great time. Not everyone showed up but the ones that did, came with smiles, hugs, and handshakes. We got to talk about old times and tell stories of crazy things we did as kids.

The classmate who organized the reunion brought a VHS television to play an old VHS tape another classmate had made on the last day of school. It was so much fun to watch the video and to see all of us as young kids again. We all laughed together. There was a taco bar and drinks as well. Cookies and other party favors were provided. One classmate I didn't even recognize. Honestly, it seemed to me that everyone just gets better looking with age and I made a comment that we all age like fine wine. It was the first school reunion I had attended after 30 years. I didn't make it before because I was busy living out of state and raising kids. I should mention I was hesitant to attend past reunions because I didn't graduate with my class. I was a high school dropout and was embarrassed about it. I also didn't attend past reunions because I felt other classmates would not want to include me because of not graduating with them.

I did make up for not graduating with my classmates as far as education is concerned. I got my General Education Diploma in 1992 actually one year before my class graduated. Then in 2006, I began my online college education while being a full-time husband, dad, and employee. It was nice to feel included by the reunion invitation. School kids do grow up and become great adults. Those great adults do invite others to come to visit and talk about old times. It was really nice and I am grateful.

That was the good part of my weekend. Now I need to tell you about the bad part of my weekend. I had listed a Ford F150 camper shell on the Facebook Marketplace. I measured out the camper shell at 80 inches but had listed it as an 8-foot camper shell. It is actually a 6-foot camper shell. Someone contacted me interested in purchasing it. It was a 3-hour drive for the potential customer. I agreed to meet him halfway and drove over an hour. When he looked at the camper shell he discovered that it was actually a 6 1/2 foot camper shell. He was disappointed and I was too. Unfortunately, the sale was not made and I am sure he was saying some choice words about me on the drive home. I immediately changed the listing to the correct size of the camper shell. It was a lesson learned for me and one I do not intend on making again.

My teenage daughter asked if she could go on a float trip today with my second daughter and her coworkers. I agreed and they left out early on their trip. I had a gut feeling that my teenage daughter should leave her phone at home. I had visions of her dropping it in the water or on the river's edge. After some overthinking, I decided not to say anything about her phone. You can imagine what happened. I got a text towards the end of the day from my second daughter that her little sister had lost her phone. I thought to myself that I should've listened to my parental intuition and had her leave the phone at home after all. Turns out she had tipped her kayak over and her phone went over in the water. It was in a waterproof case but it was too late. She could not find it but managed to find her shoes that were off her feet.

I now must call the phone store and cancel service on her cell phone. My teenage daughter also came home looking like a lobster. She is red on her face, arms, and legs. She had sunscreen but I think she did not have enough on her skin. There was an excessive heat warning for the whole state of Missouri and she was out there over 10 hours. I feel like I dropped the ball on listening to my intuition. If you are a parent, have you ever experienced this? If you are not a parent, I can tell you that as a parent you blame yourself for everything bad that happens to your children no matter what. What is the lesson learned here? For my daughter, it was wearing more sunscreen and keeping better care of her phone. For me, it was doing a little more thinking and coaching her more on making sure those things negative that happened do not happen again in the future.

Thoughts On Chicken Kiev:

This Chicken Kiev Easy Recipe is super tasty and I am sure you will love it! What's the secret? In my opinion, it is the insane amount of butter along with parsley flakes, and onion. There is just something about the flavor. Not to mention the texture the breadcrumbs brings to your tastebuds. This chicken dish is thought to originate in the Ukraine but that is not accurate. It actually came from Paris. You can read more about this easy recipe from NPR's article on The Salt page.

Extra:

If you have cooked this easy recipe, as always I would love to hear from you and what you think of it. If you missed my last easy recipe post I would like to share it with you here. It is called Low-Fat Cinnamon Rolls and it is a sweet treat you will enjoy for cutting calories and still enjoying your favorite dessert.

Quick Question:

Do you consider my Chicken Kiev recipe an easy one to create? Do you think I could add another ingredient to make this dish more enjoyable? Please let me know your answer in the comment section of this post. Thanks again for visiting my easy recipe and please be sure to share with your friends.

The Reward You Receive When Your Child Learns

 

A while back, my youngest daughter Zoe asked me if she could sell her baked goods at the local farmers market. It impressed me that she wanted to do this. 

She is such a great little baker and I believe I have mentioned this in previous blog posts. I love to cook and taught her some things about cooking and how to make a recipe her own. I’m not much of a baker, but when she expressed an interest in baking, I told her to take what I taught her about cooking on top of the stove and apply it to baking. She has done this very well, and I have benefitted so much by watching her progress as a baker. I really love tasting her creations. Her cookies, cupcakes, and brownies, are super!

I knew that she didn’t know what would go into getting things together to sell at a farmer’s market, but I also knew it would be a great opportunity for her to learn. It is stressful for her to meet deadlines for the market and deadlines for orders for her baking as well.

I had to take the role of a manager and give her a push now and then, but she has proved true to her word. I told her that if she really wanted to do it that it would be a lot of work. I watched her work very hard baking all day and night while I got market supplies together for her. A tent, table, chairs, and other market supplies were necessary.

After a few markets and some money earned for her, we were able to reflect on our experience together. She expressed to me that it opened her mind. She said most people don’t know what goes into doing something like that. To hear her tell me what she’s learned so far touched me. She has gained a greater awareness. She had a preconceived idea of the market but to hear her share what she learned is a reward for me as a parent.

She had an idea, set a goal, and went to work. She has grown. Maybe I’m thinking too much about it. Maybe I’m not thinking enough.

As our conversation continued the comment concerning what we learned together made us ask another question. What are other future experiences we might have preconceived ideas about, and what else might we learn from our experiences? It questions the possibility of the unknown I think. 

We should stay open and wait to judge until we search and see. It wasn’t as easy as we thought and we learned more than we thought we would. My children are my teachers too. 

It may be a little trip into philosophy but well worth the journey.

Is there something in your life you are wondering about? What would it be like? You might be hesitant to see. There could be challenges. Think about your experiences. You made it through in the past. What did you learn? Your lessons are valuable. You’ve gained a greater consciousness having had those experiences. Some may be good and some may be bad.

As I mentioned, it is a great reward and one you deserve to have. I am writing about both a reward as a parent and the reward of being open to what is possible for you to try.

I hope this post is an encouragement for you. I would love to get your feedback on it. Please share anything and let me know what you think. Let's continue the conversation.

Here is a video on YouTube about staying open to learning new experiences.

Give Zoe a Like on her Facebook page! 

Navigating The Journey Of Parenthood

 

Have you ever seen a miracle?

If you are a loving parent then I know you have. I’ve been blessed with three beautiful daughters. I witnessed all three come into this world.

I have a birthday coming up. At this point in my life I must admit the past year has been one of the most difficult for me but at the same time one of the greatest. It’s too personal to tell here in a blog post but if you know me, maybe I’ll share with you what I’m thinking.

I remember brining each baby girl home. So tiny and precious. They were like angels and watching them sleep was like witnessing a miracle. Early mornings in the darkness I would sneak an eye into their bedroom and carefully study them to confirm their breath. I locked the door and went to my job.

Each day getting home from work I would be greeted by cute little smiles and hugs. I am a girl dad. It’s what I always wanted, was to have daughters. Of course if I had a son I would be so proud. Today I wish I did but I’m wouldn’t trade any of my three girls for a son. A son would be a delight too. To mentor and teach how to be a man. A better man than me. I have nephews and it’s been great watching them grow into young men. I try my best when I can to give encouragement and inspiration as an uncle. If I can’t have a son then a nephew is the next best thing.

No matter, girl or boy children are a joy. 

As a parent I’ve made many mistakes and learned valuable lessons. I’m still learning. As a young parent I thought I would be the one teaching them everything. I was so wrong. My children have taught me so much about myself and I will be learning more I’m sure as life for me continues. 

The mistakes I’ve made as a parent, I’ve apologized for. If I could go back I would do things a little differently as a parent. I think it’s possible all loving parents share that sentiment. 

I’ve watched my three daughters grow into incredible young ladies. I’m so proud. I still get on their nerves trying to guide them with advice sometimes they don’t like to hear. My loving convictions won’t let me be silent. Sometimes I have to say things to them because I love them so much.

It’s a great reward as a parent to have your children come to you later in life and tell you that you did a good job.

I’m proud to be a parent. It’s my prayer that they are always well and blessed. If they face difficult times I’ll always be there for them if I’m alive and able.

If you are a parent, I would love to read your comments on this subject. If you want to be a parent, I welcome your comments too. Some things about parenthood I haven’t mentioned here. Please feel free to share.

Finish this listening to this song below 👇 

Calum Scott - You Are The Reason Official Video

https://youtu.be/ShZ978fBl6Y

The video isn’t that good in my opinion but listen to the words.