Chicken Taco Soup

A great way to bless your family is to make them a delicious dinner! A few months back, I found a recipe for Chicken Taco Soup and it was a hit with the family. Add that to the recipe box! You gotta love a new recipe that the entire family enjoys. I’ve talked to a few of you about it. It is a crock-pot recipe that goes together pretty quickly for those days when you’re not going to be home until dinner.



Start by gathering your ingredients. You'll need: 1 onion - chopped, 1 (16 oz) can chili beans, 1 (15 oz) can black beans, 1 (15 oz) can corn - drained, 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce, 1 (12 fluid oz) beer, 2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes - undrained, 1 (1.25 oz/4 Tbsp) pkg taco seasoning, 1 tsp. Garlic Powder, 3 whole boneless & skinless chicken breasts, Shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional), Sour Cream (optional), Crushed Tortilla Chips (optional), Sliced Black Olives (optional).



Place onion, chili & black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer (keep reading for a funny story!) & diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning & garlic powder & stir to blend. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the mixture & press down slightly until just covered. Set slow cooker to low heat, cover & cook for 5 hours. Remove chicken breasts from the soup & cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup & continue cooking for 2 hours.



You can serve it topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips & black olives. Yum!



Here’s something funny to squawk about! Recently, I was assembling this before taking the kids to school when my oldest came downstairs needing help with something. She saw me opening up the beer to add to the soup and said, “Mom, are you gonna drink that?!” First of all, I don’t like the smell or taste of beer so this was hilarious to me! Second, it was 8:00 in the morning! When I told her it was for the soup she said, “We can’t drink beer mom! We're too young. You’re putting that in the soup that we are going to eat!” I proceeded to tell her it was okay since the alcohol cooks out and it just adds flavor to the soup. Too funny!!



There can be days when attitudes are not good and you’re feeling unappreciated. Sometimes things are not “Sunny Side Up”. You know, the days when you’re thinking “LORD, GIVE ME THE PATIENCE TO CALM MY RUFFLED FEATHERS!” We all have those days. I know for me that if I'm not prepared for dinner, I feel like a fox has gotten into the hen house...feathers flying, hens cackling. You know the feeling! Give this recipe a try and add it to your recipe box so you're prepared at the dinner hour. Best of Cluck!

May 2009 Pictures

My, how time flies! I’m finally getting some pictures posted from last month. Friday was the last day of school for my girls and it has been a whirlwind of activities these last several weeks. I’m looking forward to some good ole fun and relaxation with my family this summer! We’ve got a camping trip coming up that we can’t wait for. It’s always good quality family time since you do not have the hustle and bustle of life.

Yesterday we put our Korean exchange student of 9+ months on a bus headed to Canada for a few days. She’ll return for one night in a hotel and then will be headed home to her family in Seoul. I’m sure her family is very excited to see their daughter. My how she has grown since she came to live with us! Her parents will be amazed at the young lady she’s turning into when they see her. Her English improved so much while she was here and she was an all A’s & B’s student at the last semester. Quite impressive! Her many hours of homework she put in paid off. We will miss Rosie’s smile around the home.

On to the pictures…Last month we took a trip to Seattle so Rosie could see some of the famous sites. First on the list was Pike’s Place Market. It was a gorgeous day for walking around Seattle! We walked the Market, ate some yummy food and showed Rosie the famous Fish Market. Then, we headed to the Seattle Center to walk around and show her the Space Needle. She really enjoyed that! To end the day, we hit the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner…Rosie’s favorite and we can’t complain!

We spent Mother’s Day at our home but my mom was home sick. We missed her! Last year I was sick in bed with a high fever for Mother’s Day. There must be something about this holiday! We just never have enough time when we get together as families! I guess we just need to get together more often. I picked up an apron for Kimberly for Mother’s Day and low and behold, I got an apron for Mother’s Day from my family as well!

The girls had their Spring Program’s. I posted a video of Katelynn’s performance last month. Madison had a speaking role in her program. She was totally in her element up there on stage performing! Imagine that!! Stay tuned soon for a video clip of her performance at her Talent Share from this month!

My sister and her family came and visited and the time with them went by so quickly! We jammed in as many events as possible. All my pictures are from our last day and evening together. It’s always the hardest day as we say our good-byes. We enjoyed our time together though!

Let me close with a prayer request for a family that goes to our church and school. The mother was just a few days out from delivering their baby boy, Jesse. It was evident the cause of his death, upon delivery, as the cord was knotted and wrapped tightly around him. Please pray for the Collins family, for peace and comfort as they handle their loss. Hug and love on those precious to you!

Tal & Acacia ~ New Upbeat Quirky Artists

I heard a song on the radio the other day that was really catchy. I spent a few days trying to figure out who sang the song when I finally heard it again on the radio and was able to write it down and google them. They are a sister duo called "Tal and Acacia". They have an album coming out this summer called "Wake me" and they are young, twenty-something, Christian ladies trying to make a difference with their music.


I was able to find a playlist on Imeem so you can listen to them. My favorite song is titled "Clearview" but check them out to find your favorite. The web address for Tal & Acacia is at http://talandacacia.com/ or you can look at their myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/talandacacia. They have been compared musically to such acts as Feist, Norah Jones, Imogen Heap and Sixpence None The Richer.

Life is finally on a downhill slope after LOTS of busy activities and school is out for summer for us! I will be getting some family photo's and some other things I've been meaning to post in the next few days. So, check back again soon! Enjoy your Saturday with some new great tunes!

P.S. Be sure to pause the blog music at right before playing Tal & Acacia's music. If you'd like to hear the entire songs, you can go to Imeem and hear them! http://www.imeem.com/talandacacia/playlist/gSPYLjnp/wake-me-music-playlist/

Wake Me