Hello!
It has been a while since my last post and it is partly due to me going out of town to Virginia this past weekend! My best friend got married and I was honored to be a part of her wedding. Here she is below, isn’t she stunning? I love you GB, Mrs. Noell.
The wedding was awesome despite the unusually chilly weather! They had a food truck do all of the hors d’hoeuvres and it worked out perfectly. The wedding was outside, and the food truck was only steps away from the reception and able to replenish hot food right away. My favorites were the deviled eggs with candied bacon and fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese. I’m taking notes for my wedding! Also GB and her mom made the cupcakes for the dessert table, which are always amazing.
I was fortunate enough to have some time to spend with my family the next day. Sundays have always been family days. Ever since I was little we would go to church, go home and change into more casual clothes, and then drive straight to my Granny’s house. She would always have lunch for us, and no matter how many people came over, it always seemed to be enough. I looked forward to Sundays so much, I could barely keep still in the pew just thinking of what my Granny might be cooking that day. My favorites were spaghetti, pot roast, BBQ pulled pork with Jack Daniels sauce, and my absolute favorite, mashed potatoes with gravy. I still miss those days, and Sundays will forever be family days to me. This past Sunday was no exception. My mom’s family came over for some grub and fall festivities. My mom requested Chicken Tortilla Soup. I had never made it before, so I researched some recipes and gave it my best shot. It turned out pretty good! Great for chilly fall days.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
2 pounds chicken breasts
1 can corn
1 can hominy
1 can black beans
2 cans rotel tomatoes w/green chilies
1 large can whole plum tomatoes
2 packets taco seasoning
2 Tb chili powder
2 Tb cumin
garlic
2 onions
2 poblano peppers
For garnish- sour cream, cilantro, jalapeño and lime slices
tortilla chips, salsa, and shredded cheese
I sprinkled the cumin and chili powder over the chicken breasts and sautéed on each side until cooked all the way through. Dice the onions and peppers and sauté for 5 mins. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 more min. Then add the rest of your ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook for at least 15 minutes at a low simmer. When the chicken has cooled, shred it and add to simmering soup. Turn the soup off so you don’t overcook the chicken! Garnish as desired and Enjoy. I like my soup spicy but there were small children coming over so I didn’t add any jalapeños directly to the soup. You should if you like it spicy like me!
We also celebrated Fall and Halloween by making inspired holiday cocktails! We originally planned to make Ghost Martinis but my mom couldn’t find Godiva White Chocolate. So we settled for Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie Martinis!
There is a basic recipe I use, and you can interchange the flavored liquors, depending on your mood! Let the shaking begin!
It helps if you use a jigger to measure out for consistency, but you don’t have to! This recipe makes a quite substantial martini, so use a big glass. In fact I prefer to use a tall glass with ice, it helps with spillage!
2 oz vanilla vodka, or whipped cream vodka
1 oz vanilla Kahlua, or original
1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
2 oz flavored liquor (pumpkin pie, apple pie, white chocolate)
splash of 1/2 and 1/2
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake shake shake, and strain into your frosty glass.
Hope everyone is enjoying fall as much as I am!
Carrie
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