monday musings

i'm on a new kick to declutter my home. seriously decluttering. i did this two years ago and it was the best feeling in the world to begin tossing things into the back of the truck to haul to the dump. i didn't throw everything away, no, i sorted through things and i had a weekend yard sale and donated all the money to world vision. it felt good.

this time i don't think i have the energy for a yard sale, but i am giving most of the things away. i have boxes of yarn packed up to mail to a friend in west virginia, and boxes of clothes packed up to mail to sisters and friends across the country. there is some furnitue to put out on the weekend with a "free" sign on it, and if no one takes it on saturday we'll take it to donate at the ministry outreach program in town. it feels good.

today i woke up and i knew what i needed to do. i had been putting it off for week, but i could no longer find other projects to occupy my time. it was time to steam and vacuum the carpets and wood floors. why do i put this off? i mean the floors looks beautiful when i finish and it's not that difficult to do them. i keep standing in the dining room looking out into the living room at the carpets and smile--the carpet looks so fresh and clean. i love a clean home (which isn't always how my home looks.)

we've been back from las vegas for a week today and mom seems to be doing better everyday. for a 90 year old woman, never sick a day in her life, having a stroke on the plane to las vegas and then 3 heart attacks at the hospital, well she's recovering amazingly well. god has blessed her this is for sure. her right hip is bothering her so that she can't walk very well and is using her walker, but i pleaded with her to stay off of it today and she did, so that tonight it is feeling much better. now if i can just get her to take it slow for a couple of more days so it can really heal up.

tonights dinner was "tortilla soup with cheese quesadillas". this tortilla soup is the best soup i have ever made. mr. roll loved it. mom loved it. i loved it. i even left my son a message to stop by and collect the leftovers so he could share in our love of this soup.

tortilla soup

soup ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
4 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped, 1 pasilla pepper seeded and chopped, and 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons creole seasoning (you can find this in the spice asile of your market)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
6 stale corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped, for garnish
5 green onions sliced, for garnish
Chipotle Crema, accompaniment (recipe follows)
soup directions:
in a dutch oven melt the butter on medium-high heat.
dd the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander, creole seasoning and stir for 5 minutes. add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. simmer for 20 minutes.
add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.
add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well.
continue to simmer on low until ready to serve.
tortilla strips:
heat the oil in a heavy pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F.
add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Season with the salt if desired (i don't.)

Ladle the soup into 4 or 6 serving bowls.
Garnish each serving with the diced avocado, sliced green onions, the fried tortilla strips, and Chipotle Crema.

chipotle crema:
1 cup sour cream
3 or more (depending on how spicy you like it) tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you can find this in a small can on the hispanic food section, of your market)
1/8 teaspoon salt
crema directions:
blend ingredients together in food processor on high speed until smooth.

i originally came by this recipe on the food network via emeril lagasse. through the years i have changed it up and spiced it up. it is the best soup and it's good any time of year.