Chicken Tortilla Soup Pioneer Woman Style

I luuuuuv tortilla soup.  And I luuuuuuv the Pioneer Woman.  So life really doesn't get any better than this  Pioneer Woman chicken tortilla soup.  It was so delicious.  Mhhh...  I've tried a few tortilla soup recipes in my lifetime and this is one of the best.  She was so right about the cornmeal.  It really distinguished this soup from all the others I've made.  Make this soup.  You won't regret it.

Don't forget to add your favorite toppings!  

Chicken Tortilla Soup Pioneer Woman Style
From The Pioneer Woman (of course!)

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
• ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.
2. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.
4. Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.
5. Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.
6. Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese.

Desert Botanical Garden

Having people come visit is the best because it is the perfect excuse to go explore.  We went to the Desert Botanical Garden with Grandma J yesterday and it was absolutely delightful.  The weather was beautiful, perfect for an outing like this.  We saw lots of exotic plants and a few animals including a huge gopher snake!  The wide and flat trails made our walk very enjoyable even with a stroller.  

My favorite part of the whole garden was the butterfly pavilion.  There must have been hundreds of butterflies in there!  Did you know that butterflies' favorite color is white?  Who would've guessed?  At least that's what the staff told us and I did see a butterfly land on a little girl's white flower headband.  A butterfly landed on the lens on my camera too!  Too bad I couldn't take a picture of that :)  It was very cool.  The pavilion is only a seasonal exhibition and is opened roughly from March to May so make sure to check their website for details if you're interested.  

And you know what made our whole expedition even better?  Our admission was free with a culture pass from our local library!  Thank you library for such a fun day under the Arizona sun!

Time to Show Off

It's time to show off some rolls.  Everywhere we go people tell me how big my baby is.  After all, his head was in the one hundredth percentile when he was born.  People say things like "You've got a big boy there!" or "What a chubby baby!" or "Look at those ROLLLLLS!!!"  Whenever I hear those words, I can't help but feel proud.  I am so proud of my baby boy.  I am so proud of his strong and healthy body.  I remember very vividly the moment the doctor with the thin face told me apathetically that the risk of my unborn baby having down syndrome had been changed from one in a hundred thousand to one in sixty-six thousand six hundred and sixty seven.  Thirty percent.  It was thirty percent more likely.  Scared would be a good word to describe my feelings that day but I had decided right there and then that I was going to love this baby no matter what.  Every ounce on that chubby baby boy comes not only from calories, but also from prayers, faith, and love.

Ethan having a blast at the pool with Grandma J.

Ethan in Highchair

So here is Ethan watching mommy work in the kitchen.  He is a pretty patient little guy only demanding the occasional attention and entertainment.  I've figured out that cooking with an eight-month-old requires lots of toys, finger foods, and some silly dancing in the kitchen.

Ohhh...  Have you ever had these Koka instant noodles?  Their spicy black pepper flavored noodles are so yummy!  The best thing is that they are non-fried noodles so they're healthier than your normal instant noodles.  When I saw this in our local Chinese market, I was literally jumping up and down in the isle.  But then again I was jumping up and down in almost every isle because our Chinese market is so awesome here.  Who would've guessed?

And I bet you've never seen anyone drink their water with such gusto.  I mean, just look at him.

New Mom Syndrome

This baby doesn't nap in his crib.  He likes to nap on our bed and I was perfectly fine with that until he acquired his newest skill of crawling over pillows.  Jake's colleague asked him the other day if we had dropped our baby yet.  No.  We have not and are not planning on dropping him anytime soon so we're trying to help him nap in his crib.  It's a work in progress...  

You know how some states are banning crib bumpers because of SIDS?  In all of the reading I've done before and after I got pregnant, no book has ever mentioned the real danger of these bumpers.  They are choking hazards.  Real story.  Ethan almost choked on those ties he is chewing on in the picture shown above (and below) but his legs get caught in between the railings when the bumpers are off.  And instead of calling for help this strong little boy just tries to roll his way out which not only doesn't get him out, but also threatens to break his leg in half.  Maybe I'm just being paranoid.  I fret over every little thing when it comes to my baby.  I'm worried that he won't learn to sleep in his crib and so he won't learn independence and so he will be unsuccessful in this culture that so highly values individualism and so his life will be ruined.  Do you get it?  It's called the New Mom Syndrome.

Ethan has recently learned how to drink from a sippy cup.  Thrice.  I was quite concerned the first time he had forgotten how to do it (after not being offered the sippy cup for a couple weeks) but then he showed me that he could figure it out and learn it all over again on his own.  So when he had forgotten how to drink from the sippy cup a second time (Bad mom?  I can explain.  I only offer him water and juice when he starts to get constipated.  TMI?), I found myself saying to him "It's okay.  Take your time."  As soon as those words came out of my mouth and into my ears, I was shocked.  Shocked at how laid back and relaxed I was.  I was shocked that I didn't fret.  Did I learn to be more patient over the course of a couple weeks?  I think not.  Instead, I knew that he will be able to do it in the end in his own due time.  It was a very good lesson for me.  I look at it as a remedy to my New Mom Syndrome.

April Favorites

I've decided to do a little monthly favorite series because it's always fun for me to find out what products other people enjoy.  So here's my favorite products from the month of April :)

1.  CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion.  Ethan was born with very sensitive skin.  I tried everything on him including Cetaphil, Aveeno, Vaseline, etc., but nothing worked until we finally decided to try CeraVe.  It worked magic on him.  His eczema totally cleared a couple days after we started putting this on him and the good news is that it stays away!  I started using this as my daily moisturizer as well and it has been wonderful for my skin.  It's a little pricey but having eczema-free baby cheeks is totally worth the price tag!

2.  Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel.  This shaving gel has a light almond scent and I personally find that very appealing.  It keeps my legs soft and smooth.  It's my favorite shaving gel/cream I've tried so far!

3.  Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Stain Pencil.  I stopped using colored products on my lips ever since I had mini man mostly because of his sensitive skin.  I kiss his little cheeks about 948 times a day and can you imagine how his skin would act up if it's covered in lip gloss all day long?  Plus, I just don't see myself re-applying lipstick every time I leave a smooch on my mini man's chubby cheeks.  But then this came in my Birchbox one month and I was in love!  The color that I have is Amused.  It's a very bright pink.  I don't usually wear such bright lips but it really brightened up my face and it stayed on my lips!  No transfer whatsoever :)

4.  Shiseido Majolica Majorca.  I've been using this mascara for years.  No matter what other mascaras I tried, I always come back to this.  It's great for Asian lashes.

5.  Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush.  I love this blush because it stays on my cheeks for hours.  I can actually see some color on my cheeks even after I step out of the house!  Some of the blushes I own fades away in minutes.  Geez!  The color I have is Blushing Bride and it's very natural looking.

6.  Nu Skin Sole Solution Foot Treatment.  I used to work at Nu Skin.  They have an employee store and I would grab a tube of this every month I go.  This stuff is amazing.  It feels amazing on my feet and keeps them moisturized all day long.  I never have cracked ankles even in the summer when I live in flip flops and I give all the credit to this foot treatment.  My personal feet massager (Jake that is) loves this stuff as well.  He can tell just by applying it on my feet that this is a wonderful product.  We have tried lots of other foot creams on the market but nothing comes close to the Sole Solution.  The sad story is that we just ran out of my last tube.  Sob.

7.  Bringing Up Bebe.  This is the book I'm currently reading.  I'm not very far in it yet but it has been fun.  Maybe I'll give you guys a full review after I finish.  We'll see!

Strawberry Feta Salad

Remember the garlic cheesy bread from last week?  This is what I served with it.  They go pretty well together.  The raspberry vinaigrette in this salad is delicious.  Unfortunately it is still not quite the season for strawberries yet so the strawberries we had were... well... not the best.  I guess those two years we spent in California really spoiled us!  We'll for sure make this again in a couple months when strawberries are in season.

Strawberry Feta Salad
from allrecipes.com

1 cup slivered almonds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 head romaine lettuce, torn

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the almonds, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, romaine lettuce, strawberries, and feta cheese. Cover with the dressing mixture, and toss to serve.

FaceTiming with Grandma

Hi!  My name is Ethan.  I'm eight months old and my life goal is to get an iPhone in my mouth.  Speaking of iPhones, have you ever heard of FaceTime?  It's really awesome stuff.  I have a grandma who lives in the iPhone, you see?  And I get to see her when we do FaceTime.  Sometimes she sings me songs and sometimes she makes funny noises.  Sometimes mommy lets me talk to grandma in the phone when she makes breakfast for me.  It's my favorite morning entertainment.  Do you have a grandma who lives in the iPhone too?