The Countdown

After today, I only have next Monday off (due to Memorial Day) and then the students return! The babies and I spent a very nice day together. I found time to make Chicken Tortilla soup (in the crock pot) with cornbread casserole for dinner. It was soooo good! After several recipe requests, I'll post it below for all those who are curious. It's a recipe Steve and I have tweaked every time I've made it. I think this version is the tastiest one yet. Steve's parents ended up staying for dinner and they made very nice guinea pigs.

Yesterday, we made an impromptu visit to my grandparents who we hadn't seen since Easter. They couldn't believe how much the babies had grown. We only stayed for 2 hrs or so but it was very nice to be together. It's hard when people live far away. The drive up and back was difficult with the babies. Steve installed their "big kid" car seats (not the carriers) which in hindsight wasn't a good idea since there were a lot of things we would've liked to adjust without such a long time in the car.

For one, we didn't have sunshades for the window. With their carriers, all we needed to do was pull down the cover to shield their eyes, but these car seats offered no protection. We also should have tipped the seats back more. The poor kiddos were essentially sitting completely upright which made it hard, if not impossible for them to fall asleep. Also, due to their size Steve and I could barely reach them when they needed something.

At one point, we had to pull over on the highway to adjust them and rig up a sun shield contraption with blankets. I also shut Steve's fingers in the car door by accident while he was leaning into car.

On return trip, Josiah cried the entire time. I spent most of the drive twisted around holding his hand and singing songs. Lilly cried for a little while and then dropped off into an uncomfortable sleep.

It was a long trip. Worth it, but all were very tired once we got home. I guess you just live and learn.

Here are pictures via phone and "big camera" of the last several days.

Visit with Great-grandpa and Great-grandma Prugh

Both babies wore socks for the first time yesterday. For whatever reason they woke up with cold feet. I couldn't help taking pictures because they looked so cute. Thank you to whoever got us these!!!

As requested:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Adapted from the allrecipes.com version

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Tortilla-Soup/Detail.aspx

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 8 hours

Serving: 8

Ingredients

1 ½-1 ¾ lbs of chicken

1 ½ can diced tomatoes

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion chopped medium to small

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of water

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cilantro (dried, not fresh)

pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1 bag of corn

1 can of black beans

Directions

1. Prepare chicken

a. Rough cut chicken into medium strips

b. Add pieces to a glass dish and season with ½- ¾ packet taco seasoning with a bit of water.

c. Sprinkle garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper over chicken to taste

d. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least a half hour

2. Add chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, chives, and green chilies, garlic. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and a bay leaf. Stir in cilantro, corn, and beans. (Basically all the other ingredients)

3. Cover and cook for 8 hours

4. Serve or garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, chives, tortilla chips, etc.

*I usually add an extra amount of each seasoning, just because we like things extra flavorful. I’ve made this several times and have changed something each time. Let me know if you have any questions; I’d be happy to help! If you want, check out the original website (URL address listed under the title) for their version and comments people have made on it.