This yummy soup is perfect for a chilly January day such as today, and it's super easy too! The warmth and spice will warm you from the inside out.
First I boiled some boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders this morning in a large pot for about 5-7 minutes. Then took them out of the water and set aside while I rinsed out the pot and began to add the ingredients for the soup back into the same pot (why dirty another dish?). Then while step 1 was heating I shredded about 6 or 7 chicken tenders by simply using two forks to pull apart the meat. I test-tasted the soup after I added the chicken and thought it was much spicier than I had anticipated, so after dishing up my portion I decided to add a generous dollop of sour cream. I am glad I did. It was perfectly spiced and the sour cream adds a nice smoothness to the soup. YUM!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
2 cans (10oz each) RoTel mexican diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro, undrained
1 can (16oz) Rosarita no fat green chili and lime refried beans
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2 cans (14oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Fried corn tortillas or chips
shredded cheese, optional
sour cream, optional
Directions:
1) Place undrained tomatoes, beans, corn and broth in medium saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2) Add chicken; heat until hot. Serve topped with tortilla strips, cheese and sour cream if desired.
Makes 6 servings! (so who wants to come over and help me eat it?) :)
(Recipe courtesy of the can of Rosarita refried beans)
As Thanksgiving day quickly approaches I wanted to let you know just how grateful I am for each and every one of you who has played a part in allowing me the opportunity to go to Haiti, and to update you on my experiences there. Some of you gave financially, some of you supported me in prayer, some of you gave me the time off of work, and some of you picked up the slack and worked extra while I was away. In your own way you have blessed me so much, for it was because of you and your gift that all of this was made possible. When you gave, you became part of our team and helped us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to bring hope and love to those in need.
I have struggled these last couple of months with how to put into words such an overwhelming week full of emotions and experiences. How do I portray a true sense of what it was like and what we did and not write a ten page letter? My answer in part: a slide show.
The following video is my hand made dvd slideshow full of photos that I hope will give you a clearer idea of what it’s like in Haiti, and what we experienced. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so this might just be a billion worth. Still, I don’t think any photo could adequately portray the stories told, or the lives changed, or the sounds and smells. But if you’d like a more full-effect while viewing this, take a weeks worth of rotting trash and sewage into a 90-plus degree sauna and sit there until you’re dripping sweat. Then throw in a swarm of mosquitos, 3 inch cockroaches and some dust and you might be close. As disgusting as that sounds, I miss Haiti. I would absolutely go back in a heartbeat. Why? Because what I saw was heartbreakingly beautiful. Because of the people, and because they need so much. Because they are beautiful and have blessed my life more than I feel I blessed theirs. Because a piece of my heart is still there. And most importantly, because God is at work there, among the people.
Created using iPhoto**
Everywhere we looked there is destruction and devastation, but we also saw beauty. There is much despair but we also experienced and heard stories of hope. Every single person has experienced grief and loss, yet we caught glimpses of joy.
Each day we spent in Haiti was full of service projects: We cleared a tent-city block full of the worst kind of garbage imaginable and leveled it for future homes. We built benches, cleaned and painted the interior of a future hospital, treated the sick and injured in a small and limited medical clinic, played soccer and jump rope with the orphan boys and girls, and fed hundreds and hundreds of children. More importantly we took time to build relationships with the people and involved them in everything we did.
It was evident from the beginning that these people who had absolutely nothing were giving to us so much more than we could give them. It was in the widow that gave every one of our 28 member team a hug and kiss as we entered her home.
Photo Courtesy of Bob Craddock.
It was in the guards that spent night and day, 24/7 watching over our team and belongings. It was in Pierre, an 8 year old boy who gave me a perfectly drawn flower on crisp, white paper while I picked up the dirtiest, most foul trash imaginable.
Fleur by Pierre.
It was in a sweet, shy 10 year old orphan girl named Regina who offered to share her candy with me even as we had just given it to her as a special treat and how she gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek when it was time to leave.
Me and Regina.
It was in a 12 year old boy named Simon asking if I knew Jesus and if I loved him and saying to me, “May the Lord bless you”, while he waited patiently for a bowl of rice, possibly his only meal for the day. It was in the way three ladies assisted in washing my hands and cleaning flour off my clothes after preparing fish for The Lord’s Kitchen feeding program.
And through it all God was showing me that it’s not about me or what I can do. For it’s abundantly clear that the massive brokenness and devastation of Haiti is far beyond what any human effort could solve. That being said, it is easy to lose heart and despair over the realities of what are the worst conditions in the world. But God reminds us in Ephesians 3:20 that He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. God has a plan for this country, and I believe He is using this devastation to change the hearts and minds of its people. And God has changed my heart in the process as well. Through His grace He continues to break my heart for the things that break His, and open my eyes to see people through His eyes. He is re-sensitizing me to the things that matter, the things He hates, and the things and people He loves.
I am so thankful for that. And I am so thankful for each and every member of my team. We went in as strangers and returned as a family of brothers and sisters united by a shared experience and love of Jesus and his children. Each one of us certainly met the least of these, as Jesus speaks of in Matthew 25:35-40, while in Haiti, and my heart was strengthened and made glad by how I saw our team pour love into these hurting peoples lives.
And so with a grateful and changed heart I say “Mesi” (Thank You)! Thank You for supporting me. Thank you for what you gave. You have made all of this possible and I am blessed because of it.
Thank You.
Grace and Peace,
Christin
PS: God’s plans are continuing to play out in Haiti through organizations like Forward Edge International, and the Jeune family of Grace International at Grace Village who are in it for the long term. Please keep them and Haiti in prayer. To find out how you can continue to support their efforts visit http://www.forwardedge.org./
**Special Thanks to Rayna and Josh Cleland for their help with the slide show. Check out their own blogs listed in my friends links.
I promise, an update is coming soon. Very soon. Life and my two jobs have caught up with me, but now I am catching up with you. Just you wait (a tiny bit longer).
Alright. My eyes are burning. It's sunny outside, yet it is hailing. The daffodils and trees are blooming. These things can mean only one thing in Oregon: Spring is quickly approaching! And darned if that doesn't make me gaze longingly into my closet and wish for springy clothes (and warm weather to wear them in). But it's SO cold still. Tonight it is even attempting to snow! CRAZY!!
But thankfully I found this fun little "game" at Macy's.com. It's called the Macy's Fashion Director Daily Fashion Challenge Contest (how's that for a mouthful?). It lets you pick your outfits right down to the fragrance you'd wear with it. How cool is that? It has curbed my urge to shop (for now), and that is fine with me, because saving money is high on the To-Do list these days. However, should you find it within yourself the goodness to help me win a little shopping spree, I won't stop you. In fact, by all means, PLEASE do! I'll even be so kind as to provide you with a direct link to my handpicked outfit so that you can vote for it.
The daily challenge was to choose an outfit that I would wear on a blind date. And I totally would too! Now all I need is a date!! I titled it "Code Blue". Partly for the fabulous blue cascading cardigan, and partly for the fragrance Armani Code. But upon further reflection, I think the name suits a blind date. It could go one of two ways: either your heart stops because your date is a drop-dead hottie; OR, your date is so horrific that you'll need electric shock therapy to recover from the ordeal.
But you can be sure of one thing: if you vote for my outfit, and I win, I promise to buy you something. So what are you waiting for? Go Vote!!
If you took a plain boring skirt and a plain boring tie and put them together what would you get? Well, let's do some math.
Here's the equation:
While wandering around my local Goodwill the other day I found both of these items and thought, "Hmmm, I bet these could look really cool together." And so I was inspired to sew a few "extras" onto this otherwise boring skirt. First off I trimmed the hemline up to just below my knees. Then with that scrap of fabric I was able to insert a couple of pleats.
After the pleats were done I then prepared the tie by cutting two appropriate lengths (one for the front and one for the back). Then I removed just enough of the backing of the tie to eliminate adding bulk to the skirt.
Once I had that done I simply pinned each tie piece to the skirt and topstitched them down.
Here is the finished skirt front:
And here is the finished skirt back:
The result is pretty much what I had envisioned while wandering the aisles of Goodwill. I was hoping it would have a somewhat "vintage" feel, almost 40s or 50s, and I think it does.
Yesterday I baked a pineapple upside-down cake, actually two of them. I cannot remember the last time I made one of these cakes, if ever. The whole process was actually a lot simpler than I had imagined. Because, well let's be honest, who really bakes a cake from scratch anymore? So I thought I was in for a ton of work. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!
I used this recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook and only noticed the suggestions after I was done. I thought it was quite appropriate given that I had already taken that liberty. So, maybe I am a true "artist".
So I started by melting the butter in the baking dish. Oh, the aroma of melted butter, mmm, need I say more?
Then I practiced my pineapple arranging skills before placing them in the dish just to make sure the picture I had in my head would actually work. And mostly because I was intending the finished designed to come out legible so I had to create it backwards so that after the "flip" it would read "30" and NOT "0E".
After sprinkling in the brown sugar over the melted butter, in goes the pineapple. Then mix up the batter and,...
Pour it over the pineapple and bake it. After it's done, immediately flip it onto a plate. I did learn a few lessons while creating this:
1) always, ALWAYS check to make sure you have ALL of the ingredients on hand (even if you did the day before). I ran out of sugar and ended up using about 1/4 cup of powered sugar to have enough.
2) I should have used a larger platter when flipping it over. It gets very syrup-ey (let's just say my sister was not too happy because she had just mopped, but my dog enjoyed it!)
Here's what the finished cake looked like.
And 3) the pineapple doesn't stand out against the cake as much as I envisioned and I should have used more pieces of it. But, mmm does it taste good! It's caramelly and gooey and sweet and yummy. I enjoyed it!
It's the Super Colossal Crafty Wonderland Holiday Sale! And yes, they mean colossal.
I had been anticipating this event for months now. I made sure to clear my calendar for that day. I was even planning on volunteering to help out until I came down with a very awful cold (which is still lingering, sniff, sniff). On the advice of my sister (God bless her) I bowed out of that role, and opted to merely attend. I was not about to let a few sneezes and sniffles keep me from this mecca of handcrafted goodness! So I mustered up every ounce of energy I had left in me, took the maximum dosages of dayquil, stuffed my pockets full of kleenex, pulled on my boots and headed out with my sister for a day full of unique and adorable craft shopping.
The message you are about to read is only a test. Testing. Testing. This test is to confirm to everyone and myself that I am still here, and this still works...Testing, Testing...
I decided it was appropriate to make an Oregon State Beaver inspired coffee sleeve. You see, as just about all Oregonians know, this week marks the 113th Civil War game between Oregon State University (GO BEAVS!!!) and University of Oregon. Hmmm, is it hard to tell which side I am on?
This is THE game of ALL games for these two teams this season. It's the Civil War for the Roses, baby! The winner of this game will go to the Rose Bowl. It has never before in the history of these civil war games that "both teams have entered the game with the "winner take all" scenario", as detailed by OSU Beaver Athletics.
So with much enthusiasm, spunk, and team spirit, I made a stunning orange and black coffee sleeve. With hand cut letters of felt on two layers of (wait for it...) more felt that spell "GO BEAVS", any OSU fan would be proud to hold this cup of coffee!
Not long ago, I received a big bag of felt from my Grandpa's belongings. To say he was an avid quilter would be putting it lightly, but that's another story. He had an enormous amount of fabric that he had collected over the years. I aquired only a small amount of what he had and still my closet is overflowing. So every now and then I would take out this bag of felt, look over the contents and ponder what sort of things to create with it. Then I would get distracted with some other project and pack it all back in again. Needless to say it has been sitting in my closet for months and finally I decided on what to make with it: A Reusable Coffee Sleeve.
You see, I work in a coffee shop (ahem, starbucks), and on a daily basis we probably go through hundreds of the cardboard coffee sleeves. While those are recyclable and made from recycled material, when you add up all the other stores around the world, that's probably more like millions (maybe even billions) of those cardboard sleeves eventually getting tossed into the trash. That's a lot of waste! So why not have your own reusable coffee sleeve that keeps those things out of the landfills and also adds a personal touch to your daily brew?
They are simple and easy to make. In fact, I used the cardboard sleeve as a template for the basic pattern. It ensures a snug fit that will accomodate almost all sizes of cups. Once you have that, you can embellish as you please. You can hand stitch it together, as I did the one pictured here, or you can machine stitch (examples to be posted soon).
Unless you have really thick felt, I recommend using two layers. That will give extra insulation from the heat of the coffee, and an added bonus is you can mix and match the colors to create a really cool design. You can embroider designs or add other layers of felt to make it your own. Even beads or buttons or other appliques would be cute. For this one I embroidered my coworkers' name onto a small piece of felt and then stitched it onto the outer layer. Then I used a blanket stitch to attach the two layers. If you plan to stitch on your personalized art, do so before attaching the two layers together. That way the stitches won't show through to the inside fabric. Have fun and happy sipping!
What is it about the onset of Autumn that urges me to stitch and sew? Is is the vibrant fall colors? Or perhaps the crisp morning air and how the sunlight creates such a contrast against the gray far off clouds? Maybe the reality of it is in fact that I haven't done a darn creative thing all summer long! And now, I am itchin' to get stitchin'!!!
So about two months ago I made this apron. I found the white floral fabric at Goodwill (it was formerly an embroidered tablecloth). The blue fabric is what was leftover after I shortened a bridesmaids dress that I wore this summer (yeah, I am not tall, so I had a good 4-5 inches to work with. that's one of the bonus of being petite!). And the yellow is an inexpensive cotton purchased with a coupon at JoAnn's. The pattern I used was one I downloaded for free at www.bhg.com. All total this probably cost $3.50 in materials. If you'd like to make one yourself you can find the pattern here: http://www.bhg.com/crafts/sewing/accessories/easy-retro-apron/
If you're not into sewing or don't have the time, I can make one for you. Just email me. Or look for some to be for sale very shortly at my etsy shop.
We found this drab-looking old light fixture at the Rebuilding Center in North Portland (a great place to "treasure-hunt" for house parts) for only $10 bucks! Check out how it turned out after I gave it a little love...
Before
Before
During
After cleaning it up and adding a couple coats of paint I think it looks like a brand new light that you would find at Rejuvenation.
After
I think I put it back correctly, but I am not too sure. It took me several tries to finally get the parts to stay together.
It's Spring!!! Finally, winter is over, if only the cold and the rain would go away...but while I've been dreaming of warmer days to come, I guess my paintings have followed that theme too. These are just a few of what I've been working on for the last three months. And coming up next month (I'm so excited!) I get to display them in public!!! Dare I say an Art Show? I will keep you updated with more info on a First Thursday event, so all my friends and family can join me to celebrate! Cheers for now! (Enjoy this mini show).
Well, sort of, a new "addition". While doing some after-Christmas shopping, I bought a mannequin! I am very excited about the possibilities and uses of her (sewing helper, photo shoot model, dog sitter, and HOV lane passenger, etc.) But now I think she needs a name and I'd like your help....Please see my poll and vote on your favorite (or if you have a better suggestion, just add a comment and I'll consider adding it to the list).
A pretty pink apron lets you feel and look fabulous while doing chores or entertaining.
Brand New Ribbon Belt Designs
Warm brown background compliments gold and white mosaic wave pattern.
Fabulous double-sided ribbon with dark brown and white ginkgo leaf designs.
Concentric circles of pink, orange, and brown on an olive green background, backed with a coordinating burgundy ribbon.
Pretty pink paisly designs dress up a dark brown ribbon.
Bright and mod, this olive green belt with cirlces of dots makes a statement.
A Sampling of New Clutch Bag Designs:
Black and white toile designs give a classic yet country feel to this clutch style bag. Large and small sizes give you options (a medium size is in the works).
Backside has a strap the doubles as a handle (large size shown).
Look for these items and more to soon be for sale in my Etsy shop.
I had been anticipating this event for months now. I made sure to clear my calendar for that day. I was even planning on volunteering to help out until I came down with a very awful cold (which is still lingering, sniff, sniff). On the advice of my sister (God bless her) I bowed out of that role, and opted to merely attend. I was not about to let a few sneezes and sniffles keep me from this mecca of handcrafted goodness! So I mustered up every ounce of energy I had left in me, took the maximum dosages of dayquil, stuffed my pockets full of kleenex, pulled on my boots and headed out with my sister for a day full of unique and adorable craft shopping.
