a recipe & a thank you

the last several days we have been blessed with gorgeous sunny weather,

a tease that spring is just around the corner.

i grabbed some herbs for the kitchen at my local grocery store

& they smell so fresh & fantastic.

i have rosemary planted just off my back porch

( that survived the septic tank saga!)

but until it's time to plant them i'm thoroughly enjoying these inside with me.

i was chopping some of the fragrant basil this afternoon

for our chicken tortilla soup & thought i'd share the recipe with you.

 a sweet friend brought this along with some homemade salsa years ago

& it's been a family favorite ever since.

i slice flour tortillas into thin strips, drizzle with evoo, sprinkle kosher salt,

broil for a few minutes, and then grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top,

& serve along side.

yumminess

~Chicken Tortilla Soup~

2 packages chicken tenderloins

1 can rotel tomatoes

1 can tomatoe puree

2 cans chicken broth or approx 28 oz broth

1 medium onion

2 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 small bag frozen corn

1 bay leaf

1 T cumin

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t basil

salt & pepper to taste

i cook the tenderloins with a little butter on top, minced onions and s/p for 45 min at 350.

my girls prefer the texture of small bites verses shredded but cut to your preference.

i then add my fresh garlic & seasonings and saute these in evoo.

then add chicken to broth & tomatoes and corn mixture.

bring to a boil

 simmer for 30 minutes

remove your bay leaf

& serve

also, instead of canned chicken broth i use 'better than bouillon'

a little high in sodium so take that in to account

ps, thank ya'll for the all the encouragement regarding the half.

i set out to run 9 yesterday but decided to go for 10 when one of my favorite songs came on.

it felt so great to get to that double digit milestone!

anyway,

ya'll are the best!

xo