Posts by admin:
-
cheddar cheese
-
sour cream
-
green onions
-
corn tortilla chips
-
sliced avocados
- 2 boneless uncooked chicken breasts, shredded
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1-16 ounce petite diced tomatoes
- 1-16 ounce tomato sauce
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1/2 yellow or white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons McCormick Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon McCormick red pepper (cayenne) pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon McCormick ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix
- 1 teaspoon McCormick whole Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon McCormick ground cumin
- 6 corn tortillas, cut in 8
- Corn tortilla chips
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sour cream
- Green onions
- 1 Avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
- 1-12-ounce Cacique Manchego cheese, divided in half and then cubed
- 6-ounces of Cacique Ranchero Queso Fresco, divided and then cubed
- 10-ounces Cacique Beef Chorizo
- 1 poblano pepper, roasted and chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, roasted and chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- Basil Pesto
- Tuscan Garden
- Roasted Red Pepper
- Olive Tapenade
- Roasted Pine Nut
- Chipotle
- Spinach and Artichoke
- Sun-Dried Tomato
- Jalapeno
- Supremely Spicy
- Luscious Lemon
- 2 cups fresh button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 low-carb pitas, sliced in half
- 1 tub Sabra olive tapenade hummus
- 1 cup chopped lettuce
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
Family Favorite: Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup #AmericanHomemade
June 11th, 2014
If you were to ask me today what meal was most memorable in my house growing up, I think it would be very hard because there were a lot of meals that were created on whims or that were simply delicious by themselves. Every time I go visit my mother she always asks me what favorite meal she could prepare for me. I usually tell her anything she makes will be delicious. I really am just happy whenever she cooks.
Well, now that I am running my own household, I always wonder if there will be that ONE meal that my family will ask me to cook or bake for them. I have a very opinionated 2 ½ year old that clearly lets me know how delicious mommy’s food is, which of course makes my day, but she nor my 14-month old cannot tell me what exactly is their favorite American Homemade meal. My husband on the other hand is the one who clearly lets me know.
If it were up to me I would be creating new dishes on a whim, like my mother, but my husband growing up had special dishes prepared on special occasions or on a specific night of the week. After the second year of marriage, I believe my husband started asking for specific meals I had created but not repeated. I was surprised he remembered but then I realized I had a meal that was memorable to at least someone! It was my Chicken Tortilla Soup that won my husband over especially since I did not make the typical broth-based soup but created a more thick stew that became really satisfying.
What continued to surprise me though was the fact that I had other family members asking me for the recipe, which usually never happens. I realized it was the dish I would share with friends and family on a long visit, or with friends who had a large family. I quickly realized that my simple creation for tortilla soup became immediate comfort food for not only my husband but also for others.
My tortilla soup is different than others because it is not broth-based but is tomato-based with chopped poblano peppers, onions, carrots, and corn kernels. The key to my thick tortilla soup is the corn tortillas added to the soup the last 20-25 minutes that it is cooking. It helps thicken the stew and really hearty with the shredded chicken and veggies. This dish is an example of something created quickly only to become a popular dish with my husband. Even though I am Mexican, I really did not grow up eating spicy foods but somehow adding the specific spices to my soup really helped me embrace my true spicy heritage.
Another process to this meal is the consuming of the soup. It is not just soup that seals the meal but the toppings that finish off this satisfying dish. Once the bowls are served, a variety of bowls are set in the center of the table consisting of the following:
I guess this meal would be more like a Mexican loaded potato with corn tortillas instead of the potato with the list of toppings I shared. It is quite amusing but I know it makes my husband happy and it makes me happy to receive compliments from others about their experience. I think that McCormick spices really do make this soup, especially the McCormick taco seasoning because it helps the soup come together because as you will see below, it contains many spices and once you take a bite, you will know why my husband requests it.
Since I like creating new recipes all the time, I decided to create a FlavorPrint profile on McCormick.com which is a new program that takes into account all the the flavors and tastes I prefer, and in turn provides me with recipes based on my palate that I can use any and every day. Sign up now to find recipes with flavorful foods you love, and the ones you’re about to love!
So, what is YOUR American Homemade Story? Tell me what meal best symbolizes the power of homemade cooking and why your family loves it. I would love to know!
Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 15-20min
Cook Time: 30-45 min
Ingredients (serves 4)
Toppings
Instructions
For a quick dinner, heat oil in medium soup pot and cook diced raw chicken.
Add onions, pepper, carrots, and garlic and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and all the spices, except tortillas, and boil for 15 minutes. Add tortillas and boil for another 15 more minutes until the tortillas break up and the soup has thickened.
Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and corn tortilla chips to crush in soup. Garnish soup with avocado slices.
Powered by Recipage
Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign through Kitchen Play with McCormick. All opinions and recipes are my own.
Sharing is Caring!
The Battle of Queso Fundidos #GoAuténtico #ad
June 10th, 2014This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Cacique. All opinions are my own.
Growing up in a multicultural home has proved to be very exciting for me now as an adult. I did not quite the benefits of it as I was growing up but I do not know if it is bad or good, but in my mid-30s I can safely say that I love being a halfsie. I actually was taught this term just recently but in reality it should not just be in the Urban dictionary, it should be an official word in the dictionary in my opinion.
Despite having a Mexican mother and a Chilean father, the language was still the same and the cuisine was just an array of dishes. My mother’s family all live in Mexico and and earlier in my life most of my father’s family lived close to us. When the big soccer season started in a specific foreign country, it was definitely understood that we would be rooting for Chile. All the time.
It was understood that the men in the family were all Chilean since the rest of the men in our family lived in Mexico. There was no real competition especially now since my father’s reminds me to watch Chile play whenever they compete. I decided it was high time to support Mexico as well!
When throwing a party for friends, I thought it would be cute to bring on the aspect of competition to the party crowd as they arrived. Being the hostess, I asked the guests to pick a country and decide what to wear to the party and what dish would represent the specific countries playing. Since Chile and Mexico would be playing (theoretically) of course, I present an appetizer or dish competing with each other mostly in color but not so much in flavors.
As I was creating my appetizers, I knew a dish I longed to make was a melted cheese appetizer that I always want to order but hardly ever do. In Mexico I have eaten the queso fundidos with roasted poblanos or lots of chorizo, but either way they are super tasty and pretty much a meal in my opinion.
I created two separate cheese dishes with the same base of ingredients using a combination of the Cacique Machego and Ranchero Queso Fresco. I roasted a poblano pepper and a red pepper and used those peppers for one dish to represent Mexico. My other roasted red pepper went all alone into another dish with a side of blue corn chips to represent the Chilean flag. I added some sauteed mushrooms to one and topped one of the dishes with some chorizo to complete my appetizers. Now which queso fundido would win?
Not only would there be a competition among guests guessing which country would win the soccer games, but there would be one between both appetizers.
Which one would you pick? Chile’s Mushroom Queso Fundido with roasted red peppers or Mexico’s Queso Fundido with roasted poblanos red peppers and chorizo? Share below!
The Battle of Queso Fundidos (2 recipes)
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 min
Ingredients (2 appetizers (for 6-8 people))
Instructions
Divide both cheeses and set aside. Cube both cheeses and place in two separate shallow dishes that are heat proof.
Turn oven on to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast all three peppers for 15-20 minutes on the second highest rack in the oven. The peppers should start roasting and look charred. Rotate peppers at the 7-10 minute mark. Leave the oven on.
Cook chorizo in a medium non-stick skillet for about 10-15 minutes until the chorizo is cooked. Try to remove as much of the excess oil in the pan with paper or spoon. Set aside. Add the sliced mushrooms to the same pan and cook with the little oil left from the chorizo for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Remove peppers from the oven and place in a ziplock bag to allow the peppers to sweat for 10 minutes. Remove peppers from the bag and remove the outer layer of the pepper with your hand or with a paper towel.
Remove the stem and the seeds from all the peppers and prepare to slice and chop. Add the chopped poblano pepper, red pepper, and chopped onions to one of the appetizer dishes and the second red pepper and some onions for the other dish.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the red pepper dish and place both appetizers in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.
Add the chorizo on top of the poblano and red pepper cheese dip and place on a plate decorated with white corn chips. Place the second cheese dip alongside some blue corn chips and dip away.
Powered by Recipage
Sharing is Caring!
Amazon Studios Original Series for Preschoolers: Tumble Leaf
June 6th, 2014I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Amazon Studios. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and promotional item to thank me for participating
Summer is making its headway and I am always looking for ideas for keeping my little ones busy especially with being a work-at-home mom. While I have lots of outdoor activities planned for my daughters I also like planning indoor activities for them. Truth be told, I like being at home all day without having to go out so it means I have to help my daughters stay entertained or teach them to entertain themselves for some of the day.
Lately we have been on the same rotation of watching the same video since my oldest daughter, who is two and a half years old, loves everything princess. Even though I might not be in the same room I do not like having my kids listen and watch the SAME video always. Several months ago I had someone introduce a video on a streaming service that was a penguin that hardly made sounds and my toddler started talking like a baby. NO! When I seek for shows I know they have to either be educational or at least fun in an understandable way in the eyes of a growing toddler.
In comes Amazon Studios which, as you can expect, is an Amazon entity developed in 2010 that strives to develop feature films and episodic series in a new way that are all available on Amazon Prime Instant Video. It is open to great ideas from creators and audiences from all over the world. They actually have recognized and talented writers and filmmakers in the US, China, Canada, the UK, Zimbabwe, and many more countries.
On May 23rd Amazon Studios debuted their first original series gear preschool-aged children called Tumble Leaf. Like all of Amazon’s children’s programs, is designed to develop creative thinking in children through play. Children often learn life’s most valuable lessons from the television series they watch. From learning to count, to understanding the importance of friendship, these teachings prove crucial as children develop into young adults. With the release of this new series, Amazon Studios aims to inspire lifelong learners and provide skills key to personal and professional satisfaction as children grow up.
Each episode of Tumble Leaf follows Fig, a blue fox who lives in a shipwrecked schooner ship by the sea and his best friend “Stick,” a caterpillar who lives in a tiny basket strapped to Fig’s forearm, as they discover adventure, friendship, and love around every bend.
At the start of each day, Fig and Stick are eager to play and discover new things about his world, with his eyes, ears, mind and heart open to inspiration. By playing with an object that he finds in his “finding place” in each episode, he learns about science, critical thinking and the world around him.
My toddler loved watching this series and we have definitely decided to keep watching. Julianne has loved learned even more about flashlights and about being scared and in the first episode it helped her recognize how it works and how to use one. There is so much color in the episodes and the animation is really unique.
The show also just recently launched a free Android app featuring six games inspired by objects and activities from the show. Feel free to download the APP here —–> http://amzn.to/1vTdTzU
Sharing is Caring!
Bumbo Floor and Booster Seat {Review + Giveaway}
June 3rd, 2014Disclosure: I was sent a Bumbo Booster Seat to review. All opinions are my own.
I officially have come to terms that my two girls are not exactly babies any more. In one sense my 16-month old is still a baby, but she is not crawling or not mobile. She is walking and running and trying to catch up with her 2 1/2 year old sister. It truly is never a dull moment around here.
As I look through old photos I realize the amazing array of baby products in the market right now. One of them is the Bumbo. It helped both my girls sit up and play with toys while mommy was able to get some stuff done. It gave my girls a different perspective of the room they were in as opposed to being on their backs or tummies all the time.
The Bumbo seat was also wonderful because I could engage my daughters’ attention especially since their neck was more stable. I loved having the tray table because I could hand some new small foods for their small hands to handle. I made sure the seat stayed on the floor as the company specifies and had secured the three-point harness. The newest Bumbo floor seat comes in Magenta and is available at Target or on Target.com for $39.99.
One of the newest facts I learned recently about Bumbo is that they give a portion of their profits to help children in need through the Bumbo Cares Program based in Pretoria, South Africa. How awesome is that?
Now that my girls are active toddlers I have been able to transition them to the Bumbo Booster seat that has worked perfectly with our dining chairs. It is ideal for meal time and play time, especially since my youngest loves doing exactly what my oldest is doing while sitting at the table.
The Booster seat is light-weight and super easy to clean and it also has a three point harness and adjustable straps to attach to our chair. She is safe and secure.
I have a giveaway available for any new moms or those who know of friend’s with babies on the way. I have partnered up with Bumbo to giveaway ONE Bumbo Floor Seat to one US reader. Enter below! Each household is only eligible to win 3 TOMY product prize packages, via blog reviews and giveaways, each calendar year. Only one entrant per household pergiveaway. If you have won the same product prize package on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
Have you used the Bumbo seat or Booster yet? What is your prized baby product at the moment?
The Bumbo Floor Seat should not be used until your baby can support her head. To avoid serious injury from falls and other hazards, always follow these basic safety guidelines when using the Bumbo Floor Seat:
1. Always use with the restraint belt.
2. Only use the Bumbo Seat on floor or level ground surface.
3. Never use on raised surfaces.
4. Always stay with and watch your baby during use.
5. Never use the Bumbo Seat in or near water.
Sharing is Caring!
Sautéed Mushrooms and Hummus Stuffed Pitas + Giveaway
June 2nd, 2014Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Sabra. All hummus samples were received in order to enjoy and create my recipes. All opinions are my own.
I’m a hummus addict. Anyone else? I simply cannot get enough and sometimes, my 2 1/2 year old is the same although she started eating it at 8 months and has taken a break from it a month ago. I, on the other hand, can very easily eat a tub of hummus with a side of carrots or pretzels. If my purse had a cold pak, I could probably transport it anywhere and everywhere I went because, it would be the perfect protein on those busy hard days with the kiddos.
If you live in Philly, the Sabra Food Truck is in town and has been in town since May 14th. I have been keeping tabs on the #DipLifeToTheFullest on Instagram and Twitter just to keep tabs on @Sabratour since the truck will only be in town until June 23rd!
I have been eating Sabra hummus for a while now, but what I realized is that I had not tasted a lot of the hummus flavors they now offer. You might feel the same way, but I tend to be a creature of habit because if I simply enjoy a 1-2 flavors of a certain product I forget about the other flavors and make those my favorite as I have done with the Original hummus and Garlic hummus.So delicious and creamy. Here are a few other flavors Sabra hummus makes:
I could not get a hold at how delicious these other flavors were. The Sin-Dried Tomato Hummus tasted like pizza and the Basil Pesto was great in warm pasta. Spinach and Artichoke is great as a dip but super fantastic as hummus.
It was very easy making lunches with my hummus using large flour tortillas. I would load each tortilla with lots of fresh vegetables and some cheese and it would make for a very filling lunch and quick in preparation.
Sautéed Mushrooms and Hummus Stuffed Pitas
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Ingredients (4 half pitas (2 people))
Instructions
Cooking mushroom mixture
Heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat and add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and cook for 7 minutes. Add minced garlic, salt and pepper and some oregano. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the mushroom liquid has evaporated. They are almost pan-fried.
Assembly
To each pita half add one 1-2 Tablespoons of hummus to each side of the pita. Add about 1/4 to a 1/3 cup mushroom mixture to each half. Then follow with 2 slices of tomato and some shredded lettuce. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Repeat with the rest of the pita slices.
Powered by Recipage
Another meal I made for breakfast and lunch was a filling and super healthy stuffed pita. I sauteed some button mushrooms in olive oil, garlic and onions, and allowed them to cook down until the moisture evaporated. I took a low-carb pita, and layered some Olive Tapenade Hummus or Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus and added sliced fresh tomatoes, lettuce and feta cheese and boom, my meal was ready to devoured. Easy and so delicious for a vegetarian meal too!
Want a chance to try some Sabra hummus? THREE winners will be chosen to receive TWO coupons for free product. Enter below! US readers only.
