Spicy Chicken Soup Recipe

Recently, on my Annual Fall-To-Do List, I said that I wanted to find wonderful soup recipes.  Here is a great one I found. Yum!!

Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 5 cubes chicken bouillon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.

This makes ALOT of soup.  My husband isn’t really a soup person but even he said it tastes really, really good.

Superheroes and A Clown

My little girl loves superheroes.  She is constantly saying she is a superhero.  She wears blankets as capes around the house, often.

So for Halloween, she is being supergirl! She’s very excited and has played dress up with her costume several times already. 

For our church trunk-or-treat, I threw together a costume in 5 minutes-quite literally 5 minutes before it was to start.  I rummaged through my daughter’s dress-up trunk and found she had some green clown-like hair.  In the hair I added feathers, bows, and put a cat hat she has to top it off.  Then, I took a shiny banner and tied it into a bow.  I have a tie-die dress and safety pinned pom-poms to it.  I added a shirt that clashed with the dress.  Then, I wore a pair of my husband’s shoes.  He wears a size 13, so they looked like clown shoes on me.  Then, I added a bit of makeup.  I was doing it fast and didn’t have time to outline it.  I was trying to look funny but some of the kids seemed scared of me…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Pumpkin Rocks

On my Annual Fall T0-Do List one of the things I wanted to do was to paint pumpkin rocks.  This is so easy to do and your kids will love it! Simply find some round rocks in your yard, paint them orange, and then add green tops!

 

Very Good Apple Pie Recipe and Pumpkin Latte Recipe

For those of you that follow my blog, recently I had my Annual Fall To-Do List.  Two items that I wanted to accomplish on my list were to make pumpkin latte and to find a really good apple pie recipe.  I accomplished both of these items last night.

Here is a picture of Zhana trying the pumpkin pie latte.  I don’t make a habit of giving my child caffeine, but did let her have this little special treat.  I got this recipe from A Year of Slowcooking. 

Pumpkin Pie Latte Recipe

--2 cups milk

--2 T canned pumpkin
--2 T white sugar
--2 T vanilla (not a typo. it asks for tablespoons)
--1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
OR: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and a teeny tiny pinch of ground ginger
--1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
--garnish with whipped cream (optional)
This recipe only makes enough for two people.  I tripled the recipe.
Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours if everything is cold. Whisk again.
Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and additional cinnamon. This is a keeper for sure and will become a family tradition at my house.

Next, was my task to find the perfect apple pie recipe.  I am pretty sure I did.  This recipe is from allrecipes and is called Apple Pie by Grandma Ople.  Here is the recipe for the most part, but I did change a couple of things. 

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Mix apples with the sauce.   Take a cookie cutter and cut out shapes.  Add these to the top of the pie. 
3. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.
4. Five minutes before cooking is finished, make a mixture using karo syrup and hot water.  Brush this onto the pie.  Sprinkle white sugar onto the pie. 

I hope you are all enjoying the Autumn!

What We Are Working On This Week

Lately, I haven’t been posting a lot about our toddler learning.  Honestly, I have been so busy and its been more spur of the moment learning rather than planned out.  She’s getting bored…so here is another attempt to be more organized. 

Bible Story: Moses and The Ten Commandments

 Child Story Online

Another version online

Bible Verse: “If you love me, you will obey what I command”

Bible Song: 10 Commandments Boogie by Go Fish

Other 10 Commandments activities:

Online Coloring

10 Commandments Online

mini book

Coloring Pages

Rhyme: One, Two Buckle My Shoe

Letter: General F Activities We Did

Finger Paint Fish

Freeze Dancing

Fan to Print

Feather F’s

F sandpaper letters

F THEME:  F is For Feelings and Friends ( In Weeks To Come We’ll Be Focusing a Lot on Feelings)

Feelings/Emotion Game: Draw emotion cards on cardstock.  Look through magazines and have child match emotion cards to the pictures.

Feelings Play With Puppets

Make Feelings Masks

Feelings Book Similiar to Here

Letter F Worksheets

First School Letter F activities

DLTK Letter F Crafts

Enchanted Learning Letter F activities

Letter F words to color and practice writing letter F

Connect Words that Start With F

Itsy Bitsy F Book

Letter F Poem and Circle Letter F's

Hidden Letter F worksheet

Many Letter F activities

 

Letter F Song: 5 Little Speckled Frogs

Number: 11

I mostly just having counting activities planned. If anyone has number 11 activities, I’d appreciate it. 

Math: Putting numbers in correct order

Fine motor: Pumpkin Carving

Gross Motor: Beanbag Toss Game

Daddy Long Legs Blues

I despise bugs.  I can’t convince myself to like them even in the pursuit of teaching Zhana about science.  They make me queasy to be around.  We once saw a display of  hissing cockroaches and I couldn’t eat for the rest of the day.  I mean I really, really hate bugs.  Well, there are a few exceptions.  I don’t mind cute little lady bugs, butterflies, walking sticks…actually come to think of it there are several that I don’t mind.  I don’t mind Daddy Long Legs.  Even if I did mind Daddy Long Legs, I think I’d still like this book.

This book reads to a rhythm that resembles a blues melody.  When you read it, you can’t help but take on a deep voice like someone in a dark blues club.  Here’s a sample-“He can’t spin a web like those fancy spiders do. His daddy was a wanderer and his momma was, too.  He hatched from an egg his momma laid in a crack just before she got squashed in the back of a shack.  He has the blues.  The Daddy Longlegs Blues.  Try not to channel you inner blues persona, I dare you to try!

The illustrations are great! They are bright, fun, and will definitely keep your little one amused. The pictures are hip! The art is described by the publisher as “witty art features plenty of fun details and an urban, bohemian flair; her sunglasses-wearing title character seems to come straight out of the Beat generation.” 

At the back of the book is a Glossary of Blues Terms such as Muddy Waters: “The famous blues musician dubbed ‘King of Chicago Blues,’ Muddy Waters is credited for shifting the rural acoustic blues to the urban blues in the late 1940s.” There is also a glossary for musical instruments played by Daddy Longlegs.    It was pretty exciting to learn a few things from a children’s book. 

This book is deemed appropriate for ages 4 and up BUT my 3 year old loves it immensely.  If this book doesn’t win some kind of award this year, I’ll be singing the blues myself. 

This wonderful book is available online and in stores for $14.95. 

Annual Fall To-Do List

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  -Albert Camus

I had already done this post…but sadly didn’t save it in Live Writer, so when my computer froze up…it vanished.  So, I can’t say that I’ve spent the same amount of time on this one, but hopefully it still helps to get your family in a fall mood with some activity ideas and helps me to work on doing everything on my list…

• Make caramel corn; Anyone care to share their favorite recipe for this?

• Drink a pumpkin-spice latte.  You can buy these from Starbucks OR people I just found a recipe for making it at home.  Any other fall nuts jumping for joy like I am? See http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/crockpot-pumpkin-spice-latte-recipe.html; Done
• Go on a hay ride. Done! See Post from last week.
• Visit a pumpkin patch. Done! See post from last week.

• Visit a corn maze. Done! See post from last week.
• Boo A Family. Here is a link if you don’t know what that is.
• Make caramel apples

 

• Pumpkin carving of course.  Do you all carve or paint your pumpkins.  I’ve been debating which of these Zhana would like to do more. 

 

• Make pumpkin rocks: Basically, just paint some rocks orange! Done!

• *Go to an orchard and pick apples.  Clicking here will take you to a listing of a nearby apple orchard. 

• Pumpkin pancakes at IHOP or make my own using this recipe. 
  *Buy gourds to paint. There is A LOT of information about painting gourds for birdhouses here. 
  *Watch Charlie Brown It’s the Great Pumpkin. I haven’t found when it is on yet this year.  If anyone knows, please let me know.
• Watch 2 scary movies a week starting the first week of October. Anyone know of any good new releases? Your favorite horror movie? Done!
• Make pumpkin poop for friends. See
  http://christmas.organizedhome.com/poop-gifts/pumpkin-poop

• Go to Spooktacular. Check and see if your local zoo has any special events going on for Halloween.
• Go on a woodland walk.  During this time, collect acorns for crafts.  There are SO many cute crafts to do with acorn caps. BTW, I found this site that tells about the fall foliage state by state.  Done!

• For a year now, I’ve wanted to learn felting.  Make some fall felted projects.
• Do a color themed picture scavenger hunt-looking for colors of red, brown, orange, yellow
• Make a velvet pumpkin (see tutorial at http://gingerbreadcrumbsandcompany.blogspot.com/2009/09/pumpkin-tutorialwell-sort-of.html)

• Make a Halloween Garland; I like the tutorial Make and Takes has at http://www.makeandtakes.com/mod-podge-halloween-banner or Roots and Wings: http://rootsandwingsco.blogspot.com/2009/09/fall-pumpkin-and-leaf-garland.html

• Find a fabulous apple pie recipe. I’d love all of your apple pie recipes or favorite fall foods. I might try this one here.  Done.

• Play Bobbing for Apples as a family
• Go to a football game.
• Make a fall themed scrabble necklace.
• Have pumpkin shake or concrete
• Find fabulous soup recipes.  Again- would LOVE recommendations.  Done!
• Taking a thermos or cocoa and cider and drinking it in the middle of the forest.
• Find a wonderful sweater in fall colors that will make me smile when I drag it out year after year.  Not just a sweater. A special sweater that screams autumn. Done!

Seriously, you guys if Autumn was a drug, I’d be an addict.  I’m basically in love with the season.  When I sense fall is near, I can almost feel in physically! I become so very, very happy.  I want to soak up every second of it.  If you all have more ideas-please send them my way! I’ll love you for it!

Vanished Post

I’m so sad…I just spent like 2 hours on a post…I didn’t save the post at all…my computer froze…and poof! All the hard work is gone. 

Fall is Here!

  Welcome Fall! A visit to the pumpkin patch is always one of my highlights of the fall season. 

Pounding golf tees into a pumpkin.

Here is Miss Zhana building her very first scarecrow.

Who doesn’t love a corn maze?

Going on a horse led hayride. 

Cider Days on Walnut Street

Some people had this cute little horse on a leash walking it like a dog. How cute is this?

BTW, let me take this opportunity to introduce everyone to our puppy Maggie.  She’s a little bassett hound and oh so sweet!

My little girl found a street musician and dancers and had a blast twisting and twirling with them.

Zhana really enjoyed scarecrow village. 

This is another family tradition.  I’ve been going to Cider Days since I met my husband, when I was Sophmore in college.  I used to live one street up from Walnut Street, where it takes place.  I wish I would have taken more pictures.  Basically, it is a fall festival with cider, musicians, crafters, and artists.  It always signals to me, that Fall is near. 

Japanese Garden Festival Days

Okay, so I’m very behind on posts. I’m going to go ahead and add several today so that I’m not posting things we did over the Summer,  when there is snow on the ground, lol! Here are some pictures of our fun day at the Japanese Botanical Garden. 

Japanese Festival Day is always the first weekend after Labor Day.  We go just about every year going all the way back to our dating days. 

There are fun little discoveries all over the Garden.

The walking bridge has always been a favorite of mine.

There is a little Japanese tea room on the property where you can watch tea ceremonies.Throughout the festival are various entertainers.  This was the “Magical story teller”.  The city flies in performers from Springfield’s sister city in Japan during the festival. 

Here is a top performer.

If you live in this area or are traveling through, this is a great activity to bring your family to.  This is one of our traditions.