My House is a Wreck

The last renters moved out and now some new ones want to move in, so I've got some cleaning to do.

This needs to be sorted.

This needs to go into storage.

These need to go to the cardboard box recycle at the warehouse.

This need to go to the crisis pregnancy center.

I don't know what to do with this.

I found three abandoned laptops while cleaning. What to do with those?

This needs to go to the church food pantry.

This needs to go into the paper recycling bin.

I didn't even include photos of the stuff on its way to the boutique, the overflowing recycling bin, or the laundry room.

I don't like cleaning, but I do find it therapeutic. Good thing, huh? :-)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This has turned into a family favorite. Very filling and makes good leftovers too.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

List of ingredients:
1 large chicken breast
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 can 4 oz chopped green chiles
1 can 10 oz chicken broth or broth from cooking chicken breasts
1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 can white hominy
1 can black beans
1 can corn kernels
1 T olive oil
2 t chili powder
1 t oregano
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
oil for frying tortilla strips
8-10 corn tortillas (or use tortilla chips)
Toppings:
shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
chopped green onions
avocado slices
sour cream

Directions:
1. Boil chicken, cut into chunks, save broth.
2. In large pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Stir in spices, tomatoes, broth, and 1.5 cups water. Simmer 5-10 minutes.
3. Stir in Hominy, chilies, beans (rinse first), cilantro and chicken pieces. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Fry fresh tortilla strips in hot oil and drain on paper towels while soup is simmering.
5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with toppings.

I'm Sad

We've just returned from dropping this beautiful baby and her parents off at DFW airport. They fly to Amsterdam and then to Addis Ababa, arriving in about 24 hours. Lord, keep them safe and help them as they start their new life.

Another Sleepless Night

This is the second night this week I haven't been able to sleep. I guess vacation means sleeping in in the morning and that makes going to sleep the next night even harder.

Yesterday I slept very well since I was dead tired from working so hard to pull of Grandpa Simons's 80th birthday party. I decorated this cake (which I had baked a few days previous) and then made chicken curry for a crowd and rearranged the house to fit all the visitors. I think we had a total of almost 20. Grandpa claimed this was the only birthday party he had had since age 10--that is hard to believe!

If you have any desire to see photos of the birthday party, or of our time at the Dallas Arboretum, or general shots of our family time, you can click the links to go to my web albums.

Part of the reason I can't sleep is thinking about Andrew, Laura and Isabella off to Africa tomorrow to start their new life. I'm going to miss them all, but especially that sweet baby! And would you know it, Blogger is apparently blocked in Ethiopia, so I have to find a different way to keep in touch with them.