CHICK FIL' A CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Yes, I agree with you on this....
summer is not really soup weather...
but it is the perfect time of year to use your Slow Cooker
and today, I am serving up this delicious Tortilla Soup!



I so love this Slow Cooker from the Barrymore line......

Yes, Chick fil' A does serve Chicken Tortilla Soup
as a seasonal item...Usually from November through March.
This soup is made from shredded chicken cannellini beans,
black beans and Rotel. It is chocked full of flavor 
using Cumin and Oregano as seasonings!

It will certainly make your kitchen smell amazing
while this concoction slow cooks all day.....

We serve ours with fresh avocado, cheese and jalapeno peppers!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

And, a good tortilla soup calls for your best cornbread recipe..
my favorite is Firehouse Cornbread!
This was a good summer supper.....

"With summer came the sense that all of life slowed

to smell the deep green grass,

to watch fireflies dance on an evening breeze,

or to hear the gentle lap of lake water against the sandy shore."

~ Karen Kingsbury 

CROCKPOT SHRIMP LINGUINE

It's too hot to cook...
I am waiting patiently for summer to pass....
I think it just may make me somewhat unmotivated
to do much...but.....it's a great time to prepare
salads, fruits of the season and use that crockpot for many dinners...
Today, I have a recipe you will just love...
I plan on making this alot......



Our family is a lover of gulf seafood and this crockpot shrimp pasta
is so easy, ready in two hours and smells and tastes amazing... 

Place a layer of fresh lemons in the bottom of your crockpot...
3-5 sliced organic lemons...



Top the lemon slices with frozen raw shrimp....
season with Old Bay, Lemon Pepper,
minced garlic and onion powder.



Then top with sliced butter.....one stick required



Top all of this with one 16 ounce package of Linguine, broken in half..
Pour 32 ounces of chicken broth over all....

Cover and set your crockpot on high for 2 hours or so.....

Oh the aroma...serve with hot french bread....

Top with shaved parmesan and fresh cilantro.....
Y'all enjoy

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? KIELBASA RICE PILAF AND STRAWBERRY ANGEL CAKE

Would you look at this?

Oh heavenly days....

I have been waiting sooooo very long

to see a sight such as this at the

entrance to the grocery store.....

just made me so darn happy!!!!

Today's recipes were recommended

by two of my You Tube gals

and they both sounded easy and delicious...

just what I was looking for for the darling and me

last weekend!

The crockpot recipe comes from

Mandy in the Making!

This recipe is just about perfect for an easy

weekend meal when you want to pull out

your crockpot and don't feel like cooking

all afternoon. Fall is the best time to utilize

a crockpot, especially if you are busy mother,

like our sweet Miss M over in Hot-Lanta!

This uses canned green beans, onion, garlic,

vegetable broth

dry onion soup mix, kielbasa and one box of rice mix.

Slice one yellow onion and place this in

the bottom of your crockpot.

Then take 2 or 3 cans of green beans, drained

and put a layer of the beans over the sliced onion.

Next sprinkle the dry onion soup over all.

Pour 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth over the onions and beans.

Saute the sliced kielbasa with minced garlic...

layer this over the beans.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Prepare the boxed rice, (I used Rice Pilaf) separately 

while the beans and sausage are cooking.

Spoon the rice onto your serving dish
then top with the hot onion, beans and sausage!
Smells heavenly and dinner is served!

Now, this next recipe is known to be a family favorite
at Arlynn's Country Craft Corner and she
makes this for her Dad every time he comes to
visit them in their beautiful Virginia home.
It's a light, fresh Strawberry Shortcake!

Buy an Angel Food cake at your supermarket bakery.
Break it into pieces and layer this in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Dissolve a large box of Strawberry jello in 1 cup of boiling water.

Take one 16 ounce carton of frozen strawberries, which have been thawed
and add the juice to the dissolved jello.
Add enough water to this mixture to equal 2 to 2 1/2 cups..
them stir in the thawed strawberries....mix well.
Pour this entire strawberry mixture over the angel food cake
and gently press the cake in to the juice.

Top the cake with one carton of Cool Whip.
Refrigerate, covered, for 4-6 hours, before serving.

I have made note to add this to our menu when we
go on our next family beach vacation.....which we are
hoping to schedule for 2021!
This is seriously delightful...thank you for sharing Arlynn!

Easy, minimal ingredients and so delicious....
Are y'all into afternoon naps like we are?

 

QUIET AFTERNOONS, COMFORT FOOD AND SUNFLOWERS

I love Sunday rides to some of our favorite areas

around the Dallas area.....

I thought this beautiful sign, created with fresh flowers

was absolutely stunning...

it was a quiet place to sit and relax a bit...with social distancing, of course!

I am really longing for our days to return to our

old normal....festive gatherings with cocktail hours

on a Friday night.....

I want the anticipation of fall football games.....

Our back porch is my peaceful haven....

it's quiet, the birds are singing and people

are walking their dogs....there is the lovely water

sounds from the pool and butterflies flit about

living their best life......

One of my newly planted daylilies bloomed...

And, then another.......just gorgeous...love the colors!

It's the perfect spot for reading and browsing through 

the latest catalogs....

COMFORT FOOD

Scrambled eggs with Feta Cheese

CROCK POT CHICKEN AND DRESSING WITH GREEN BEANS

BEST CHOCOLATE SNACK CAKE

SUNFLOWERS

I am changing up a vignette in the kitchen with a Summer vibe...

I love Sunflowers in the seasons of both Summer and Fall!

This little vignette makes me happy....
it's a lovely look for summer.......

I came across these beautiful tin planters
which came in a set of three.....
I plan to use these in Autumn too!



And, this gorgeous sunflower tin.....

I think there is nothing better than

Susan Branch to bring back the sweetness and

positivity in life....and we all certainly could use those

right now!

A BIRTHDAY ,....COMFORT FOODS AND PATIO THERAPY

Over in Atlanta....there was a small family celebration going on....
Miss M made a fabulous birthday dinner and baked
my chocolate cake for her sweet husband.....

Even Miss Piper Rose wanted to be part
of the festivities.....until......

Ah....Piper....you are such a love!!!!!

This was a fabulous Slow Cooker recipe you may want to try...
I will definitely make this again and let me tell you...
the aroma in the kitchen was incredible.....yum-O!

SLOW COOKER PORK ROAST

This has been a good time to browse my cookbook collection
and try recipes from old favorites.....
I have always loved this one from Naomi Judd.....

I have been preparing a meatloaf for as long as I can remember...
the great thing about a meatloaf is that you can make it
with so many different ingredients...there is nothing more
comforting than a delcious meatloaf.....

Now, THIS was a great dinner....one of my Daddy's favorites!
I am using whatever is in our pantry to reduce trips to the
grocery store for the darling....I just realized I have not
been to the grocery in a month....and it will probably be a long time
before I feel comfortable doing that!

Another delicious comfort food, is Mother's Slumgullion....
normally made with macaroni, but today it was noodles....
we had this often at Grandmother's during the summer....
made with very few ingredients which makes it perfect
for our current situation!

There was this fabulous dessert served
by The Elite Cafe in Jackson years ago...

The darling and I both worked in downtown Jackson
when we were first married, and we would meet for lunch
on paydays when we could splurge a little and eat
their amazing foods....oh that sweet tea and those dinner rolls....

what fabulous memories....gone but certainly not forgotten.....

FACEBOOK

this is the closest I can come to duplicate their recipe...
a warm golden butter cake topped with homemade Vanilla Sauce.....

Puzzle of the week.....

Staying home on the patio.....a pretty good place to be!

Soothing sounds......

Nature sure can sweep away the blues......

The weather has been incredible...near perfect,
Well...this was actually Watermelon Lemonade.....

so spending time outdoors has been a welcome break......

So, it's another week.....nothing too exciting....

Mae napping with her babies.....

I feel Summer is going to be quite different....
I wonder about football season too.....and then
I worry about the fall and all the upcoming holidays....
I find myself wringing my hands at the evening news....
yet, I am grateful for the health and well being of my family....
Thank you for staying connected....sending love......