Finally Fall {Around Peaceful Acres} {In My Kitchen} {Out & About}

We have had such an extended summer. It has been dry, and at one point I predicted almost no fall color in the trees, as I observed some of them transitioning directly from green to brown. However, today, our first truly fall-feeling day, I am glad to say that I was not entirely correct.

Here are some pictures from here around Peaceful Acres during the last week or so.

(Always bugs me how much less vibrant the colors look in photos than in real life…)

Then today we drove to Indian Camp Creek Park to walk for awhile. We saw several beautiful trees on the drive.

So, now that it is finally fall, I can more enjoy making soup. This evening we had one of our favorites: Easy and Delish Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Recipe follows:

"This tortilla soup tastes better than anything you can get at a restaurant. And it's healthy too! Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you. All you do is dump everything into the slow cooker and walk away. Garnish with grated Cheddar, avocadoes, fresh cilantro and a splash of fresh lime juice."

Ingredients

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (I used more)
7 corn tortillas
olive oil or vegetable oil

Directions
Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro.

Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. To serve, add garnishes (grated Cheddar, avocadoes, fresh cilantro and a splash of fresh lime juice) and sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

#InMyKitchen #BarbsRecipes #AutumnKitchen #fallismyfavoriteseason