Sicilian Chicken Soup

Clayton and I love soup so I started a post asking for favorite recipes on Facebook.  I had many good responses so I designated this week as soup week.  We will be trying 7 new recipes that are guaranteed to be tried-n-true by my friends.  Day 1 started on Monday but then I ended up working on a movie set on Tuesday (12pm-2am), so day 2 got pushed to Wednesday. Well, I was too exhausted on Wednesday and we went out to eat instead.  Tonight will be day 2 and then I will finish day 7 on Tuesday.  I will post each recipe here along with a review so everyone can try these amazing soups. :)

Last week, we tried a recipe and loved it.  This Sicilian Chicken Soup is very much the same as the chicken soup at Carrabba's.  It is very hearty and the flavor is spot on.  I want to thank Amy for sharing it with me. :)

Sicilian Chicken Soup (Carrabba's clone)

• 5 celery ribs
• 4 medium carrots peeled
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 medium potatoes peeled
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 14 oz can Italian plum tomatoes (or whole peeled tomatoes)
• 2 chicken breasts ( or 2-3 B/S thighs)
• 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 6 quarts chicken broth
• Salt and pepper
• Romano cheese for topping
• pasta

1. Cook chicken. Reserve broth to cook vegetables in. Tear it into 1 inch pieces, kinda thin, but not shredded.

2. Dice celery, carrots, onion, potatoes and bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces.

3. Chop tomatoes; reserve all juice. 

4. Place chicken broth, vegetables, tomatoes with their juice, parsley and garlic in a 10-quart stockpot. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly bring soup to a boil over low heat. Partially cover pot and simmer until vegetables are soft enough to mash in the bottom of the pot with the back side of a large cooking spoon. (I did not mash my veggies.)

5. Add chicken and bring it back to a simmer.  

6. Add cooked pasta to soup. Sprinkle the fresh Romano cheese on top.

Note---If you prefer, you can refrigerate and remove the fat that solidifies on the surface of the soup.

Stay tuned for: Day 1-Chicken Verde Stew with Hominy (It was another hit!)

Uncle Jake and Aunt Judy's 50th Anniversary

My Aunt Judy is my "other mother".  She has always acted as a second mom to me.  My mom worked full time when I was little so my aunt stepped in to provide childcare.  I have always deemed her extra special since she played such a large part in my upbringing.  When her 50th anniversary desires for a big party came up, I offered to make invitations.  Originally, I was going to do a simple computer graphic one and print it through Shutterfly.  That ended up not happening.  I decided to make all 54 invites myself.  Besides the shopping and creating the rough draft, I spent a whole day putting them together (7:30am-11:30pm with just a few breaks for meals and picking up the boys from school).  It was a pain but well worth the ecstatic praise I got when Judy saw the invite for herself.  They are elegant and classy, just how I view her. 

Sunflower Painting

At the end of last month, I went to Thomasville to hang with a bunch of cool gals for a painting session with The Preppy Possum.  These events are always so much fun!  I love to paint. :)

Stitch Fix #12 and #13 Reviews

It's been a while since I have done a Stitch Fix review and for that, I am sorry.  I haven't felt good lately so taking pics of myself hasn't been on my agenda.  I received #12 back in September.  I didn't take photos of everything in the box because I had already sent back 3 of the items.  The 2 that I kept are phenomenal though.  The RD Style Denver Cable Knit Elbow Patch Cardigan is perfect for the winter.  I love the zagged knitting, pretty buttons, and beautiful natural color.  It will go with everything.  The Rizzo Skinny Ponte Pants by Sanctuary are a perfect fit.  They are like leggings but more substantial.  They feel like wearing yoga pants so they will be much loved by me over the winter.

These 3 tops came in fix #13 that I got recently.  My stylist (Jackie) knocked it out of the ball park once again.  Yep, I kept the whole shebang and got 25% off the entire fix for doing so.  The Ivy Tulip Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse and the Abrianna Longsleeve Knit Cardigan are both by 41Hawthorn (Stitch Fix's in-house brand).  The tulip shirt looks good on every blogger that I have seen wearing it so I decided to put it on my Pinterest a while back.  Lo and behold, my stylist pays attention to my pins.  The gray cardigan is beyond remarkable.  It is so stylish and simple.  The color will match most of my clothes.  The red top is by Dylan & Rose and feels so good.  The fabric is super soft and stretchy.  I requested this one after seeing on another blogger.  It has a nice slimming effect through the waist.  The name of it is the Ruthie Cross-Front Side-Ruched Top.

These teal skinnies are so dang cool!!  My photo does them no justice.  The color is really deep and they are perfect for the colder seasons.  They are made by Velvet Heart and are called the Benjamin Skinny Jean.  I will admit that the Bradman Abstract Chevron Print Blouse by Collective Concepts isn't my favorite but that is okay.  I knew I was going to buy the other 4 items and once you take the discount into account, it doesn't make sense not to get the whole box instead.  It is cheaper to buy all 5 with the 25% off rather than 4 items at full price.  Anyway, I kinda like it.  It matches the pants perfectly.  The only thing that bugs me is that it is pleated around the bust line.  When I turn to the side just right, it looks like my boobs are huge water balloons.  My husband noticed and said that my chest looked ridiculous.  I was wearing a padded bra though so I know a regular one will help me out.

So there ya go, my latest fixes.  If you are interested in joining Stitch Fix, I would appreciate you clicking on any of my links to give me referral credit.  I am simply crazy about this service!!