Mama Holli's Texas Tortilla Soup

Since the weather is a little chilly....

how about some nice

HOT

Tortilla

Soup!

Are you in?

I thought so!

Listen up Mexican Cooking Mamas!

Holli Tamale 

is in

la cocina!

She is cooking up

some

Texas

Tortilla

Soup

Here we go amigos!

Don Your Sombrero

Texas Tortilla Soup

1 small chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup oil

4 garlic cloves minced

3 large carrots sliced

4 ribs of celery diced

1 lb diced raw chicken breasts

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 can of Rotel tomatoes

1/2 cup flour

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cans of chicken broth

1 cup of chopped cilantro

sour cream and tortilla chips to garnish

Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot.  Add to the pot onions, celery, carrots, garlic and chicken.  Let that simmer on medium heat for 8 minutes.  Next add cumin, chili powder, salt, rotel, and flour.  Stir well.  Slowly add all remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 1 hour.  Stir every 10-15 minutes to prevent sticking as the broth will become thicker as it cooks.  Ladle in bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips and sour cream if so desired.

I can honestly say I have concocted many

a tortilla soup recipes over the years

and this by far is my favorite!

Not only is it my favorite but

it is the easiest to prepare!

Last note!

In case you are not familiar

with

ROTEL

I have provided a photo!

This is a staple in every

Texas Mama's Pantry!

Look for it near the canned tomatoes

at your grocery store!
Some of my Tree Hugging Colorado friends
did not know what this was!
So don't let anyone stop you
from  enjoying
 a big bowl of
simmering soup!
Not even.....

The Soup Nazi!
"No soup for you!
You come back in 
one year!"

Adios Amigos!

I Spy

I am minding my own business

doing dishes at the sink

and look what I spy

through my window!

I want to sit in the sun!

 I quickly reach for the knob

on my faucet.

Switching from COLD to HOT!

That feels good!

Hot water running over my hands!

I can at least pretend

I am sitting in the sun!

My daughter announced a few

days ago that she was so ready

for

SUMMER!

Well I have to agree.

I am COLD!

As much as I love the beauty

of

WINTER,

today

I

am

COLD!

So I will crank up the

heater

and

brew

me

up

some

coffee

and

dream

of 

warmer 

days 

ahead!

Every Mama Deserves a Great Haircut!

Every Mama remembers with great

JOY 

the day they found their Hairdresser!

It is such an important milestone

in a Mama's life!

For if Mama's hair

is not perky.....

then Mama's not PERKY!

When one finds that talented being

who makes them into a 
beauty queen

every 4-6 weeks,
 it is a bond for eternity!

The perfect Hairdresser can

plunk you in a chair,

survey the damage,

visualize the transformation,

and execute her craft perfectly

while graciously listening 

to

 your every word!

She is magical

in every sense of the word!

Here is my stylist and friend of

12 years!

Kelly Welly is what I call her!

She is FAB!

I mean FAB!!!

The only problem is she is in Texas!

SO SAD For Me!

I am in Colorado now!

So when I go back to visit we all

line up to get our hair "fixed"!

She calls me a

"Tree Hugging Mama"

and

"FIXES" my granola hair

once a year!

Here she is making us purty!

I told you everything

is bigger in

TEXAS!

Big hair needs 

BIG 

scissors!

So if you are lucky enough

to be near The Woodlands, Texas,

give Kelly a call!

She will fix you up

and make you

real purty!

Total Image Salon

Kelly Drebert

25710 Budde Road,

Spring, TX 77380

(281) 362-7966 

In My Own Little Corner!

In my own little corner 

in my own little room 

I can be 

whatever I want to be.........

I have always told my children

they can be anything they

choose to be!

That there is nothing that

they can't do

if they set their mind

to do it!

When they were young I would

sing to them the song,

In My Own Little Corner,

from the musical, Cinderella.

I would change the words

to fit what they were

magically imagining

themselves to be at that

time in their young little lives!

With my oldest daughter

I would sing......

"I'm a ballerina dancing on the stage

you can see me in my pretty pink dress!"

We even have video of her

belting this song out while

standing on the kitchen table!

Here she is today

A ballerina dancing on the stage!

                                  

Encourage the ones you love

to dream BIG!

For You REALLY can be 

whatever you want to be!

We are proud of you

little ballerina girl!

Madre Loves A Good Mexican Dip!

Oh Yes Mama Holli Loves Dip!

She could live on it actually!

Breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Muy Bueno!

So do you want the recipe?

I think SO!

Black Bean and Pico Dip

2 cans of drained black beans ( I use organic)

1 can of drained organic white corn or 2 ears of fresh cooked corn

1 16 oz container of pico de gallo if you can't make your own

(I find the pico in the deli section of my grocery store when I am too lazy to make my own)

1 avocado diced

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

3/4 cup of Italian Salad Dressing

2 Tbs of Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tbs of Olive Oil

1/4 tsp of Tabasco

2 minced garlic cloves

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl whisk dressing, oil, vinegar, garlic, Tabasco and lime juice.  Pour over bean mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate one hour before serving.  Stir to distribute dressing.  Serve with tortilla chips and Big Scoop Fritos!

This is also yummy wrapped up in a flour tortilla!  So healthy and yummy!

Once A Child Always A Child!

I feel the need for 

SPEED!

In Formation!

What A Crew!

Let The Inner Child In You

Escape Every Once 

In 

Awhile!

It Will Keep You

Young

and 

Happy!

Dump Cake For Mama!

Here is the scenario.......
Hubby calls Mama at 4:00

in the afternoon!

"Hi Honey, I've invited Wilbur

for dinner!"

Mama say's......"Are you kidding me?"

Mama hangs up the phone.

Mama SCREAMS!

Mama says a few choice words!

Mama grabs the car keys and RUNS to the grocery store!

This is where the DUMP CAKE comes in!

So Listen Up Clever Mama's!

This is What You Do.......

1.  Go to the store and purchase a plain

angel food cake.

2.  Bring it home and plop it on a pretty cake platter!

3.  Make your way to the pantry!

4.  Grab the chocolate syrup and or caramel syrup.  Grab chocolate chips and nuts of any kind.

5.  Dump syrup over cake.  Dump nuts and chocolate on top of syrup.  Dump more syrup.  Dump more chocolate.

6.  ALL DONE!

There you go!

Mama is so Clever 

and 

Hubby

is

in

so

MUCH

TROUBLE!

OUCH!
It won't be pretty!

You can just see it 
in her eyes!
She is plotting her 
sweet
revenge!
He won't even
know what hit him!
It could have been the 
cast iron skillet, the meat cleaver,
the 20 lb sack of potatoes......
so many weapons in a kitchen
a mama can choose from!
One may never know!

Sometimes........

Sometimes one just 
has to.....

Go to the farm

Go to the city

Go to the bay

Go to the ocean

Go to the mountains

Go to the beach

Go to the park

Go to the lake

In 2010 

may you make the time 

to 

go to your 

special place!


Photography courtesy 
of 
Mama Holli

Introducing Kendall Payne

I want you to meet a special lady,
Kendall Payne.
She is the daughter of Craig and Susan Tschudi,
sister to Jordan and wife to Tyler.
The first time I heard Kendall sing
was in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
She grabbed the mike during a Tom James
Company Karaoke Session!
She was probably about 16
at the time. She belted out Patsy Clines's
famous song, Crazy!
I knew at that moment she was destined
for greater things!
She has recorded several wonderful
albums. Her songs have appeared on numerous
movies and television shows.
Here is a sample of her work!
Enjoy!
Visit her website for more music!
http://www.kendallpayne.com/

2010 Ready Or Not!

Take a good look at this talented

New Year Mama!

She is proudly perched

on

a

bottle

of

champagne!

WOW!

MAGIC!

I hope your year is full

of

MAGICAL

MOMENTS

Thank you to the most gracious

Graphics Fairy

for this happy graphic!

I Hope You Had Yourself A Very Merry Christmas!

Memories
Shape 
Us

I 

Hope

You

Made

Beautiful

Christmas

Memories

Four Mamas In The Kitchen!

BIG POST TODAY!
BIG!
HUGE!
GIGANTIC!

Four Mamas Are In The Kitchen!

Oh Yes Big Stuff Is A Happening

In Mama Lisa's Cocina!
Mama Lisa and Mama Elizabeth
share their tradition of making
these wonderful treats!

Chocolate, caramel, sprinkles and pretzels!

What a lovely combination indeed!

Follow along and learn how to

whip up these divine treats!

First you will need to find a local

bakery that sells really good chocolate.

Mama Lisa and Mama Elizabeth feel quite

strongly about this!  Do not go to Michael's

or Hobby Lobby to get your chocolate!

You will also need to purchase
your caramel from

the same bakery.  It comes in logs! YUM!

Slice up the log as seen above.

Purchase pretzel rods from
your grocery store.

Gather sprinkles, crushed cookies, crushed toffee, crushed peppermint and so on!  
The topping choices are endless!

First you will take a slice of the caramel

and wrap around the pretzel.
This is the tedious part.

Stretch and soften the caramel
with your hands and then

wrap the pretzel in a
blanket of lovely caramel!

Mama Lisa is doing a good job!

You will want to cover the pretzel

almost to the end.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper

so the pretzels don't stick.

Make as many as you want or have time to.

Get your chocolate ready in microwave

safe bowls. Working with one bowl at a time

microwave on high for about 1 minute.

Check and stir and add more time if needed.

Be very careful not to overcook!

Using a spoon Mama Elizabeth carefully

covers her pretzel with the

yummy chocolate!

Place the dipped pretzel back on to the tray

with wax paper.
This time leaving more room

between the pretzels.
Mama Elise adds toppings while

the chocolate is still soft.

Oh how pretty are these puppies!

We did white chocolate ones as well!

So Darn Pretty!

We ROCK!

Let the pretzels set up.

You may need to pop the trays
in the fridge for a

few minutes if you live in a

humid region.
Being that we are in Colorado

where it is very dry ours set up

pretty fast on the kitchen counter.

We did stick some trays out in the

snow and that did the trick as well!

Wrap them up in pretty little bags

to give as gifts......OR NOT!

Don't give as gifts

and let your family

EAT THEM ALL!

Vintage Decorations!

One of my decorating goals this season

was to find some vintage

ornaments at Goodwill.

Well Mama found them!

I found these old glass painted ornaments!

I love the boxes they came in just about

as much as the ornaments!

Check out these perky little soldiers!

Santa is preaching to them!

They really want to make Santa proud!

I found these old ceramic soldiers

at Goodwill!  I got the whole bag of
10 for $2!

I just love them!

Stand tall little soldiers!

Make Mama proud!

And then there were three little

Mama Angels!

Oh how sweet are they!

They are wearing their fancy holly dresses

in honor of Mama Holli!

Bless their little angel hearts!

If you look closely the middle

baby angel has lost her wings!

"Oh no!", says Mama Holli

Then Mama Holli's own baby angel says,

"It's O.K. that just makes her special!"

Out of the mouths of babes!

We all have scars in one way or another.

Those scars be it emotional or physical

make us who we are!

That makes each of us unique

and very special!

Wise beyond her years that

baby girl is!

Step up to the stage Santa Mouse!

Bring your honey too!

Mama Lynette gave this Santa Mouse book

to my kids many years ago!

I recently found this old ceramic couple

to go with the book that they adore!

Look how cute they are!

Yes they are a bit cross-eyed but

Mama still loves them!~

What a cute little couple they make!

Last but not least......this special

candy cane candle holder is proudly displayed

every year!  My kids made this a
long time ago!

All they did with their baby hands was glue

candy cane sticks to a glass and tie a bow

around it!  So sweet!

So bring out the old and the new!

Spread the love around your house!

Make memories and enjoy!

Christmas is magical, embrace it!