A Windy Sneeze and Tortilla Soup!

Unfortunately I came down with yet another cold last night! I swear I get one right before I'm about to host something! I got sick on Christmas Eve and I was having Christmas dinner at my house on Christmas day. I'm having Easter dinner at my house on Sunday and what do you know, a cold hits me right in the face last night! Grr! I was feeling ok until about noon today and now I just want to curl up on the couch and watch food network. :-) I guess I'm kind of doing that now. I took some sudafed about an hour ago and it didn't do anything! In fact, I think I feel worse! Boo!! Anyways, to top off the day, it's sooo windy out here on the island today! The lights keep flickering, and things are flying around everywhere outside! I've seen multiple plastic and paper bags go rolling across the park out my pack window, not to mention a whole recycling bin! I had to go outside and weather proof everything, well just stack the chairs and fold up the table and put them in the corner so they wouldn't blow away. It really does sound like my roof is going to come off and it sounds like someone is banging on the garage door when a big gust comes! So, let's see, I've got a cold and it's cold outside, sounds like a good day for some soup! I was supposed to head up to B-town today to pick up my sister who is staying with me for the weekend, but I don't feel like driving and it's another long day for Jared at work, and he has the car. So my mom and dad are bringing my sister to me! :-) The only deal was that I had to make tortilla soup for dinner. Deal! I know I've posted this before, but I'll post it again because it's such a good recipe! And since the weather is cold and stormy, a nice spicy tortilla soup sounds great!

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

• 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 chile peppers
• 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
• 7 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to the crock pot except the tortillas and the oil, stir it up for a bit and let it cook 5-6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Cut the corn tortillas into 1/4 in strips and lay on baking sheet. lightly brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and bake in the oven on 400 degrees F for 10-15 mins until strips are golden and crispy.

Garnish the soup with tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, avocado, and a little lime juice. Some people like sour cream in there too! :-)