daily bread: week 2

Here we go for the second week of photos!

Turns out, I do okay at actually taking the pictures, but am horrible at posting them!

[January 16] One of my favorite things about going to Atlanta and staying with Lizzy and John is walking their dogs in the mornings with Lizzy. Her dogs are crazy and adorable, and we get a free hour of therapy when we walk the dogs and talk...(We also stumbled upon this quite impressive snow fort built by some kids in her neighborhood!)

[January 15] Lizzy and John's house...great friends...football Sunday...TONS of food! We all gathered to cheer for our team and play games, and had a wonderful time. Check out this SPREAD of food!

[January 14] On the road again...Heading to Atlanta to spend the weekend at my second home (the Burge / Mello household...thanks Lizzy and John!)...

[January 13] Every Tuesday for the past year or so, Andy, Sarah, and myself have gone to one of my favorite restaurants, Taqueria del Sol, to enjoy our weekly Taco Tuesday. Because of the snow, we rescheduled for Thursday this week. Below is the "after" photo...empty Coronas, an empty basket of chips, and an empty cup of queso...YUM!

[January 12] On the third day of snow and ice, I went back to work, and then joined some good friends for dinner. We tried a new restaurant called A Tavola! and then had a yummy adult beverage at Normal Bar. My dear friends Carey and Brad were my company. Here, she is sporting his hat ;o).

[January 11] My next post will include more photos from the SNOW WEEK 2011, but my good friends Andy and Sarah came over to hang out during one of the few days that we had off of work, and during their visit my neighbor's dogs decided to stop by my front porch. My neighbor has two Alaskan Malamute dogs who just had three adorable puppies. We stepped outside and completely enjoyed watching them jump around in the snow...pure joy.

[January 10] My co-worker brought this soup to work one day, and I knew that I HAD to have the recipe. This was my first attempt at making it, and it was absolutely delicious! You MUST try it...

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup with Tortilla Strips

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

3/4 cup uncooked white rice

2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped

1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped pickled jalapeno slices

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

8 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of one lime (2 Tbsp.)

1 ripe avocado, chopped

Tortilla chips

1. Saute chopped onion, carrot, and bell pepper in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for seven minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add minced garlic and saute one minute.

2. Stir in chicken and next five ingredients. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boile, reduce heat, and simmer for twenty minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve with avocado and tortilla strips.

(Of course...I added cheese... ;o)).

Enjoy!