dinnertime.

i've decided to try to blog more. we'll see how long this lasts. not many people read this little blog, but i do like to keep it updated as sort of a journal of our little family -- i've been terrible at journaling in real life lately. we also have so many friends and family that we are not able to be near and around, so it's my way of staying connected.

anyways...dinnertime around here has been a battle. mostly because it's hard to find recipes to make. you see, the boy has been switched to a fully gluten free diet. he was having some trouble packing on the pounds, and we came to the conclusion that he does best on a gluten free diet. you can't be tested for allergies/celiac until two, so we don't know if this is a "for life" thing, or if we have to wait for his gut to mature. i suppose we'll find out. in the meantime, we have quite the task of feeding this sweet boy.

i like to try and make gluten free dinners so that i'm not making two meals, because who wants to make two separate meals? not me. absolutely not me. the good news is that there are plenty of ways to cook gluten free without having to use things like gluten free flours/pastas (we do use those things, i just haven't experimented enough with them). in fact, i found this delicious recipe for chicken tortilla soup....and it's a crock pot recipe, which means it's ten times better. i love having the crock pot going on fall days. the house smells all warm and cozy.

and my favorite part of this recipe: i had j help me in the kitchen for the first time! he loved pouring all the ingredients into the crock pot, so much so he had a tantrum when we were done, but we sure did have fun putting it together!

crock pot chicken tortilla soup

adapted from here

+2 boneless chicken breasts

+28 oz diced tomatoes

+1 cup salsa (we used medium)

+1 clove garlic, minced (i cheat and use our garlic press...i know it doesn't bring out as much flavor...j was helping me and i didn't want to use a knife!)

+1 cup of water

+1 can of black beans (we soaked 1 cup of black beans overnight and cooked them the day before i made this soup. it's cheaper this way, and we like the taste of beans this way...YUM!)

+14.5 oz chicken broth

+1 tsp cumin

+1 tsp chili powder

+1/4 tsp oregano

+1 cup frozen corn

+tortilla chips (SANTITAS!!), shredded cheddar and plain greek yogurt for serving

1. combine first 11 ingredients in crock pot. cook on low for seven hours.

2. remove chicken and shred. put back in crock pot and add frozen corn. continue cooking for one hour.

3. spoon into bowls and swirl in a spoonful of greek yogurt and top with cheddar and broken tortilla chips

4. enjoy