Southern California isn’t quite known for its “seasons.”
Some would consider them to be early summer, school’s out summer, Dog Day’s of
August summer, and winter (when it gets below 50 degrees). Well, as true as
that may be, today felt like fall!
Now, I adore autumn. I envy those who live on the East
coast, with their tree-lined streets, where when the leaves change from green
to golden, there is no doubt the season has changed. I love the crisp morning
air and the coolness that lingers throughout the day. Best of all, I dream
about those nights in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot tea or cocoa,
cuddled under a blanket watching a favorite Halloween movie. And even though I
knew the high temperature today would end up at 82 degrees, that didn’t stop me
from putting a little “fall” into my day and evening.
A thought popped into my mind that it felt like a tortilla
soup kind of day. Soups are my favorite meal to have on a cool winter night and
though it’s not winter just yet, I texted my husband and his answer of
“AMAZING!” to my suggestion for tortilla soup for dinner was enough to have me
making yet another trip to the supermarket to get the few things I needed.
Of course, as I’m walking through the entrance, there are
pumpkins galore! Orange pumpkins, white pumpkins, mini pumpkins, waxed gourds,
striped pumpkins, varieties of squash, and so much inspiration! How could I
resist picking up a few to decorate our house? Well, I couldn’t resist…and had
to stop myself from filling my grocery cart just with squash!
I ended up getting way more than I planned on at the grocery
store, but isn’t that always the case? The raspberries were such a great price
($0.99 each), the dark chocolate chunks (which are so hard to find) were on
sale and then there was a “Buy 4 Save $4 special so I had to get more than one
bag; and of course, 50% off chicken thighs/legs/breasts tugged at my, as my
husband calls it, TGDness*, and the fact that I have a chest freezer.
With the makings for tortilla soup and also the next night’s
dinner, I headed back home to unload. I ended up making a cute little
assortment of my mini pumpkins and gourds to place on our kitchen island. I put
my larger pumpkins by our fireplace, but that area is definitely still lacking.
I’m thinking a trip to Home Goods for two large lanterns with candles is just
what that space needs. That will be for another day though. I have to spread
out my spending…
I put on “The Italian Job” and got to work on the soup. One
of my favorite recipes for tortilla soup is Emeril Lagasse’s. I have tried so
many different ones, and I always come back to this one, so this has become my
go-to recipe. It’s quick, delicious, and super easy. It gave us just that cozy
feeling you want when you eat a bowl of soup. Plus, my husband’s football team
wasn’t doing so great by halftime, so I think the soup helped lift his spirits.
And since they did even worse after halftime, I popped some
cookies into the oven. When in doubt, chocolate chip cookies fix all. I’m
definitely getting into fall-mode and I have a feeling I’ll be adding a few
more pumpkins yet.
HAPPY FALL DECORATING!!!
*I love to freeze everything, I hate to waste anything, and
yes, I am admittedly a pack rat, but definitely NOT a hoarder. I just hate to
spend money and then throw it away when things go bad, or see things perfectly
useful not being put to use. This is where my nickname comes in to play.
Bestowed upon me by my loving, yet truthful husband, TGD stands for The Great
Depression. And how fitting it is…so, for all of you who identify with me and
my belief system of waste not, want not, be proud of your TGDness – I haven’t
gone hungry yet!
**If you want to try this tortilla soup recipe, the link is below. It is from The Food Network's website. It's definitely not my own, but I do a few different things...including blending the soup. I enjoy it much more than a chunky version. A small note about blending - blend the soup before you add the chicken, or you will waste time (as I have done) getting all the chicken out so you can blend it first.
Also, depending on how spicy you want the soup, you can do half a jalapeno or the whole jalapeno, with or without the seeds. I pretty much do the same thing every time, and every now and then it is spicier than it was the time before. In this case, I suggest you taste here and there and then decide if you want to do the spicy crema recipe or not. If the soup is already spicy, I usually just use regular sour cream, but I'm somewhat of a wimp when it comes to spice. Plus, a runny nose isn't usually something people find appetizing. We usually add the shredded mexican blend cheese and avocado (as stated in the recipe).
