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Friday, May 30, 2014

Converting long-sleeve shirts into short-sleeve shirts

My son is growing so quickly that it's hard to keep up! I find myself constantly going through his clothes and picking out things he's too tall for, or shirts that are too short. Sometimes, though, I come across shirts that still fit great, but are long-sleeve. I know that I've got 2 options—throw in the donate pile, or convert them into short-sleeve shirts. They definitely won't fit him by winter.

Being a thrifty mom, I decided to convert them. Here's how I did it (if you don't have a sewing machine, look into hemming tape, which you can find in any fabric store):

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Quick, Thrifty Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

I've been extremely busy over the last couple of months, so I squeeze in an entry when I can. Yesterday, I made a very simple, thrifty, and satisfying soup for dinner, so I thought I'd share the recipe; just look at this yummy goodness!


Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Shredded or diced cooked chicken (I had about 3/4 of a pound that I had frozen from a previous meal, but a rotisserie chicken works well for this, also.)
1 can fire roasted tomatoes or Ro-Tel tomatoes
1/2 cup salsa
1 can Charro beans (or any beans you have on-hand)
2 packets taco seasoning or 2 handfuls of your home made taco seasoning
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels 
2 cups chicken broth
Sliced corn tortillas or crumbled tortilla chips
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:
Diced avocado
Sour cream
Tomatoes

Pour all ingredients except chicken and sliced tortillas or tortilla chips in soup pot. Bring to a boil and let them simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, 10 minutes. Just before serving, stir in tortilla strips or tortilla chips. Top as desired.

Like any soup, this recipe can be modified as desired; omitting or adding ingredients as you wish, and if you have a family who isn't into chunks of tomato, you could just blend the cans to create a smooth base. This meal was under $10 and serves 6, for a meal that is less than $2 per serving!