Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup

March 2, 2015: In February of 2015, I posted a picture on Instagram of a hodge podge soup that I had made. I called it Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chicken Chili- cause that's what it was, plus black beans & corn. Andy and I were iced in with little in our pantry, so we threw it all together in the crockpot and eight hours later had a delicious soup without ever having to leave our warm little house. My sister-in-law, Carly, posted a comment on my picture on Instagram. She said, "Sounds good! I made tortilla soup tonight." Of course I asked her for her recipe, and once the ice thawed, I adventured to the store and bought the ingredients. Out came Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup, and I'm pretty sure it was the best damn soup I've ever had. And with new tastes comes old memories. 

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

I remembered one cold day, taking my cousin (who on all accounts is my "pseudo-sister") Central Market's Chicken Tortilla Soup when she was sick in college. I'm beginning to think tortilla soup is a cure-all dish for head colds and cold hands. Below is my Maid of Honor toast from Ashlea's wedding in December of 2012. It's not about soup or being cold or even having a cold, but it is about being sisters, so I found it quite fitting for this recipe. And a huge thanks to my new sister for the meal that's sure to be on our go-to recipe list from now on.

Andy, Kate, and Carly at Andy & Kate's wedding
at The Omni Fort Worth Hotel- November 15, 2014

"Hi, for those of you who don’t know me, I’m Kate or “Katherine” to most of my family, and I’m Ashlea’s Maid of Honor.  When I got my note in the mail asking me to fill the role of Maid of Honor, I was immediately overwhelmed with pride, excitement, and a major dose of reality. We are growing up. We were no longer playing dress up in our mom’s clothes, but instead, my Lil Cuz was going to dress up in white lace.  We were no longer decorating our rooms with Tweety Bird & Jonathan Taylor Thomas posters, but, instead, we were decorating for a wedding reception.  Standing in my kitchen, holding your letter, I wasn’t sure I was ready to grow up.

Kate (18 mos) and Ashlea (1 month) with Granny at Kate's parents' house for Christmas 1987
in Fort Worth, TX

When we were little, Ashlea and I both had older brothers, but neither of us had a sister.  I used to ask Santa Claus for a little sister, but apparently it doesn’t work that way.  I didn’t quite understand why I never found a little pink bundle of joy under the tree until I came across this quote, “God made us cousins because he knew our moms couldn’t handle us as sisters.”  Probably true, considering the adventures and mischief we got into.

Kate & Carly at Kate's wedding- November 15, 2014
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

I think Ashlea would agree with me in saying that our best adventures were at our Granny & Papa’s house.  Their house was home to a garage full of cardboard boxes that were perfect for making forts that went from one end of the house to another.  It was home to a moth-ball smelling, blanket filled closet that made for the best hide and go seek hiding spot.  We spent Christmases in the den, helping Papa scratch off Lottery Tickets and Easters in the backyard having Easter egg hunts.  Then there was the kitchen that made me fall in love with cooking- where we had pizza for breakfast and s’mores & hotdogs for midnight snack, with frozen apple juice & frozen peaches in between.  We made all kinds of messes- dying Easter eggs, making sticky Rice Krispie treats, and mixing every ingredient in the kitchen into what we called a “Portion Potion.”  Despite our messes and adventures, Granny & Papa never told us “No.”

Ashlea & Kate before Kate's wedding- November 15, 2014
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

We sat on Papa’s lap eating chocolate ice cream while he watched his programs, and we sat on Granny’s lap while she rocked us until we were in our twenties.  We crawled into bed with them in the mornings to read the funny papers and we snuggled up at night to watch Johnny Carson- Ashlea & I were inseparable, and Granny & Papa were our heroes.

Kate & Ashlea at Kate's wedding- November 15, 2014
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel

When I moved to Austin to start at UT, I thought Ashlea and my’s sisterly moments would come to a halt, but luckily I was wrong.  Being the intelligent woman she is, and against her brother’s crimson-colored wishes, Ashlea called me in 2006 and told me she, too, was going to be a Longhorn.  And, to make this proud sister even more proud, Ashlea chose to go through recruitment and pledge my same sorority, Delta Gamma.  I remember calling Granny on bid day, and tearfully telling her, “Ashlea is really going to be my sister!”  Granny, in her calm, sensible, and wise tone simply said, “Well Katherine, I thought she already was.” 

Katherine & Ashlea building a snowman at our Granny & Papa's house
in Wichita Falls, TX

Granny was right- she always was right.  Lee Lee, you have always been my sister.  As little girls, every Christmas at Midwestern’s Fantasy of Lights, every one of your bounce house birthday parties, every lake day ending with a fabulous sunset- you made them all complete.  To this day, I brag to everyone about you- my cousin, my Delta Gamma Grand Little Sis, my UT cheerleader, my Physical Therapist, and my very first friend. 

Kate giving her Maid of Honor toast at Ashlea's Wedding
December 15, 2012

Your courage, patience, faith, hope, and love have been a pillar of strength for your family, through the good times and the hard.  I know Granny, Papa, and your Bubba are watching down on you and Mark today, beaming at their handiwork and crazy proud of the woman you have become, just as I am.  Let’s raise our glasses to Ashlea & Mark- You two have found a love so great and unconditional- a love that lasted across high school halls and across the state.  Y’all have cared for one another, supported one another, and cheered for one another for 7 years thus far, so here’s to 77 more.  As our Granny would say, “Keep on making memories.”  Cheers.

Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 8; Adapted from The Food Network

Carly's Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 c chicken broth (we use unsalted)
• 1 c corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 c cilantro leaves
• 1/4 c lime juice
• 1 doz tortilla chips, crumbled (for garnishing)
• 1/2 c cheddar cheese (for garnishing)
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat
2. Add onion, garlic, chipotle, chili powder, and salt and cook until onion softens
3. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil
4. After this has been boiling for appr 10 mins, add chicken breasts. Allow to boil for 20 mins.
5. Reduce to simmer and add corn. Cook for 5 mins more.
6. Stir in tomato, cilantro, and lime juice
7. Ladle into bowls. Top with chips, cheese, and avocado as desired. 

Keep on cookin'!

-Carly & Katherine

Rosemary Red Potatoes

6/30/12: The house behind my parents’ house where I grew up was the home to four of the most awesome girls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. The Hulls- Elise, Mariel, Christina, and Caroline- were practically my little sisters growing up. In fact, they gave me a “Big Sister” James Avery charm for my high school graduation. Now they’re in college (or in Elise’s case, in MEDICAL SCHOOL- HOLY MOLY!!) and off being their fabulous beautiful selves. Elise is at UT Southwestern Medical School, Mariel and Christina are in Austin at UT, and Caroline is representin' at Arkansas.

I use my "Big Sister" charm as a Christmas ornament

Last year, the girls had me make a wreath for their mom, Lisa, for their “house divided.” Lisa is just as great as her girls (and yes, Brian, their dad, is a blast, too!). Lisa has opened an antique business called diGs.  Housed in the Montgomery Street Antique Mall, the website describes diGs as featuring “an eclectic mix of uncommon vintage artifacts for your home.” She is dealer #2311 if you’re ever there- check it out!

diGs

 One night, Lisa had a sidewalk sale in their driveway of some of her diGs merchandise. My mom and I walked around the bushes that divide our driveway and perused the goodies. Please note, MARIEL, that we chose NOT to use the “secret passage way” between the two houses where Miss Mariel cut the fence down so she could have easier access to play with our Beagle, Penny.  

Elise, Caroline, me, Christina, and Mariel
at my Open House/First Annual Holiday Party in 2008

On any note, my mom insisted on taking Lisa some rosemary in thanks for inviting us to the sale.  Rosemary is great for cooking- a little goes a long way- and it can be used to make almost anything taste just a little bit more fresh and airy. Below you’ll find a recipe for Rosemary Red Potatoes- the rosemary helps lighten the starchy, sometimes over-filling potatoes.

Christina, Caroline, Lisa, Elise, and Mariel

I ended up buying an antique candle/flower pot holder that sits on our doorstep. Every time I walk in the front door I think of you four girls- I can’t believe how much y’all have grown up! I know that’s totally corny, but come on, I use to change your diapers! I am so incredibly proud of the young women you have become. I am also very privileged to say that three out of the four of these girls are now my twice-sisters, as they pledged Delta Gamma at the University of Texas.  Hook ‘em Hogs- I love you four girls (and your parents, too!)

Elise, Mariel, and me at the Delta Gamma house
in Austin when Mariel pledged DG

Rosemary Red Potatoes

All Recipes
Servings: 4

Rosemary Red Potatoes

• 1 3/4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. In a bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, oil, rosemary, garlic and garlic salt; toss to coat. 
3. Transfer to a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. 
4. Bake, uncovered, at 425° F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Soy Sauce Marinated Pork Chops

Andy and Me in Maui, Hawaii- July 11, 2012

Andy's and my first official "pick the girl up from her house" date was to Sushi Axiom on West 7th Street.  I preface it that way because our real first date was a night we met up at Yucatan Taco Stand in between two of my night graduate school classes.  We'd met through our friend, Michael, and hit it off at a Wade Bowen concert you can read about here.  Our quick bite to eat at Yucatan had gone well and soonafter he asked me on a real ("pick the girl up from her house") date.  So he picked me up on May 6, 2010, met my yippy little pup, Abbie, and off we went.

Andy & Me at Ryan & Ashley McCollum's Wedding- April 14, 2012

 Unbeknownst to Andy, I didn't touch sushi until the summer of 2008.  In college, when girls would go to sushi restaurants for dinner or sake bombing, I was willing to go, but I stuck with the chicken teryaki plates.  (Which still went great with the sake bombs).  When I returned home from college, a friend of my parents asked me to meet her at Sushi Axiom on Hulen Street to talk to her goddaughter about rush.  Great, here I was suppose to be telling her how great Delta Gamma is and all I could think about was "What in the world am I going to eat?!"  I called up a friend who is an avid sushi lover, and he told me a few things on the menu I could try that he assured me I wouldn't try to spit into my napkin.  Sure enough, I tried them that night, and I loved them!  A few rolls have an acquired taste, that's for certain, but who doesn't love something that's fried on the outside with cream cheese in the middle and jalapenos on top?

Andy & Me at the lake in April, 2012

My sushi pallet has refined itself now.  I also now eat sashimi (just the raw fish by itself- no rice or fixings) and am always up to try any roll on any menu.  I don't eat the cream cheese rolls or the fried rolls anymore because I've realized that, while also quite unhealthy, all of that takes away considerably from the taste of the fish.

Andy & Me at the Santa Pub Crawl, December 2011

So anyway, back to May of 2010 when Andy and I are on our date.  Trying not to be a scaredy cat (but also only having eaten sushi for 2 years), I told Andy I was game to try anything on the menu that he wanted to order.  I love edamame so we quickly agreed on that, and then it was time to put my money where my mouth was.  Or my mouth where my words were.  Or something like that.

Andy, me, and Abbie at my 4th Annual Holiday Cocktail Party, December 2011

I don't remember what rolls we got or what bottle of sake we ordered, but I do remember trying to figure out the difference in the two soy sauces.  The waitress informed us that the one with the green lid was low-sodium, and that solved that.  To this day, at sushi restaurants, Andy still asks me which soy sauce is what and I giggle because I think of how nervous we both were on that first night.  Obviously our nervousness wasn't too awkward, because here we are, two and a half years later, still eating sushi and, sometimes, trying new soy sauce recipes like the one below.

Soy Sauce Marinated Pork Chops

All Recipes

Servings: 2

Soy Sauce Marinated Porkchops and Baked Potato

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon and 2-1/4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 3/8 garlic clove, minced
• 2 (1 inch thick) pork chops

1. Combine the first 10 ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container
2. Add pork and turn to coat
3. Seal bag or cover container
4. Refrigerate overnight
5. Drain and discard marinade
6. Grill, covered, over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Italian Style Chicken and Potatoes

Jessica, Annalise, Jennifer, me, Elise, and Natalie after Ashley & Ryan McCollum's Wedding

I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers website, and I have been wanting to try it ever since.  With my and Andy's conflicting and busy schedules, we did not have much time for homemade meals last week.  I continuously pushed back and pushed back the night I was going to make Italian Style Chicken and Potatoes, and finally was able to make it this past week.

Andy and me at Ashley & Ryan's wedding

This weekend was just about as busy as our week last week.  Our friends, Ryan McCollum and Ashley Meyka, got married on Saturday.  Ashley is my little sis from Delta Gamma, Jennifer,'s cousin.  Jennifer invited Ashley and Ashley's (at the time- boyfriend, now husband), Ryan, to play on their kickball team last year.  Andy and I got to know them pretty well, and we have seen them going from dating to being engaged, and now they are married! I had an 11:00am hair appointment to have my hair cut and colored- both of which were long-since past due.  After that, I went with my mom to get manicures and pedicures.  My mom had given me a Groupon for Valentine's Day to a new salon here in Fort Worth.  When I called to make our appointments, the receptionist told me that they had sold over 1,500 Groupons and were booked every Saturday until June 30th! So we nixed that idea, and instead went to E-Nails by my house. 

Jennifer and me at Ryan & Ashley's wedding

A small group of my friends decided to meet up at my parents' house because they live pretty close to the church where Ryan and Ashley's wedding was.  We met over there, had a glass of wine, and then carpooled to St. Paul Lutheran Church.  Ashley looked stunning, and even though Ryan had seen her when they took pictures before the wedding, I definitely saw his "Wow, she looks beautiful," reaction when the church doors swung open. 

Andy and me at Ryan & Ashley's reception at Chateau Forrest Park

After the wedding, we drove down the street to The Chateau at Forrest Park where the reception took place.  There was a nice cheese and cracker starter, then a buffet, and of course the cakes.  Ryan's cake was chocolate with chocolate covered strawberries, and Ashley's cake had a layer of white cake but also a layer of funfetti cake! Very fun, and very Ashley.  The bride's cake even had an anchor and the Delta Gamma greek letters on it- nice touch, sis.

Holly and me grabbing late night drinks at The Usual 

We took crazy photobooth pictures and danced the night away, and sent the couple off with sparklers at 11:00.  For a night cap, Andy and I headed to The Usual with Michael and his date where we met up with my co-worker, Holly, and her husband, Jason.  Thank you, Ryan and Ashley, for including us in your big day! I was honored to be a part of the celebration, and congratulations on your new marriage.  I hope they're having fun in the Dominican Republic- they sure deserve a break after both wedding planning and remodeling a house for the past few months!

Italian-Style Chicken and Potatoes
Weight Watchers
Servings: 4, Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 7

• 2 sprays cooking spray
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 in. pieces
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 large sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 lb uncooked Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-1 in pieces
• 1/2 c dry red wine
• 1 1/2 c marinara sauce (store bought, from the jar)
• 1/2 c water

1. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking oil and heat over medium-high heat
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper
3. Add chicken to skillet; saute until golden brown, and almost cooked through (4-6 mins)
4. Move from skillet to a plate
5. Off heat, coat pan with cooking oil again
6. Add peppers & potatoes; saute until veggies are lightly browned (4-6 mins)
7. Add wine; simmer for 1 min
8. Add marinara & water to skillet; increase heat to high & bring to a boil
9. Reduce heat to low; cover & simmer until potatoes are almost tender (about 15 mins)
10. Stir in chicken and juices
11. Cover & cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through (about 7 mins)
12. Add salt & pepper to taste, if desired.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Mississippi Sin Dip

Big/Little Sis Collage that my wonderful Little Sis, Jennifer, made!

When I applied to UT, my college counselor was not exactly enthusiastic.  “You should have a back up school, just in case,” he said.  “UT has become impossible to get into these days, especially for schools like ours that doesn’t rank and doesn’t have a top 10%.”  In 2004, at Texas public high schools, the top 10% of the grade was automatically admitted to Texas public universities.  As much as I appreciated my counselor’s advice and (lack of) support, I was bound and determined to go to Texas, and I was going to do whatever I could to get that acceptance letter.  I applied to Texas Tech, TCU, Trinity University, Southwestern University, Midwestern State, CU Boulder, OU (oops), and UT. 

My Big Sis, Amber, and me with Roger Creager at Anchor Bash 2008 at Hard Rock Cafe

I had seven acceptance letters, but it was the eighth letter for which I sped home every day at 3:15.  Finally, the day came when the last acceptances were being announced.  My best friend, Whitney, and I walked into the math classroom with computers, and we held our breath as we checked our admission statuses.  Whitney closed her eyes, and she told me to read what A&M University was telling her.  “You got in!”  I screamed.  Then it was my turn.  I logged onto my Be A Longhorn account, and I prepared myself for the worst.  “Congratulations!” was the first word I read.  I was admitted to UT as a “Summer Admission,” meaning I had to take nine hours of class during summer of 2004 before beginning regular classes in August.  I didn’t care though, I was going to be a Longhorn, and my best friend was going to be an Aggie.

Jennfier and me at her Bid Day in 2005

Starting about February of my senior year of high school, all of my girlfriend started talking about rush ("recruitment").  Most of my friends' moms put together color coordinated packets, complete with beautiful professional pictures, meticulous resumes, and their entire family history of sorority and fraternity membership.  My best friend, Whitney, and I stared, bug-eyed.  Neither of our moms had been in a sorority, and we had no clue where to start. 

Jennifer and me in our matching outfits for Big/Little Revealing at a haunted house

We asked our friends, and ideally we were to have “one formal recommendation and two letters of support for each sorority at our respective universities.  UT had 14 Panhellenic (nationally recognized) sororities.  This meant I needed to find 42 women who I knew and who also happened to be in one of each of the sororities.  One of the great things (but sometimes not so great things) about Fort Worth is that it is a tiny big town.  A lot of Fort Worth knows each other (and each others’ business), so I had women calling me left and right, volunteering to write my “rec” for XYZ sorority.  Whitney and I drove around all day for three days straight, delivering our packets to women’s homes so they could write our recs.  (Most of our friends’ moms were doing this delivery for them, but our full-time-working-non-sorority moms had no idea where to start, so it was up to us). 

Me, my Grand Little (Ashlea), Great Grand Little (Nicole), Great Great Grand Little (Jackie)
and twin Great Great Great Grand Littles (Anne and Michelle) at DG Bid Day at UT in 2010

I spent summer of 2004 having a blast in Austin, meeting a ton of sorority girls, , and worrying about rush.  I decided that I would keep an open mind, despite many of my girlfriends’ preconceived ideas of each sorority.   The first day I walked into the Delta Gamma house, I knew I wanted to “Be a DG, too.”  It was the first house I didn’t feel like I had to put on a fake smile or force conversation.  My smile was legitimate, and my conversation was genuine.  On preference night, my feet were aching from my heels, and the girl with who I was matched told me “Take your shoes off, it’s totally fine.”  What?  No way.  Somewhere I can be myself, relax, and be comfortable?  Surely that didn’t describe a sorority, but it did.  On bid day, I opened my bid card and found I was invited to be a Delta Gamma. 

My Grand Little/Cousin, Ashlea, me, and my Little, Jennifer at my 3rd Annual Holiday Cocktail Party

I am now an advisor to the TCU Gamma Tau Delta Gamma chapter.  My little sis from DG, Jennifer, and I are the Co-Advisors for the New Member Program.  We had a meet and greet for the alumnae to meet the baby DGs, and I made Mississippi Sin Dip.  It’s not truly “sinful” since I made it with fat-free ingredients, but it was addicting.  It was fun watching all of the new members mingling and making friends, just like I did back seven years ago.  While I’m not in touch with many of my pledge sisters these days, the closeness that I have with my little sis, Jennifer, and my cousin, Ashlea, (who also happens to be my grandlittle sis!), is all thanks to Delta Gamma.  There is nothing in this world for which I would trade those days of driving around Fort Worth with Whitney, or my close friendship with Jennifer, or watching my cousin, Ashlea, become my sister.

Mississippi Sin Dip
Sondra Cochran
Servings: 3 cups; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 40 for the bowl 


Mississippi Sin Dip in a bread bowl, served with Wheat Thins

• 8 oz fat-free cream cheese
• 1 1/2 c (12 oz) fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 c chopped ham
• 1/3 c chopped green chiles
• 2 jalapenos (more or less for taste)
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese (using fat free would cut down on points value)
• 1/3 c green onions
• 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Loaf of round bread/bread bowl

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly
3. Slice top of bread off and scoop out inside (You may cube and use the bread for dipping)
4. Pour mixture into bread
5. Wrap in foil & bake 1 hour at 350° 
6. Serve with crackers, chips, or veggies

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine