Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup & Tortilla Chips

This is an awesome soup that I found on Pinterest (of course) and I just had to put it on here to spread the word! I also got the homemade tortilla chips instructions on Pinterest. It makes a lot (for 3 people) so I end up freezing the rest and then just making more chips that day. My husband LOVES the nights that I make this soup! Try it! This meal costs $8.26 if you shop at Walmart and buy the Great Value brand when possible. Since I freeze the leftovers, it is $4.13 to feed three people each time. Cheap meal!

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I always use onion powder instead of onion because I hate onions)
1/2 cup green pepper, chopp
1 10 oz can mild enchilada sauce
1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pepper jack cheese (4 oz), I use the slices
1 can chicken, shredded

In large crockpot, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion,  bell pepper and chicken. Stir it all together well. In a bowl, combine enchilada sauce and soup. Stir well and then stir in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture in crock pot. Stir well.

Put on low for for 4-5 hours. Top with pepper jack cheese right before serving. Top with sour cream, avocado, etc. If soup is too thick for you just add a little more milk. I never have to.

HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. lay the tortillas out on a cutting board, spray with nonstick oil spray on both sides. If you want to season them. You can season them with paprika, salt, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, etc. I don't season mine. Season them on both sides if desired.

Stack the tortillas in piles. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut through the pile of tortillas, cutting into triangles.

Arrange tortilla triangles (single layer) on a baking sheet. Bake 6-7 minutes or until they start to curl and turn lightly brown. Watch them carefully! They can burn very quickly! Once the chips are done. remove from oven to cool. They will continue to crisp as they cool.

Cute Wallet Tutorial

 I just made this wallet because the one I was using was getting holes in it and the zipper barely worked. I made a purse that is of the same material too. Anyways I thought I'd share the tutorial with you. I found this tutorial at BurdaStyle. I find it a little difficult to decifer which pieces to cut out of the main color and the secondary color so I thought I'd include my own pictures with about the same instructions. Go check out the orginal tutorial for more info and pictures. Anyways.. here we go...

You will need:
* velcro or heavy duty snap and tools (I put velcro closure on mine)
* 2 fabric colors, about 1/2 yard total
* interfacing 1/4 yard
* 7" zipper
*zipperfoot

Step 1: Cut Out The Fabric Pieces

Step 2: Preparing The Zipper Area

Take one of the Main Color 8.5" x 4.5" pieces. On the wrong side, draw a line in pencil 1″ from the top. It should end 1″ from each edge. Draw an identical line 1/2″ below the first one, and connect them at the ends. This will be the square into which your zipper will be inserted.

 Place a Secondary Color  8.5″ x 4.5″ piece underneath the piece you just drew on, right sides facing. Pin.

Step 3: Sewing The Zipper Area

 Carefully sew around the box you drew using a small stitch length (I used 2). Make sure your corners are neat. Tie the ends off to ensure the thread will not come loose.

Step 4:  Cutting to Prepare For Inserting Zipper

 Cut down the middle of your rectangle to about 1/2 ” from each end. Then cut to each corner (as close as possible) creating a triangle at the end. Make sure this is neat.

Step 5: Turning The Fabric

 Flip one side right side out through the hole you just created, and press carefully around the rectangles edges.

 Step 6: Preparing The Zipper

Now, measure your zipper against the opening in your fabric. It should be just a bit long.
Sew across the teeth of your zipper (several times) just past where it will be hidden from sight. Cut off that metal piece. You probably want the zipper to have about an extra 1/2″ or so on the end for inserting. I used a metal zipper and I just hand-wheeled it through back and forth several times so I wouldn't break my needle.

Step 7: Inserting The Zipper

Pin and sew the zipper in place (using a zipper foot). Sew close to the edge of the fabric (less than 1/8″).

Step 8:  Preparing To Finish The Zipper Pocket

Take 2 more Secondary Color 8.5″ x 4.5″ pieces and place them wrong sides together. These will be the inside of your zipper pocket, and the inside of the slip pocket. Pin these pieces (wrong sides together) onto the outside of the zipper pocket (so the zipper is facing these new pieces).

 Step 9: Finishing The Zipper Pocket

 Stitch only the top edge together using a 3/8″ seam allowance and flip it over so the seam is hidden as shown and press well.

Pin all the edges of the the pocket. Top stitch along the top edge and baste together the other three sides using about 1/4" seam allowance. Your zipper pocket is ready!

Step 10: Starting On The Credit Card Pouches

Take 2 more Secondary Color 8.5″ x 4.5″ pieces. Place them right sides together and pin. Sew the top edge only using a 3/8″ seam allowance.

Flip so the seam is hidden, press the seam. Topstitch about 1/8″ from the folded edge. This will be your bottom pocket.

Step 11: Preparing The Credit Card Pouches

Take your Secondary Color 8.5″ x 4″ piece. Fold the top edge over 1/2″ and press. Topstitch about 1/8″ from the folded edge.

Repeat for both other Secondary Color piece- 8.5 × 3.5 and Main Color Piece 8.5 × 3.

Step 12:  Pinning The Pouches Together

Line the largest 2 pockets up & pin. Make sure the top edges are parallel- this is more important than the bottom edges being exact.
Draw a line in pencil 2.5″ from the top edge. Stitch over your line (this will be hidden from sight).

Step 13: More Pinning!

Do the same with the next piece, only draw your line 3″ from the top edge.

Step 14:  Marking The Middle

Place the smallest piece on top. Pin all together, and baste the 3 unfinished edges using 1/4″ seam allowance.
Find the middle of your pockets (width-wise) and lightly mark points in pencil along that line. This will divide the pockets for credit cards. Make sure you get it in the middle or your cards may not fit well on one side.

Step 15: Stitching The Middle

Topstitch neatly over this middle line and tie off the ends nicely.

Step 16: Stitching Pockets To The Inside

Take a Main Color 8.5" x 9" piece and place interfacing on the wrong side. Place both your credit card slots and zippered pouches on top of the 8.5″ x 9″ piece. Pin together, baste all around the edges using 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 17:  Preparing The Snap/Velcro Tab

Place your two 2.5″ x 5″ pieces right sides together and pin.

Step 18:  Stitching The Tab

Stitch around the outside using 1/4″ seam allowance. Leave one end open. Make sure to backstitch at the corners so they are strong for flipping.

Clip the corners and trim the seam allowances. Flip right-side out and press. Topstitch on the three sides with seams about 1/8″ from the edge.

 Make marks for inserting your snap about 1″ from the edge of your finished tab. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for inserting your snap. Or... use velcro like I did.

Take your Main Color 8.5 × 9 piece and put interfacing on the wrong side, and make a mark in the middle about 1.5″ from the top edge (one of the 8.5″ sides). Again, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for inserting the other side of the snap.

Step 19: Pinning The Wallet Together

Place the inside and outside pieces right sides together and pin. Make sure the snap edge of the outer piece matches up with the card slots on the inner piece. Leave the opposite end (with the zippered pocket) open for flipping. (My picture looks kind of funny because my interfacing was in three pieces. I was using up scraps)

Step 20:  Stitching The Wallet

Stitch all around using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Use a small stitch for strength. Backstitch at the corners for extra strength (they are very hard to flip).

Cut your corners and trim the seam allowances (except on open edge).

Step 21: Stitch On The Tab

Flip the whole thing right side out and press it well. Insert the snap tab in the opening and pin in place. Make sure it closes correctly before stitching.

 Topstitch all the way around, staying close to the edge. This takes time and patience. In the places with lots of layers, you may need to wheel it by hand to get through the layers. Be especially careful around the corners and the ends of the zipper pocket.

                                                        All Done! Fill it up and enjoy!

The Great and Powerful Whitening Solution

Thanks to One Good Thing By Jillee I have been able to get my whites back to looking new and they smell fresher than ever! You can wash your whites over and over again and they will never look as good as they do after using this solution! Here's the directions:

HOT water - you want the water as hot as you can get it!
1 cup laundry detergent
1 cup powdered dishwasher detergent
1 cup bleach
1/2 cup borax

Add all ingredients in the smallest load possible while still keeping everything covered. You want the water to be very concentrated.

Then let it agitate for just a minute and then let it soak for several hours. After it has been soaking for several hours, let it finish the cycle and then have it rinse a second time. 

I have used this solution on my pillows and it worked VERY well. The hardest thing about washing pillows is preventing them from floating. Depending on the pillow, you may need to let it soak one direction and then take it out, flip it the other direction and let it soak again, just to make sure it all gets soaked in the solution. We have 4 pillows and two of them I had to be flipped. Make sure you rinse the pillows well to get the solution out. You won't need to do this with your pillows as often as your sheets and pillowcases.

Try it, you'll wonder how you ever done without it! Let me know how it worked for you!

LDS Quad Scripture Cover Tutorial

I've been meaning to make me a scripture cover for quite some time now. I wanted a cover that supported the spine so it didn't slouch and ruin it. I also wanted a cover that had room for a pencil or so. Anyways, let's get started!

First you need to cut out your fabric pieces.

 

Now iron on the large pieces of interfacing to the back side of the main fabric pieces and iron on the other interfacing piece straight down the middle of the back side of the 19 1/2" x 4" fabric piece.

Next draw a line down the center of the interfacing and fold up the bottom of the fabric to the line and iron. Then fold the top part of the fabric and iron it down. This makes the strip that will run down the middle of the cover.

Pin the strip down the center of one of the main pieces of fabric and sew as close to the edge as you dare down both sides. 

Place both pieces of main fabric together so that you can cut the ends of one side toward a point. Measure 16 inches up and make a mark. Measure 2 1/2 inches in at the top and make a mark. Now take a ruler and a roller cutter and line it up and cut the angle. Do the same thing to the other main piece. This will make the flap that wraps around and buttons.

 Next take the each of the matching pieces, place them good side to good side. The pocket (3" x 5" pieces) you will sew a 1/2" seam all the way around, leaving a small opening so that you can turn it inside out. Take the other matching pieces that will make up the sleeves and sew a 1/2" seam down both long sides only.

Flip them all right side out and iron flat. For the pocket, you will sew along the top only very close to 

the edge. The smaller sleeve you will sew a 1/2" seam down both long sides. The larger sleeve, you will sew a 1/2" seam down only one of the longer sides.

Okay now we're ready to put the whole cover together. Take the main piece of fabric that DOESN'T have the strip down the middle and lay it face up. Pin the larger sleeve on the left side with the sewn side on the right. Pin the smaller sleeve 6 1/2" over and then pin the pocket very close to that sleeve but not touching. Make sure the sewn seam is at the top and not the bottom. I placed mine in the middle because of the crayon like markers I was going to put in the pocket. If you intend on putting a pen in the pocket, you may want to place it a little lower than center so the pen won't stick out of the cover.

 This upper picture depicts the pocket farther away than I actually ended up putting it. This lower picture is more accurate to the placement of the pocket.

Now sew your pocket on. Sew as close to the edge as you dare all the way around the 3 sides you haven't sewn yet. Then sew along the top and bottom of the larger sleeve as close to the edge as possible and sew along the top and bottom and down the right side of the smaller sleeve, making sure you are as close as possible to the edge of the fabric piece.

Now take the two main pieces of fabric and place them good side to good side an pin it.

Sew a 1/4" seam all the way around leaving a small opening on one of the angles so that you can flip it right side out. Flip it right side out after sewing and be sure to push all of the corners really well and iron it.

Now sew a finishing seam all of the way around the cover, keeping close to the edge.

Slide the front and back cover of your scriptures inside the sleeves and wrap it around. Mark where you would like to place a the button. When sewing on the button, make sure you pull the sleeve out of the way on the other side so you don't sew the button to it or you won't be able to get your scriptures to slide in.

Here's mine all finished. I also made a matching bag. 

Here's the tutorial for the bag if you'd also like to make one: http://keepinupwithmommy.blogspot.com/2013/01/fun-bag-tutorial.html