friendly race + chicken tortilla soup {recipe}

Hello! How was your weekend? I’ll admit it was a bit tough to wake up this Monday morning… but, as always, I’m glad I (eventually) got out there.

Anthony joined me for a breezy 6.5 miles in Shelby Park. I don’t think he loved running up the hill to get to this bridge, but I know he’s secretly thankful for it deep down…

We kept it slow for the first mile, but then picked up the pace! Stopping for an awkward photo opp along the way. Give me a break. It was 6 a.m.

We raced the last half mile for a fast finish. A little friendly competition is always good for a relationship :). Anthony won, obviously. Remember this post I wrote about why guys are faster than girls?

Even though I “lost,” I’m still pretty pleased with our average pace.

And that’s Monday so far! Back to Sunday… since we spent most of yesterday tackling the mountain of unpacked boxes, I thought ahead for once and made an easy slow-cooker dinner so that we could 100% focus on chores. Yay, chores!

And yay, chicken tortilla soup. Simple, spicy, and delicious.

I even wrote down the recipe to remember for next time. Here it is:

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (Serves 4-6)

• 3 chicken breasts, uncooked
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 chile in adobo sauce, diced
• 2 ounces green chile peppers (half of a 4 oz can)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chile powder
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional toppings: cilantro, greek yogurt/sour cream, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips

Directions: Throw everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours. After 2-3 hours, take out the chicken and shred with a fork. Put it back in the slow cooker, and cook it all on low for another 3-5 hours.

Enjoy!

And that’s all I’ve got for you right now! Hope your week is off to a good start.

• Last time you passed a guy in a race/on a run? How did it feel?
• Favorite slow cooker recipe?
• Homeowners: How long did it take you to officially “settle in” to your abode?