Melissa's Easy & Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cook For Your Super Bowl Party
or on a Cold Winter's Night!

This has become one of my staple recipes. Try it, I think you will like it!
Don't let it look intimidating. Check your pantry first.

• Don't have a can of salsa, but have a jar left over in the fridge? Use it!
• Don't have canned chicken broth? Use 4 cups powdered chicken bouillon.
• Don't have black beans, but have some white or red kidney beans? Dump it in. Still tastes great.
• Don't have lime, but have a lemon? Add a bit of lemon juice. Careful, not too much!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
Serves: 6
Ready In: 1 Hour

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed OR 1 rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup herb & garlic marinade or Italian dressing
1 cup onion, diced
1 can (7 oz) salsa
1 can (14 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (14 oz) corn, drained
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
1/4 cup rice
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. jarred jalapeno, minced
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 packet taco seasoning
2 tsp. McCormick's Southwest Chipotle seasoning
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips


1. Cut chicken with kitchen shears into cubes and saute in dressing/marinade. Or cut small pieces off rotisserie chicken.
2. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a large pot for 3 minutes.
3. Add cooked chicken, chicken broth, rice, salsa, corn, black beans, jalapenos, lime juice, chili powder, parsley, onion powder, taco seasoning & Southwest seasoning.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Check and stir. When rice is cooked, soup is ready.
6. Top with cheese, sour cream & tortilla chips. Yum Yum!






Melissa Simms
RE/MAX Associates
Louisville, Kentucky
MelissaSimms@remax.net

Are McMansion's Loosing There Appeal?

LIVING SMALLER

Thursday, January 18, 2010

Are McMansion's loosing there appeal to the masses?

Is the small cottage with the white picket fence making a comeback?

It looks like home buyers are able to live in a smaller space and fix it up with all the bells and whistles. Many homeowners are paying attention to what buyers want and what the design shows are telling viewers; light, tranquil colors look best in smaller spaces. Homeowners are learning to work within their space to give it a modern appeal with a comfortable feel.

The average home sizes are declining. This may have to do with the current tax credit being offered, many first time home buyers are jumping into the marketplace. Someone purchasing their first home is most likely going to be buying one that is a modest price and size. Whether first time buyer, divorcee's, aging baby boomers, or just downsizing on size & mortgage payment; many are finding creative and beautiful ways of taking their smaller space to a whole new level.




LIVING BIG IN A SMALL HOME
"Although the average square footage of a new house is still double what it was in 1960, in the last year, it decreased slightly to 2,215 square feet from a high of 2,277 square feet in 2008, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. While the decrease doesn’t approach mid-20th century levels, it is the first drop in house size since the recession of the early 1980s." Read More.....

Article Source: Realtor Magazine
Issue: February 2010
By: Maggie Sieger

How is Louisville Divided Up?

DIVISION OF LOUISVILLE METRO AREA
&
SURROUNDING COUNTIES

Monday, January 11, 2010---Whether you've tried looking for homes online or even picked up the very thin Courier Journal Real Estate Section to see what's for sale, you may have been confused on the breakdown of the Louisville Metro area and surrounding counties.

MAP KEY- Major Areas & Neighborhoods

Area 1:
Algonquin
Old Louisville
Parkland
Portland
Shivley

Area 2:
Audubon
Butchertown
Bonnycastle
Camp Taylor
Cherokee Triangle
Germantown
Highlands
Phoenix Hill

Area 3:
Brownsboro-Zorn
Clifton
Crescent Hill
Indian Hills
St. Matthews

Area 4:
Chickasaw
Shawnee

Area 5:
Auburndale
Beechmont
Cloverleaf
Iroquois Park

Area 6:
Bashford Manor
Buechel
Fern Creek
Newburg
Okolona

Area 7:
Bon Air
Hikes Point
Klondike
St. Regis Park
Jeffersontown

Area 8:
Douglas Hills
Hurstbourne
Middletown
Plainview
Lake Forest
Lyndon
Oxmoor Woods
Polo Fields

Area 9:
Anchorage
Prospect
Hunting Creek
Indian Springs
Springhurst

Additional Area Codes-
Area 11: Bullit County (Mt. Washington, Shepherdsville, Hillview, Brooks)
Area 12: Other Kentucky Counties
Area 13: Indiana
Area 14: Other States
Area 16: Hardin County
Area 20: Oldham County North of I-71
Area 21: Oldham County South of I-71
Area 30: Shelby County (Simpsonville & Shelbyville)
Area 17: Spencer County ( Fisherville & Taylorsville)
Nelson County (Cox's Creek & Bardstown)