Winter Blues

Winter has fallen upon us and forced many inside where soup is cooking, a fire is burning, and wrapping up in a handmade afghan to watch old movies is typical around here.
Many start to feel the winter blues but not me. I love the warm fire, the smells of the spice pot simmering, the bread baking, and I take this time to rummage through my collections.
Some of my favorite colors come in the winter. I love the colors of crisp white snow, the sparkly clean blue sky, and the bright golden flames from the wood burning in the stove.
The air feels fresh and cold and makes me want to run inside where I'd rather be wrapped up with a cat in my lap!

Here's hoping everyone is staying warm and sharing some good soup with friends and family!

Chicken and Bean Soup
1 big ol can of Swanson's low sodium broth
1 leftover rotisserie chicken cut up
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno papper
1 can pinto beans
1/2 can corn or a big handful of frozen corn
1 small can tomato puree
1 TBL emerills souuthwest seasoning

Chop the carrots, celery, and onion and sautee in a big ol pot. Coarsely chop the garlic and jalapeno pepper and add to sauteed veggies. Throw in the canned broth, beans, corn and tomato puree. Season with emerills SW seasoning (comment me and I'll share the recipe with ya!). You can stop here and this will be veggie style soup granted you subtitute the chicken broth for veggie broth. Chop up the rotisserie chicken and throow it in the soup pot. Simmer to a slow boil and reduce to lowest heat. i leave this on the stove with a pot of rice on the side. It will warm ya up for sure! And it smells yummy yummy yummy!