This past week or so I’ve been learning so much about reaching outside of myself, getting out of my comfort zone, and reaching beyond my computer screen and the safety of my home. I’m naturally a very introverted person. I like a quiet home, I’m perfectly content to be left alone with my thoughts most of the day, I take great pains to avoid answering the phone when it’s a number I don’t know (and sometimes even when it’s a number I do know), and I need major time to recharge after being around people all day while shooting a wedding.

Don’t get me wrong – I love people, I love connecting with them, hearing their stories, and sharing my own. I love learning from others and looking back to see where my story intersected with someone else’s,  the effect that had on both of us, and how we grew from it. If left to my own devices though, I would probably hole up in my house, drink my coffee, do my own thing, and in the end be rather selfish with my time. While I think it’s completely necessary to rest and recharge, I also think (especially for myself) that I often need more encouragement to get out, reach beyond the four walls of my house, and be okay with being outside my comfort zone.

This actually reminds me of a blog post my dear friend Lauren wrote recently (side note – you should go check out her blog! She has such beautiful thoughts!) She wrote about a quote she saw on Pinterest – “Taking time to live will only inspire your work.” I feel like that really embodies these thoughts that are rolling around in my head.

Lately, we’ve been going non-stop – meeting new people almost every day through a variety of opportunities that have come our way. And even though seeing and meeting so many people has drained this introvert of much of her people-energy, it has been SO so good for me. I’m learning that it’s okay to be uncomfortable at times, and to just roll with it.

Confession time: I HATE small talk. It’s not that I can’t do it, but rather I feel like I start rambling and I don’t do a great job at listening while small-talking. Give me your story though, and I’m happy to talk for hours. Share with me what you’re passionate about and ask me what I love to do – we’ll be best friends. But chat about the weather at length, the latest you-tube videos for too long, or give me one word answers to my questions and I won’t know where to go from there. I’d rather hear your life story and try to understand what makes you who you are than chat about something fluffy and gossipy any day.

Last week we met with a bunch of photographers who are local to our area. Tim and I don’t really follow a lot of local artists – we tend to do our own thing and not think too much about what others around us are doing or offering (maybe that’s a fault, I’m not sure.) I tend to compare myself to others easily though, and I get discouraged when it seems like they are doing more beautiful work, or doing crummier work and getting paid more, or they simply seem more “successful” than we are – whatever that means. That being said, we weren’t super familiar with the local photographer scene. We decided last week to get outside ourselves and go to a local meet-up we’d been invited to – it was such a good decision!

We loved chatting with everyone and sharing our hilarious wedding stories, but most of all I loved hearing about them. Why they became a photographer, what they loved most about shooting weddings, how they chose the name for their business. Those were the stories I wanted to hear. A few of us stayed late into the evening, after the group dwindled down to just us, and we laughed and sipped our drinks and nibbled on the crumbs of what was left of our fancy taco dishes and hummus plates.

We talked about life and owning our own businesses and working with clients and relationships and marriage and college and not getting jobs in our area of study and having dogs and planting gardens amongst many other things. We arrived mostly strangers or acquaintances, but we opened ourselves up to one another and shared our stories, the beginning of our fears and our struggles, the excitement of finding what we love to do, and the hopes we have for the future. We arrived mostly strangers or acquaintances and we walked out into the cool breezy night, exchanged hugs, and bid one other good night and exchanged “let’s do this again soon”s. It’s so hard to be vulnerable, to open yourself up to new experiences and new people, to get out of your comfort zone and ask about more than just the weather – but it’s so so worth it in the end.

If inviting people into your home to share a meal at your table sounds like “getting outside of your comfort zone,” then this recipe is for you. You don’t have to work too hard and you will be a hero at the next get together you host, I promise. This recipe is simple enough to throw together, and it will keep you out of the kitchen so you’re able to spend more time with your friends, chatting and munching on chips and salsa until you’re ready for dinner. The morning-of, sauté up a few veggies and then throw everything in the crockpot, set it on low for 8 hours total. Check on it around hour 5, take the chicken out and shred it, then toss it back in and let it get happy a couple more hours till you’re ready to enjoy it!

I made this when my college roommates came to visit a couple weekends ago – we tossed it all together and then went to the park for a picnic lunch and a little walk in the sunshine! We’ve been having the most glorious weekends lately, but pretty crummy wet weather during the week – I’m so ready for spring really arrive! Until then I’m going to keep making soup to keep me warm and happy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Asharae Kroll

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 15 mins

Servings 6 -8

Ingredients

  

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1-2 jalapeños diced (with seeds for spicy flavor, without for mild)
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 6 c chicken stock
• 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 15 oz can corn drained
• 1 small can diced green chilies optional
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro
• Garnish: cheese tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro

Instructions

 

• Saute onion over medium heat until slightly tender 2-4 minutes.
• Add jalapeño and garlic, sauté 1 more minute. Add to slow cooker.
• Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, except lime juice, cilantro, and garnishes.
• Turn the slow cooker on low for 5 hours, remove chicken and shred it with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and leave on low for 2-3 more hours. (UPDATE: Depending on your slow cooker, this may go much faster! I've found that mine cooks hot, so it only takes 3-5 hours for the chicken to cook on low. I then shred it and place it back in for 30 minutes or so. Adjust your cooking time accordingly so you don't end up with tough, dry chicken.)
• Add cilantro and lime juice right before serving.
• Serve garnished with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, additional lime and cilantro, and even sour cream or hot sauce if you wish.

Notes

If you don't like spice, you can omit the jalapeño and the diced green chilies for a more mild flavor. This recipe is very adaptable to your flavor preferences and what you have on-hand - I'm not sure I've ever made it the exact same way twice. Sometimes I add more spice or less, use frozen corn instead of canned, or omit an ingredient or two because I don't have it in the cabinet that day. This soup is also a great recipe to use if you have leftover chicken or turkey - just shred it all ahead of time and toss it in the crockpot for the flavors to get happy for a few hours.