hi! my name is Rachel Arnold and I am one half of the Nashville Mom team. I was born and raised in middle Tennessee, and of course, still reside here. Before becoming a mom, I worked in the music industry (because in Nashville, isn’t that what you are supposed to do?) for five lovely years before wising up and realizing I wanted to be a mom. My sweet Matilda was born almost exactly a year ago, and my husband and I can’t really remember life before her. I’m currently a full time mom, part time nanny and I work retail part time at my favorite store, Anthropologie (which, incidentally, is how Joy and I kind of met!)
favorite thing in my baby’s nursery: Matilda’s dresser/changing table. I searched long and hard for the perfect dresser, and was so excited when we found this one. It was a little beat up, but after a few coats of lemony yellow paint, and some adorable new knobs from Anthropologie, it was exactly what I had envisioned.
favorite thing to do in Nashville: Our little family loves to spend Saturday mornings at the Nashville and/or Franklin Farmers Market. I love knowing where our food is coming from, and also knowing that I am supporting locals when making my purchases.
explain tattoos: I have a bird on my forearm, because I like birds. I always get asked what the story is behind it, but there really isn’t one. I also have a daisy on my tush because two friends and I got married within a year of each other and decided to do something to commemorate that so we all went and got daisy tattoos together.
story behind daughter’s name: Matilda is a very Australian name, and since I am one half Aussie, it was the perfect choice. I have a niece named Matilda as well, and was a little concerned that she might not want a namesake, but she loved the thought of having a little cousin named after her! It was also the one name that my husband and I agreed on completely, and after seeing her amazing little face, we knew it fit her perfectly!
my go-to dinner recipe: Can we just call this my go-to dinner website? Shutterbean has a ton of incredible recipes and the one below (which is actually an Ina Garten recipe – can I just profess my love right here for the Barefoot Contessa? She is AMAZING!) is my definite go to. Check out her site for more amazing yumminess.
Mexican Chicken Soup
-4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
-Good olive oil
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
-1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
-2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
-4 large cloves garlic, chopped
-2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
-1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
-2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
-1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, NOT optional
- 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
Directions
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.
