Nashville's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup a la Nashville College Friends Who Let Me Spend The Night As I Was Passing Through

INGREDIENTS:

Part 1 -
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 cups baby carrots, diced
2 Tbsp. butter
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Part 2 -
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or red pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 vegetable bouillon cube, crumbled

Part 3 -
3 cans great northern beans, drained and divided in half
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk

Part 4 -
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all Part 1 ingredients except for chicken in a large soup pot and saute on medium heat for 8 minutes.  Add chicken and continue sauteing for 2-3 more minutes; carrots should be soft.
Add Part 2 ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add 1/2 of the drained beans to the pot and the other 1/2 to a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Mash the beans in the bowl and then mix in the milk and flour until blended.  Add this mixture to the pot and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened.
Add fresh cilantro and stir.

Serve with tortilla strips, lime wedges, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.
NOTE: If soup seems too thick or chunky, adding 1-2 cups of water will help thin it out without compromising the flavor.

Can't believe this ... 
Six weeks ago was the last time I posted a recipe.  Yikes!
Six weeks from now, the baby is due.  Double yikes!

Short list of things that have been going on in the past six weeks (and you'll maybe understand why new recipes haven't been top on the priority list ...)
-attend 3 baby showers given by sweet friends
-organize baby stuff
-help plan baby shower for friend
-spend one weekend with my brother visiting from Kentucky, one weekend camping, three weekends on the road (including a four-day road trip to Memphis for a friend's wedding), and one weekend at home
-balance water aerobics, "Prepared Childbirth" classes at our hospital, and dog-walking (all three activities make me very out of breath, for different reasons ...)
-work 32-35 hours a week
-sleep whenever possible
-eat whenever possible
-relax whenever possible

Short list of the things that need to be done before Baby RhymesWithSmile gets here:
-toss clutter in living room (mostly magazines)
-organize fabric stash
-make three baby quilts
-purchase cloth diapers
-celebrate Thanksgiving with awesome family
-throw/co-throw the 4th Annual Christmas Morning Party
-finish working (probably around Dec 13 or 14)
-figure out baby insurance (what?!?  of all the nerve, for a baby to need insurance)
-plan and make approximately 23 Christmas gifts (on a good note though, my side of the family chose the theme "Cheesy and Cheap" and the Mr's side is going with "Under $10" so it will prove to be a fun time)
-make some meals to go in the freezer

I think I need to lower my expectations of myself.  I need a nap just from looking at my to-do list :)