tortilla soup

my mom has THE best tortilla soup. so, i asked her to email me the recipe and this is what i got:

"boil chicken....de-bone...saute garlic, onion, whatever veggies you want. add to chicken stock. add carrots, corn, tomatoes, green chilies. add some whole or ground cumin. bring to a boil. add cilantro to taste. slice some corn tortillas in strips and add to pot. simmer until veggies are soft and then add chicken. serve over tortilla chips and just add your fav toppings!"

now, i love my mother very much and i am so grateful - but wtf! the ocd bad cook in me is flippin' out! where are the measurements? add cilantro to taste?! what is is supposed to taste like?! whatever veggies i want? what goes in it? ahhh!

so here i go. here is my makeshift tortilla soup recipe:

INGREDIENTS

    * 1 onion, chopped
    * 3 cloves garlic, minced
    * 1 tablespoon olive oil
    * 2 teaspoons chili powder
    * 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    * 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    * 1 can diced tomatoes

    * 1 small bag of mini carrots, chopped in half
    * 2 boxes of chicken stock
    * 1 can corn
    * 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
    * 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    * whole chicken (boiled or one of those rotisserie grocery ones)
    * 6-7 corn tortillas
    * crushed tortilla chips
    * sliced avocado
    * shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:
    1. in a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, tomatoes, broth, corn, chiles and carrots. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
   2. slice the corn tortillas into strips and add to pot, along with cilantro. simmer until veggies are soft. add chicken.

3. in each bowl,