Ranch Taco Salad and bathroom makeover

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Hi, thanks for stopping by! 

So glad you are here. 

Hope that you enjoyed your weekend, 

thankfully it was a bit warmer, 

saw lots of fun pictures of outdoor activities…

sledding, skiing and tubing. 

Part of my weekend fun

was making over the kids' bathroom. 

There was a limited budget for this project, 

but they were in desperate need of new rugs, 

ones that would not leave a trail of dried and cracked backing every time

they were moved. 

Also, thought it was time to freshen up the paint. 

Time to say adios to the beach theme and 

bland shower curtain. 

So, with a few hours on Fri morning, 

the walls were updated and the bathroom 

was a sparkling clean and new space that the kids just loved!

Makes me want to use their bathroom too!

Bet you never thought you would hear me say that!

In addition to painting and redecorating,

I'm always cooking too! 

Today I want to share with you this fabulous, versatile salad

that is great both to take to a party as a side or serve as a meal.  

The original inspiration for this salad was found on Emily Bites.

Last week it was our contribution to a potluck and 

tonight, with double the meat, it will be our dinner. 

Start by browning ground beef,

(I recommend 1# for a side salad and 2# for a main dish)

add taco seasoning accordingly.  

While the meat is browning, the rest of the salad can be prepped. 

1 head of iceberg lettuce,

1-2 roma tomatoes

1 can of black beans - drained

16 oz bag of frozen corn - thawed

One cup of shredded taco seasoned cheese was added before the 

ground beef was ready. 

One cup of crushed Nacho cheese tortilla chips

and 1/2 cup of French dressing were added and combined well. 

Finishing touches include another cup of crushed tortilla chips and 

a drizzle of Ranch dressing. 

The dressing will make the chips soggy, 

so I would recommend that they are added just before serving 

for the best texture. 

That being said, 

even being the texture-lover that I am, 

even this salad as leftovers was amazing! 

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 as a meal; 12 as a side salad

Ingredients:

1-2# Ground Beef

1-2 Packets of Taco Seasoning

1 head of Iceberg Lettuce,

1-2 Tomatoes - chopped

1 can of Black Beans - drained

16 oz bag of frozen Corn - thawed

1 cup of shredded Taco Cheese blend

2 cups of crushed Nacho cheese tortilla chips - divided

1/2 cup of French dressing

Ranch Dressing - to taste

Directions:

• Brown beef and add taco seasoning
• In a separate bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes, beans, corn and cheese. 
• Top with cooked taco meat and dressing. 
• Incorporate crushed chips just before serving, for best texture. 
• Top with more crushed chips and ranch dressing. 

Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Burgers

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Okay, so I have a confession to make…

Pizza burgers hold a special place in my heart. 

There, I said it…

who would have guessed?

There was a little diner, in a little town,

that we would go to

after dentist appointments

and for some reason I was so intrigued by the pizza burger.

I'm pretty sure it was because there was cheese on the INSIDE!!!!

Totally novel, even for a small-town Wisconsin girl.  

Sausage and beef patty, stuffed with cheese and topped with pepperoni and sauce. 

So, recently, I decided that I would treat my family to one of my childhood favorites. 

A favorite that is up on an childhood pedestal,

that I don't really want to eat just anywhere because I don't want to be disappointed

that it won't taste as good as it does in my memory of my childhood.

After just a bit of dreaming and collaborating, 

a Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Burger

was created which did not disappoint my childhood memory. 

(Success in itself!)

For starters, 1# of ground beef and 1# of bulk Italian sausage were combined

along with 1 tsp of Italian seasoning and 1 tsp seasoning salt. 

Once well mixed, the meat was scored

(if you can see that vague X through the middle)

which just helps to divide the burgers into similar sizes. 

Let the burger making commence!

The first patty was spread out thin on a cutting mat

and about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella was placed in the middle. 

Then, the sides were folded up to seal in the cheese. 

The first 4 burgers were added to the grill pan over medium heat. 

Since these are thicker burgers, 

lower heat and longer times are required to ensure they are fully cooked. 

Some cheese might start to melt out…

but believe me, 

it did not affect how exquisite these burgers tasted. 

Once the burgers were done, 

they were placed upon a layer of pizza sauce on a toasted bun

and topped with more sauce, pepperoni and cheese!

OHMIGOSH!

The flavors and textures were so juicy and delicious…

My youngest decided to make it a pizza burger salad with some ranch!

Another, outstanding idea!

RECIPE:

Time: 30 minutes

Makes: 6-8 burgers

Ingredients:

1# ground beef

1# bulk Italian sausage

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

3-4 cups shredded mozzarella, separated

Pizza sauce

Toasted Bun

Pepperoni

Directions:

• Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, seasoning and salt. 
• Form burger by flattening 1/4 # meat and filling 1/4 cup cheese in middle. 
• Fold up sides and seal well. 
• Grill over medium heat for 10+ minutes/side until cooked through. 
• Serve with toasted bun, pizza sauce, pepperoni and more cheese. 

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Hello there…

Thanks for stopping by! 

If you are like me, 

you are also hoping for some normalcy to be restored this week.  

No holiday breaks. 

No days trapped in doors because it is something-crazy below 0. 

Just a nice, normal week of winter would be great!

Kids can be outside to play in the snow and come in

to warm up with a nice cup of hot cocoa or 

this scrumptious and hearty soup. 

Taco soup is another favorite in our house.

It received rave reviews at deer camp in the fall and 

Ryker requested it to take to school for his Holiday Open House. 

I invite you to give this soup a try for an easy weeknight meal

or maybe for the big Packer game coming up this weekend. 

Starts with 3# of ground chuck, a chopped onion and 1 tbsp of seasoning salt.

I usually go with the leaner option as my family like to top just about 

everything with cheese or maybe some sour cream!  

Have you noticed that the price of ground beef is really going up?

I am thinking of conducting a yield study to see which grade gives the best value.

Once the meat is browned, add it all to the slow cooker

along with 1 packet of Taco seasoning and 1 packet of Ranch seasoning. 

Then top with 1 can of black beans, 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 1 16 oz bag of frozen corn. 

Finally, add 4 cups of tomato juice and 2 cups of beef broth 

and give it a good stir. 

Feel free to adjust the liquids according to your preferences. 

We eat most of these soups as meals, 

so I generally keep them on the thicker side. 

Lastly, I use this as a home for any open jars of salsa or taco/enchilada sauce in the fridge. 

All to often they start to grow something furry before I get back to using them, 

so they make a great addition to this taco soup! 

After 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low, 

dinner is ready and 

this recipe will almost certainly leave you with some leftovers, 

which, as you know, are always welcome in our house!

Serve it up and top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese for a 

perfect finishing touch. 

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

3# of ground chuck

1 chopped onion

1 tbsp of seasoning salt

1 packet of Taco seasoning

1 packet of Ranch seasoning

1 can of black beans

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1-16 oz bag of frozen corn

4 cups of tomato juice

2 cups of beef broth 

OPTIONAL - any open jars of salsa or taco/enchilada sauce

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Brown hamburger and onion over medium heat. Add salt. 

Pour browned ground chuck into slow cooker. 

Add seasoning packets. 

Add black beans, tomatoes and corn. 

Add tomato juice and beef broth, as well as any open jars of Mexican in the fridge. 

Set the slow cooker according to the amount of time before eating.

• low for 8-10 hours
• high for 4-6 hours

Serve and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese for the finishing touch. 

Beef Barley and Vegetable Soup

Happy Friday and Halloween!

Since Mother Nature decided this would be the nastiest day of the year, thus far, 

I thought maybe I would try to counteract her elements outdoors

 with something warm and cozy indoors.

This hearty, comforting Beef Barley and Vegetable Soup started with

2.5# of ground beef browning in the stock pot. 

Added to that was 1 tbsp of seasoning salt

1 small chopped onion and

1 tbsp minced garlic

all cooked until there is no more pink left in the beef. 

While that was browning, chop up some veggies…

3 carrots and 3 stalks of celery were prepped for their turn to join the pot.  

Toss 'em in!

Next add 4 cups of beef broth and 

6 cups of water for the barley to soak up. 

As well as 1 can of diced tomatoes…sadly tomato season is done around here, 

Once all of the liquid is added, seems like all of the pictures look the same. 

Then, pour 1 cup of barley  into the pot and simmer for an hour.  

If you need to, you can throw this together much quicker.  

As there is also quick cooking barley, which is just as good!

I always have both on hand and choose according to how much time I have. 

Many nights I prep dinner before the kids get home, 

so letting it simmer for an hour is perfect. 

The final additions to the soup are the extra veggies that I have in my fridge waiting to be used up. 

Tonight was spinach and coleslaw.  

Those are two veggies that can be added to many dishes without much notice. 

Frozen mixed veggies would also be a great way to round out this meal.

Of course, my family loves to top their soup with cheese, 

so shredded mozzarella was the choice tonight.

I love how this soup continues to thicken as the barley cooks!  

Beef Barley and Vegetable soup has always been one of my favorites!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2.5# of ground beef

1 tbsp of seasoning salt

1 onion - chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 carrots - chopped

3 stalks of celery - chopped

4 cups of beef broth

6 cups of water

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 cup of barley (quick cooking barley will significantly reduce the cooking time)

2 cups of fresh spinach

1 cup of shredded cabbage

Shredded mozzarella 

Directions:

• Brown the beef in the stock pot over medium heat, along with the salt, onion and garlic. 
• Next in goes the veggies and liquids, order is not really important…as long as the carrots, celery, broth, water and tomatoes make it into the pot, along with the barley. 
• Simmer for nearly an hour until the barley is tender. 
• Finally added the quick cooking veggies, like spinach and cabbage, or frozen mixed veggies until they are warm. 
• Serve and top with mozzarella or the cheese of your choice. 

Salisbury Steaks and Brown Gravy

Does anyone else have fond childhood memories of Salisbury steak TV dinners…

made in aluminum trays, actually baked in the oven?

We didn't care that they were terrible for us, we were too enamored by the novelty of them!

This was a go-to meal when there was a babysitter coming over.  

We often got to eat them, where else but in front of the TV!  On a TV tray!

Oh, life was so simple back then, when that was all it took to keep kids happy.

It has probably been 25 years since I had my last Salisbury steak, 

but again, the request came from the man of our house and I do my best to oblige, 

as he is a good sport with me and some of my crazy meal ideas.

So, made this a few weeks ago and I'd say that everyone was pleasantly surprised, including me.  

And now, my kids expect gravy more often too!

This paired fabulously with Creamy Smashed Potatoes and Cauliflower, 

which I will be making again soon too!  

Got started with 3# of ground beef, which was plenty for dinner and leftovers, which are always welcome in our house, so feel free to halve the recipe if that suits your family better. 

To that added 3 eggs, 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1 cup tomato sauce. 

Combined all that by hand, because it is easiest that way.  

Then added 1 cup oatmeal, to help bind up the meat and all of those flavors. 

Formed the ground beef mixture into 10-12 patties, almost like meatloaf burgers. 

Cooked them in a pan with canola oil for about 5 minutes per side over medium heat. 

They don't need to be cooked all of the way through because they will finish off in the gravy.  

As the patties were cooked, they were set aside, 

into the microwave to stay warm until the rest were finished.

While the patties were cooking, the gravy was started with 

2 cups of beef broth and 6 tbsp corn starch.  

Once the patties were all cooked, 

one medium chopped onion was added to the pan to get a head start on browning. 

Then, 2 more cups of broth were added to the pan along with 3/4 cup of tomato puree

for the start of the gravy. 

Mix it all together and bring it to a boil.  

Finally, add the broth and corn starch mixture. 

While stirring constantly, the gravy forms, quite quickly.  

The patties were added back to the gravy to finish cooking...

for just another 5 minutes or so.  

They were placed on a platter and served!  

Great comfort food for this dreary fall weather. 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

3# of ground beef

3 eggs

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup oatmeal

Canola oil

4 cups of beef broth - divided

6 tbsp corn starch

1 medium chopped onion

3/4 cup tomato puree

Directions:

• Combine well the eggs, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and tomato sauce with the ground beef. 
• Then, add the oatmeal as the binder. (Ha, did that make you laugh?)
• Form the meat mixture into patties and brown over medium heat in a pan with canola oil for about 5 minutes on each side.  Setting aside the done patties as you go.  
• While the patties are cooking, add 6 tbsp of corn starch with 2 cup of beef broth and whisk.  
• Once the patties are done, add one chopped onion to the pan for pre-browning.  
• Then, 2 cups of beef broth and 3/4 cup of tomato puree are stirred in as the start of the gravy. 
• Once boiling, add the broth and corn starch mixture. 
• Stir constantly while gravy forms, reduce heat to medium. 
• Add the patties back to the gravy for a final 5-10 minutes to finish them off before serving. 

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

Labor Day weekend?  Already?  I know, right, can hardly believe it.

Luckily, just because the proverbial summer months are nearly behind us, doesn't mean grilling season is!

And, there hasn't been a zucchini recipe lately, so I didn't want to leave you hanging any longer.

These Grilled Stuffed Zucchini were at least as good as leftovers, so don't be afraid to make extra!

Started by browning a family pack of 2.25 # of ground beef...

Is it just me or has ground beef gotten a bit pricely lately? 

I always remind myself that you often get what you pay for...so I ante up!

Upon draining, where I often use a paper towel to help soak up some of the extra grease, 

season with 1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning. 

Back in the pan, add a 24 oz jar of pasta sauce.

As always, don't be afraid to use up any extras in the fridge.

They can go right in too!

While the filling is simmering a bit, the zucchini can be prepared by slicing in half

and coring out the seeds with a spoon, making room for the filling.

Three zucchini were required to use up all of the filling.  

Stuff those zucchini and throw them on the grill. 

Since these were made, I have read that the zucchini could be pre-grilled 

to eliminate some of the abundant moisture in these squash.  

Next time, I might just do that.

After about 20 minutes for these large zucchini, (less for smaller zucchini)

they were sprinkled with shredded mozzarella as the finishing touch. 

Now, don't delay, make these today! 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2.25 # of ground beef

1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning

24 oz jar of pasta sauce

3 zucchini 

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Parmesan - optional

Directions:

Brown meat, drain and sprinkle with seasoning. 

Add sauce and simmer while coring out the zucchini. 

Fill zucchini and grill over medium high heat for 20 minutes or until zucchini get soft. 

Top with shredded mozzarella, grill until melted.