Ranch Taco Salad and bathroom makeover

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Shared on Facebook for future reference**

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. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

School's out for summer!  And, I'm probably more excited about it than the kids.  My summer 2014 list is quite extensive, high hopes of going lots of places, seeing lots of people and doing lots of things.  Oh, and relaxing.  We'll be sure to squeeze that in, too, when there is time.

I promise I'll keep you posted.

First stop of the summer was to my brother and future sister-in-laws farm, Sublime Saddlebreds, for a visit with my family.  Jerry and I got to catch up with my mom, sister and brothers, during Ken's first trip to the farm.

The kids got to hang with their cousins, running and playing on the farm.

And, eat mini-marshmallows.  There may have also been some flying through the air too…

Even this little cutie was getting in on the fun!

Finally, the night was capped off with a Behringer-style campfire.  You may notice there isn't anyone actually sitting near the fire, it was too huge and hot for that.

I'm excited to share the recipe for the perfect dish to for the occasion, Strawberry Cheesecake Salad.

Half fruit salad.
Half dessert.
All delicious!

My brother has been requesting cheesecake and while I'm not ready to go there yet, I thought this salad was a perfect recipe for All Things Libby to contribute.

It is a unique combination of a popular dessert, and I'm quite certain, way less work than a real cheesecake.

While my brother Ken was busy chopping strawberries with great care, I was whipping up the rest of the salad.

Into a mixing bowl, went the 12 oz of whipped topping, 1 dry packet of cheesecake pudding and three containers of strawberry yogurt.

Quite the intriguing combination, I must admit.  Cheesecake pudding was pretty darn good, especially in the whipped topping and then the fruity creamy yogurt…ahhh-mazing!

You can't possibly go wrong!

Add a pound of chopped strawberries. 

Two sliced bananas. 

And a cup or two of mini marshmallows.  

So fresh and creamy, I think you should probably make this for your taste buds…immediately! 

RECIPE:

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

Ingredients:

12 oz of whipped topping

1 dry packet of cheesecake flavored pudding 

3-6oz containers of strawberry yogurt

1 lb of chopped strawberries

2 sliced bananas

1-2 cups mini marshmallows - maybe try the salad before adding the marshmallows, maybe next time I'd leave them out.  

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together, leaving the bananas and marshmallows for immediately before serving. 

***Luckily it's quick and easy, because it won't last long! ***

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad

How many of you are saying…Quinoa?  What the heck is quinoa?

Let me tell you…if you haven't tried it yet, this is the recipe to get it started with... Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad is perfect for a get together, a side dish or as a stand alone meal…its that good!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a grain that has been around for human consumption for 3000-4000 years, primarily originating in South America.  I'd describe it as a cross between rice and pasta, although it certainly has it's own unique characteristics.

It has made it's entrance into the US health food market in the last few years and has been termed a superfood on more than one occasion (understatement alert).

It is gluten free, high in protein and a good source of fiber…what more could you ask for?!?

Especially when handed to you as part of a delicious recipe.

Quinoa is quick to cook, just about 15 minutes total…and I always buy my quinoa pre-rinsed, that eliminates one step.

So, while that quinoa is cooking (one cup dried quinoa to two cups boiling water), I whipped up the fabulous dressing.

Two tablespoons red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1tsp cumin all work together to pull off the perfect complimenting dressing to this combination of grains and  legumes.

Before adding the dressing, 1# of thawed frozen corn (I know, sounds crazy to me too!) is mixed with 1 can of rinsed black beans and the cooked quinoa.

They are all folded together and topped with some freshly chopped cilantro…(Just realized I haven't planted any cilantro yet…what was I thinking!?! Needs to be corrected, immediately, if not sooner!)

It's that easy and that good!  

This dish was made for a cookout over the weekend and it was gone immediately.  I think that Jerry and I are both wishing it would magically reappear in the fridge so we could have it, pretty much anytime we want!  

I'll be honest, kids aren't huge fans, but they always have to try what we make and I think it is growing on them…and, while I want my kids to love everything I make…with something this amazing, I'm fine when it means more for me!  

But seriously, if you are already a quinoa lover, like me, you may want to double this recipe.  

If you are a quinoa virgin and you don't like it, just call me…I'll take it off you hands.  Promise!  

RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup dried quinoa

2 cups boiling water

1 lb frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

4 Tbsp Lime Juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

Instructions:

While the quinoa cooks, whisk together all of the ingredient to make the dressing.  

Pour the dressing over the quinoa, black bean and corn.  Top with cilantro.  

So easy and so good!  Go enjoy! 

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing over Taco Salads

Lately, I've been a big fan of whipping up my own dips, sauces and dressings.

I much prefer knowing exactly what is in my condiments as well as the freedom to tweak any flavor profile towards my preference or try some new crazy combinations because ...why not, what do I have to lose?

So, after deciding on taco salads for dinner earlier this week, I decided to mix up a fresh dressing that would pull together all of the perfect flavors to compliment the salad.

This Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing was the perfect topping to bring together all of the delicious flavors and textures of the taco salad.  The key components in the dressing, sour cream, garlic, chili powder, lime and cilantro were a perfect little bundle of taco dressing joy!

The dressing would also pair very well with Chicken Quesadillas (I know, because we had them yesterday) as well as the Shrimp Tacos, just to name a few!

So, to get this party started, begin with about a cup of sour cream, add the juice from half of a fresh squeezed lime, or slightly less, as I ended up adding some (1 tsp) sugar to balance out some of the tartness from the juice.  Then, add a 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, as the desire was for this concoction to be pourable, more like a dressing than a dip.

Before setting the blender on high, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, a teaspoon of chili powder (goes a long way!), a teaspoon of salt and a 1/2 cup of roughly chopped cilantro were also added.

This was the perfect occasion for a taco salad bar…put all the toppings out there and let everyone choose for themselves.

My salad started with tortilla chips…Doritos, to be exact.  I think my kids were wondering what had gotten into me or it if was some kind of holiday, as I never buy Doritos…don't worry, the bag was devoured before the meal was over.

Next, a bed of lettuce and then taco seasoned ground turkey.  Since we had steaks the night before, I wanted to switch things up a bit, I generally try to serve a variety of protein-sources throughout the week.

Top with chopped onions and tomatoes, an assortment of shredded cheeses, and, of course, the Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing, stir and enjoy!

RECIPE for Dressing

Ingredients:
1 cup of sour cream
Juice from half of a fresh squeezed lime or slightly less
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of chili powder 
1 teaspoon of salt 
1/2 cup of roughly chopped cilantro

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to the blender and set to high until well blended, smooth and pourable.  

RECIPE for Taco Salad

Ingredients:
Tortilla Chips of choice
Lettuce of choice
Taco seasoned ground turkey
Shredded Cheeses of your choice
Onion- chopped
Tomato - chopped
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Directions:
Layer into bowl, toss and enjoy!  

Homemade Strawberry Balsamic Dressing served over Blackberry, Goat Cheese and Chicken Salad

Even if the weather won't cooperate, I'm ready to start eating like it is summer.

Ready for fresh, flavorful, seasonal salads enjoyed on the deck with a glass of wine while the kids play in the yard.

Maybe it is just a daydream, but even if it is just in my mind, I'm ready for it!

So, for dinner tonight, I was inspired by one of the best homemade dressings that I have ever made, Strawberry Balsamic.

It was so good that I was literally licking the spoon after cleaning up after dinner.  I was thinking that perhaps olive oil and balsamic vinegar are the newest ingredients in a smoothie, just add spinach, blend and enjoy!

The second source of inspiration was goat cheese.  It is so smooth and creamy, pair it up with a variety of flavors and textures and the salad will at least bring summer to my dinner table.

Whenever I make a salad as my entree, I always want to ensure that there is enough protein to keep me full for a while.  The easiest, obvious choice, is chicken, but can always be beef or seafood.

To get started, I threw frozen chicken tenders in a pan with some oil over medium heat to thaw and cook. Frozen chicken tenders are my easiest go-to, they cook up quickly!  They were seasoned with some lemon pepper while they cooked.

The ingredients of the dressing, 2 cups of strawberries, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar and some salt and pepper were tossed into a blender, pureed until smooth.

So easy, almost seemed too easy for the amount of deliciousness that resulted!

One a mix bed of spinach and romaine, the chicken was layer, then the blackberries, goat cheese and sunflower seeds before the sweet, fresh dressing pulled it all together.

The creaminess of the goat cheese coupled with the juicy texture of the berries, the perfect crunch from the sunflower seeds along with the chicken and crisp lettuce made for a salad that will be welcome as a repeat visitor at All Things Libby throughout the summer.  Especially as the seasonal produce evolves...the dressing and salad will evolve as well.

RECIPE

Ingredients

Dressing:
2 cups of strawberries
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
some salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
Romaine
Spinach
Cooked Chicken Tender - seasoned with lemon pepper
Blackberries
Goat Cheese
Sunflower Seeds

Directions
Blend the first 6 ingredients in blender until smooth. 

Prepare salad by layering components and topping with dressing.