Ranch Taco Salad and bathroom makeover

**This recipe can be Pinned on Pinterest or

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. 

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. 

Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Bleu Cheese Slaw

Welcome to football Sunday! 

I have the perfect recipe for your Sunday Night Football party tonight.  

Just put some chicken in a slow cooker, so you can enjoy this beautiful afternoon and 

just add the fixings for the game tonight.  

Just start with a package of chicken tenders, this was 1.75# in the slow cooker with 

1 cup of chicken broth along with 

1 tbsp minced garlic, 

1 tsp of onion powder and 

fresh ground black pepper. 

Let this cook for 3-5 hours on high. 

And the chicken was cooked. 

From the slow cooker to the plate for shredding. 

Juicy tender meats shred so easily after a few hours in the slow cooker. 

My new go-to starting ground for dinner. 

When in doubt, throw some meat in a slow cooker and I'll figure out the rest later. 

The chicken was placed back in the slow cooker, 

be sure to drain the cooking broth first. 

About 1/2 cup of Hot Sauce and 1/2 stick of butter were added to sauce things up a bit. 

Stirred it all up a bit and kept it on low until we were ready to eat.  

The ultimate topping for these tacos is bleu cheese slaw. 

Perfect combination of familiar flavors and textures.  

All you need to do is stir up 3 simple ingredients...

3 cups of shredded cabbage, 

1 cup of bleu cheese dressing and 

1/2 cup of bleu cheese crumbles.

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1.75# of chicken tenders

1 cup of chicken broth

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp of onion powder

Fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup of Hot Sauce

1/2 stick of butter

Soft taco shells

BLEU CHEESE SLAW

3 cups of shredded cabbage, 

1 cup of bleu cheese dressing and 

1/2 cup of bleu cheese crumbles

Celery for garnish

Directions:

Cook the chicken in the slow cooker on high for 3-5 hours or low for 5-7 hours along with the broth, garlic, onion and pepper. 

Shred the chicken, pour out the cooking broth. 

Add the chicken back to the slow cooker, top with hot sauce and butter. 

Leave in slow cooker on low until ready to eat. 

For the slaw, top 3 cups of cabbage with bleu cheese dressing and crumbles. 

Assemble the tacos by placing the chicken in the taco, topping with the slaw and garnishing with celery. 

Naked Fish Taco Bowl

These naked fish taco bowls were another amazing meal.  Perfect for all seasons and occasions.  

I love making up all the parts of a dish and letting everyone put their own finishing touches on their meal.  Something about that lets everyone feel like they had a hand in the cooking.  

The rice, the beans, the corn, the fish, the toppings...just keeps getting better and better!

I won't keep you waiting any longer….

Started by grilling 4 - 6 oz cod loins over medium heat

then seasoning with chili power, cumin, salt and a little bit of ground red pepper.

(gotta love me some SP.403)

Flip and continue to grill on the other side until the fish were sufficiently 

opaque and flaky.  

Probably about 5-7 minutes on each side.  

Once the fish were done, they were plated and set aside…

in my favorite warming box, the microwave.

Next, it was time to grill up the veggies, right in the same pan.  

One tablespoon minced garlic, 2 cups of corn,

 1 medium onion and 2 medium tomatoes - chopped 

and 1 can of rinsed black beans 

were all tossed together and seasoned with the leftover fish seasonings.  

As for a dressing, just stir up

 1/3 cup sour cream with 1/3 cup salsa and juice from 1/2 of a lime 

for the perfect consistency and flavor. 

To put it all together, this bowl started with about 1/2 cup of cooked rice

and a healthy layer of grilled veggies.

Then the chunks of seasoned and flaky cod…

Finished with a couple of spoonfuls of the creamy salsa dressing, 

as well as some chopped avocado and cilantro.  

So good!

So fresh!

So healthy!  

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

4-6 oz cod loins

Chili power - to taste

Cumin - to taste

Salt - to taste

Ground red pepper - to taste

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups of corn

1 medium onion - chopped

2 medium tomatoes - chopped 

1 can of black beans - rinsed

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup salsa

Juice from 1/2 of a lime 

2.5 cups of Spanish Rice - cooked

1 avocado - chopped

1/4 cup cilantro - chopped

Directions:

Grill the fish over medium heat, season with chili power, cumin, salt and a little ground red, to taste. About 5 minutes per side. 

Once opaque and flaky, remove from pan and keep warm in microwave. 

Then add garlic, corn, onion, tomato and black bean to the pan to grill up. 

While that is grilling, mix up the salsa, sour cream and lime juice dressing.

In a bowl, layer rice, veggies, fish, dressing, top with avocado and cilantro.  

**We can't wait for Naked Fish Taco Bowl night again in our house!**

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!  

Taco Pizza and a gluten-free crust!

May has finally arrived!

Generally, I'm a pretty big fan of April, as temps warm up and new growth is apparent every where you look.  Well, since that wasn't really the case around Wisconsin this year, I'm ready to say good riddance to April and bring on the warmth and sunshine of May.

In addition to anticipating the full force of spring, we also have Cinco de Mayo to look forward, which is another great holiday for food!  If taco pizzas aren't your thing, there are also Chicken Quesadillas or Shredded Beef Burritos to check out in honor of the upcoming holiday.

Although I must admit, I feel a little bit like I am mixing two cultures here with the taco pizzas.  However, the rave reviews from the family were interpreted as seals of approval and a clashing of cultures is not such a bad thing.  I'll keep that in mind!

Their feedback included "This is the best pizza ever!" from both Landon and Alayna as well as Jerry's pure enjoyment over the gluten-free crust...not missing the wheat at all, hoping he gets to down the whole pizza himself!

Since the family usually requires two pizzas for a meal, I did make one with traditional crust and the other with the gluten-free, the toppings were the same, I'll just walk you through the gluten-free pizza.

The first time I had this gluten-free crust, I was at my sister's house and she made it for me.  Since then, as I've continued to research gluten free crusts, this still remains my favorite because it is made with all standard kitchen staples.  Cream cheese, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and 2 cups shredded mozzarella.  Easy enough!

Start by softening the cream cheese, then whisking in the eggs, Parmesan, seasoning and finally stirring in the shredded mozzarella.

This time around, I baked it on a parchment lined baking sheet.  This worked much better than the 9x13 glass pan, as it was quite a bit more difficult to get out of the pan.

Dump the crust mixture out on the pan, spread it into an even layer and bake it at 375 F for about 20 minutes.  Allowing plenty of cooling time before adding the toppings.

In true taco fashion, 1.5 lbs of ground beef were browned and seasoned.  The traditional pizza sauce was replaced with a thin layer of salsa, before the taco meat was piled on and topped with a taco blend of shredded cheese.

Bake for about 10 minutes before adding crushed tortilla chips.  Bake for another 10 minutes.

For serving, these tasty pizzas were topped with more salsa, sour cream and Libby's Chunky Guacamole.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust:

8 oz Cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Pizza Toppings:
Salsa
1# ground beef, browned with taco seasoning added
Shredded Cheese
Tortilla chips - crumbled
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, starting with the cream cheese and eggs. 
Spread onto parchment lined baking sheet. 
Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. 
Cool**

**The longer time allowed for cooling, the more the crust will resemble traditional pizza allowing for sliced to be picked up and eaten rather than requiring a fork.  

Top cooled crust with salsa, taco meat and cheese. 
Bake for 10 minutes at 375 F. 
Top with crushed tortilla chips. 
Bake for another 10 minutes. 

Super-simple, scrumptious Shrimp Tacos (and counting carbs)

Whew, that went fast!  We had a couple of jam-packed days with baseball, basketball, Girl Scouts, piano, Badgers, our favorite near 2 year old, Kennedy, visiting and to top it all off..warming temperatures and sunshine!

Welcome to a new week!

I have never been so elated to see 60's in the forecast, especially with the kids' spring break coming up and a garage in desperate need of purging.

Regardless of the weather, shrimp is always in season.   This time in a taco, quick, easy and so delicious!

Before I get to the meal, I'd like to share some other recent learnings.

Jerry and I met with a dietician to learn more about a diabetic diet, I have to admit, I was pretty clueless, which is embarrassing to admit as a food professional, but I didn't know how many grams of carbs were ok or the best way to spread them throughout the day.

We learned that rather than feast or famine, it is much better to consume the carbs evenly throughout the day (This isn't Weight Watchers, where you have a certain number of points to use however you want throughout the day).

Seems logical. But, how many carbs are optimal?  And, of course, what is a proper serving size?

This one gets me every time! It is generally much smaller than you think.  Like 8 tortilla chips…when is the last time anyone ate just 8 chips?!?!?

Regardless, it was great for Jerry and I to be there together so that we are on the same page and can keep each other in check.

For anyone with an inquiring mind, the goal is 3 servings of carbs per meal and 2 snacks of one serving each.  (One serving of carbs is about 15 grams. )

As I was making dinner, I was taking inventory of the grams of carbs in each component, so that I could prepare Jerry's plate accordingly.  Note to self...while cooking is a little late, but we are both learning as we go.

The taco shells are each about 20 grams of carbs, the rice was a whopping 51 grams of carbs/serving (probably not a great choice on my part, I realize as it is already boiling.)

And, most importantly, to Jerry's satisfaction, the shrimp have 0 grams of carbs...so he can eat those to his hearts content (well, except for the cholesterol content, his heart probably doesn't love that!).

So, Jerry's plate was two taco shells overflowing with shrimp and a slice of avocado, while the kids and I were left to fill up on shells, rice and about 3 shrimp each.  Haha!

These changes to the diet might take a little to get used to, but we all know we feel better when we eat better and that's the goal for my whole family!

Now that I've shared all that I know about a healthy, optimal diabetic diet, I'll get to the goods!

Start by sautéing the shrimp in a pan with olive oil and minced garlic.  Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.

When the shrimp are cooked, finish with the juice from half of a lime and some crushed rosemary.

Stuff the shrimp into a taco shell of choice and serve with a slice of avocado and a side of rice.

It's that easy and doesn't take much more than 10 - 15 minutes.

Jerry is now torn between the fish tacos and these as his favorite, as they are both delicious. I can't argue.

Although, next time, I'd probably whip up a chili-lime sauce to serve them with, as there is something so delightful about the contrast of cool, creaminess with the snap of the shrimp and the crunch of the shell. (Sorry folks, I don't have that for you now, I'll have to dream it up sometime soon.)


RECIPE

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 lb raw shrimp, thawed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lime
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1 avocado
taco shells of choice

Directions

Saute the shrimp and garlic in the olive oil over med heat.
Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.
Finish with the juice of half of a lime and rosemary.

Stuff into shells, top with a slice of avocado and serve with rice.