Taco Salad in a Tortilla Bowl

Taco Salad in a Tortilla Bowl

It's Taco Tuesday!  This is something we look forward to in our house!  Each week I try to change it up to add variety and expand the kids' taste buds, but i'm not going to lie, if we ate the same kind of tacos each week, it would be fine by me.  I like to add variety by keeping with the theme of "Taco Tuesday," but branching out to fajitas, enchiladas, chicken or beef tacos, and even Asian tacos.  I also switch up the sides we have with our "tacos" from rice, to coleslaw, guacamole and tortilla chips, or quesadillas.  Our sides are determined by what the main part of our meal would be.  This week is no different!

Last week we were talking about our meals coming up for the week, when someone said they have a taste for a taco salad.  Someone else said it would be cool to have the taco salad in a tortilla.  My mind starts thinking and said, "I can make that!"  The tortilla shells are incredibly easy to make, and I was able to make them in our air fryer oven.  For this recipe I made a simple taco meat recipe (recipe below) and incorporated the usual suspects in a taco salad.

Tortilla Bowls

These tortilla bowls are very easy to make.  They can be time consuming so start early if you have several to make before dinner.  Because our oven has the capability of being an air fryer, I used that instead of frying the shells, but you can easily use your regular oven.  We do have a large air fryer basket for our oven, but I used a baking sheet.

Directions:

Use the large tortillas (10" or bigger) to form your shells.  Preheat your oven or air fryer to 350 degrees.  Place a piece of foil slightly larger than your tortilla shell on a flat surface.  Put your tortilla on the foil and fold in the corners of the foil to follow the circular shape of the tortilla.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place a 2 cup oven safe dish in the center of the tortilla.  Fold the foil up along the sides of the dish.  I have two glass dishes the same size, so I made two at a time.  Put into the oven for 5 minutes.  This will allow the tortilla to start to form the bowl shape.  Remove from the oven and gently remove the dishes from the center of the tortillas.  Spray the tortillas with cooking spray and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.  This will lightly brown your tortillas.  Remove from the oven and gently remove the foil from the outer portion of the shell.  Allow to cool. Repeat this process if necessary.

Now, for my favorite part.  Making the taco meat and assembling the salad!

Simple Taco Meat

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 tbsp each of chili powder and cumin
• 1 tsp paprika, onion and garlic powders
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 c frozen corn
• 1/2 c salsa

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add diced onion, saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  
2. Add ground beef along with spices, salt and pepper.  Brown the beef and cook through.  Drain.
3. Return the beef to the skillet and add the salsa and frozen corn.  Allow the corn to cook, 2 to 3 minutes.  Ready to enjoy!

Serve with tacos, taco salad, enchilada mixture, or burritos.

Step 2

Spices I used for my taco meat.  To get the taco flavor use chili powder, cumin and paprika.  I had the Wahoo! Chili from Pampered Chef and threw that in too.

Meat browned and drained.

Step 3

Simple Taco Meat

Taco Salad in a Tortilla Bowl

Ingredients:

• Homemade tortilla bowls, recipe above. 
• Taco meat
• 1 can refried beans, heated
• shredded lettuce
• diced tomatoes
• shredded cheese
• salsa
• sour cream
• guacamole
• other suggestions: chopped cilantro, green onions, diced onions, tortilla strips

Assembly of Taco Salad

Place a tortilla shell on a plate.  Spoon some refried beans on the bottom of the shell.  Layer taco meat on top of the beans.  Add toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream.  

Buen provecho!  Enjoy!!

Taco Salad in a Tortilla Bowl served with homemade Beer Bread

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"Look mom! I'm eLearning too!"

Ezra getting in on the action of eLearning!

eLearning sure has been fun, hasn't it?  It's a learning curve for all of us.  Making sure we have the necessary technology, internet, printing capabilities and most importantly PATIENCE!  Who knew we would all become teachers?  A few years ago, Nicky wanted me to be his teacher in school, well I guess his dream came true in a way.  eLearning has definitely been an adjustment for our kids, but they are working hard and doing their best.

This morning, Nicky wa sitting at the island working on his morning work.  I had to run out to the grocery store for a few things before lunch, and figured Nicky would be able to get his work done.  David was upstairs working, and as you know, Nicky was at the island.  Apparently, Ezra was determined to help Nicky with his work and wanted in on the action.  I came home and Nicky could not wait to show me that Ezra was typing on his Chromebook.  We both laughed so hard.  He said that Ezra was a good helper, but couldn't answer his questions!

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Off Days

We all have them, especially lately.  We have feelings of not being good enough, frustration, anxiety, depression, fear, etc., etc.  I could probably go on and on with the range of emotions I have felt and continue to feel on a daily basis.  As a person living with PTSD, this time is definitely not easy.  Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying that this time is easy on anyone. What I am here to tell you is that I have come to accept (it's taken me QUITE a long time), that we WILL have off days, and it's okay!  There are days when I snap and get upset so much more easily than others, or days when I just feel like crying all day.  Days when I don't want to get out of bed or just want to scream!  Sound familiar?

Please know, IT'S OKAY!!!  You're not alone.  We are all in this together and we have each other.  So what do I do to get through these off days?  First, I have am amazing and supportive family that means the world to me.  I do my best each and every day to focus my energy and my thoughts on them.  I am not perfect by any means, and yes, I do snap and get easily frustrated, but I try my best.

Next, I pray!  God is my refuge, and I turn to him for guidance throughout my journey.  Looking to God and surrendering my fears to God can be a tremendous weight being lifted knowing that he is always with me.  I often think of the last verse of the Footprints poem,

"He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

-Mary Stevenson

This is so powerful.  God always has my back, he has your back.  He will never let you down.  God asks for one thing in return, for us to put him above all else.  Allowing God back into my life has provided me with the fulfilling love that has once again made me whole.  

Don't forget to BREATHE!  Throughout my treatment, breathing has been one of the constant strategies I have used to center myself.  Counting and focusing only on your breathing and depth of breathing is so incredibly important.

And finally for the fun stuff...as you can see from this blog, I LOVE to cook.  Cooking has become an outlet for me to focus my thoughts and attention instead of dwelling on the negative.  You will also see that I LOVE to read.  Just like cooking, it helps me to escape, but also immerse myself in the book as the characters develop and the story unfolds.

We all have our ways of coping and living through the challenging times.  Please don't ever forget you're not alone.  It's okay to have "off" days.  We all do, and we all will.  Embrace them, accept them, but continue to focus on the positives and give thanks for all that you have!

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Crescent Roll Hot Dog Chili Bake

In honor of National Pigs in a Blanket Day yesterday, April 25 (this was purely by accident mind you), I made Crescent Roll Hot Dog Chili Bake.  Kind of a long title, I know, but not sure what else to call it.  Also, I dropped the ball and forgot to take a picture of the finished melty goodness, but when looking at the below photo, imagine that the cheese is melted and ooey and gooey.

Crescent Roll Hot Dog Chili Bake

I got this idea to make this for one of our weeknight dinners from a Facebook post in a group I follow.  My first thought when seeing this picture is I can make that with dairy free cheese.  The picture above is not with dairy free cheese, but I will post pics later and it's extremely hard to tell the difference.  My daughter, Emma, has a dairy allergy and my youngest, Nicky, is lactose intolerant.  We make accommodations whenever and wherever we can so no one feels singled out.  That is really important to me.  Are any of you dairy free or living with a food allergy?  Emma also had a tree nut allergy, but that's easy for us, because we don't often eat nuts, just the boys eat peanut butter.  What's your favorite brand of dairy free cheese?  We've discovered Daiya (not a promoter of them), but we enjoy the taste and it melts easily for grilled cheeses, sauces, and on pizzas!  We've discovered a whole new world here in our house!  

To get this show on the road, I made chili.  Normally when I make chili I use our slow cooker, but since I forgot to take the meat out overnight to defrost, I make a quick batch before assembling dinner.  My chili recipe is just a dump and go recipe.  Super simple, quick and easy to put together, even when cooking it in a dutch oven, rather than the slow cooker.  The recipe below can be used for either the stove or slow cooker.  I will put in the notes the settings for the slow cooker. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp diced garlic
• 2-3 lbs of ground beef
• 1 can mild green chilies
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can chili beans
• 1 8 oz can tomato paste
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• water
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp each of cumin, chili powder, paprika, use more to taste 

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to pan or pot to heat up at medium heat.  Saute onion and garlic until slightly brown.  
2. Add ground beef.  While browning add salt and pepper and seasonings.  Sometimes I add a few shakes of the bottle of Red Pepper Flakes if I want the chili to be a little spicy.
3. Once browned, depending on the cut of ground beef you use, you may need to drain your beef mixture.  
4. Turn pot on to medium once again, and add meat back to the pot, add green chilies and stir to combine.  Allow to cook for a minute.  Add tomato paste.  Stir to combine.  Cook the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water.  Fill the tomato sauce can three times with water and add to the pot.  Add the beans.  I don't drain the beans because we like our chili a little thicker, but you are welcome to drain the beans and rinse before adding to the pot.  
6. Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
7. Serve with your favorite chili toppings: sour cream, cheese, green onions, oyster crackers, pasta, tortilla chips, the possibilities are endless!  Use this recipe for the Crescent Roll Hot Dog Chili Bake.

Notes:

If making this in the slow cooker, and your slow cooker has the ability to brown.  Take advantage of that feature and follow steps 1 and 2.  If not, no worries, just dump everything into your slow cooker, mix well.  Cook for 4 hours on high, 8 hours on low.

Crescent Roll Hot Dog Chili Bake

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 pkgs crescent rolls
• 2 pkgs beef hot dogs, Vienna is the best
• Easy Dump Chili Recipe from above, about 2-3 cups
• 1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp each of garlic powder and parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.  (Using parchment paper will prevent the crescent rolls from sticking to the baking sheet.)
2. Open pkgs of crescent rolls and hot dogs.  Divide crescent rolls into triangles.  Wrap one crescent roll around each hot dog and place on the lined baking sheet.  Continue until each hot dog is wrapped.  
3. Combine the butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl.  Gently spread the butter mixture on each crescent roll.  Put rolls into the oven until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Cooking the rolls in advance will help them from getting soggy when layered on top of the chili.  
4.  While the rolls are in the oven, ladle the chili into a 13x9 casserole dish.  Be sure to cover the bottom of the casserole dish with chili.  
5. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the chili.  Set to the side.
6. Remove rolls from the oven.  Gently place on top of the shredded cheese, and put casserole dish into the oven to finish cooking the crescent rolls, hot dogs, and melt the cheese.  
7. After 8-10 minutes the chili will be bubbling and the cheese melted.  Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with a light salad, additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or green onions. 

Enjoy!!

Notes: Don't have time to make chili?  Have canned chili on hand?  No problem.  In a pinch, there is no shame in opening up a couple cans of chili to pour along the bottom of your casserole dish!  Feel free to experiment and try a different butter mixture to spread on top of your crescent rolls.  If you like spice, add a little red pepper flakes with chili powder and cumin to your butter, or rather they be plain?  Just spread plain butter on the top.

Hot dogs wrapped in the crescent rolls

Crescent dogs lightly browned with garlic butter

13x9 casserole with chili and shredded cheese

Crescent Roll Hot Dog Chili Bake ready to go back into the oven to melt the cheese.

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Giving Back

Here in Illinois we're going on about 5 weeks of the stay-at-home order.  There are days that are EXTREMELY challenging and a constant struggle.  We are all facing these days.  We are all in this together!  Before this started isolating myself was a way for me to feel safe, but I had a few places, like the library, church, or going out to lunch with my parents. I could go out into the community and still feel safe.  About one year ago, I was diagnosed with PTSD, and self isolation is my thing.  Having this forced isolation, and not being able to go to the places where I would feel safe, other than my home, makes some days longer than others.  It's my reality, and I am sure than many of you are struggling along with me.  So, we decided what's better to keep us positive and focused on the good things in life, but to give back to our community!

One way our family has decided to support the community safely, is bringing lunch to our local police department on behalf of our church.  Yes, the lunch and delivery was organized by out church, but we were extremely honored to be asked to participate in our church's mission to serve the community.  We had the easy jobs of making a "Thank You" sign, picking up the lunches, and dropping them off.  I say this was easy, but quite rewarding!  Once we were leaving the police department and seeing how appreciative they were for this simple task, it brought a fulfilling feeling in my heart.  God is good!  The police and all first responders are incredibly important during this time.  They are out in the community doing what they do best, but also put themselves at a higher risk for being in contact with this disease.  If you are out in a grocery store and you see a first responder, stop and take a minute to say, "Thank you!" 

Another way our family has been serving our community is creating small cards for medical professionals.  We wrote notes of thanks and drew some pictures to hopefully put a little smile on their faces, again thanking them for all that they do!  They are fighting what seems to be a never ending battle, and put themselves at risk each and every day.  Our medical professionals are doing everything they possibly can to save lives and fight this disease.  Again, my heart felt fulfilled being able to show our appreciation for these front line workers. 

If you're feeling down, lonely, isolated, anxious, or anything else, think of a way you can give back, serve your local community.  Reach out to your local church, community groups on Facebook, or simply ask around, and I'm sure you will find a way to serve and give back whichever way works best for you!

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The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio

Who else loves the mystic of Hollywood during the 40's - 60's?  This book caught my eye from the very beginning, and after reading the jacket cover, I was hooked!

The book is a historical fiction story about a famous hotel in California, the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego during the late 1800's and into the late 1950's.  The story is based on a real life person, Kate Morgan (of the late 1800's), and her "life" at the hotel. 

Early on in the book, we are introduced to other characters that are fictional including a different Kate Morgan (1950's) and her family, especially her grandfather George.  The story continues to unfold for 1950's Kate as she's sent on a quest from George to find the "beautiful stranger." 

The 1950's Kate has grown up and works in San Francisco, but this quest sends her to the Hotel del Coronado.  Taking a leap of faith and an extremely risky journey with little money after pawning her grandmother's wedding ring, she travels to the hotel with the few clues that her grandfather gave her to discover the mystery of the "beautiful stranger." 

When asked to share my favorite genre to read, it's hard for me to pick just one.  I really enjoy reading historical fiction, in particular from the 1940's and 1950's.  I loved this book and was bummed that I was able to read through it as quickly as I did, just about two days, but I couldn't put it down.  I just didn't want it to end.  Camille Di Maio creates and develops her characters and the story in such a way, that it all grabbed and enticed me from the beginning.  The book was hard to put down because I couldn't wait to learn more about the clues Kate was gathering for her grandfather, but also reading about a few of Hollywood's greats like Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon.  Di Maio brings the actors into the story while Kate is spending her time working at the hotel during the filming of Some Like it Hot. 

I hope if you have the opportunity to read this book, you find it as delightful and engaging as I did!  I highly recommend it!

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Spring Pea Risotto

There are so many people who shy away from making risotto.  NOT JUDGING by any means!!!  I'm here to tell you, that it's SUPER easy, just a bit time consuming.  Lots of stirring, water/chicken broth adding, and waiting...BUT SO WORTH it!!!  The recipe below is for a spring pea risotto, but feel free to experiment and add just about any veggie, pesto cheese.  Some of our favorites include:

• asparagus, broccoli, zucchini and summer squash, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms
• basil pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto
• garlic and herb goat cheese, garlic and herb cream cheese

David doesn't like mushrooms, so I don't use them for when I make risotto for us, but not too long ago I made a mushroom risotto for my parents during this Stay-at-Home journey.  In their pantry they also had a can of cream of mushroom soup.  I decided to add that too.  I've never added a creamy soup before, I usually just use heavy whipping cream or half and half, but since they had it, and.I was trying to make meals for them using what they had on hand, I figured give it a shot.  Since adding the creamy soup I cut back on the half and half, but the risotto turned out to be pretty tasty! So who knows?  Next time I make risotto and I happen to have a creamy soup on hand I may try it again.  

If you're on a budget, like many of us are, Arborio rice can be pricey.  I've found a pretty good substitute for Arborio, that's a LOT cheaper...Calrose rice.  I cook it the same as I would Arborio when making risotto and since it's a short grain, starchy rice it's a perfect replacement for Arborio and will save you a few dollars.

You'll come to learn that throughout my recipes I honestly don't use a lot of measurements.  I cook mostly by taste and look or consistency.  Mostly by taste though.  In my recipes, like this one, I will give ranges of ingredients and I'll explain further in the directions.  For this recipe in particular, I suggest 2 cups of Arborio rice, when in reality, when I make risotto, I pour about two cups of the Arborio rice into a cereal bowl until it's time to add to the pot.  I then use the same cereal bowl to measure out the water or stock.  Hey, don't judge...it's how I cook.  But not to worry, I walk you through the steps, and share how I do it the way that I do.

So without further adieu...

Spring Pea Risotto!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter and olive oil plus 1 tbsp butter
• half of medium onion, diced
• 1 tbsp diced or minced garlic
• 2 cups Arborio Rice, pour into a cereal bowl big enough to hold about 2 cups
• 1 cup white wine
• several cups of chicken stock or water, you will use the bowl used for the rice, and fill up the same amount of water or stock to add to the rice 3 or 4 times depending on the softness of your rice
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
• 1 6oz pack of herbed goat cheese, 4 oz of herbed cream cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• salt and pepper

I'm not promoting any products, but this is what I use for my risotto, and since we are on a budget we shop mostly at Aldi.

Directions:

1. Add 2 tbsp butter and olive oil to pan to melt better.  Sauté diced onions and garlic for 5 minutes, until slightly brown.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  
2. Add rice  to the pan and stir to combine.  Allow the rice to brown slightly, this will only take 2 to 3 minutes.  While this the rice is browning, fill the bowl you used for the rice now with water or chicken stock.  I used water for this recipe.

   

   Steps 1 -3

3. Add wine, and stir to combine.  Wine will cook down and be absorbed by the rice.  
4. Once most of the wine has been absorbed, add one bowl of water to the pan. 

   

   Step 4

5. Stir to combine.  You will need to stir often so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom.  You may also want to season a bit more with salt and pepper.  Fill up the bowl again with water or stock and add to the pan once most of the previous bowl of water has absorbed. 

   

   Step 5

6. Add the next bowl of water to the pan.  Stir to combine.  Continue to stir periodically.  The water will continue to absorb and the rice will continue to soften.  
7. You will need to add at least one more bowl of water to the pan.  Taste your rice to check for doneness, if it's soft or not.  If yes, your done adding water or stock.  Just continue to cook and stir for the water to absorb.  
8. Once the water is pretty much absorbed, add the half and half and cheeses.  Stir to combine.  Once the half and half has been absorbed and the cheese melted, add the frozen peas and turn heat down to simmer.  Allow to finish cooking and thicken, about 5 minutes. Taste again and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

   

   Spring Pea Risotto
   

   
   

   This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people depending on what you are serving along with your risotto.  We usually have a sauteed or breaded chicken breast, and when we want to splurge, New York Strip.  A nice Caesar salad and crusty bread is also a nice compliment to your risotto.  

   
   

   I truly hope you find this recipe easy to recreate!  I can't wait to hear what your risotto creations are!

   
   

   Enjoy!

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Mixed Berry Jam Bars

Today I decided to try something new!  I made my own jam for my Mixed Berry Jam Bars.  Don't

Mixed Berry Jam Bars

freak out and think...I can't do that!  How did you do that?  I experimented and tried it.  When my husband and I cleaned out our big freezer over the weekend, we found some bags of frozen berries.  I wanted to use them up, and not let them continue to sit in our freezer, so I made jam.  Here's exactly how easy it was, oh and by the way...I didn't add any pectin, but I did use some cornstarch.  It's what I had on hand, but I don't see a problem with using tapioca starch.

Mixed Berry Jam

Ingredients:

• two bags of frozen mixed berries, strawberries, or peaches
• 1/2 c. of sugar
• 1 - 2 tsp. of lemon juice, more added if needed
• pinch of salt
• cornstarch slurry, equal parts of cornstarch and water (about 1 - 2 tbsp.)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium saucepan.  
2. Bring mixture to a boil.  
3. Turn heat down to simmer to cook down the fruit.
4. Once the fruit mixture is cooked down, use an immersion blender to get rids of the large chunks of fruits.  
5. Make the cornstarch slurry.  Add cornstarch to a small bowl, add water, and stir gently to combine.  
6. Add the slurry to the fruit mixture and stir.  The mixture should become thicker.  
7. Taste your jam and adjust any seasonings.  

Yields: about 3 1/2 cups

Serve with ice cream, in jam bars, over toast or bagels

Step 1

Steps 2 and 3

Steps 4-7

Now that the jam is done, I let it cool for a bit and got started making the oat mixture for the jam bars.  Another super easy recipe for you to enjoy!  Basically, mixing all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, spreading half of the mixture in a 13x9 baking dish, topping with the jam, finishing with the remaining oat mixture, and bake!  You've got this!

Mixed Berry Jam Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup veggie oil (you can also use 2 sticks of butter, but wanted this to be dairy free)
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (I've used both quick cooking and old fashioned, use whatever you have on hand)
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Mixed Berry Jam (Recipe Above) or use a 10 to 12 oz. jar of your favorite jam or jelly

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13x9 baking dish.  I make it easy and use cooking spray.
2. Combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix to combine.  
3. Add half of the mixture to the baking dish.  Press to spread and cover the bottom of the dish.  
4. Top mixture with the jam.  Use about 1 cup or so of the Mixed Berry Jam.  You want a decent layer of the jam covering your oat mixture or else it will get too crunchy after it's baked.  
5. Scatter the remaining oat mixture on top of the jam.  It should cover most of the jam with some tiny areas of the jam showing through.  
6. Bake until brown for 30-40 minutes.  Let it cool before cutting and serving.

Yields: 12-15 bars

Step 2

Steps 3 and 4

Step 5

Enjoy!

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