Pauli's Taco Salad

Large can pinto beans

Taco Seasoning - 1 packet

Onion

Avocados

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Cheese

Chips

Drain beans; marinate in taco seasoning (with 1/2 c. vinegar & 1/2 c. oil).  Marinate a day or so.  Drain beans, but save marinade.

Layer salad:

Beans

Onions

Tomatoes

Avocados

Lettuce

Cheese

Pour rest of marinade on top.  Serve with chips.

From whence it came:  Another doozie from my friend Kerinda.  But really, her mom, Pauli, gets credit for this one.  Pauli was just one of those people who could do everything and anything and did it all oh so well.  She passed away last November, and her presence is truly missed by so many people.  Thanks for this great recipe, Pauli, and thanks for a life and legacy that truly lives on.

Why it's blogable:  This recipe is light and really flavorful.  You can eat quite a pile of this yummy salad and not feel like you stuffed yourself like a Thanksgiving Turkey.  I guess you could add chicken if you wanted to, but without the chicken it's super good.  Labor Day is just around the corner and this would be a great salad to make for whatever you're doing to celebrate.

Why I've been such a lazy blogger lately:  First we went on vacation, and then I came home and decided to get sick.  Really sick.  So sick, in fact, that I ended up in the hospital for a couple of days.  Now you know why I've been such a lazy blogger.  I'm feeling a little bit better each day and sometime this week I will share some of the funnier moments of my hospitalization with y'all.  The things that go on in hospitals are astounding.  I'll fill you in on all the nitty-gritty soon.  Til then, enjoy this great salad.  It's pretty healthy, and at this particular time in my life, I'm all about healthy.  I don't want to find myself staring at a hospital ceiling anytime soon!

Click here to get the printable:

Pauli's Taco Salad

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Taco Meatball Subs

1 package taco seasoning
(or 1/4 cup if you have a big container like me)
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 T. plain dry bread crumbs
1 T. oil
1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes, undrained
8 lettuce leaves
8 hot dog buns or sandwich rolls
Your favorite taco toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole

Combine 1 T. taco seasoning, beef and bread crumbs; shape into 24 balls. Heat oil over medium high heat and brown meatballs; drain if desired. Stir in tomatoes and remaining taco seasoning. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked.

To serve, arrange lettuce, then meatballs on buns. Spoon sauce over meatballs, then top with your favorite taco toppings.

From whence it came: I clipped this yum-e recipe out of a magazine while waiting in the beauty parlor while my mother-in-law was having her hair cut. Is that wrong? You know, now that I think about it, it's very wrong! Just last week I was with my teen daughter at the doctor and we saw this adorable watermelon cake on the front of a magazine. I flipped through the pages inside to check out the recipe (and possibly steal if for myself) only to discover that it had already been stolen! So, the conclusion I have come to is that it is wrong to take recipes from the magazines in beauty parlors and doctor's offices...unless you are me. Then it is fine!  (By the way, this is the only recipe I've ever really ripped from a magazine that didn't belong to me!) That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Why it's blogable: By now you should know that I am a lover of meat that has been shaped into balls! Italian! Mexican! I don't care...I love 'em all. One of my favorite recipes on this blog is Slow Cooker Cheese Stuffed Meatballs!  Thank you Paula Deen!  That gal knows how to make a mean meatball!  These sandwiches are really good!  My whole family likes 'em!  I feel pretty sure yours will, too!

Click here to get the printable:
Taco Meatball Subs

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

Taco Salad

The other night I used leftover taco meat to make a yum-e taco salad.  The Spy Who Loves Me loved it!  This is what I did:

I had leftover taco meat, but if you don't, brown 1 lb. ground beef and add 1 package taco seasoning and about 3/4 c. water.  Simmer until water is absorbed.  Us Andersons are a taco lovin' family so I always buy the big container of seasoning at Costco.  Much cheaper!

 

Also, I like the meat to be cold or room temp in the salad.  Warm meat makes wilted lettuce.  Yuck!

I used the following ingredients in the salad I made.  You can use as much or as little of the following as suits your fancy:

Romain lettuce

Taco Meat

Tomatoes

Cheddar Cheese

Chopped yellow, orange and red peppers

Fresh white corn, cut right off the cob, not even cooked

Avocado, the more the better

Tortilla chips, crushed just a little bit

For the dressing I mixed ranch salad dressing and salsa.  Then I tossed the salad, sprinkled on crushed tortilla chips and served it up.  The Spy said the words "tasty" and "great" while eating the salad, and he said thank you more than once.  

You should toss up one of these delicious salads this summer. 

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!