Taco Soup

This recipe is a family favorite. My daughter can't get enough of it. I understand you're thinking taco soup, huh?! But trust me, you'll love it!! I recommend putting it in your slow-cooker while you go out and go sledding or ice skating..... it's a perfect "warm you up" dish. I have varied the recipe depending on who I am serving it to. My mom, prefers a mild spicy taste. My daughter, medium-mild, my brother- the hotter the better, and me- well, medium hot-ish. 


Ingredients:
15. 5 ounce can of dark red kidney beans
15.5 ounce can of pink kidney beans
15.5 ounce can of corn
15.5 ounce can of black beans
red bell pepper
green bell pepper
jalapeno pepper
chili pepper
2 tomatoes
ground beef
ground hot sausage
15.5 ounce can of black olives
one medium sized cooking onion
bunch of cilantro
taco chips
mixed cheese
sour cream
taco seasoning packet
ranch dressing packet


Directions:
In a skillet, sauté chopped onion, ground beef and ground sausage until thoroughly browned. After you cook the meat this is a very simple a "throw it all in" recipe. Dice the fresh ingredients and put in the pot or the slow cooker. Drain the corn, olives, and beans and add to the pot. Pull off cilantro leaves and add into pot. Lastly add taco seasoning and ranch dressing packet. I normally add 2 cups of water as well. If you're cooking it on the stove cook for at least an our on low. If you're using the slow cooker you can bake it all day. If you're a vegetarian like me, just leave out the meat. It's still delicious. OH, and if you get a little carried away with the peppers remember to soak your hands in milk to get rid of the spicy oils before you do something say like..... itch your nose. (my nose was burning and running for at least an hour- but I'll never make that mistake again!)


Serving:
Place taco chips in the bottom of the bowl, pile in your taco soup. Add a couple more leaves of cilantro. Put on some cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. It's delicious. And spicy. And perfect on a cold night.  With all those beans though, it may be wise to only serve this dish to family!! Ha ha ha! Enjoy!!


*adapted recipe from Paula Dean

Light on the peppermint, heavy on the yummy!

I haven't blogged in a very long time. Too long actually because I miss it. I am sorry to anyone who follows my blogs for my absence. I've just been a busy girl learning all I can about baking. But I'm back... and boy do I have some great ideas. One step at a time though....


This year I decided that I am going to give my friends and loved ones baked goods as gifts. I have so many different things that I want to make ad this way I can be selfish and make them all! I've pre-made some dough and have it stored in the freezer just to make it a little bit easier.  But with holiday parties starting this week, I baked some cupcakes early. I wanted to make some chocolate cupcakes but my daughter like vanilla so I made delicious vanilla cupcakes for all of them, and  everyone loved them!!





Buttercream Cupcakes
2 cups whole wheat King Arthur flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup milk

2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

bake 350 degrees, 20-25 minutes 

Peppermint Frosting

2 TBsp milk

2 1/ 2 cups confectionary's sugar

1 stick of butter

1 tsp of peppermint oil

crushed candy canes to top

Happy Holiday baking friends and fellow bloggers!!!!