Day one

So, today was one of "those days" that everyone has. I woke up KNOWING that when dinner time rolled around, I was not going to want to be in the kitchen, slaving away. So, I decided that it was a good night to make Taco Soup. It is the easiest (and one of the cheapest) things in the world to make, and I have met very few people who don't like it. Immediately after deciding to make the world's easiest dinner, I was filled with a sense of dread. I realized that if I don't step up my game, I might lose my whole two followers. How boring is something that easy?! My sweet husband knows just how to talk me down, and assured me that I am still just one person, and I am nine and a half months pregnant, so people will understand if I don't make a masterpiece every night. So I put on my big girl pants and settled in on the idea of making taco soup. I have posted the recipe at the end of my blog tonight. It is a fabulous option when you are having one of "those days" that I was referring to at the beginning of my post tonight.

I also made a big decision regarding this blog. My first challenge will be to create two dishes that I have always loved from Indian restaurants. With the current economy, and both my husband and I in school, it's not always possible to eat out whenever I want it. I am going to be creating my attempt at Chicken Tikka Masala and Coconut Chicken Curry. I will be serving it with a garlic naan. I will also be making a vegetarian version of both dishes for my little sister, using an Indian cheese called paneer. Paneer is a form of non melting cheese curd that is often made from goat's milk instead of cow's milk (although the cow's milk version is more readily available in the US). I am so excited to try it out for the first time. I will be making it for a group of people who love food about as much as I do... My family. I will give each of them a comment card when the meal is over and allow them to rate my meal and comment on it. I will be doing this with every meal challenge I take throughout this adventure. I am still calling out to cyberspace for any challenges you may have for me. I don't want to allow myself to take it to easy.



Taco Soup
1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey (I prefer the taste of Ground Turkey and it's lower in fat and healthier for you)
1 can Chili Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Great Northern or Cannellini Beans
2 cans Corn (I like more corn, so I do two instead of one)
3 cans Diced Tomatoes (I use tomatoes with flavoring like garlic or mexican spices just for added flavor)
2 packets of Taco Seasoning

1.) Mix 1 packet Taco Seasoning with the raw ground beef or turkey, making sure to mix the seasoning all throughout evenly.
2.) Cook meat thoroughly and drain excess grease from pan.
3.) Add all of the cans of vegetables and liquid in the cans to a large pot along with the other packet of taco seasoning.
4.) Add meat to mixture with vegetables.
5.) Heat on medium heat until simmering.

I serve it with cheese and sour cream and avocado on top. The combination of the cool sour cream and the hot soup is super awesome. I also like tortilla chips with mine. You can use the Tostitos' Scoops or Fritos' Scoops to eat it and it makes it fun:)
I hope you enjoy this quick and easy dinner option. It is wonderful for "those days."

Excited and Terrified!

As the title states, I am excited and terrified all at the same time! I have been working my way around the kitchen for a while now, and I am actually getting super good at it. However, when I decided to attach some responsibility to it, like this blog, I suddenly became terrified. What if I am not interesting to these people? What if I epically fail at a particular recipe? Am I going to disappoint people if I don't make something interesting enough? Worse yet, what if nobody cares at all?!
So here I am, calling out to the cyber world. I want to be challenged! I want you to hit me with your best shot. I will take any and all suggestions. Do you LOVE a particular weird vegetable? I want to know and I will stick it in a recipe. Do you have a recipe from your great great grandmother that is impossible to make? I would love the recipe and I will try to do Nana proud! I will even let you be my reviewer:) I will totally cook you dinner (or dessert or a snack or whatever). I am so excited to try this and embark on this adventure, hopefully with all of you out there reading this!