Foodie Friday: Taco Soup

Hello and welcome!! The best day of the week has circled its way back to us, yeah, it is FRIDAY!!


Are you hungry?? I hope so, because we have a delightful hostess who will be guiding us on a food fair that you will not want to miss. Stop by Designs by Gollum to see what's cookin'.

Have you ever been hungry for something, but you are not really sure what it is that you want?? And, maybe you do not really feel like cooking a complete meal? I have just the thing for you. Again this week I come without an exact recipe, so lets just throw some stuff together.

I really like all types of soup, so today we will have a soup that is very similar to a taco soup. Start searching your pantry & refrigerator for the following items: Ground Meat, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, taco seasoning, chili powder, salt & pepper.

Brown your meat. Then I add a little olive oil since I typically buy a 96% ground meat/4% fat mixture of ground meat. Add your onion, garlic, taco seasoning, chili powder, salt & pepper. Add about a cup of water and simmer a few minutes.

Lastly add another cup of water, diced tomatoes, beans & corn. At this point I add more of the above seasonings because I like it with lots of flavor. Also, I prefer my soup with black beans instead of chili beans, but all I have in my pantry are chili beans.

Cover & let the soup simmer about 45 minutes or so.

Top off your soup with some crushed tortilla chips & shredded cheese if you have any on hand. This is so simple, and it tastes pretty good. You can make your own variation by adding, deleting or substituting other ingredients.

Do not forget to stop by Designs by Gollum, I know that you all will definitely find something that is to mouth-watering to pass up!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!!

Nicole~

Foodie Friday: Making Dinner w/Staples on Hand

Hello, and welcome to the best day of the week, FRIDAY!! Not only is Friday wonderful for obvious reasons, but it is also a great day for another good reason, food. Our hostess today on this wonderful culinary adventure is over at Designs by Gollum. Stop by to see what is on everyone’s menu today.


Well, it all started with a pound of ground beef that needed to be cooked. I thought about what I had on hand & came up with the idea to make little muffin loafs. I just made up that name because I do not have a recipe. Keep in mind I am one of those people who does not really use a recipe, I just sort of add a little of this, and a little of that. Also, my friends, Barbara & Buck were coming over this evening to let me borrow their pressure washer. So, I thought I would return the favor & make them dinner.

After taking inventory I came up with the following simple menu: Muffin loafs, Zucchini/Squash, potato bake (I made up that name too) & green beans.

While browning the ground meat I added sea salt, ground peppercorn & a basil/garlic seasoning. I then added green onions/chives, garlic & olive oil. Last I added spaghetti sauce & let this simmer for a bit.

I then got some crescent rolls & smushed them in the bottom and up the sides of a muffin tin. I added my ground meat mixture, diced tomatoes, and topped it off with some shredded cheese.

I sliced up a zucchini & squash added sea salt, ground peppercorn, basil/garlic seasoning, green onions/chives & topped off with butter (Smart Balance). I always cover my veggies with tin foil while they bake.

I then took my frozen potatoes from Schwan's & put them in the oven on 450 degrees for 12 minutes or so. Since they were frozen I needed to speed up the cooking process.

I then took them out of the oven & mixed in a couple of tablespoons of sour cream, seasonings & butter. Then topped it off with shredded cheese & onions/chives. I also cover my potatoes with tin foil while they bake.

The last thing on the menu was to prepare the green beans. I always use the Italian green beans. I drained about half the juice out of the can & then transferred them into a baking dish. I then added vinegar, seasonings, garlic & green onions/chives.

I put all of these items in the oven together and cooked it about 25 minutes or so at 350 degrees.

It is amazing what simple things you can come up with just by shopping your own kitchen! Here was my end result:

Do not forget to stop by Designs by Gollum to see what everyone else is cooking. I promise that your taste buds will be screaming in delight!!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!

Nicole’