Life Happens and Taco Seasoning Mix

Here I am again, months after I should have written a new post, finally taking the time to do so! Oh well! Life happens!

We had a wedding since I wrote last! If you have ever been the parents of the bride or groom, you will know that there is this flurry of activities leading up to a busy weekend when every moment is itemized so that nothing is forgotten. And then you have the days following where you crash and wonder how it all got done! Yes! That was us!

Friday held a bridal luncheon hosted by a very special friend of our family. It was a relaxing time in between the decorating of the church and setting up the centerpieces for the rehearsal dinner.

IMG_1745

The rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch, but the time spent setting up the centerpieces did not! Let’s just say that I dropped a box of glass vases which broke into a gazillion pieces and leave it at that.

The wedding went great, though, and we are thrilled with our newest family member!

IMG_1756

Little Miss Mia performed her responsibilities as flower girl very well! Her first time down the aisle during rehearsal left a lot to be desired (she ran the whole way!), but after quite a bit of practice her confidence grew and she knew exactly what she was to do. She did an amazing job during the wedding! Shortly before the seating of the mothers and the processional, she worked her way out of position by the bride and ended up near the front of the line where she loudly proclaimed, “I’m getting married today!” It definitely gave us the laugh we all needed and helped us to relax!

IMG_1767

Several weeks (months??) ago, my sister and brother-in-law were in town for a week, and I had done some meal planning and shopping in advance of their visit. I had decided to have tacos on Tuesday, and for the sake of time and convenience, decided to purchase 2 packets of taco seasoning mix. I remember getting them off the shelf and crossing it off my list. However, those packets evidently did not make it to my house. I was already browning the beef for the tacos when I realized that the packets were missing. Here we are weeks (months?) later, and I still haven’t found them. Who knows where they ended up.

Any way, I found myself in need of some taco seasoning very quickly! Thankfully, I found a recipe and had all the necessary ingredients on hand. I used the entire recipe for about 1-1/2 lbs of beef. Everyone thought that the tacos tasted much better than when using the purchased seasoning! And it is so incredibly easy, I really don’t know why I ever bothered using the ready-made seasonings in the first place!

Mix all these ingredients together and store in an air-tight container. Use in recipes to taste.

  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper–more if you like it spicier
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper

You can also use dried red pepper flakes if you prefer.

 

Spice it Up! (The Veggie Version)

Here we are in the middle of the first week of the first month of a new year! Last week I mentioned that I missed my goal of 20,000 total views to the blog in 2015. Well, somebody discovered my blog and did a lot of browsing on the 30th! I had 187 views in one day! It became my busiest day ever!

The hubby and I are fully back on track of eating the THM way this week. The junk food that was brought into the house during the holidays is gone and hopefully won’t return! Yesterday was our first full day back, and it went well! I just have to keep encouraging him to drink more water!

I came across a small chart recently that matches seasonings and spices with various veggies and meats. This is a very helpful tool for me since we are cutting the carbs out of our diet. We are also trying to use less salt. Veggies and meats don’t need to be covered in breading and deep-fat fried to taste good. By using the spices you have in your cabinet, you can make delicious meats and side dishes that are also good for you! And, according to my hubby, a little garlic or onion powder helps everything taste better!

We like to cook our fresh veggies in coconut oil and add these spices.

Here are spices you can pair with vegetables.

ASPARAGUS—-lemon juice and mustard or thyme or marjoram

BROCCOLI—-dill, lemon juice, mustard or nutmeg

BRUSSELS SPROUTS—-garlic powder, onion powder, or lemon juice with dill

CAULIFLOWER—-dill, nutmeg, parsley, tarragon, or rosemary

GREEN BEANS—-basil, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, or a touch of red pepper flakes

SUMMER SQUASH—-marjoram, parsley, or paprika

TOMATOES—-basil, chives, garlic, or thyme

I hope you give some of these a try, or experiment with your own ideas! Next post I will share spices for various meats.