Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

You know how it happens. You plan dinner in your head. You start cooking. You head to the pantry for an ingredient and BAM! it is missing. You don't have time to run to the store, so you improvise.

I was making tacos on day and did not have any seasoning mix. I have tried to re-create it before and to no avail. So, I turned to the ol' internet and found this recipe on Allrecipes.com.

It is so simple and so good. I have doubled and tripled this recipe. I have made it for friends and they have loved it. I have used it for beef, turkey and chicken. You can add more or less, depending on the desired heat. It tastes so much better than the packaged seasoning. Try it.
You will never want buy another mix again!

Taco Seasoning I recipe

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Just mix it all together and store in an airtight container. I used a couple tablespoons for a pound of meat and around 1/3-1/2 a cup of water, depending on how saucy I want it.

I made some ground turkey with this seasoning tonight and threw it into a taco salad of sorts. SO good. And healthy.

Mrs. B, you should be proud. It was a super healthy little meal...ya know...so I can start dropping that baby weight.

Awkward and Awesome Thursday!

Today is Awkward and Awesome Thursday. I wish I could remember all the awesome things that are said to me on a daily basis by my son. It would be epic... but alas, I laugh, I tell Ryan and than I forget. Awkward and Awesome Thursday would be SO much better...



Awkward:
~ Leaving the room for 45 seconds, hearing your 6 month old scream, come back into the room to find your toddler standing over the baby with a pen. " Mommy, look. I wrote on Colin's head. Right here" Baby has pen all over forehead.
~ Having to google the correct spelling for Justin Bieber's last name for this post. Maybe if my kids were 12, I would know how to spell his name. Maybe not.
~ Jack wanting to wear both pairs of his new t-rex underwear AT THE SAME TIME. And he did.
~ The fact that no matter where we are, or what he is doing, if Jack needs to use the bathroom he drops his pants to his ankles and waddles to the nearest potty. Every time.
~ Ordering 4 boxes of girl scout cookies  (never order cookies when are you at work and have not had lunch) and than hiding two of the boxes in your purse, so that, ya know, you don't look like a huge porker carrying 4 boxes out of the office building.
~ Needing to buy new foundation, oh like 2 months ago, and still squeezing a few drops out every day. It is quite terrifying. Will this be the day that it is actually out and I will have no make-up on? Will it last till the weekend when I can go get more? It is a lot of pressure. And awkward...for those that happen to be there for the no make-up day.



Awesome:
~ Baby wipes that can take off pen from baby's forehead.
~ Having one of your best girlfriends in town for two whole delicious weeks. It has been a full year since you have seen her and a year and half since you have seen her little girl.
~ Hanging out with said friend and having it feel like a few days had passed, not a whole year.
~ Girl Scout cookies, preferably the tag-a-longs.
~ Having a girls only sushi date on Friday and than having a hubby date to see said friend's hubby's show on Sunday night. We even have a sitter. This weekend we actually have a social life, people!!
~ Getting sick of my post-baby hair, buying a box dye, and actually liking the results!
~ Meredith from Yours,Mine and Ours. She is legit blogger who emails her readers...love that.
~ Baby has his front two teeth coming down. Too big, I tell ya, he is getting too big!
~ My husband. He is awesome.


SO... what happened in your week that is either awkward, awesome or both?

As always, this little series was inspired by the Daybook.

The next Justin Bieber...

If Justin Bieber sang Thomas the Train

DIY~ What?!

I am guest blogging over at Worley House.

Check it out!

Sweet Potato Baby

He came. 

He ate. 

He conquered.

Baby likes sweet potatoes.

And the road to solids is now in progress.

The Love List

In the spirit of all things lovey and dovey and mushy this Valentine's day weekend, I thought I would dust off my ol' interviewing skills and talk to the boys in the house to see what they are loving.

We love each others lots, we love our church and we love our Lord and Saviour. That is a for sure on the list.

Here are a few other things we are loving this V-day weekend.


Ryan:
1. Discount books
2. Thai food
3. NYC
4. Cool mornings with hot black coffee
5. Cool ranch doritos


Alicia:
1. Caribou coffee
2. Anthropologie
3. New nail polish
4.Nap time
5.Packages in the mail


Jack:
1. Thomas the Train and friends.
2.Fireman Sam
3. Dinosaurs
4.Fruit Snacks
5.Dt. Coke  (No, we don't let him drink Dt. Coke, but he will sneak any drinks he can, as often as he can.The boy is obsessed. If he sees you drinking it, he will try to get you to give him a drink...or the whole can)

Colin:
1. Being naked.
2. Taking brother's toys
3. Nursing.
4.Crawling
5. Looking at himself in the mirror

What are you loving these days? Anything fun or exciting?

We are going to enjoy the gorgeous 60 degree, sunny weather and than maybe grabs some Valentine's day goodies for the boys.

Happy Saturday!

Awkward and Awesome Thursdays

It is Awesome and Awkward Thursday.

My life is pretty much always awesome/awkward/disgusting.

I live with 3 boys.

That should probably just sum it up right there.

But, with out further ado...

Awkward~

~ When dropping my boys off at the sitter's for the afternoon, I am telling her Colin's feeding schedule when I am interrupted by my toddler. Standing in the hallway. With his pants and underwear down at his ankles.

~  Thinking I was a savvy shopper by buying a Toy Story lap desk thingy from Target for $3. Perfect cheap potty gift for my TS-loving, potty training 2 1/2 yr old. The awkward part? He opened it and started crying and crying... cause he couldn't take Buzz and Woody off the tray... or open the stuffed lap part. SO, maybe a cute little lap desk thingy is NOT a good gift for a toddler...probably should have thought about that BEFORE he burst into tears.

~  Looking over at the baby and realizing that it looks like he is wearing a 3/4 length sleeve, but it is suppose to be a full, long sleeve tee. Time to pull out the next size up, I suppose.

~ The 3/4 length sleeve tee is his 4th outfit before noon...due to various size blowouts and leakages.

~  Leaving my boys with the Hubs for one evening. That two hours away cost me a completely trashed house, a high chair tray covered with pears and a baby with left-over pears crusted on his eye lid.

~ Realizing the you read way too many fashion blogs because you just thought of your outfit for work as a OOTD. You are not a fashion blogger, and you only get dressed like 4 days out of the week, including the one afternoon a week you go into the office.



Awesome

~ Snow! 4 inches on the ground to play in and a 60 degree weekend ahead.

~Writing love notes to your Hubby on the shower wall with foam bath letters.

~Spreading your obsession of Anthropologie onto your unsuspecting children.

~ Scoring a boys Anthropologie sweater for $9.95....with free shipping...and no sales tax.

~Having two boys two years apart exactly. That is like a two for one on all clothing.

~ Having chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream in the freezer. That baby is coming out to play for Valentine's day.

~ Having one of your best friends send you Caribou's Mocha Java coffee in the mail. It is the best coffee ever and the closest Caribou is hours away.

Awkward:

My cat. Most awkward cat ever.

Awesome:

Colin loves sweet potatoes!! Finally, a solid food he will eat!

Now, jump on over to the Daybook and check out other awkward and awesome moments!

Wistful for the Weekends

Mondays can leave us all in a bit of a funk.

It is back to real life.

Back to the daily grind, so to speak.

Ryan heads off to work, I man the boys and the house alone.

The daily monotony of it all can leave us just a wee bit wistful for the break that is the weekend.

Jack must be feeling the same way. In the middle of the (daily) afternoon, post-nap double poopy diaper change, he asked for his dad.

Jack: Where did my dad go?
Me: He is at work, honey.
Jack: (Sigh)I want him back now.

 Sigh. Me,too.

Jack loves when his daddy is home. I love when his daddy is home.

While it is not quite a manic Monday...it can lead to wishful thinking.

Mr. Half Year

Colin is 6 months. Ridiculous. How in the world can he be that old?

He is a little man, weighing in at 13lbs, 15oz, in the 3rd percentile. I am surprised, as he is a rolly polly guy...but no matter. He is super healthy and active and the doctors are not concerned.

He is still a big fan of nursing and not such a fan of solids...but we are working on that.

The doctor did say that Colin will probably be walking around 9 months.

Awesome.

The kid is crazy enough now!

He is scoot/inchworm crawling everywhere now. He is pretty good at sitting...if he is willing to sit still...which he usually won't.

He is a naughty baby. Naughty, naughty.

He doesn't nap. He hates his crib. He wants to be in the middle of everything.

He has taken to yelling for me if I go out of his sight.

Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde baby.

The picture is what happened when I wouldn't let him grab the camera lens. Mean mommy, I know.

Good thing he is so stinking cute and happy for the rest of the time.

A good thing.