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Taco Casserole

It is

Cinco de Mayo

so LB and I have invited the party people over to celebrate!

I’m making dinner and one of the menu items is a

Taco Casserole

This Taco Casserole is a beefy, cheesy, flavor-packed dish that’s perfect for taco Tuesday or any Mexican themed gathering! Made with layers of deliciousness and favorite taco toppings, this easy one-pan dinner packs a wallop and will have everyone coming back for seconds!  The recipe is worth saving!

Taco Casserole

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients
For the Casserole:

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning (or homemade)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, or your favorite)
3 cups corn tortillas or 3 cups crushed tortilla chips
½ cup sour cream

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and diced onion over medium heat until browned. Drain excess grease.
Stir in the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, salsa and sour cream. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spread half of the corn tortillas or crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Layer half of the beef mixture over the chips.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over the beef layer.
Repeat with another layer of tortilla chips, beef mixture, and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes, then dollop with sour cream and sprinkle with your favorite toppings (diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, avocado or guacamole, extra sour cream)

prettyis.me

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Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog!

¡Feliz 23 de Mayo!

because saying feliz veintitres de Mayo takes too much energy.

Happy 23rd of May!

With the Covid19 crisis, it has been a couple of months since we visited with other human beings.
LB and I missed out on Easter Sunday church and festivities, the annual Kentucky Derby party and even Cinco de Mayo.
Last week when LB and I met at Olive Garden with friends to celebrate Laurie’s birthday we all decided that we would have to get together for that missed annual Cinco de Mayo party.
The party happened on Saturday

~

~

Ray brought his homemade rubber-band gun

and no, Boo did NOT get shot.
We tried to follow CDC guidelines while catching up.
LB lit the torches and we sat out by the pool and talked into the night.
And we ATE a lot!
Steak fajitas and toppings, re-fried beans, queso dip, chips with salsa, and…

Cream of Coconut Cake

  • Servings: 16
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • ingredients needed to make cake: egg whites, oil and water)
  • 1 (15 oz) can cream of coconut
  • 1 (8 oz) container COOL WHIP thawed
  • 1 (8 oz) package sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

  • Prepare and bake white cake mix according to package directions for a 9 x 13 pan.
  • Remove cake from oven and, using a fork, poke holes all over the top of cake.
  • Open can of Cream of Coconut (making sure to stir it first) and pour over warm cake.
  • Let cake cool completely then ‘frost’ with COOL WHIP topping.
  • Top with flaked coconut (I did not use the whole package).

 

It was delicious, if I do say so myself!

Thank you Laurie for documenting this event with photos!

And thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Quarantine Week SEVEN

Has everyone in your house gone stir crazy yet?

via GIPHY

When a home body like myself is ready to get out of the house, I know everyone else must be!

With the exception of taking a couple of drives, LB and I have stayed in the house for six weeks, working from home, having groceries delivered, and enjoying evenings by the pool.

There has been a lot of shopping online, Pinterest pinning and baking.  Most recently I made banana bread.  Next on the calendar is cream of coconut cake.

We have watched a few movies and sort of started following the series Bosch on Amazon Prime.  I’m not a fan of homicide programs, but this one was recommended by Rush, so LB thought it was worth checking out.  We may have watched all of season one.

This past week we started venturing out, following social distancing guidelines and trying to be as safe as possible.  Mostly.

On Sunday I visited Mama’s house for a Mother’s Day Tea Party that I shared in this post.  It was a sweet time with the girls.

Stephanie and Amanda always make me feel special.  Later that day, Richard made me feel special too. He is a faithful face-timer and my most serious child.

And so my Mother’s Day was complete.

~

On Friday evening LB and I both went out to celebrate a milestone.

We met at Olive Garden with our friends Wayne, Laurie, Debbie and Ray in honor of

Laurie’s 60th birthday!

I’ve never seen anyone enjoy spaghetti as much as LB did that night!

Every last bite!

He saved the chicken parm for later.

We had such a good time, we’re planning another get-together real soon.  I’m looking forward to it!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites Workplace Edition

I haven’t had the energy or the creativity to post this week because we have been under an overtime mandate at work due to excessive call volume.  Happily, one of our production agents sits in a cubicle on the other side of mine and I get to listen to her all day long.

It’s Mary Ann

and she hopes “to ensure to provide you an excellent customer experience” if she happens to take your call.

With very clear and precise annunciation, Mary Ann adds cheerfulness to her calls and provides a bit of entertainment to those of us nearby.

This morning I heard her exclaim to a customer:

“I’m great, IT’S FRIDAY!  Who could not be great on a Friday?”

She is an exceptional agent and at times will say things that make me drop my jaw, but given the subject matter, that is understandable.

She will not hesitate to declare her competence by informing her customer that she has “been with the company for eleven years”.

Of course there is no one who can better help the customer because [as she puts it] “we are the last… call center left in the United States”

Mary Ann will even provide her customers with her contact email sweetly advising “if you don’t use it, it’s your own fault”… “Darlin’.”

Today she is my

Favorite # ONE

She brightened my day today!

For my Friday favorites I have decided to make proverbial lemonade out of our workplace lemons and accentuate the positive!

 

Here goes:

 

 

Favorite # TWO

Dunkin’ Donuts

from Derek.

The new guy on the block decided to treat the team this morning.

What a nice gesture!

 

According to MyFitnessPal this Boston Kreme Donut contains 445 calories and 67 grams of carbs.I don’t want to talk about it.

 

Favorite # THREE

As I mentioned in this post Wendy has lost a lot of weight.

Today marked

 A Pivotal Moment

as she walked into the office wearing a dress.

For the first time since 2002, Wendy donned a dress and ventured into the great outdoors… or at least to work.

Her dress is very cute and at $17.99 what a great deal!

AELSON Womens Summer Casual Sleeveless Mini Printed Vest Dresses

 

 

Favorite # FOUR

Wendy’s Electric Kettle

I use Wendy’s kettle most mornings to brew several (4) cups of green tea.

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body. These include improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and many other impressive benefits (source).

It keeps me out of the junk food!

Thanks Wendy!

 

 

Favorite # FIVE

Currently the company is encouraging that we participate in supporting

I couldn’t agree more!

Click on the picture to access the website for more information!

It is a precious story!

 

 

 

In addition to what I have mentioned, there are other workplace positives:

  • The BENEFITS.  I won’t divulge the name of the company I work for, but I can’t complain about the benefits.
  • The OPPORTUNITY to be part of a specialty team working Presidential Escalations and hard to resolve cases.
  • The BLESSING that several of my college courses have been paid in full.  And they haven’t seen the last of me.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

It is incredible that this is the

Last Friday in July!

Happy No Problem GIF by Jonas Mosesson

We are prancing along through the summer and it will be autumn in no time!

 

 

And now:

Friday Favorites!

Favorite # ONE

Have you tried the Pasta alternative veggie products?

This one is my favoriteThere are several varieties by Birdseye and Green Giant.

I’ve wanted to try the new marinara sauce (that I mentioned in this post) so I made Rigatoni for LB.

Sadly, there are 220 calories in 1 cup of cooked Rigatoni.

Calorie breakdown: 5% fat, 80% carbs, 15% protein.

Since I’m not about to eat real pasta, I sampled my marinara sauce atop these carrot spirals.

Calorie breakdown: 0% fat, 3% carbs, 1 gram protein.

Not bad at all!

 

 

Favorite # TWO

Surprises on Back Order!

LB checked the mail this week and told me that I had a package.  My response: I didn’t order anything!

Apparently I had an item on back-order from a Venus order that I placed in JANUARY!

 Mini Jean Skirt in Indigo Blue

At least THEY remembered!

 

 

 

Favorite # THREE

Natalie Tuman

Health and Fitness Coach

This is a real life Wonder Woman and I follow her on Instagram.

This week I attempted to complete a workout she shared on Instagram.

 

 

Nope.

I couldn’t do it!

Her websites can be found here and here.

 

 

Favorite # FOUR

Good News!

I attended college at FCCJ (now FSCJ) off and on after high school and between babies.  Since achieving success earning an AA degree and an AS in Interior Design Technology several years ago, I have attempted to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Liberty University online.  This week I reached out to the admissions department for advice on wrapping this up!

I’m FINALLY seeing light at the end of the tunnel!  I’m so excited and looking forward to sharing news of a graduation sooner than later!

 

 

 

Favorite # FIVE

Kathy

She who took me under her wing and has looked out for me since I came to her team seven years ago!

Kathy is a dear friend and trusted colleague who is celebrating a milestone this week!

Happy Birthday Kathy!

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog!

National Middle Child Day

“Each year on August 12th, National Middle Child Day is observed across the United States. This day gives special recognition to the middle child in the family” (source).

Amanda

is My Middle Childand she is a delight!

I searched google to find a National Day for the Oldest Child/First-Born and Youngest Child and I could not.  It is possible that Middle Children are given a special day because they sometimes experience

Middle Child Syndrome

There was no middle child in my family when I was growing up, only myself and my sister Gina.  Being the first-born in my family, it is difficult for me to imagine a disorder associated with birth order.  Therefore I am puzzled by the Middle Child Syndrome being a reality that some children experience.  The first-born is many times considered to be the leader, while the youngest, or “baby of the family” has his own special place.  Does this leave the middle child without a special place or role?  I have three children and happen to know that the middle child does in fact have a special role.

But research indicates that this syndrome is very real.  These children may feel they are given scant attention and that their siblings are recognized more than they.

Amanda

in my opinion, is an exception to the rule!Amanda is special for so many reasons.

For example:

she is a natural born leader and adventurer.This picture was taken during a tour of the United States Capitol in 2007.  Amanda was the tour guide.  She took the initiative to go to Washington D.C. and serve as an intern for Senator Mel Martinez while she was “just a baby”.  And isn’t she lovely?She also gave me a tour of the city, and obediently posed with the flowers for this picture.

Amanda is very imaginative and a lot of fun to be with.

But she also has a serious sideand beautiful blue-green eyes.

She has a Master’s Degree; graduating from UNF with honors.

I am very proud of her and hope that she is only teasing when she calls herself “the forgotten child”.

At this point she must know that she is anything but forgotten.   Maybe we should start referring to them as the “Central” as opposed to the “Middle”.

Happy Central Child Day Amanda!

Note to Stephanie and Richard: Be forewarned.  Even though there is no National First-Born Day or National Youngest Child Day… I’m a Blogger, and I’ll embarrass you too.

Patsy

Recently an adorable lady has become a member of my work family

Miss Patsy Brown

Patsy has been with our company for ten years and recently relocated from Louisiana to join us here in the Sunshine State. It was fun hearing her talk about setting up her new home after she made the big move to Florida. I remember her excitement the day she closed on her house; and again when her 50MB internet was installed.

She has been great fun to get to know.  She has a great sense of humor.  And I’ve learned that she likes to watch lifetime television in bed and enjoys participating in her collection of workout videos from the sofa.

Something we have in common is our love of shopping, especially for clothes and shoes.
Every morning Patsy comes into the office dressed SO CUTE. Most of the time I tell her what great fashion sense she has or how well she puts an outfit together. Today I asked her where she purchased the top she is wearing.

Dressbarn was the place.

I recently experienced Dressbarn for the first time on a trip to the new Tanger Outlet in Daytona.

It was at Dressbarn that I found my yellow capris and navy ankle pants in the clearance section.

Fun in the dressing room.
Patsy told me that her go-to shop is Dressbarn and most of her clothes have been purchased there.  At times she has forgotten what is in her closet and purchased the same item twice.  Since I love it, I tried to locate the top she is wearing online, with no success.  Patsy advised checking the Scarves & Wraps category under Accessories

Bingo!

Paisley-Print Cascade Vest

Only $25… thinking I might need one of those!

In addition to Dressbarn, Patsy enjoys purchasing shoes from JustFab and says she has been using the online company for years, not purchasing every month, but enjoying the benefits of the VIP membership when she does.

Looking forward to seeing her outfit ensemble tomorrow!

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