If Only…

Sometimes you just should drop what you are doing & get groceries.

Yet sometimes, you just don’t wanna!

Tonight was that night for me.  Long day at work after a night of frustration & the last thing I wanted to do was grab take out or go shopping.  I just wanted to cook something comforting & eat.

A quick scan of the pantry lead me to think tacos… but not tacos.

So I made Taco Lasagna!  Yeah I have never tried it or heard of it either.

Basically I used what I had.

Starting with browning some ground turkey.  Then I added some taco seasoning, a can of black beans & a can of corn.

Also added in some leftover rice from chinese take out.

I crushed up some broken taco shells & made a layer of them in a dish.

Next I layered on the turkey, rice, bean & corn mixture. Topped that with a layer of shredded cheddar. I repeated the crushed tacos, meat mix & added some salsa I found then the cheese…repeat til you reach the top.  Make sure the cheese is the last layer on top.

Heated in a 350 degree oven to blend everything & allow the cheese to melt.

All on all not bad…

BUT I just kept thinking of what could make it better!

I find myself doing that a lot lately.  I will be eating something & think of what I could add to really make it great.

For instance to me this would benefit with a chopped up serano or jalapeno pepper, some garlic, lime & a bit of cilantro.

Could be great with other cheese.  Maybe some white queso instead of the cheddar. Perhaps a layer of refried beans instead of adding the black beans into the mix. Spinach added to the ground mix?

So many possibilities.

Just keeps me thinking of what could be.

 

 

 

 

Dining all over Disney

In my family there are a few things that always come up when we talk of Disney trips.  The Magic Kingdom, Mickey Ears, Monorails & the food.

Granted there was a time where it seemed to be the same overpriced hamburgers or chicken nuggets anywhere we went, but things have changed over the years!  There is a lot of variety to be found & more food to eat than stomach to hold it.  Especially if you are brave enough to try something off the beaten path or willing to spend more than you normally would – which my family wasn’t.  I swear one day I WILL dine in Cinderella Castle! 😀

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe is a family favorite & I remember being dazzled as a kid as Sunny Eclipse would entertain us with his lounge act featuring nothing but hits & jokes about the universe, cosmos, galaxy….you get the idea.  This is THE burger joint of our memories!  BUT it is much more than a burger place.  There are 3 bays to order from – one features chicken items, one burgers, and the final one is soups, salads & sandwiches.  I reliving my memories went for the cheeseburger & topped it with lettuce, some bbq sauce & more cheese sauce from the massive toppings bar.  I love it.  Not in a its the best thing I have eaten way, but in a I feel like I am 7 again & estatic way!  And no back then the apples were not an option for the side, but I think grapes were.  Still I went all out & opted for the fries….with a drizzle of cheese sauce of course!

Another Disney legend is the Mickey Waffles.  What kid doesn’t want a waffle that looks like Mickey?  For the 1st breakfast I got a waffle that was topped with bananas & warm salted caramel.  Alas it as delicious as it was, it was no Mickey shaped.  Bummer.  So the second day, I got my Mickey waffle.  I also realized I needed a bit more than just carbs & sugar to fuel me along, so I went for the breakfast platter.  WAY more food than I wanted, but it had my waffle – a mini version anyway, which was okay by me!  The eggs were what I needed.  It also came with a biscuit, potatoes, turkey sausage link AND 2 slices of bacon.  I quickly gave the bacon & sausage away since they aren’t my style.  Over all I left stuffed & didn’t finish the plate.  Especially since we got a chocolate croissant to share!

Later for dinner we went to a place that is pure bliss – the Rainforest Cafe.  I remember being young & being just amazed at all the animals, stars, the storms… & I still am!  Just feels magical.  I’m a sucker for all the atmosphere.  Plus the food was divine.  I got the Jungle something or another… it was coconut shrimp skewers, shrimp scampi, steak with butter on it, garlic mashed potatoes & mixed grilled veggies.  HEAVEN ON A PLATE!

Right before I jetted off to catch my flight I was lucky enough to meet up with my cousin for lunch.  We were tight on time, so we thought something light – sandwich.  Where else does a sandwich better than the Earl of Sandwich?! So we went.  I immediately knew what I was getting after a quick glance on the menu.  The Holiday Special!  Something about warmed turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce & stuffing just sounded amazing.  It also comes with mayo, but I don’t like mayo & it seemed unnecessary anyway.  Now the bad thing is, I LOVED IT.  Where on earth am I going to find a way to get the fix of this craving? Might have to find a way to recreate this one at home.  Either that or just move on down to the Orlando area.

The most spectacular dining memory is by far the late snack we had sharing a funnel cake from Sleepy Hallow while watching the Boo To You Parade float by across the bridge.  We had a great view, all had comfortable seats & delish nosh to share together.  Family memories just seem better with food it seems.

So what foods remind you of Disney?  Anything you just feel like you haven’t had the Disney experience without?

Simplicity

today’s tame turkey lunch

Something I am realizing with this challenge is that I am starting to look forward to lunch again!  Before there would be days where I dreaded it.  I would be hungry, but just completely not in the mood for the junk that I brought that day. 

Today I didn’t prepare anything the night before (too much time dining out with a dear friend!) & as I got Baxter & myself ready to head off to work, I thought “Oh noooo.  Another crappy meal.”  Then it dawned on me that I had prepared for this.  So I got out the flat bread, turkey & cheddar I had picked up.  Also wanted to get the baby lettuce, but turns out the shelf life was shorter than I was expecting on that one! Gross wilted browning leaves are not appetizing, especially in the early morning. Skip that one.

So today’s lunch is simple.

Honey roasted thinnly sliced turkey, slice of natural cheddar on a piece of flat bread.  Easy peasy & hit the spot after I warmed it slightly in the microwave at work!  The side of baby carrots has become my new favorite thing! I may turn orange soon with all the carrots & pumpkin in my diet but its worth it.

Brought a stick of colby but I ended up not even eating it.  Snack time some other day since I have some blueberry yogurt in the fridge for any afternoon cravings – long work day & dinner date later. 

So no reciepe today, but a reminder that simple is good.

This is a life change & it has to be doable. 

Sometimes special, somtimes simple, but its all times now.