Easy Nacho Dip

Easy Nacho Dip

Author: Northern Girl

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 4-6

 This recipe takes about 1 hour before it is ready. Once assembled, it cooks in your crock-pot/slow cooker until the cheese melts. You can use the mixture to create nachos or even as a burrito or enchilada filling.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey


• 1 can refried beans


• 1 green pepper, diced


• 1 medium onion, diced


• 1 pack taco seasoning


• 1 jar/can taco sauce


• 1 lb. (16oz) pasteurized cheddar cheese (I used Velveeta), cubed


• 1 bag of tortilla chips


• *EXTRAS if you want - shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole

Instructions

1. In a skillet, brown beef with peppers and onions.


2. Coat your slow-cooker with non-stick spray.


3. Once meat is browned, drain and put the mixture into your slow cooker.


4. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.


5. Allow to heat until cheese is melted through.


6. Layer on top of tortilla chips to make nachos. Add any extra ingredients you will like.


7. Enjoy!

3.2.1753

Confession -- My kids don't like soda

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I have been trying really hard to teach my children healthy eating habits.

I have a confession to make. I don't allow my kids to drink any soda.  Yes, I said it. No soda. I am the mom at the birthday party where soda is being served who will walk to the water fountain to fill up their cups. I have no shame in it.

In addition, I am pretty picky about what they are allowed to drink.

They can always have milk. The Drama Queen drinks reduced fat organic milk. She prefers it with chocolate. The boys just drink 2% regular milk. The Little Dude would drink only milk all the time. Normally he drinks it with breakfast and dinner. I don't like to put milk in the lunchbox just in case it doesn't stay cold enough so he doesn't have it at lunch time.

If they are drinking juice at my home, it is 100% juice unless it is orange juice. I haven't been able to find that yet or they would. They are allowed one juice drink a day. They only time I make an exception to this rule is if we are someone else's home for a party or special occasion. I will let them have more than one juice box on those days. But we don't buy juice boxes at our house.

They can drink as much water as they want pretty much whenever they want. I will even squeeze a lemon or orange in it for them.  But I do not allow flavored waters especially the juice box low cal ones. Those are flavored with splenda.

My other big rule is no artificial sweetners for kids. They can't drink crystal light or diet anything. I feel like they are too young to be drinking reduced calorie drinks.

They also don't drink anything with caffeine in it. Since my oldest is 6, there is just no need for that.

There are times when I have to break the rules but I mostly stick with it.  And it works for us. I keep fearing how long it will last the older they get. But so far with their limited exposure to soda both of the older kids don't like it. The Little Dude...well that is a story for another day.

One place I run into trouble is when we are at restaurants. I have found myself allowing the kids to drink lemonade, powerade or fruit punch from the fountain when we are out to eat. What kinds of limitations do you put on your kids with what they drink? Are they big milk drinkers? Or would they prefer a coke?

Darn Nail Infection

I had to take a break from posting.

We have been sick. Between the kids and myself, we have been to the doctors office SEVEN times in the two and a half weeks. It has been crazy. Coughs, ear infections, colds, nail infection... oh my!

And it was the nail infection that has kept me from blogging. I woke up one night to throbbing pain in my thumb. Two days later I was sitting at the doctors office having an infection under my fingernail drained. First manicure in over two years and I got an infection from it. It took about 2 weeks to  finally feel better.  It was fine to type on my iPhone or even iPad but on either of my pc's, it just wasn't happening. It hurt whenever I tried.

But now it is better and I can manage to use the computer again.

What has been happening in your world?

 

 

 

Is it really that bad?

The other morning I was having a bad morning.

You know one of those days when you are completely misunderstood.

One of those days when someone speaks to you and/or emails you in a way that not only astounds you but really makes you think about why women get a bad rap.

I was very upset. I was super frustrated. I was so taken about in the conversation, I couldn't even react in the moment. I had 3 crazy things happen to me in a very short period of time. The more I would think about the conversation more upset I was getting.

I was talking to a friend letting my HUGE vent out. She was helping me feel better by yesing and agreeing with me.

Later in the conversation we were talking about a situation someone she knows is going through. And I realized and even said, "Poor ____, she has all that to deal with and here I am complaining about this."

I really needed that story to remember how lucky I actually am. My perspective completely changed. I was still offended by the words, I mean I have feelings. But I no longer was angry about it. I can't change the way someone else treats me, but I can change my reaction to the situation.  My bad day was nothing compared to how BAD some people have it.  So I stopped complaining.  And I moved on.