Sunday, June 5, 2011

Taco Salad

Oh, how I love to eat a big bowl of this for dinner. 
Some of my family doesn't think it is enough to fill them up so I serve it with nachos or cheese quesadillas, but it is quite filling on its own.

2 pounds ground beef w/taco seasoning
2 heads of iceburg lettuce
2 chopped tomatoes
1 bunch green onions
1 chopped red onion
1 cans dark red kidney beans
1 can olives
2 cups cheese
crushed tortilla chips

Start by browning the ground beef in a skillet, then add taco seasoning.  Chop up lettuce, tomatoes, green onion and red onion and put in a VERY large bowl.  Drain kidney beans and olives and add to the large bowl.  Add cheese and crushed tortilla chips. 

I like a combination of both ranch dressing and salsa on top of my taco salad.  Mmmm!

Friday, June 3, 2011

The New Food Plate

This just makes so much more sense to see it on a plate. 
It resembles how most of the dinner plates at our house look (minus the spam-looking meat...hehe!)

Glad to see they got rid of the last chopped up pyramid.  That was a bit of a joke to understand.  But hey, we all know that all things in moderation plus exercise is what keeps our bodies healthy.  I didn't need Michelle Obama to tell me that.
Oh, and while we are on the subject of the first lady and her campaign on childrens health, I will take this chance to offer perhaps another way to help the kids in this country to make a better food choice.  One of my biggest gripes since Brittany's diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes has been, (besides the midnight blood sugar checks), the lack of beverage options for her when we eat out.  I consider eating out a treat for my family, there are six of us and it can be expensive so it doesn't happen often.  I am not bothered by my kids enjoyed a soda with their meal, but why can't restaurants or the movie theater or the zoo offer a diet option other than diet coke.  What about sprite zero or diet root beer?  These are options we enjoy at home and don't miss the added sugar.  It always bugs me that Brittany's choice is water or a caffeinated diet drink.  Her diet is already limited so I hate to see us go out to eat and her get to sip on water while people around us are digging into bread baskets and refilling their strawberry lemonade.  But that's the life of a Diabetic Celiac.  Phew!  That felt good to vent!  

Is it just too much to ask that places offer a diet non-caffeinated beverage?