Taco Pizza

Brian LOVES tacos & I swear he would eat them weekly if it were up to him. Since I do the majority of the cooking, I get tired of making what seems like the same 'ole things every month. Thanks to Pinterest (and www.realmomkitchen.com), I found a great way to quinch Brian's taco cravings while making something different. The best part about this recipe is you can put whatever you like on it!

1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
2 - 8 oz. cans crescent rolls
1 - 16 oz. refried beans
2-3 cups shredded cheese (I used Mexican cheese)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (I used Aldi's diced tomated w/green chiles for added spice)
1/4 cup sliced black olives (I left this out)
4 green onions, chopped

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown beef & drain. Add taco seasoning to the beef according to the package.
3. Unroll crescent rolls in rectangles. Place in 11 1/2 x 16 1/2 jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Press dough over the bottom & 1/2 inch up the sides to form crust. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Microwave beans in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Carefully spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer.
5. Top with cooked beef mixture, cheese, tomatoes, black olives, & green onions. Return to oven for 3-6 minutes until cheese is melted.

I also add a dollop of sour cream. This is a new favorite in our household!

July Update

Outside my window . . . it's sunny & will be VERY hot today

I am thinking . . . that I should start on the mound of laundry that's piled up in hopes of getting it all cleaned before I go back to work tomorrow

I am thankful for . . . Brian's job that allows me to stay home part-time

In the kitchen . . . there's a big bag from Kohl's waiting for me to sort through it. We went on a mini shopping spree last night. :)

I am wearing . . . soccer shorts & a t-shirt

I am creating . . .nothing at the moment

I am going . . .to read a little before Logan wakes up

I am wondering . . .how busy I'll be at work tomorrow after being off for 6 days

I am reading . . .the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy (again, actually!)

I am hoping . . . to cross everything off of my to-do list today

I am looking forward to . . . scrap booking this weekend w/my bestie!

I am hearing . . . silence  :)

Around the house . . .I see little reminders that a sweet boy loves to play w/his trucks & tractors

One of my favorite things . . .is enjoying a few minutes to myself each morning before anyone else gets up

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .work the rest of the week, go to church, & spend Sunday scrap booking w/my bestie (which is much over do!)

May Update

Outside my window . . . it's sunny, breezy, & in the 70s

I am thinking . . . about my sore throat :(

I am thankful for . . . my wonderful family

In the kitchen . . . there's a lot of yummy food calling my name

I am wearing . . . soccer shorts & a t-shirt

I am creating . . .a list of things to do when we go to STL in July

I am going . . .for a walk after dinner

I am wondering . . .how soon we need to book our hotel room for our mini vacation

I am reading . . . Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult (this was from my April post but I just started it today)

I am hoping . . . my throat feels better before I return to work tomorrow

I am looking forward to . . . boating this weekend

I am hearing . . . the HVAC guys replacing our furnace & A/C units

Around the house . . .I see dog hair :(

One of my favorite things . . .is watching movies w/Logan

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .our plans are pretty low key until Saturday when we'll start our Memorial Day festivisties of boating & pool parties!

April Update

Since it's been a while since my last blog, I thought an update would be the best start to re-entering the blogging world.

Outside my window . . . it's sunny, breezy, & 70 degrees

I am thinking . . . about the fact that my son hasn't napped today & it's already 2:45 pm

I am thankful for . . . my flexible work schedule

In the kitchen . . . I have a ton of groceries to put away

I am wearing . . . soccer shorts & a t-shirt

I am creating . . . a big mess while cleaning but it'll look much better in the end

I am going . . .to the hospital this week to visit my BFF after she has her daughter tomorrow :)

I am wondering . . . how I'm going to get another trash bag in our dumpster

I am reading . . . Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

I am hoping . . . to get most of my cleaning done today since I have to work tomorrow

I am looking forward to . . . the Eric Church concert on Thursday, the day off w/Brian & Logan on Friday, & Guns N Hoses on Saturday night

I am hearing . . . Logan play with his puzzles

Around the house . . . I see too many chores that need to be done

One of my favorite things . . . is to watch Logan play

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . work tomorrow, visit my BFF's baby on Wednesday, concert Thursday night, possibly take Logan to the zoo on Friday, & go to Guns N Hoses Saturday night

A Gaiser Favorite

In our house, tacos are somewhat a regular meal (a couple times per month). So last night happened to be one of our taco nights but this time I decided to twist my taco variation into a taco salad. The ingredients I used were:

Plus 2 lbs. of deer meat

For my salad, I made my grandma's taco salad dressing recipe. It's a very simple recipe that consists of 3 ingredients:

Sugar, Taco seasoning, & Thousand Island dressing

Mix 1/3 of the Thousand Island dressing with 1/2 of the taco seasoning (I prefer the regular, original taco seasoning but this is all I had). Add sugar to your taste, mix well, & refrigerate until use. When all was said & done, our meal was delicious!!

January Update

I stole this idea from a dear friend of mine's blog. Haley always seems to post very fun, cute, & interesting blogs (haleylogann.blogspot.com). I think this is a neat way to update on the things that are taking place in our life--so here I go:

Outside my window . . . it's gloomy & cold

I am thinking . . . about the list of places I need to go to today

I am thankful for . . . my family's health FINALLY getting back to normal after 5 days of the stomach bug.

In the kitchen . . . I have a pile of dishes to put in the dishwasher before leaving

I am wearing . . . pj's

I am creating . . . a list of 'Gaiser Goals' for this year that both Brian & I agree to work on

I am going . . . do my weekly shopping today at: Target, Pet Food Center, Wal-Mart, & Schnuck's. I may try to sneak Kohl's and/or CVS in the mix if Logan allows :)

I am wondering . . . how in the world Stanley Steamer will get this awful smell out of our couch!!

I am reading . . . Courageous

I am hoping . . . to get back on track with work this week

I am looking forward to . . . the next couple weeks--we have a lot of fun things happening!

I am hearing . . . Cars 2--the only movie Logan wants to watch

Around the house . . . there are toys scattered throughout

One of my favorite things . . . is to host mini get together with friends

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . get my errands ran today, clean tomorrow, work my normal schedule later this week, enjoy the church service this weekend, & discuss possible vacation destinations for the summer

At a Loss...

This past week has been a difficult one for our family. Brian's cousin (and best friend), Bud, passed away last Thursday very unexpectedly. This news hasn't been easy to deal with especially since he was only 33 years old.

I was in awe at how many people came to the showing & funeral service. The number of people showed how loved, respected, & adored Bud is. During the service, some friends spoke about their memories of Bud & it was remarkable to hear how much Bud has touched so many lives. One thing that was said during his service was 'this isn't good-bye, it's I'll see you soon'.

Life is too short! Say 'I love you' every chance you get. Accept the Lord into your life. Have fun. Do something you never thought you would. Enjoy life. Make each day as if it were your last. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow so please make sure you live your life to the fullest.

R.I.P. Steven 'Bud' Gaiser

10/30/1978 - 1/5/2012