Recipe Thursday - Taco Soup

Each Thursday, I am going to be sharing a recipe with you!I will pick a recipe from my collection and I will be sharing where I got the recipe and everything. But I am going to include my own photo of the finished food, the original recipe, and try and share the things I changed when I made it!

I would love your help too! If you have a great recipe, especially week-night dinner recipes (but I would love all kinds of recipes) - please share it with me, by emailing me at dedesmith32@gmail.com. I will try it out and feature it on my blog! If you have cooking tips or anything else in regards to cooking and food - please email me!


This week's Recipe:
I've had Taco Soup several times, but this was the first time I have ever made it - It turned out wonderfully and I'm excited to make this a lot!


Taco Soup
by Kate from Our Best Bites

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1.25-oz. packet taco seasoning (about 1/4 c.)
3 c. water, divided
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained


Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, guacamole, etc.


Heat a large soup pot over medium. When ready, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 c. water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 c. water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 10 12-oz. servings.


Slow Cooker Instructions: After browning the meat, place all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.


Freezer Instructions: Because of all the canned goods, you'll just take up a lot of space in your freezer if you freeze the whole recipe. However, after it's been cooked, the leftovers freeze extremely well. You can even try freezing individual portions in 12-oz. freezer-safe containers and then reheating them for a quick lunch.

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Wednesday Sayings - 3/30/11

Each Wednesday, I am going to be sharing a quote/saying with you!
I am a collector of quotes/sayings/scrapbook titles, etc. and I love to hear new ones! So, each week, I will share a quote/saying with you that I hope will inspire you and make your day a little better! If you have any great quotes/sayings - feel free to send them in to me at dedesmith32@gmail.com - I would love to use them!


This week's quote:

Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt; Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth.
- Mark Twain

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Family History TuesdayZ | Daydreams

Here is this week's journal prompt :

Each Tuesday, I am going to be offering prompts or ideas. If you don't write in your journal regularly - I am going to encourage you to write just ONCE A WEEK and answer the question/idea that I give on Tuesdays. These ideas hopefully will spark a memory and you will be able to capture that in what you write/record so that it can be left for your children/grandchildren/family/friends. Give as much detail as you can when answering.

Will you do this for me? Will you do this for your families? You can write it down in a journal, you can type it up on a computer or journaling software, you can take a recorder and talk, you can videotape your answers, you can even scrap a page with the journaling. It doesn't matter how you do this - it's just important that you do it. The memories, the dates, the information is the only real thing we can leave to our families when we are gone.

If I come up with other family history ideas - I will be sure to share it here too - and if you want to share with me your ideas - that would be wonderful and I'd be glad to share them here too. Just comment here or email me at dedesmith32@gmail.com.

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Life 2011: Week 13

Monday, March 21, 2011


When JJ came home from school today, the only thing he had to say was, "Mom, I thought it was supposed to be SPRING!" Yep, we got rain and even a tiny bit of snow on the first day of Spring.


Tuesday, March 22, 2011


I am excited about the daily lessons that we have been having every weekday. I feel like it has been a learning process for me and the kids. We miss a day here and there - but mostly we have been pretty faithful since I started it. The kids look forward to it - after dinner they always say, "So what's our lesson today?" This week we have been discussing the 10 Commandments and these little movies have been a big help!


Wednesday, March 23, 2011


This week since the weather has not been good - we have kind of been shut in - but it has actually been good. I have gotten a lot of cleaning done. Today, I finally broke down and cleaned up Joey's desk area. He was not enthused, as he enjoys his mess and now he says he can't find anything, but for now - it looks really good. I also got our DVDs organized.


Thursday, March 24, 2011



We've been having some chilly weather this week and lots of moisture. I actually have kind of enjoyed it. I'm really not looking forward to hot weather - but a little chilly and not too cold - is nice. While the kids were in school, I was able to go to Provo and meet my parents and have lunch with them before they picked my brother up from his FCCLA trip. They were on their way to Logan to get Lane ready for college in the fall and to visit with my other brother and his family.



Friday, March 25, 2011


I was able to go on a field trip with Beth today. I was in charge of 4 girls and we had a fun time. We traveled through the SNOW to BYU to the Bean Museum. It is such a fun place. We saw the reptile show and then the kids got to wander around the museum, seeing all the animals. Then we traveled back to school in more snow before getting home. Then of course in the afternoon the weather turned great and the snow was pretty much gone by the end of the day. Crazy Spring weather!


Saturday, March 26, 2011


Joey stayed at Pete's house last night after they did their podcast. They were so excited to meet one of their listeners and have him on the podcast last night. For lunch, the kids and I traveled up to Salt Lake City and met Joey, Pete, and Listener Jim (and his family) for lunch. We ate at a great Italian restaurant and had a great visit. Jim has twin girls and they were adorable. They are on their way across country to move to South Carolina and it was so great for them to stop in Utah to see us!

Then we came home. My parents and beat us there and the kids were so excited to see them. Because of bad weather, they decided to stay the night and we all went to see Tangled in 3D. Cody and Becki joined us and it was fun to go to a movie. 3D movies are not our favorites - we would definitely rather watch the regular version but since we went to the dollar theaters that's all they had going. I was amazed that my kids kept the glasses on the whole time. But we love the movie!

Sunday, March 27, 2011


We know Grandpa and Grandma have been here when we have to pull the air mattress out. Unfortunately, the mattress died on us this morning so it looks like we are going to have to get a new one. But it has lasted us for about 4 years! We were sad to see Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Lane leave today, but we'll see them next weekend too!


And here is my weekly layout:


I used Manuela Zimmerman's It's a Rainy Day, Dawn Inskip's Rainy Days and Mondays, & Maya's Wetlook Alpha to create my layout.

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High/Low: March 25, 2011 + Freebie

My LOW this Week is that I still have 2 more kits to finish before I can get to my DVD Project. Even though I got rid of some commitments, I still have had a few that I felt like would be in my best interest to complete and its just taking me longer than I need it too. I'd really like to have it all done before April so that I can spend the whole month of April on the project. Wish me luck!

My HIGH for this Week is that I actually spring cleaned and it looks great if I do say so myself. I still need to do my front porch/shed - but I am just feeling pretty good about it.


I have a freebie for you today - a little Frame Element from the Sisters by Heart Collection - BROWN VS PINK.

Have a great weekend!




DOWNLOAD LINK

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Recipe Thursday - Navajo Tacos

Each Thursday, I am going to be sharing a recipe with you!
I will pick a recipe from my collection and I will be sharing where I got the recipe and everything. But I am going to include my own photo of the finished food, the original recipe, and try and share the things I changed when I made it!

I would love your help too! If you have a great recipe, especially week-night dinner recipes (but I would love all kinds of recipes) - please share it with me, by emailing me at dedesmith32@gmail.com. I will try it out and feature it on my blog! If you have cooking tips or anything else in regards to cooking and food - please email me!


This week's Recipe:
Is there anything better than a warm bread with chili and toppings to your like....YUMMY! We are really simple and pretty much just like chili, sour cream and cheese, but you can customize this to your liking!


Navajo Tacos
by Shandra from Deals to Meals

Fried Dough
2 1/2-3 c. flour
1 c. water
1/2 t. salt
3 t. baking powder

Combine all of the ingredients together until dough is smooth. Dough will be pretty sticky. Place a generous amount of flour on your counter and peel off a ball of dough from the bowl. Pat it in the flour and then stretch the dough into a flat oval shape scone. Dust off the excess flour and then place in a large frying pan that has 1 inch of cooking oil that has been heated to a medium low temperature. Scones will burn easily if the oil is too hot. Fry the scone on each side for about one minute or less. Once scone is golden brown on both sides you can remove it from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

For the topping:
Top the cooked scones with chili, shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream, sliced olives, cilantro, green onions, diced tomatoes, salsa, and guacamole.

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Wednesday Sayings - 3/23/11

Each Wednesday, I am going to be sharing a quote/saying with you!
I am a collector of quotes/sayings/scrapbook titles, etc. and I love to hear new ones! So, each week, I will share a quote/saying with you that I hope will inspire you and make your day a little better! If you have any great quotes/sayings - feel free to send them in to me at dedesmith32@gmail.com - I would love to use them!


This week's quote:
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.
- Plato

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Family History TuesdayZ | Remember When

Here is this week's journal prompt :

Each Tuesday, I am going to be offering prompts or ideas. If you don't write in your journal regularly - I am going to encourage you to write just ONCE A WEEK and answer the question/idea that I give on Tuesdays. These ideas hopefully will spark a memory and you will be able to capture that in what you write/record so that it can be left for your children/grandchildren/family/friends. Give as much detail as you can when answering.

Will you do this for me? Will you do this for your families? You can write it down in a journal, you can type it up on a computer or journaling software, you can take a recorder and talk, you can videotape your answers, you can even scrap a page with the journaling. It doesn't matter how you do this - it's just important that you do it. The memories, the dates, the information is the only real thing we can leave to our families when we are gone.

If I come up with other family history ideas - I will be sure to share it here too - and if you want to share with me your ideas - that would be wonderful and I'd be glad to share them here too. Just comment here or email me at dedesmith32@gmail.com.

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Life 2011: Week 12

Monday, March 14, 2011


HAPPY PI DAY! We celebrated by having Chicken Pot Pie and Chocolate Cream Pie for Dinner. It was a big hit. I don't think the kids understand PI - but they weren't complaining. Joey had to work late, so we got to take him dinner and say goodnight at his work tonight.


Tuesday, March 15, 2011


Joey came home early and watched the kids so that I could go with the Relief Society to the Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU. It was amazing and I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to get out and see this. We got to hear from the curator and she told us some awesome things about Carl Bloch and this exhibit and it made it even more special. I loved the iPad tour that you could rent - it added so much to the exhibit and I just had a great night!


Wednesday, March 16, 2011


JJ was so excited to work on some things for Scouts today. We read through his manual and worked on some things - including a treat for his scout troop tomorrow. He looked so cute in my apron and had so much fun helping me make homemade oreos - with GREEN frosting in the middle.


Thursday, March 17, 2011


A fun St. Patrick's Day! I figured out a way to do a shamrock in Beth's hair which was a big hit and the kids had a fun treat when they got home from school from me. And we had our green and gold dinner- Green mashed potatoes, green gravy, green tuna patties and gold juice (apple juice).


Friday, March 18, 2011


I am not the best homemaker in the world. I just always find other things to fill my time and procrastinate the dreaded housework. But today I finally accomplished getting my kitchen clean. The bare counter and clean sink just was so shiny and made me feel great. Minus of course of the gross blinds in the kitchen window that just won't get clean no matter what I do....


Saturday, March 19, 2011


A nice day. We slept in, watched a little tv, played and played, ate a little food and played on our computers. Then we went to the dollar theater and watched the third Narnia - since we had finished the book but hadn't seen it yet and went to dinner at Olive Garden. The perfect day. While we were at the theater, we discovered this awesome replica of the tower in Tangled. I wish I would have had my good camera with me - but my camera phone was better than nothing.


Sunday, March 20, 2011


We were able to go to Cody and Becki's house for dinner tonight and fun was had by all. Becki treated us with another GREEN dinner and it was delicious. We had a lot of fun playing with Mallory - she just makes my heart smile!


And here is my weekly layout:


Coming soon!

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Life 2011: Week 11

Monday, March 7, 2011


Rain is beautiful - but I haven't quite figured out the perfect way to capture it. I was pleasantly surprised to see this one after getting the pictures on my computer. I like the lighting and reflection of the trees in the rain.


Tuesday-Wednesday, March 8-9, 2011



Beth and I have been enjoying a blog that has some really cute hairstyles on it for girls. I am still not very good at doing hair - but when we see something that Beth likes, we have been trying to do it. Beth had the sound box this week and her letter was X. Not the easiest letter to find things for, but her teacher let us do Xs from any part of the word instead of just the start, so we filled the box. When I saw this hairstyle on the blog - I knew that I wanted to put X's in her hair for her sound box day and Beth enthuastically agreed!

As we were going to school on Tuesday - we found the van's battery completely dead. Joey was at work and I couldn't get a hold of him - so I wasn't able to get Beth to school. She was so disappointed since it was her show-and-tell day, but there just wasn't anything I could do. I also discovered that some lights inside the van were stuck on - and no matter what I did - I couldn't turn them off. So of course that was the cause of our dead battery. When Joey got home - we had to take the light bulbs out - we still don't know what else to do about it - and recharge the battery. But now, minus - some inside lights - we are good to go.


Thursday, March 10, 2011


I just love the Toy Story movies and since Christmas (when the kids got their Woody/Jessie/Buzz/Bullseye toys), I can happily say that finding them around the house just puts a smile on my face. Of course the other toys drive me nuts when I find them scattered all over the house and not put away - but these ones just make me happy.


Friday, March 11, 2011


We finally found the cause of the leak in the kids bedroom. We have just been frustrated with it for months - but finally - we discovered that the leak was from the bathtub. Joey worked from home today and also was able to fix our leak. It is such a relief to have that taken care of!


Saturday, March 12, 2011


Today Joey had his Constitution class all day. I slept in a bit which is always nice. The kids and I did a little shopping, I worked on some projects and worked on my Primary lesson, we did a little playing, Beth went to a birthday party, and we got to pick up our Girl Scout cookies at the fire station. We will have to start delivering all the cookies this week.


Sunday, March 13, 2011


Our trusty van has been with us since 2007. It's old and has taken some maintenance but for the time being its still going. Last weekend, my Dad helped us fix the van door so that it would pass inspection for another year and now its licensed until 2012 - its such a relief to have that done. Our van also has a name. Ever since the kids first saw - How to Train Your Dragon - the van has been known as "Toothless." The kids always imagine the van as being our own little dragon.


And here is my weekly layout:


Coming soon!

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Life 2011: Week 10

Monday, February 28, 2011


It's been so fun to attend the "singing for moms and dads" at the end of each month. JJ gets so excited about them. It was fun to see that JJ got to do the "hat dance" again for this month. He had participated in it for the Dance Festival last May - so it was very cute again.


Tuesday, March 1, 2011


It was free pancake day at IHOP. We had intended to join in, but when we got there - it was just so crowded that we decided it wasn't worth it. We went to Village Inn where it was much quieter and had our breakfast for dinner. Before bed, Dad and the kids took the iPad outside to "starwalk." It is fun to find constellations!


Wednesday, March 2, 2011


Happy Seuss Day. Before bed, Dad read his favorite Dr. Seuss book - The Lorax - to the kids. I love hearing how animated he gets when he reads. The kids love it!


Thursday, March 3, 2011


Today, when I dropped Beth off, I noticed just how beautiful the mountains are, right by the school and had to take a picture. It's really such a nice feeling to stop just for a moment in my busy life and appreciate the beauty around me.


Friday, March 4, 2011


We got off to a late start tonight, but the kids were so excited to finally be going to Orderville. We had a picnic dinner on the ride down. We made good time though and it was fun to spend the night at Aunt Kori's!


Saturday-Sunday, March 5-6, 2011



It was a whirlwind weekend and I just didn't get the chance to take many photos. But we did a lot of playing with cousins, we finally got to meet the new arrival - Dustin, Beth got to ride a horse, we visited, we helped Aunt Kori, we visited with Uncle Matt, Aunt Amy, and Alyssa and Logan too, we delivered girl scout cookies, a Sorensen family meeting was held, and of course Dustin's Baby Blessing, and Whitnee's Baptism. I feel very blessed to be in the family that I am and it was so wonderful to visit with my sister and to help her a little bit and just to visit and be with my whole family.


And here is my weekly layout:


Coming soon!

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Book Review: KiTE by Bill Shears

I'm excited to have my husband be a guest blogger today!

Kite by Bill Shears

Book Review by Joey Smith

Purchase on Amazon
Please visit the author's website

Inside Kite, an alarm screeched. This one more shrill than the last. In addition, lights flashed on the console. A disinterested institutional-grade, gender-non-specific voice was activated for this event, and it announced: "Reducible waste in Orbit #1. Inhabited craft endangered." Dash woke wide up, but he still didnt' rise from his couch.

"Now what?"

Out the front window he saw the two-seater skid ahead.

"Idiot."

What do self-aware software, space debris, sly references to Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker trilogy, and the Tunguska Event have in common? All appear in Bill Shears excellent novel "KiTE".

Mason Dash, the presumptive protagonist, works collecting space garbage in low Earth orbit while carrying "relationships" with both his human girlfriend, Janet, and his digital mistress Sheila. When he sees signs of activity on the supposedly abandoned International Space Station II toward the end of a shift flying the eponymous garbage ship Kite, the three of them are pulled into a dizzying whirlwind of events involving stowaways (both physical and digital), self-aware computer programs, and an alien named Troy.

I have to admit that after reading the summary on the back of the book, I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy the book - I expected something that was going to try to be the next "Hitchhiker's Guide", a prospect which seems unlikely to be successful. I was not prepared for the deft touch that Bill Shears has with words - he tread a very careful line between the outrageous and the plausible. Things that would have been silly and groan-inducing from a lesser author turned into witty or engaging moments in this wonderful tale about a space garbage-man.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the book was its unpredictability - I often pride myself on knowing where a book, TV show, or movie is going before the author has spelled everything out, but Mr. Shears had me completely baffled until the final 6 or so pages. Normally, I would have difficulty enjoying this sensation, but the story was frankly so enjoyable that I just didn’t even care where the story was going, I just wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Most of the characters - including a number of the digital personalities - were relatable enough that you will probably recognize them in someone you know personally, and before the end I found myself sympathizing with almost all of them on one issue or another. In the end, the story manages a feat almost unheard of to me - Mr. Shears both wraps up all the loose ends, as well as leaving a great opening for what could be an equally entertaining sequel. I have no idea on whether there's going to be any further stories in this particular universe, but speaking for myself, I would be happy to see it.

If you like rollicking Sci/Fi, and are ready to have your expectations shattered, pick up a copy of Bill Shears' "KiTE" from from Amazon and check out the author’s blog at infinitybound.com - I think you'll be glad you did.


Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher for review, but this did not influence my opinion.

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High/Low: March 18, 2011 + Freebie

My LOW this Week is that I have failed miserably on losing weight. I don't what it is about March and new year's resolutions - but somehow I kind of stopped making exercising a priority again and its gone down hill. Some of my other resolutions that were going so well - have been dropped too Hopefully I can get going again next week.

My HIGH for this Week is that I am excited about my new designs that I have been creating. I am making progress in getting my commitments filled, so I can work on my DVD Project. I'm not there yet - but the to-do list is getting shorter.

REMINDER: Today is the deadline for this week's Show-OffZ Challenge! I would love for you to participate!


I have a freebie for you today - a little ScatterZ Element from the Sisters by Heart Collection - BROWN VS PINK.

Have a great weekend!




DOWNLOAD LINK

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