In a pinch

Sometimes being in a pinch can turn out for the good.  Really it can!  In my huge box of printed or clipped recipes, I have flagged many recipes that I plan going to try.  I’m not sure when, but they are at the top of the box. 

The other night, I decided to make tacos since we just bought half a cow from a friend and I was anxious to try some of the beef.  We had some ground beef that had not frozen completely (John spent time rearranging the meat so it would all freeze over the course of two days).  So tacos it was but I did not have a packet of taco seasoning.  Well, that was fine because homemade taco seasoning was a collected recipe. However, when it is dinner time, well, honestly, I don’t have the time to sort through all those recipes for a specific one.  So I googled taco seasoning and I wrote a recipe down. I had all the ingredients to make the seasoning too.  Lucky night for me!  So I made the seasoning, put it in a container I had specifically saved (see I really was planning to make the seasoning) and added it to the beef. I ended up adding the whole batch.  I told Olivia about this and she tried the seasoned meat mixture with me as I decided how much seasoning to add.    So during dinner, we asked how the meat tasted.  They guys said good. Then I asked if they liked the seasoning.  Yes.  Olivia laughed and made a “men” statement.  Then we told them that I made the seasoning. Should we continue to make it or go back to the packets?  Hands-down the result was: Make the seasoning. 

If you want to try this, here is the recipe. 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. red crushed pepper flakes (I did not add these as the kids would have had a fit)

¼ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. paprika

1 ½ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Mix and use to suit your tastes.  We used the whole batch!

When I do find the taco seasoning recipe I printed to try, I’ll compare it to this recipe, that is if it is different.