Taco Soup

Last night I tried making taco soup for the first time. It was really good, so I'll share the recipe...sorry, Jen, this one's not vegetarian.

I browned 2 pounds of ground chuck, then drained and rinsed the meat with hot water to get rid of the excess grease. I then added 1 diced onion and cooked the mixture for 10 minutes. Last, I added 1 cup chicken broth, 2 cans diced tomatos, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can of beans (I used great northern beans), and 2 packets of taco seasoning. I covered it and let it simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes. When ready, I topped it with shredded cheese, sour cream, and fritos.



Remember a while back when I told you guys I'd gotten someone a really great Christmas present? Well, it was for Krista, and I finally got to give it to her yesterday. There's this local photographer, Manda Townsend, who is really awesome. I think her blog is undergoing some renovations right now, but I'll post a link sometime when it's back up. Anyway, back in November, Manda decided she wanted to (for the holiday season) give away a free session and include a free 5x7 print of every pose. She asked for nominations...and of course, I nominated Krista. Here's a copy of the e-mail I sent to Manda...I left out a couple of sentences for privacy purposes.


Hi, Manda. I've been looking at your photography blog and just have to tell you that your photos are fantastic! I saw your post this morning about wanting to give a free session for 2009, and I would like to nominate my best friend Krista and her 8 year old twin sons John and Spencer.

Krista is in the middle of a divorce from her husband of (I believe) 13 years. Although it was a very difficult decision for her to make, she knew that it would be best for her and her sons. Seven years ago, Krista helped me through my own horrible divorce, and I would like to do something special for her now in her time of hardship.

Krista and her boys are excited to be making a fresh start in life, and it would wonderful for them to have beautiful photographs to remember these times. These boys are her life. She went through in-vitro fertilization to conceive, and she braved severe complications and strict bed rest through nearly the whole pregnancy to make sure they came safely into this world. She loves these boys more than anything, and she would treasure the chance to have her family photographed by someone who can truly capture the love that they have for each other.

It is so nice of you to donate your time and talents to make someone's holiday season brighter.

Thank you for your consideration.


And Krista won! Like I said, her photos are amazing, and I can't wait to see the ones she takes of Krista, John, and Spencer. I might just have to save up and have her take some family photos for us after the baby is born.