Taco Soup

So. My computer kind of died.

It's been at the almighty computer fixer shop for too long and I've been very sad about it. The computer fixer guy was all - Maybe you should stop eating bagels over the keyboard. And I was all - Well, maybe YOU should install a crumb catcher because THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

Right now I'm sitting at my husband's desktop computer - not eating a bagel - because I've been lovingly threatened just a teeny tiny bit - and I find it completely annoying.

For as long as I can remember I've had a laptop that I could boss around and drag from room to room and bed to couch to kitchen table. My husband's computer demands that I sit at a desk. It's mean that way. It is big and heavy and NOT my friend. And it bosses ME around: "No. You have to sit where I tell you. Take that! Sit there and type on my crumb-free keyboard and be grateful your husband has a computer you can use. You don't KNOW me!"

The nerve! I would like to say that his computer reminds me of HAL from "2001: A Space Odyssey", but my life has been overrun by my children, so now it just reminds me of Plankton's computer wife Karen from "Spongebob Squarepants."

I used to be a cool girl with a cool laptop. I could blog cool-style while I roamed around and saw the sights of the house. Exciting! I know! I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere! I'm freeeeee!

Now I'm stuck at a desk referencing Spongebob.

It's been a while since I posted, so I'm a gonna start with an easy recipe post. The original recipe was from Paula Deen, which is really surprising, since it doesn't contain even a single stick of butter. I changed a whole bunch of stuff around anyway. Like changing the ground beef to ground turkey because it's more healthful. *sigh*.  And omitting the Ranch salad dressing mix because that stuff in a soup just kind of freaks me out. The first time I made Paula's recipe, I was all, "You call this a soup? This ain't no stinkin' soup! Where's the soupiness?" And there really isn't any. It's just the liquid from the canned goods - so you don't need to drain them. It's more of a taco chili, I would say. Doesn't matter. It's still totally delicious! And it is really, really easy and fast to make.

Oh Paula, I still love you and secretly hope you'll become my bonus grandma.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs package ground turkey

2 cups diced onions

1 (30 oz) large can pinto beans (or whatever kinds of beans you like)

1 (30 oz) large can kidney beans

2 cups frozen corn

4 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (with or without chiles - I like mine with)

2 (4.5 oz) small cans diced green chiles

1 (1.25 oz) package low-sodium taco seasoning mix

(Optional) Extra dashes of cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper - as needed

Optional Toppings:

Fritos! NOT really an option, actually. Do it!

Sour cream

Grated cheese

Chopped green onions

Chopped cilantro

Pickled jalapenos

Make It:

Brown the ground turkey and onions in a large stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, and taco seasoning. Cook over low heat for as long as you can stand it.

What was that first picture missing? Ah, yessss! Lots and lots of Fritos!!!

Enjoy!