Taco Salad With The Kids

As I have said before, cooking with my girls is one of my favorite things to do!  And part of making it fun is finding a recipe that is easy for them to handle.

Because having your four year old try to julienne veggies or flambe anything does NOT sound like a good time for anyone!

One of our go-to recipes that they girls like to help with is Taco Salad.  There are just enough ingredients and steps to make it interesting and fun, but not overwhelming.  Plus, it's easy on the budget, so that makes it great, too!

So here is our recipe...

Ingredients:
1 head of lettuce (I use iceberg because it's cheap...you can use what you like!)
1 8oz. package of cheddar cheese
1 lb. of ground beef
1 pkg. of taco seasoning
3/4 cup of water
1 tomato, diced
1 15oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz. can of corn, drained
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
ranch dressing, (your favorite brand)
Tortilla Chips

Brown the ground beef over medium heat until cooked through.  Drain the meat, and add the taco seasoning and 3/4 cup of water.  Cook over medium high for approx. 7 minutes until thickened, and allow to cool.  Meanwhile, chop the lettuce and place in a large bowl.  After that layer, meat, corn, tomatoes, black beans, cucumber, and cheese.  (Sometimes I do this in a large trifle bowl and it makes a really pretty layered salad!).  At this point you can either mix it all together or leave it layered for a nicer look.  When you are ready to eat, place in serving dishes and add crushed tortilla chips and ranch.  Enjoy!

Other add-ins you could try:
Fresh Cilantro
Diced green or red peppers
green onions
carrots
salsa
guacamole
rice

****ALSO, this salad makes a lot, and we have NEVER finished it!  So, what I do is cover it with a lid and keep it in the fridge for a couple days, then get it back out and serve it with soft taco shells, sour cream and salsa and we have a 2nd dinner of soft tacos that night.  LOVE when one dinner can cover two meals!!

I am linking up with WFMW over at We are THAT Family.  Check out all the great idea's over there! 

Having Fun With Water

Nothing says summer more than water play!  Whether it be the pool or a sprinkler, all kids love getting wet, and the fun part is, there are SO many ways to do it!  Here are a few ways to enjoy some water time with your little ones:

-Go to a local pool
-Pull out the hose
-Visit a Water Park
-Get some squirt guns and get to blasting each other!
-Put out that water table that has been sitting in your shed since last year
-Sprinklers:  They aren't just for the grass!
-Buy a Slip-N-Slide (or make one!)
-Let the kids squirt each other with spray bottles filled with water
-Find a nearby sprayground
-Fill up the baby pool and let them splash around or play with old dolls and cars/boats
-Put water in buckets and let them "wash the car"
-Fill up some plastic cups with water and let them have a water fight
-Have the kids help with watering the flowers/garden
-Take a trip to the nearest beach or lake
-Go Canoeing (or rafting with older kids)
-Have them take swim lessons
-Go fossil/rock hunting by a local stream
-Have a water balloon fight
-Skipping rocks in a pond or river
-Get out the poles and go fishing

So tell me, what other water activities do your kids love??  What are some ideas you've wanted to try?  Share with us your water fun experiences!

FREE Friday at The Cincy Museum

Don't forget!  Tomorrow,  (Friday, July 8th),  is FREE Friday at The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal!  I *Know* you don't want to miss out on this amazing bargain for your family! 

For more details, see this post I did a while back!  And I hope we see you there :)

Things I Love Thursday- Free Food!

Yummy Chicken Bacon Quesadillas.  Sweet Baby Back Ribs.  Warm Tortilla Chips with salsa, (and ranch...my fav!).  Crispy Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard dipping sauce.  Hot, Gooey, Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup.

Hungry Yet?????

I don't know about your family, but mine LOVES Chili's!  We are there several times per month and it is a win/win for everyone!  One reason I love it is that kids eat FREE on Tuesdays, (all day!).  Plus, they have so many options for kids, not just the standard mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets, (although, that have those too if you have Super picky eaters!).  And they actually have healthy side choices too, like mandarin organges, salad, and pineapple.  So my kids are excited that they get to choose whatever they want, and I feel good about letting them!

So literally, my family of four can have a great meal out on Tuesdays for less than $20!  That is hard to beat!  And now you can do even better by clicking on this coupon above and getting a coupon for a FREE Chips and Queso!  Combine that with the kids eat free, and that is a YUMMY deal!! 

Plus, be sure to stay tune to the blog because I will be doing a Giveaway for a $25 Gift Card to Chili's next week! 

And of course, I am linking up with Diaper Diaries this week for Things I Love Thursday!  Be sure to check it out!

Enjoy Your Holiday Weekend!

I hope you all enjoy your Holiday Weekend!  I know I will!!!!

I will be taking a break from blogging for the next couple of days while I actually *experience* the fun with my family.

But here are a few images of things I have found that inspire me to make the most of my 4th...enjoy!

Simple and Perfect!  Made by my talented friend, Stephanie!

These look SOOOO fun and easy!  Totally tring this...

This would make a wonderful craft for the kids!

If I could sew, I would try these...

Everyone has a star shaped cookie cutter...how yummy does this look??

My two 4th of July beauties enjoying some pool time...THE BEST INSPIRATION to enjoy the holiday!!!

Stuff We Did

While on blogger hiatus, my little family and I were out doing lots of fun stuff.

And ohhhh how I wanted to share it all with you.  But don't be sad, because now I can!

One of my favorite things that we did was a day trip to Carriage Hill MetroPark in Huber Heights.  This place was spectacular!  First we did the pony rides, which are $3 per child/per ride.  (Pony rides are available on Saturday's and Sunday's from 10am-4pm for kids ages 2-7).  Addy was super excited and couldn't wait.  Faith- Not so much.  She opted NOT to ride that day.  Which was fine because she *did* go over to pet the horses.  Little Steps...

Addy riding the pony

 After, we headed over to the Main Farm area.  Can I just say that this place was soooo cool?!  The workers are dressed in 1880's attire and doing demonstrations of sewing, butter making, blacksmith, wood carving, etc.  Plus, they have farm animals out for kids to see.

The workers really make it special and interactive for the kids, and it's so neat for kids to get to see how things were done before all the modern amenities we have today!  You can always call ahead to see what demonstrations are going on that day, and if there are any other special programs going on.  The Number is 937-278-2609.  And did I mention that it's all FREE?!  Yep...who doesn't love that?!

PLUS, this Sunday July 3rd, from 12pm-5pm, they are hosting A Grand Old Independence Day!  There will be period games and contests as they celebrate the holiday!  There will also be an ice cream social!  For all the info. about the farm and schedule, check out their website here

After our fun morning at Carriage Hill, we decided to stop at The Air Force Museum on the way home.  Since we have girls, we don't get out to the AFM that much, because that just hasn't been their thing.  BUT, I did want them to experience this GEM that is right in our area. 

Jeremy and the girls

There is so much there, and it really is amazing to see all the aircrafts that have been used throughout history.  It took us about an hour to go through it, but that was because my girls were tired and they are still kind of young to truly appreciate all that the AFM has to offer.  Older kids and boys could easily spend an entire afternoon there.

Another thing I noticed is the wonderful amount of green space that is around the museum.  They have a bunch of picnic tables too, and next time, we will be packing a lunch for sure to enjoy the day there!

Admission to the AFM is free, but there is a cost for the Imax Theater.  The hours are 9am-5pm daily.  Check here for more info.

It always amazes me how much fun stuff there is to do with children in our area.  I feel really lucky that we live in a place where we can have a fun family day without spending a lot of money. 

So tell me, what are some of your family's favorite things to do in our area, (or your own if you aren't local!)???

Things I Love Thursday- The 4th of July!

LOVE these centerpieces!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love all Holidays, and 4th of July is no exception! 

I love that it's warm and we get to wear fun red, white and blue clothes.

I love that we grill out and eat lots of yummy food.

I love that the day usually invloves lots of friends and family.

I love that there are always fun things to do in our area.

I love that the girls get excited to put out the flag.

I love that we get to see fireworks at the end of the fun day!

Who doesn't love girls in matching Holiday dresses?!  These are from T.J. Maxx

We have done lots of different things over the years to celebrate.  Some years we have been in Blowing Rock, NC with my husbands family.  Some years we have had a big cookout at our house with lots of friends, (hot dog eating contest too!).  Last year we walked in the local Americana parade.  And this year, we will be at our pool all day long, (if the rain holds off!). 

If you are in the Dayton area and looking for ideas of what to do, check out the events listed!  There are a TON of things going on in our area this weekend, so there is NO REASON to miss out on all the fun!  Plus, chances are, you will see me at lots of those events!

So tell me, what will you be doing this weekend?  Does your family have Independence Day traditions?  What is your favorite thing to do on this fun summer holiday?

Linking up today with Diaper Diaries!  Check them out here: