Homemade Taco Salads- complete with Tortilla Shells
Last week I had a major craving for taco salad. I had all of the ingredients set aside for a completely different meal for supper but then decided to scrap that original idea for a taco salad. I also really wanted to make my own taco shells so I headed over to Pinterest for some inspiration.
Unfortunately I didn’t actually bookmark a link to the exact taco shell “recipe” so you will have to excuse my plagiarism as I show you how I made my own taco shells. (It was pretty simple).
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Get out a baking sheet and an oven proof bowl. (I used soup bowls and turned them upside down.) Using a paper towel, dab some EVOO onto the power towel and coat the oven proof bowl.
3. Take out a tortilla wrap. (I chose to use a l
arge whole wheat tortilla wrap.) Drape the tortilla over the oven safe bowl.
4. Once the oven has pre-heated, place the baking sheet with the oven safe bowls and tortilla wraps in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the tortillas harden.
5. Voila! Tortilla shells for your own taco salad!
For the filling I chose to layer the taco salad with the following ingredients:
- Spinach leaves
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Re fried beans
- Ranch dressing
- Cheese
- Salsa
The wisdom of children
Happy Thursday!
Happy Thursday friends! The sun is still shining here in Victoria and I am loving it. I have two weeks left of maternity leave and it feels like I am on a treadmill on high speed… the remainder of my maternity leave dangling in front of me and I try to keep up to grab a hold of it for a little while longer.
It’s been a beautiful week and I feel so grateful for health. To actually be out and about, to go to my running club, to spend time with Ryder and his little friends outdoors…
I am also incredibly grateful that Jeff has reduced his work life to part time. He is now working three days a week and has Mondays and Tuesdays off. It is just a blessing. We also have been transitioning Ryder into daycare. So far he loves it. When I dropped him off today he waved good bye before I had finished putting his lunchbox in his cubby hole. Apparently he is transitioning just fine.
This feels like a bit of a rambling post, but I guess the essence of the post is to say that things are moving along and in a very positive way for our little family. We are soaking up the time we have as a family and we are all making our transitions into our new stages of life.
Have a beautiful Thursday. Be kind to each other.
Sun is shining and so am I
Hi, it’s me… remember I was on a creative roll there for awhile? I posted almost everyday… yah well apparently the Universe thought I was doing a little too much.
Not only was my son sick for a few days, but I was knocked out HARD with a major flu. My bed was my sanctuary, my dining table, my reading nook, my sleeping den, and my communication hub for eight straight days. Ugh. It was not pretty friends.
Thankfully, I am OUT of that sick funk and back into the swing of things. The sun is shining and the air is warm, so I feel like my re-entrance into the world and out of hibernation came on cue.
After I’ve been sick for awhile I tend to notice the world with new gratitude. I actually remember what it feels like to be healthy and what it feels like to enjoy eating a meal. 
So, tonight I conclude with a few tidbits of gratitude from this first summery weekend in May:
- Morning bike ride with Jeff and Ryder
- Thetis Lake picnic in the sun and seeing brave souls jump into the water
- A first trip to the petting zoo
- Swings at Beacon Hill Park
- SUN SUN SUN
- The view of the mountains, and Mt. Baker
- Surprise beers while picnicing
- Watermelon and pineapple
- Naps with my favorite little dude
- Friends who accomplished their GOAL at the Vancouver Half Marathon… Rhiannon, that’s a SHOUT out to you!!
Retiring experience into wisdom
In February of 2006 my husband told me that he didn’t love me anymore and he wasn’t sure that his love would ever come back to me.
I was gutted, torn apart, and like many other type A personalities was hell bent on finding a solution. I signed us up for marriage counseling, I went to individual counseling, I took days off to journal and reflect, I declared that we were going to have mandatory date nights from now on. I did everything I thought I could do but I was too late.
He had already moved into the guest room physically; mentally and emotionally he had already moved a thousand miles away. He was so removed from our marital life that our marriage counselor told us that he could not longer see us because we both weren’t committed to making progress. He said this as he looked directly at my husband.
People often ask me, “Did you know something wasn’t right? Did you know he felt that way?” My response used to be, “No! I was blindsided”.
The truth is, yes I did know. When I look back now, I know that the language he used when speaking to me wasn’t respectful or loving. Our communication was lacking or I should say non existent. I signed myself up for tons of volunteer opportunities and extra curricular activities so I had something to do in the evening rather than sit on the couch and watch TV together. So yes, there were tons of whispers telling us that we needed to do something to save each other. And one day, that whisper turned into a huge red flag, a red flag that he was holding in my face because he had the courage to say something, to speak up that something wasn’t right anymore.
By April of 2006 I asked him to move out, to find an apartment because living in separate bedrooms was nothing different (in my view). In May of 2006 I decided to move on, so I began looking for jobs outside of the city we were living in- a city I never liked. Come June I had two job offers, one in San Fransisco and the other in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite my family’s opinion that I should play it safe and move to San Fran, I chose Nairobi, Kenya. I wanted somewhere exotic and somewhere where I was guaranteed that no ONE knew my story.
Each time I would interview for the prospective jobs I would call him up and say “Well I have another interview, looks like it is promising… are you sure we are not going to get back together?” I am sure, he would respond.
In September of 2006 I landed at Kenyatta International Airport and I felt completely free and at ease. I had no idea where I was going to live or what type of work I had signed myself up for or if I was going to find friends. What I knew is that I was choosing this adventure on my very own. It was my choice and I was going to make it happen.
Life is about choices. You can choose to make the best of things or you can choose to wallow in what could have been. I chose to make the best of things and explore an entirely new world.
I chose to retire that experience and transform it into wisdom.
In October of 2006 I met a man. He was working on the same project I was working on through the BBC and the Open University, UK. We were work colleagues and he informed me that he was going to be going off the project in a few weeks to go snowboarding in Colorado for six months.
I remember thinking, that’s too bad, he seems like a cool guy, someone I would enjoy working with.
In October of 2007 that same man came back into my life and as circumstance would have it, we have been together ever since.
On Saturday mornings when I lie in bed next to my man and my new baby son, I often think to myself, “You know what? If I had to do all of that heartache over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. NOT ONE THING”.
Friday link love
Happy Friday friends! I am heading to Vancouver this weekend for the I CAN DO IT Conference via Hay House Publishing. I am so excited about going over to the mainland for this inspiring event!
There are a lot of tragic events happening in the world right now and I am very much focused on everything going on, however, today I want to share some “feel good” links with you- not to distract from the tragedies, but to take a break and express gratitude for what each of us have in our lives right now.
Enjoy friends and I hope you have a peaceful weekend.
Kids Reading Kelly Oxford Tweets. The cutest and hilarious.
These painted rocks make me want to run out to the beach and collect rocks to paint. Beautiful.
If I can find some large cardboard boxes, you BET I am going to try this. Cardboard slides.
Want to find the safest and shortest route to take on your bike? Check out this site: Ride the City- it helps you map out your next cycle route. (via Swissmiss)
Running with Jian Ghomeshi and Mandy Patinkin
As some of you know, I am in the midst of training for a half marathon. And, as I have mentioned before, I love the training regime and the camaraderie of running in a group. Today, I had to run solo.
Solo, for 20 km.
Yikes.
But, I didn’t really run solo. You see, I ran with my radio buddy Jian Ghomeshi. I love that guy and more importantly I loved his latest interview with Mandy Patinkin. I am a huge Homeland fan and before Homeland I was a huge Chicago Hope fan and before Chicago Hope, I was and still am a huge Princess Bride fan, so naturally I knew this interview with Mandy Patinkin was going to be stellar. And it was.
I urge you to have a listen. He chronicles his career in movies, tv shows and music AND he talks about his spiritual beliefs. It was such an inspiring and motivating interview and I am so glad I had BOTH Jian and Mandy with me on this run today. The only thing I wish I had with me was a pen and piece of paper so I could write down all of the amazing inspirational quotes Mandy threw out.
http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/03/06/mandy-patinkin-will-inspire-you/
Do Less: A Short Guide
I frequently refer back to this article “Do less: a short guide” by Leo Babauta. It’s a fabulous reminder of quality over quantity.
Sunday mornings – Run like a mother
Sunday mornings are my time. It is my time to lace up my sneakers and head out the door with my running group at the Running Room – Langford Store. I am a part of the half marathon running clinic and am training for the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon. I don’t have a goal time in mind, probably the first time in awhile that I haven’t set myself up for a goal time. It feels refreshing to not have the pressure of crossing the finish line at 1:59:59. This year, I decided that the purpose of joining the running group was to lose the remaining baby weight and to get outside for ME. So far, it’s been an awesome training season.
I love the camaraderie of running groups. The first couple of weeks are always a bit quiet. Everyone runs along side-by-side, not really talking to each other, except for the occasional “oops, sorry, oh, excuse me”. Our run leaders try their best to get the group interacting as early as possible, but I think most new runners to a running group start off shy and reserved. We aren’t sure where we “fit” in the group. Should we be at the start of the pack? Have we slated ourselves in the back? Or we the middle group that wavers in the in-between- are we fast enough for the fast group or should we hold back with the end group? Once the first couple of weeks go by and everyone figures out their pace, you can feel the energy and camaraderie of the group build. You know you have really made it in the group when you aren’t there for one week and the week you return someone says “Hey! Where were you last week? I missed you!” That.is. awesome.
If I have had a rough night with Ryder on a Saturday, I still head out at the door at 8:2o am to make it to the store to be with my running group. I need that time to hit the pavement, or the trails, to chat with fellow runners about chafing, fueling, and aches and bruises. At the end of the group run, I feel exhilarated and revived, even if I ran on only a few hours of sleep. That feeling of accomplishment makes me a better runner, but most importantly a better mother and partner to my family.
