I got this Easy Taco Soup recipe from my cousin. It’s really easy, and really tasty. I took it to church for a dinner, and everyone that I talked to, that had some, said it was really good. My family loved it!

I love that the majority of the ingredients are from the pantry. I like to cook several pounds of hamburger at one time, and package in meal size bags for the freezer. If you have cooked hamburger already, this is a super easy dump recipe!

Easy Taco Soup Recipe

1 lb hamburger fried and drained

2 16 ounce jars of mild salsa

32 ounces beef broth,

1 can whole corn drained

Tortilla chips

Mexican Cheese

Mix together and simmer 20 minutes.

Serve topped with lightly crushed tortilla chips or nacho chips and Mexican cheese.

Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Like beans in your taco soup? Add a can of your favorite beans, drained.

*The Chocolate Marble Loaf Recipe post contains affiliate links

I’ve been making this Chocolate Marble Loaf recipe longer than I’ve had kids.

And I’ve have kids forever. Ok, I’ve had kids for 37 years, and some days, that’s forever! lol

Anyway, this makes an excellent cake. Very moist and flavorful. No frosting needed.

 Chocolate Marble Loaf Recipe

1 3/4 all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cups milk
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat oven to 350* Grease and lightly flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla and bit until fluffy.

Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to butter – sugar mixture. Beating well after each addition.

In another bowl, combine the cocoa, oil, baking soda and 2 tablespoons hot water. Stir in 1/3 of the batter.

Spoon light and dark batters alternately into loaf pan.

Zig Zag spatula through batter.

Bake for 45- 50 minutes or until done. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

This will make 12 slices, of course that depends on how thick you slice it. This is delicious served warm.

This cake is awesome by it self. Every slice looks different. For a fancier, and even more delicious desert, drizzle with homemade chocolate sauce and top with whipped cream. Too bad I didn’t have either of those on hand today. We just ate it plain, and no one complained. They all wanted seconds.

This recipe makes one loaf. Today, I doubled the recipe, which is why there are two in the pictures. I wrapped one for the freezer.

Now when someone comes over, I can pull out a delicious cake. Just defrost for a few minutes, slice and serve.

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Dinners my first week back to work went pretty well. I used the slow cooker a lot. We did get pizza one night over the weekend, though.

Working 12:30 to 9 pm makes getting dinner for the family challenging. I do as much as I can ahead of time. Like today, I made the rice this morning when I put the rest of the meal in the slow cooker. The slow cooker has always been my friend, but now we are tight. BFF’s. lol

I was off Saturday night, so I made a Bacon Wrapped Venison tenderloin, alfredo noodles, and broccoli. Yum! The family was happy.

While I was in the kitchen making that, I did a mini- freezer session. I made one meal of sweet & sour chicken (which I used tonight lol) one pack of Ranch chicken breasts, one pack of plain chicken breasts, and one pack of sliced onions & green peppers.

I need to plan & allot the time this weekend to get some more meals in the freezer.

I’m still open to easy dinner ideas that my family will love! Share with me, please!

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

Monday – chicken or turkey – Slow cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken, rice, green beans

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with venison meat sauce

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison fajitas in the slow cooker

Thursday – pork or venison – Sausage Pasta Skillet Dinner, Broccoli

Friday – venison  – Roast with potatoes and carrots in the slow cooker

Saturday – quick & easy- Cookout – hamburgers, potato salad, carrots, celery, chips

Sunday – Leftovers, sandwiches, or make your own

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My family loves pancakes. My kids always loved them for breakfast, lunch, & dinner. My husband doesn’t like to eat them as often as the kids always did. He loves blueberry pancakes, though. With no syrup. Me? I like extra real maple syrup on mine.  🙂

I like to have a bunch of pancakes in the freezer. Flash freeze the pancakes on a cookie sheet, then bag them. Or put waxed paper between the layers of pancakes so they don’t stick together.

That way, everyone can get their own for breakfasts or lunches. Or even snacks!

 My Family’s Favorite Homemade Pancake Recipe

1 1/3 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup milk

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside

In another bowl, beat the egg. Add the oil & milk.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Batter will be a little lumpy.

Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto a lightly greased, hot pan or griddle. Cook until bubbles form on the top of pancake, about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook an additional 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 8-10 pancakes

Recipe can be doubled, or tripled. I usually triple it.

For mini pancakes, use 1 tablespoon of batter

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My whole family loves this Taco Pasta Salad. I’ve been making it for over 10 years now.  This recipe is from the July/August 2006 issue of Country Woman Magazine. Everyone that I have served it to, loves it. Hope you do too!

Taco Pasta Salad Recipe

3 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1  1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
3  3/4 teaspoons cider vinegar
3  3/4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground mustard
7 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 – 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cups crushed nacho tortilla chips

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning; heat through.

2. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, sugar and mustard; set aside.

3. Drain pasta; place in a large bowl. Add beef and mayonnaise mixture; toss to coat. Add lettuce, tomatoes and cheese; toss to combine. Sprinkle with tortilla chips.

Serves 12-14

Linda’s Notes:

• You can use any bite size pasta. I have also used elbow, shells and other shaped pasta. They all work well.
• I don’t like mustard, so I don’t use it.
• I have used all kinds of lettuce, not just iceberg. I use raw spinach, too.
• You can also use plain tortilla chips. Or none. I often serve this without chips.
• We like to sprinkle the cheese on the top, instead of stirring in.
• It’s delicious served warm like the recipe says. I also make this ahead of time and refrigerate. Served cold with or without chips it makes a great summer meal.