Taco Pasta

Sounds like a weird combination, right? But I love pasta, and I love Mexican so when I saw this recipe I decided to give it a shot.  This is probably one of my top five favorite dinners.

Gather your ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef (I used ground deer, yum!)
• 12 oz. pasta of your choice- shells or rotini complement this nicely.
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1 love of garlic, minced
• 1 can mild rotel
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (I use the hot and spicy, but it is truly pretty spicy)
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Getting started:

Cook your pasta and brown your meat and onions.

Add your Rotel (don't drain),  garlic, and taco seasoning and simmer for 5 minutes.

I put the 3 oz of cream cheese in the microwave briefly to help it melt down some, then add it and the 1/2 cup sour cream into the meat mixture (I transferred to the pasta pot to allow more room), stir it all together.

Add some fresh cilantro in if preferred

Enjoy! 

Project courtyard complete!

In my last post on updating my courtyard- I was still on the hunt for the perfect thing to go along the long wall that connects the garage door to my homes back door.  I knew a potting bench would be the perfect solution but hadn't found any I thought would fit the part.  I also had plans with my boyfriend to build a patio table.  Well during the last few weekends- I have finished the courtyard! We built a patio table, I found the perfect potting bench, and bought new cushions for my wicker chairs.  I searched online for a DIY patio table- I had plans to build one out of a pallet but then stumbled upon this blog post 

www.wouldntitbelovelyblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/diy-chevron-patio-table.html

She goes into detail on how to build the table including a supply list, measurements, and drawings.  My boyfriend reconfigured the drawing to make it half the size and square and we got to work....

We used untreated 2 by 4's for the frame and chevron top and later stained with a deck stain, the legs are treated cedar 4 by 4's.

The galvanized metal chairs and rug are from target, A man who has a booth at University Pickers built the cooler, the metal chicken and white plant stand were from an auction, and the Pig was found on a yard sale site on Facebook by a good friend of mine.

I think the potting bench is perfect for this space, it has a hole cute out where a bucket fits to mix soil.  It will also double as a counter for food during get togethers.

My only further plans for this space include finding some old shutters for the window that shares a wall with the door.  I would also like to find some old signage to hang on the brick. 

Now if only spring/summer could stick around forever...