Lazy Taco Soup

My hands-down easiest meal. Not the healthiest ever, but not too shabby. My kids devour it, too, which is a rare find.

1 can each of the following: (You can either dump entire can or drain and rinse. If you drain and rinse, you'll need to add water or stock)

corn
hominy
kidney beans
black beans
diced tomatoes
tomato soup (or diced tomatoes, blended til smooth)

1 pkg taco seasoning (or less, to taste), approx 2 Tbs

Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips, grated cheese, cilantro, sour cream, etc!

Lisa's Pear, Peacan and Feta Salad

Lisa’s Pear, Pecan, and Feta salad

dressing (huge recipe -- I usually halve it):
1/2 c red onion
1 c sugar
2 t dijon mustard
1 t salt
2/3 c vinegar
2 c canola oil
blend the above in blender, then add:
2 T poppy seeds

Serve with candied pecans, sliced pears, and crumbled feta over mixed greens.

Tim's Gyoza

Hey Tim --

Hope you don't mind that I'm reposting this here from the family blog. I keep forgetting to try these, and since one of the 2 reasons we're having a hard time letting go of our Costco membership (the closest here is an hour away) is the potstickers, I figure now's the time. Here's a recipe for Gyoza. If you have any updates, let us know!

"Started with a little ground pork and added a generous amount of fresh ginger, garlic, a little soy sauce and sesame oil, thin shredded cabbage (though not too much), diced green onion, one raw egg, a dash of celery salt, a dash of powdered onion, salt, and pepper. I don’t think you can overseason those babies. (Too much salt, maybe, but not too much garlic or ginger.) I used the square eggroll wrappers and cut them crosswise, then used a round glass to cut circles roughly 3 inches in diameter. Need to be careful not to overstuff them. Cook them the traditional Japanese way: well browned on both sides in oil, then add water and steam for about 5 minutes. Serve with a sauce of 2 tbl. soy, 1 tbl. rice wine vinegar, and 1 tsp. sesame oil. Even our picky eaters gobbled them up."