Walking Tacos

We just got back from camping on beautiful Sanibel Island in Sunny South Florida this weekend.

And I have to say...now I know why people don't tent camp in South Florida in the summer.

Hot.

Humid.

Buggy.

But the beaches were BEAUTIFUL...the shelling was AWESOME...and Periwinkle Park, the only campground on either Sanibel or Captiva Islands, was PERFECT (my kids especially loved all the tropical birds on display...particularly "Fred", a Scarlet Macaw that talked and liked to whistle at Savannah every time she passed by...making her blush).

So, I thought in honor of our trip, and since it's been woefully long since I've posted on this site, I'd post a camping recipe. This is a tried and true recipe that is GREAT for Scout camp-outs...and works good for families, too...

and it's called...

Walking Tacos

2 pounds ground beef
2 packages taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing powdered dressing mix/seasoning
chopped tomatoes
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese
a bag (or two) of Fritos
Ziploc baggies

1. Brown ground beef and prepare with taco seasoning as package directs. Add ranch dressing mix in at same time.

2. In a Ziploc baggie, add desired amount of Fritos, meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Seal bag and mix lightly.

Now - you can do one of two things...

A. Pack Ziploc baggie in backpack and go on a hike. When you get hungry, open the bag and turn edges down, and eat STRAIGHT FROM THE BAG WITHOUT FORKS AND SPOONS...just eat.

OR....

B. Do the same thing...right there at your picnic table.

Sounds messy, right? It kinda is...but once your kids get the hang of it...its GREAT...no packing extra silverware, totally ecologically friendly, and REALLY YUMMY. Plus...there's something about eating food from a baggie without utensils that appeals to kids...kids and men, that is...because men ARE kids...

Anyway - I only took a disposable camera on our trip, so I'll post pictures LATER...

until then...

enjoy your baggie of taco!!

courtesy me!!!

Frito Salad

WOW!! What a weekend!! I just got back from spending all weekend at Camp Nocatee with my Girl Scout troop and about 225 Girl Scouts and Leaders for our 2009 Camporee: Girl Scouts Making a Difference...Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

In honor of that momentous weekend of fun and outdoorsy-ness, I am going to post a simple and classic camp recipe.

Unfortunately, during camp, my tote bag somehow got placed in a large puddle of water...and my camera was inside it at the bottom, and got SOAKED. It's been 24 hours of drying and charging...and I've yet to resuscitate it. I am HEARTBROKEN, and am now in the market for a new camera (as any self-respecting blogger-mom will tell you...cameras are a necessity)...so I can't post pictures of this salad. But no worries...it's so easy and simple (hence why it is "camp food"), that pictures aren't REALLY necessary.

No need to double...this recipe is good to go...

Frito Salad

2 cans Ranch beans (black label)

1 bag (3 cups) grated medium cheddar

1 large head of lettuce or 2-3 bags pre-chopped Romaine

1 large tomato, diced (I use more than this...because I like tomato)

1/2 large purple onion, diced

1 15-oz bag Frito corn Chips

Lots and lots of Catalina dressing

Now there are two ways to do this...

Variation one:

1. Prepare and toss together all ingredients and serve immediately

OR...

Variation Two (my preferred way because everyone likes different amounts of dressing and chips, and I prefer to keep my chips as crunchy as possible):

1. Prepare and toss together all ingredients EXCEPT chips and dressing

2. Prepare individual servings, and add chips and dressing to taste

courtesy me!! (well - I got this recipe from someone at church many years ago...but I don't remember who, so now I just claim it!!)