It’s a Souper Tuesday!

I realized I never told all of you about our surprise from Santa that was under our tree when we returned from our Thanksgiving Travels.  Meet “Elfie!”  "Elfie is our Elf on the Shelf.  Have you heard of this phenomenon that seems to be sweeping the nation?  (I am not sure if these are international yet or not.  Anyway, Elfie is one of Santa’s helpers.  He’s hanging around, keeping an eye on Sadie to see if she’s being naughty or nice.  Elfie brought a book with him to explain his job.  Each night he reports back to Santa.  It’s been fun seeing where Elfie will pop up.  This morning, he was sitting on our baker’s rack.

Today I had a nice surprise.  It was “Soup Day” in the cafeteria.  Soup and grilled cheese is the BEST meal.  Even though this soup was a tad on the greasy side, it was still good. 

I had already planned to make soup for dinner tonight, too: Taco Soup.  This is the easiest soup to make, and it is so delicious!  Especially when the weather is chilly and rainy. 

Taco Soup:

1 lb. lean (93 or 96% Lean) ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 taco seasoning packet

1 can black beans (undrained)

1 can kidney beans (undrained)

1 can “Mexicorn” or corn with Mexican flavoring

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can Ro-Tel (mild or regular)

optional: baked tortilla chips, shredded cheese, light sour cream (for topping)

To make:

Brown beef with onions.  When beef is completely cooked, the onions will be ready, too.  Then add all cans of beans and veggies, seasoning packet, and a 14.5 oz. can of water.  (Just use one of the beans cans.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Serve hot, topped with crushed tortilla chips, cheese, or sour cream.  (Or all three!!!)

Finished product…