Walking Around Rexburg

Low-Fat Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Warning: This is absolutely NOTHING like the Cilantro Ranch Dressing at Costa Vida it is all my own! And super delicious :)

2 TBSP Minced Cilantro Leaves
2 TBSP Ranch Dressing Mix (I prefer Hidden Valley Ranch)
1 C Light Daisy Sour Cream (this must be Daisy they don't add any weird stuff or fillers it is a very pure food)
Skim Milk (there is no amount here on purpose, you will see why in a minute)

Mix up all the ingredients except the milk. It will be very thick like a dip. Add milk at about one TBSP at a time and mix it in well until it reaches the liquidity (or as my husband would say viscosity) that you desire. Some people prefer a thick dressing, others a thin one. I prefer somewhere in between. Then let this mixture set in the fridge for about 20 minutes so that the flavors can marry.

If it is too thick after setting you can add more milk before serving it.

Enjoy!

Free the Taco Salad

 
1/2 head Iceberg lettuce shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces
1 tomato
2-3 mini sweet peppers all colors
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/4 lb. 93% or greater Lean Ground Beef (Cooked beans are a great Vegetarian substitute for the beef)
1 - 1 1/2 TBSP Taco Seasoning (I use the bulk Winco kind)
1/2 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded (Tilamook is my favorite)
Salsa (my favorite is Pace Chunky Salsa - Mild)
Low Fat Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Brown the beef and drain any extra fat by swishing a paper towel around in the meat or using a colander. Add the seasoning to the beef and if it's too dry add about one tsp. water. Allow to cool slightly.

Layer Salad in a bowl as follows:
Lettuce
Peppers
Meat/Beans
Cheese
Salsa
Dressing

Then Eat it!

This is called "Free the Taco Salad" because it is taco salad without the added fat and sodium from chips or a taco shell.

Cabbage Soup Diet Drama

When I was young my parents did their best to keep the family healthy. One such quest began while I was in Junior High. It began with the Cabbage Soup Diet and ended with my horrifying disdain of Green Bell Peppers. You can find the recipe by clicking ---> here. My family took a look at this soup recipe and decided that they needed to make it even more healthy! They added extra of everything, we are a big family, and only made the soup once so we would be able to enjoy it for the full 7 days without having to make it again. They also used fat-free chicken bullion and no salt at all. The taste of this soup was pretty good on day one, but over night it soaked up all the flavor from the large chunks of Green Bell Pepper and from day two - on all I could taste was the Green Bell Pepper. It is important to understand the 7 day plan for this diet so that you can truly come to an understanding of the horror I went through for 7 days. You can read the 7-day plan by clicking --->here. It is important to note that my family was extra healthy and followed this plan not only to the letter, but beyond. We didn't have enough beef for the beef days and we didn't have any fresh tomatoes so on the Tomato-Beef day I ended up eating very little meat and canned stewed tomatoes...yum! (dripping with sarcasm). On Banana Day I ate one banana and a glass of skim milk because I couldn't stand to eat more than that. By day 3 I could not tolerate the soup and ended up not eating much of anything for the last days of the diet. What I learned from this diet were three things: (1) I can starve myself, (2) if I starve myself for one week I will still not lose any weight, and (3) I HATE the taste of Green Bell Peppers!!!! Literally for the last 9 years I have hated them with a passion even looking down at them in the grocery store with disdain and walking on the other side of the isle to avoid them as if they could reach out and pollute me with their mere presence...but then something happened. I re-discovered the Green Bell Pepper.

Yes this is a story of redemption...the redemption of the Green Bell Pepper.

My reconnecting with the little green guy started in July of last year when I became a Pampered Chef independent consultant. Because of this I receive newsletters with tips and ideas for shows. Contained in the latest edition was a very fun recipe for eggs cooked inside of green bell pepper slices it was a theme for St. Patrick's Day. It looked so cute I had to try it, but "gulp" this would mean I would have to actually buy a green bell pepper! Well I swallowed my pride and I went to Winco on my normal shopping day to get groceries and on that list was the dreaded vegetable. I picked a couple of ripe juicy ones (how can you tell if a green vegetable is ripe? Well the skin was firm and wrinkle free). I took them home with me a bit anxious to try this new recipe and tentative about tasting a Green Bell Pepper after it had been so long. Day-mares about the dreaded Cabbage Soup were swimming in my head as I drove home and I mentally steeled myself to take the plunge into this taste sensation.

Of course I experimented on my husband first...

I made him what I liked to call "Green Eggs and Ham". I checked to see his reaction and with trepidation awaited the verdict.

He liked it.

The next day I was brave enough to try it myself and discovered that it was ridiculously delicious especially on toast. I haven't turned back since. The little Green Guy and I are now fast friends and I have even added him to my "Free the Taco Salad" recipe.