Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat Recipe

You know I love Mexican pizza; I've blogged about it a couple of times. Mr. Incredible loves Taco Bell's mexican pizza. While following a Google search that led to this site, I found the recipe for that pizza. Thank you, CopyKat Recipes!

Outback Steakhouse

Well, I didn't realize it had been month since I last posted here. During that time, Mr. Incredible and I celebrated our eighth anniversary, I began homeschooling our girls, and I celebrated my 30th birthday. It has certainly been a busy month!

We always eat out to celebrate our anniversary. This year, we decided we would finally try Outback Steakhouse. Mr. Incredible had been wanting to try that restaurant for years. We ordered the blooming onion appetizer and two entrees. While we were waiting for our appetizer, the wait staff brought us a wooden cutting block with a small loaf of brown bread, a scoop of butter in a cup, and a knife. The bread was pretty good.

The Blooming Onion ($6.50) was a bit dark, probably from the grease that it was fried in being in need of a change, but the taste was good - the slightly spicy breading paired well with a spicy dipping sauce.

Our entrees (Alice Springs Chicken and Cyclone Pasta) were rather boring - nothing really special. We didn't feel that the food we received was worth the ridiculous price we paid for it. At $12 and $13 apiece, our entrees were nearly the cheapest ones on the menu! We did end up taking a little bit home, but we still felt the food was overpriced.

Another minus: there was an open bar in the center of the restaurant. That made us distinctly uncomfortable.

Summary:

• Atmosphere: 6/10
• Taste: 8/10
• Portion size: 8/10
• Price: 6/10

We both agreed we would not eat at Outback Steakhouse again.

Designing Problems!

Okay, this is going to be a big-time rant! I am so aggravated and annoyed right now I could scream.

I am a self-employed blog designer who works mainly with images - creating headers and such. I love my job/work/whatever you want to call it. However, my ambition is to create websites and blogs, so I am always eager to take on a new challenge. So far, I have been able to conquer the new platforms I have faced: TypePad, HomeSchool Blogger, free WordPress (like rsdesigns.wordpress.com), hosted WordPress (like designsbyrs.com), and, of course, Blogger - I have worked with all of these platforms. Successfully, I might add. A couple of them took me several hours to figure out, but I did figure them out. Right now, I am working on not one but two(!) projects on new platforms: yahoo.com and GoDaddy.com, and I am about to tear my hair out!

Yahoo.com is giving me the most problems right now. It seems as though they do not want you to find the template HTML/PHP. They certainly don't make it easy! If I can just gain access to that, I think the hard part will be over.

GoDaddy.com is presenting a different problem: I'm having to install WordPress, and as it turns out, GoDaddy.com is rather notorious for being difficult when it comes to installing WordPress. Of course!

I am determined to figure these problems out, but I thought I'd rant for a second. Alright ... you may return to your normal lives. Thanks for listening to a frustrated artist. *grin*

Mexican Pizza

photo of Salad Shell package courtesy of Azteca

One of my first posts here at Rants, Raves, and Reviews was my review of Old El Paso's Soft Taco Bake Dinner. At the time, this was the only way I knew to make a Mexican pizza. I have since found a tastier method.

Ingredients

1 box of Azteca Salad Shells (4 shells)
1 lb. ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
1 small can sliced olives
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 avacado, cubed
sliced jalapenos
2 c. shredded cheese
taco sauce
lettuce, shredded
tomato, diced
chives, sliced

Azteca Salad Shells (our Wal-Mart sells them in the refrigerated section with the cream cheese) feature a Mexican Pizza recipe printed inside the box. You can follow the directions given or try the variation we favor (directions as follows).

1. Cook 1 lb. of ground beef, drain, and season with a packet of taco seasoning. We prefer Pace's taco seasoning mix.
2. Heat a can of refried beans.
3. While completing steps 3 and 4, heat your oven to 350F and bake 4 shells (flat) on an ungreased baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. Remove from sheet and allow to cool.
4. Place two shells on the baking sheet and spread with beans, taco meat, a small can of sliced olives, sliced mushrooms, cubed avacado, cheese, and jalapenos as desired.
5. Place remaining shells on top and spread with remaining beans and meat mixture. Top with cheese.
6. Bake at 350F for 7-9 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and add taco sauce, lettuce, tomato, and chives as desired. Cut into quarters and serve.

Serves 4

Research for this post led me to Azteca's recipe archives. The Baked Ice Cream recipe really interests me. Take a look for yourself - these sound delicious!

Austrian Attractions

I would love to become a world traveler! Perhaps some day I will, but until then, I will have to content myself with researching the places I wish to visit.

One such country is Austria, home of world-famous musicians, including Johann Strauss II (whose composed so many waltzes that he became known as the "Waltz King"), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the Vienna Boys' Choir. Favored tourist locales include Vienna, Salzburg, and the Tirolean region. Hotels in Austria are available in close proximity to favorite attractions.

Vienna, Austria's capital, is an architecture-lover's delight with its fine, ornate buildings which include the Opera House and the palace, Hofburg, which formerly housed the Austrian imperial family, the Habsburgs. Fine music abounds, and activities are available at all hours, day or night. Hotels in Vienna are plentiful and are able to accommodate every budget.

Salzburg, the famed birthplace of Mozart, offers visitors such attractions as the Mozart Museum, Sound of Music Tours, the Salzburg Fortess (I am told this is a must-see which offers the added bonus of being an excellent place to take pictures of the city), Mirabell Palace and Gardens (in the Sound of Music, the Von Trapp children sang the Do-Re-Mi song in these gardens), and Hellbrun Castle, which features trick fountains guaranteed to delight those who love surprises. To ensure that you have enough time to adequately explore the area, check into one of the hotels in Salzburg for at least one night.

The Tirolean region features not only the breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery found in the Alps but also offers such gourmet fare as Tirolean chocolate and Alpine cheese. Skiing is a popular winter activity, and the Alps offer unparalleled runs.

Altogether, I believe that Austria offers you the opportunity to create unforgettable memories by exploring both its ancient history and its vibrant present.

Giveaway!

Stop by my personal blog, The Porch Light, to see what I am giving away as part of the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway hosted by Shannon of Rocks in My Dryer. Make sure you stop by her place - the contest just began at 8:00 a.m. CST, and there are already over 100 participants!

Let the Love Begin

Donations for little Parker are being accepted now through Friday. He is not doing so well right now, and I hope a lot of money is raised with this fund raiser. After you donate, make sure to leave a comment so that you can be entered in the contest for 17 great prizes.