Oh Wyoming, how I love your wide spaces, brilliant sunrises and sunsets, and abundant wildlife! And my favorite people who live in it!
I really don’t miss your blowing wind and snow (or driving and shoveling the stuff) in the middle of January’s deep freeze. Someone really needs to tell the little kid upstairs to stop shaking the outside snow globe. Sheesh!
Despite the chilly weather, snow really can be fun! Just ask the Minions about a cross-country skiing adventure we took a while back. It’s important to note…they had never been X-try skiing before; but they were going to experience it whether they liked it or not. Another one of those forced family fun adventures!
After making our way through four-legged critter traffic, we decided to ski near Pahaska Teepee, 50 miles east of Cody, WY. Pahaska Teepee was once Buffalo Bill’s hunting lodge on the eastern outskirts of Yellowstone National Park. Today, visitors can feel like they’re reconnecting with the Old West in it’s resort setting. In the winter, locals and visitors like to ski nearby it and up to the closed Yellowstone National Park gates. A downhill ski resort called Sleeping Giant is also here for those seeking more speedy skiing-adventures.
The sun was shining bright by the time we strapped on our boots and clipped on our skis. “How hard could it be” both Minions voiced.
With athletic ambitions and enormous smiles, we were off into Mother Nature’s powdery wonderland. The air was crisp. A breeze whispered through the pine tree tops. An occasional hidden moose poked its’ head around the trail corners and stepped out of sight. All the while, the moans and groans of two Minions hung like a frozen wet blanket over the paths.
After two hours of trying to coordinate hands and legs to work in unison, and getting hung up in or thrown out of previous ski tracks, the Minions unanimously decided to hang up their skis. They’d stick with shoveling it around the house and driveway. Snowshoeing might be considered. LOL!
With kids, there’s always going to be an inevitable forced-family-fun adventure that doesn’t end as planned. But that’s just part of the experiences and memory making.
Speaking of making…when the mercury begins to drop and the thermostat turns up, I love to put on pots of chili, stews and soups. Lately, I’ve adapted a chili recipe to be more taco-esque. This version is still loaded with ground beef, kidney beans and tomatoes. But it’s taco-ed up with black beans, hominy, cayenne and cumin.
Ready in 30 minutes or less, Zesty Taco Soup can also be put together in a slow cooker and left alone until suppertime. The beauty of this soup is the range of toppings. Our family favorites include:
- Shredded Jack or cheddar cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- Avocado wedges
- Cilantro or green onion
- Diced tomato or red onion
- Chunks of corn bread
- Chopped black olives
- A sprinkle of lime juice
So on a cold day of family adventures, try warming up with this soup. Are you ready for Spring’s warmer temps yet?!
PrintQuick Zesty Taco Soup
Ready to go in about 30 minutes or less, this taco soup is both hearty and zesty. It’s loaded with all of the flavors you’d expect to find in a beef taco, in addition to black beans and hominy. Eat as it is, or garnish with your favorite fixings…sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, diced tomato or avocado. It’s also great over crumbled cornbread!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 Minutes
- Yield: 10–12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt (kosher, table or sea)
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne*
1–15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
1–15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed
1–15 oz. can hominy, rinsed
1–15 oz. can tomato sauce
2–14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1–15 oz. can water (Fill up the tomato sauce can with water. You’ll get every bit of sauce out of the can as well.)
Your favorite taco toppings (diced tomatoes, onion, tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.)
Instructions
In a Dutch oven or a stockpot, brown ground beef with onion and garlic until no pink remains. If necessary, drain excess grease from beef. Sprinkle chili powder, salt, paprika, cumin, garlic and onion powder, and cayenne over beef mixture. Stir to combine. Add beans, hominy, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and water to spiced beef. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil. Let cook for approximately 15-20 minutes before serving. Taco soup can be cooked longer to let flavors meld. Serve as is, with a side of cornbread, or garnish with your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
*Adjust to your heat preferences, or substitute with ground ancho or chipotle powder.
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