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Monday, September 21, 2009

And now for something completely different....

So, well, the revision......it's done-ish. But I was more like this:
than Harrison Ford. (I think he looks like Al Roker a bit....?)
But he plays the movie music when you tap him on the head. I know this because I own him. Yes, I paid good money for a Tater of the Lost Art (pre-recession, of course).

Anyway, I don't want to talk about revision today. I am sick of revision. I am so sick of revision I could.........well, I won't say here because I am about to change the subject to FOOD!!

I used to be a great cook. I still am, at times. But for the past year, I have been totally burnt out on cooking. Instead of taking notes on my favorite Food Network shows, I find myself heckling them. "Yeah, Ina, let's see if you'd make that pastry from scratch if you'd been TEACHING SCHOOL all day!" I'm kind of tired of eating, too. Well, that's not true. I'm tired of eating the food that I make.

Add to that the fact that I am trying to get a lot of writing done. A LOT. Something's gotta give here, kids. I just don't have time to cook the kinds of things to which this household had become accustomed. (And, I just can't ever seem to get to excited about frozen stuff. I know it's easy, but if I ever have to see a dinosaur chicken nugget again........).

Then, we got this ginormous crock-pot:
and my life changed. Monday is crock-pot day. You just throw junk in it and it smells great when you get home. Okay, okay, these things have been around for years. But I guarantee you that if you try the following recipe, your life will change, too.

Here it is: Mom's Don't Bug Me I'm Writing Shredded Taco Meat

(also known as the easiest thing you will ever make.)


+
=
The best shredded taco meat ever.

Just throw some meat* in the pot, (I put a lot in so we can have many days of meat), open the jar** (this is usually the hardest part) cook on low all day. Salt and pepper if you want.

At the end of the day, shred the meat and let someone else prepare the tortillas (either taco shell or soft flour), grate the cheese, cut the tomatoes and lettuce.

It's great. I promise.

hrh

*my apologies to you vegetarians out there.......sorry.

**any salsa will do. I use special stuff from New Mexico, because I have cases of it. You can use any salsa.

AND NO, I CANNOT BEAR TO SEE JULIE AND JULIA RIGHT NOW....DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED.

17 comments:

Susan R. Mills said...

Looks yummy to me. I'll have to break out the crock pot tomorrow. And, yes, I know all to well what you mean about revisions. Yuck! But we'll be better off for it, right?

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

The Al Roker Tater of the Lost Ark! How cute is that???? I just know you cracked the whip on that revision.
Hey, I, too, used to cook a lot more. It was a creative outlet but now my creative juices are at work in other ways. I'm sure that crock pot is keeping everything under control, and you can always call in Tater for backup.

lisa and laura said...

I laughed out loud at "many days of meat." Isn't that what all of us moms are after?

I heart my crockpot, but I always forget it exists. I need to break it out again now that it's fall.

Have you ever done ribs in the crock pot? They're delish. Fall right off the bone.

Renee Collins said...

Love my crockpot! I'm a huge fan of making soups in it. I have on recipe that consists of emptying five cans of various ingredients into it and turning it on. Gotta love it.

MG Higgins said...

This recipe looks yummy. For some reason my crock pot meals never turn out how I think they should, but I keep trying because they're so darn easy.

Clementine said...

Thank you! I'm always up for a new crock pot recipe. I'm all about throw it in...eat it later.

Kelly H-Y said...

He DOES look like Al Roker! :-) The title of your recipe made me laugh out loud! Great post ... I know how you feel!

storyqueen said...

Okay, if you guys don't try this recipe, I'm going to be mad. It's life changing....and it's one thousand times better than you think it's going to be!!

In other news, you can stick a fork in it....I'm done!!! The revision is over!!! (Maybe that's why I was compelled to write about meat....?)

Lazy-You'll have to share some crockpot secrets!

Tricia-I used him this summer in my "Readers of the Lost Ark" program....hahaha.

L and L-Never tried the ribs. But my husband is a BBQ guy, once had a BBQ business. I think if I tried to make ribs, he'd be offended.

Renee-Must have soup recipe!

MC-TRY THE MEAT!!! (better than you can imagine)

Amy- Try it!!!! you'll love it!

Kelly- When I brought him home, my husband asked, "Why did you get an Al Roker Potato Head?" He reall thought that's what it was!

Kim said...

Congratulations on the revision! I totally relate to being sick of "what I cook". I fall into that funk a lot too and I am not a frozen food cook either so it can become a pickle.

My daughter only recently fell in love with tacos, but we use ground beef or chicken. I wonder if she'd go for shredded meat. Do you add those hot peppers in the picture too? Is the meat ultra spicy?

Kathryn Magendie said...

Your tater makes me laugh! I have a tater head I won at a christmas party trade gifts things - I actually traded something really pretty for that tater and everyone said, "You are kidding right?" *laugh* I love having toys from my childhood...not all of them, but some.

Oh, I remember crockpot meals! Well, GMR loves to cook, so I've forgotten how to cook. huhn. But that looks like one great crockpot! and the meal, as well - I'm semi-vegetarian - called "flexitarian" - so I guess that means I'm not really a true veggie-tarian....so...huhn.

Jessie Oliveros said...

I'll have to try it. My husband is not a fan of anything crock-pot because he hates that stewed taste, but if it is just meat, I may be able to fool him. Of course I've already set the standard of making tortillas from scratch, so the easiest thing won't be opening the salsa jar. I'm not burnt out of cooking right now, but I definitely go through phases. Like when I have a newborn, that will be my I-hate-cooking phase. And my chicen nuggets are shaped like Mickey.

Dawn Simon said...

I go through cycles where I forget about the crock-pot for months, use it constantly, forget about it for months...you get the idea. I'm sensing a disturbance in my crock-pot force. Oh, yeah...I'm breaking that baby out.

One of our faves is very similar, but we use salsa verde and pork, the other white meat. ;)

Congrats on the revisions (I know you don't want to talk about them, but you deserve praise), and thank you from the bottom of my hubby's stomach.

Stephanie Faris said...

I need more crock pot recipes...someone posted a comment on today's blog about a Crock Pot blogger who made the goal to use her Crock Pot every day for a year. (Julie/Julia ripoff, I think?) I'll bet she had some awesome ideas, though. I need to go look through some of her back files.

Buy some chicken breasts, two cans of cream of mushroom soup (or just one if you're just feeding one or two) and let it cook on Low all day. I add some extra mushrooms because we're mushroom fiends. It's DELICIOUS!

storyqueen said...

Kim-no peppers, just salsa.

Kathryn-Tater lovers unite!!

Jessie-I hate the stewed taste, too!! I swear this only tastes like shredded beef. Promise.

Dawn-I've done carnitas, but never salsa verde....gonna have to try it.

Steph-Okay, I love my crock-pot, but I would barf if I had to eat from it every day. (Maybe that would be a great diet.....)

Sherrie Petersen said...

We just had carne asada tacos tonight. Well, everyone else did. I'm vegetarian (mostly!) but according to my family, I make really good carne asada :)

Paige Keiser said...

YUM! Thanks for the crock pot idea - I have one stashed away somewhere. And I thought I was the only adult who's eaten those kinds of chicken nuggets lol! I also tried Dora the Explorer soup one time because my nieces didn't want it. YU-U-U-CKIEEE. :-P Needless to say, I gave it to my dog.

storyqueen said...

Sherrie-do you make the carne asada in the crock-pot, or on the grill?

Paige-Dora nuggets = eewwwwww.