Best of the Month May 2014

A recap of my most popular posts from last month (May 2014)

No chocolate recipes this month but I am happy to see that every post (except the great idea thursdays) got 100 or more views and at least 1 comment, many have more.  The biggest contributor to this, I believe, is link parties.  I changed my link party strategy about 2 months ago.  I now try to post my links as soon as the party opens.  Before I was more lackadaisical and would just link up when ever I thought about it.  Now, thanks to some blogging tips I read, I have my favorite link parties and their start times on my google calendar and I get a notification when they are soon to start.  I'm still working on my social media presence but there is always room for improvement.

followers:  968             followers:  197

likes:  117                     followers:  56

followers:  480 (169 Joybee, What's for Dinner Blog Posts board)

My best of May:

Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp marinated in tequila and lime juice atop a lightly grilled corn tortilla with toppings of your choice.  210 views, 64 +1s, and this was  accepted to TasteSpotting.

Leftover Rice Pudding

A creamy pudding made with leftover rice, milk, sugar, and raisins.  173 views and 4 +1s.

Bean and Rice Taco Salad

A vegetarian meal of tortilla chips and lettuce, topped with spicy rice and beans, and finished with avocado sour cream and cilantro.  149 views and 41 +1s.

17 Great Ideas for Grilling (for Memorial Day)

A roundup of 17 recipes to cook on the grill for Memorial Day or any time you feel like grilling.  From the archives of Great Idea Thursdays.  143 views and 18 +1s.

Open Faced Reuben Melts

All your favorite Reuben ingredients piled on crostini and ready for a quick meal, appetizer, or football snack.  128 views and 21 +1s.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Two Cup, Tasty Tuesday, Brag About it, Teach me Tuesday, Lou Lou Girls, Whimsy Wednesday, The Wednesday Roundup, Cook Craft Share, Eat Create Party, Freedom Friday

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

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Beans and Rice Taco Salad

A vegetarian meal of tortilla chips and lettuce, topped with spicy rice and beans, and finished with avocado sour cream and cilantro.

Oh no, not another taco salad recipe.  Yes another taco salad recipe.  As I'm sure you all know by now I love taco salad.  Not only is it my favorite meal but it's also a great way to reuse leftovers.

I had leftover cilantro, avocado lime dressing, and a jalapeno from my Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos.  I also had some leftover rice...from something...and plenty of tortilla chips from the huge Costco bag that we frequently buy.  So in my mind the only way to use all of these leftovers is taco salad.  I could probably make taco salad with just abut anything. I could have also just made rice and beans but I always eat my rice and beans with tortilla chips on the side (to satisfy my crunchy fetish) so I just put it all together for one simple and delicious, meatless meal.  This can easily be made vegan by omitting the sour cream.

Bean and Rice Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups beans (I used red beans but black beans or pinto would be great too)
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup salsa, hot
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
lettuce
tortilla chips
cilantro
*Avocado Sour Cream

*Avocado Sour Cream:  Blend together about 1/4-1/2 cup Avocado lime dressing (optional), 1 small avocado, and 8 oz sour cream.  Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time to thin it to what ever consistency you prefer.  

In a large skillet or stock pot (over medium heat) cook jalapenos, in a bit of oil, until soft.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Then add the rice, beans, salsa, spices, and salt & pepper to taste.  Mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook until heated through and salsa cooks down.

Serve atop lettuce and tortilla chips with cilantro and Avocado sour cream.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Merry Monday, Two Cup, LouLou Girls, Tasty Tuesday, Teach me Tuesday, Brag About It, Whimsy Wednesday, Wednesday Roundup, Full Plate, Eat Create Party, Freedom Friday, Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend

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