Jiffy Taco Casserole Bake

August 30, 2023 Annalisa DaughetyLeave a comment

If you’re looking for a quick, easy, and versatile Mexican recipe, look no further! This casserole gets high marks from my family, and it’s one of those dishes that is a “whatever you have on hand” kind of deliciousness.

The key ingredients are Jiffy cornbread mix, ground beef, Rotel, and taco seasoning. The rest is really up to you! For the purpose of this post, here was my ingredient list:

1 lb ground beef (we purchased a whole cow last year and it was one of the best decisions we’ve made! High quality meat and it turned out to be so economical–and now I never have to worry about buying beef at the grocery store!)

2 cups of corn, cooked and drained (Note: there is wiggle room here on the amount. We got fresh corn from a local farm, shucked it ourselves, and froze it in bags so it’s not exactly the same as canned. But two cups should be a little more than a can, so you can adjust to your liking: 1 can is probably plenty depending on your taste…or leave it out if you don’t like it!)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Rotel, drained

2 packets of taco seasoning (or make your own if you prefer! I like to make mine when I have time, but when I need a quick dish, I use store bought packets)

1 cup shredded cheese (for inside casserole)

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg (for cornbread topping)

1/3 cup milk (for cornbread topping)

1 cup shredded cheese (for cornbread topping)

1 cup shredded cheese (for casserole topping)

Directions: Brown ground beef in skillet. (If you’re using frozen fresh corn like I did, cook it on the stovetop. If you’re using canned corn, skip this step) Drain beef as needed. (I say this because our beef is grass fed from a local farmer and has almost no fat, so I skip that step!) Add two taco seasoning packets (follow directions on packet).

After that step, you have lots of choices! I added corn (drained), a can of black beans (rinsed and drained), and a can of mild Rotel (use whatever version you like). You could leave any of that out that you don’t like, and could also add other things like onions, peppers, olives, shredded cheese, etc. Mix your additions with the browned taco beef and let simmer on the stove.

NOTE: You could easily stop there and have a delicious filling for a burrito or taco, or you could put the mixture over Mexican rice and have a Chipolte-like bowl. This is so versatile!

For the casserole, you’ll now follow the instructions on one box of Jiffy muffin mix (adding the egg and milk). Optionally, you could add a cup of shredded cheese to the muffin mixture (I did for this recipe) or you could add some corn. You could even add some jalapenos if you like things spicy!

Now pour the beef mixture into a pan (I used a rectangular cake pan because my casserole dish was dirty). I like to sprinkle a cup of shredded cheese on top of the mixture, but that is totally optional! (We love cheese!) Next, spread the jiffy mixture on top of the beef mixture. It’s going to be thin, and it won’t really go on smoothly but just do your best.

Pop that into the preheated oven (I preheated at 350) for about 25 minutes. Just check from time to time to be sure the muffin mix isn’t burning! Take it out and sprinkle another (optional) cup of shredded cheese on top and cook till melted, about 5 minutes.

Serve with whatever accompaniment you like! Guacamole, sour cream, and salsa are our favorite toppings.

This is an easy and delicious meal that you can modify to your liking (or to what ingredients you happen to have on hand) that we love to have in our dinner rotation. It reheats very well, and one casserole will last two-three days depending on how many mouths you’re feeding!

Enjoy and tell me in the comments if you try it and what you think!

Travel Tips

The Value of a Cruise Vacation

August 27, 2023 Annalisa DaughetyLeave a comment

*Setting sail for our first cruise, February 2014*

There’s no hiding it. We LOVE cruising.

Our first cruise was in 2014 and was a belated Honeymoon. We did a 5-day cruise on the Carnival Elation, which at the time was departing out of New Orleans. We went to Progreso and Cozumel. It was the first time either of us had been to Mexico.

To be honest, we weren’t 100% sold on cruising after that first experience. We’d flown to New Orleans (if I had it to do over, I’d drive), and thought we “upgraded” to an ocean view cabin (after 16 cruises, I see no value in an ocean view…) and purchased Carnival’s “faster to the fun” add on, which was supposed to get us on and off the ship faster (we did not ever purchase that again if that tells you anything).

What I found was that there was a learning curve when it came to cruising. Lots of stuff we learned along the way that has since brought us to the point where we LOVE to cruise, want to take every single person we know on a cruise, and will 100% always recommend a cruise as the absolute best value for a family trip.

My best tips for getting the most bang for your buck:

Choose a port you can easily drive to. For us, that is New Orleans, Louisiana, or Galveston, Texas. Flying these days is too pricey (unless you can snag a deal…more on that in a minute) and once you figure in the cost of airport parking, bag fees, and transportation once you’ve landed in your port city, you will probably see what I mean!
Stay in a hotel the night before that is outside of your port city. This can easily save you $100 or more. We have found some great, budget-friendly options in Texas City, about a 30-minute drive from Galveston.
Search for port parking coupons and deals! When it comes to parking for a cruise, we always shop around. In New Orleans, I once found a hotel that offered a park and cruise special–it allowed us to leave our van there and just Uber to the port. This was very convenient. In Galveston, I’ve found internet specials for parking both right at the port and outside of the port. You can easily save money by doing your homework. If you’re working with a travel advisor, ask them if they have any tips or suggestions!
Try and get onboard the ship as early as possible. This seems like a no-brainer, but it still needs to be said. Most cruise lines will have you pick an arrival time. If you will log on and be prepared to fill out all your paperwork on the day you are allowed (typically about 3 months prior to departure) you can choose the earliest arrival time. This will essentially give you more time onboard and thus more time when you’re actually “on vacation.”
Budget! Talk to your family ahead of time and figure out what budget each of you plans to adhere to. While cruises are “all inclusive” there are also some things (sodas, casino play, arcade games, excursions, souvenirs, etc.) that cost extra. What is important to one family member may not be important to another! We always sit down prior to our cruise and determine how much spending money we want to take. We know going into the week how much we are going to spend so there are no surprises on the last day! (While you’re encouraged to add a credit card to your account so that all charges will go there, we usually opt to do cash accounts. This way, we don’t go overboard (see what I did there?) on spending. When the cash is gone, it’s gone!)
Book in advance. The farther out you book, the cheaper it is (usually). Most cruise lines will show you the date that is the cheapest. Your travel advisor can also help with this. If you can be flexible on dates, you can usually snag some great deals. We love to travel in January/February and also anytime from October through early December. (And don’t hate on me for saying this but pulling your kid out of school for a few days for a family trip is perfectly fine…the memories you’ll make far outweigh the class time they will miss.)

Overall, I definitely believe a family cruise is much more economical than a land trip. We once priced taking our three kids to Branson. The results were surprising!

Once we figured out the cost of two hotel rooms, 3 meals a day (plus snacks), and the cost to get in to all the area attractions, it was far cheaper AND easier to book a cruise. Do the math for your own family or ask your travel advisor to quote you two types of vacations and see what you think! Let me know in the comments if you’ve taken a family cruise–or if you’re considering it!

This is Us

August 25, 2023 Annalisa DaughetyLeave a comment

As of now, the concept of this site and the accompanying YouTube channel can only be described as a chaotic hodgepodge of our favorite things. But I suppose that’s good because it means that we are showing you our authentic selves and not some curated life highlight reel. I get tired of seeing only perfection when I scroll through Instagram, so you can expect a dose of reality from us! We are truth-tellers even when the truth isn’t popular.

We love to travel. Planes (okay, I don’t really like flying but sometimes it’s necessary), trains (love), and automobiles (road trips are my favorite), but also cruise ships. Stay tuned as we discuss our love of cruising and why we believe a cruise vacation is your best bet for a family trip! We will also share some honest reviews of various ships and ports. Keep in mind that we are BUDGET travelers. I will scour the internet for the best deals, and we have lots of tips and tricks for keeping costs down. I’d rather take two budget-friendly trips than one break-the-bank trip and that approach to traveling has worked well for us over the years. (Side note: we have a travel agency called Alliston Travel, and we’d love to help you book your own trip, budget or otherwise!)

Thrifty may as well be my middle name. (Except that my actual middle name is one I share with my mom and Grandma. . .although come to think of it, Thrifty should have been their middle names as well because I got my thrift skills from them!) I learned about Poshmark a few years ago. I’d already dabbled some in eBay, mostly as a buyer. I started out selling our own clothing and shoes, and eventually branched out into selling thrifted items. I absolutely love this little “side hustle” of mine. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to find a highly sought after item at a yard sale that I can then resell to someone on eBay. It’s a win-win. The yard sale proprietor makes their sale and gets rid of the item; I get the rush of finding a great deal; The e-Bay or Posh buyer gets the item they want at a very discounted price, and they don’t have to go to the trouble of searching thrift stores or yard sales. . . and an added bonus is that I get to add a little money to our travel fund. We’ll post here and on YouTube from time to time about our reselling journey, brands to look for, and how to find a side hustle you enjoy.

From time to time, I’ll also add some delicious recipes to this site as well as some of my favorite cooking hacks. We are a family that loves to eat. Our gatherings are typically centered around a meal, and there is nothing I love more than to cook homemade meals for my loved ones. However, I am very concerned these days about the chemicals and products in store bought food. If you’re unaware, please do some research on your own about some of the ingredients that are allowed in foods in the USA versus other countries. We try to grow as much of our own food as possible just so we can control what goes in it! I’ll document our journey here as we raise chickens and a garden and learn some of the old school food preservation skills! We’re just beginning to learn to can our own food, and we just purchased a vacuum sealer as well. If doing a little homesteading is something you’re interested in, you’re in the right place!

Thanks for joining us on this crazy adventure! I hope you’ll find some info here that is useful to you–or at the very least just be entertained by some of the (mis)adventures that will happen along our journey.