Shredded Beef Tacos

I've been lagging on my posting lately. Please forgive me. I have been cooking, I promise. And while there have been no major cooking disasters, there haven't been any cooking triumphs, either. Nothing worthy enough of a blog post.
But here's one I really liked this week. Shredded Beef Tacos. Yummy. A lot of people like to make tacos or mexican night every week. It's an easy meal to make that each family member can tailor to their own tastes. Today's recipe is a nice twist on tacos. The same good stuff, but with a little jazz added to it!

3-4 lb. chuck roast
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
2 pkg. taco seasoning
1/4 c. of water
Flour Tortillas

Put the roast into a crock pot. Cover with onion rings, one package of taco seasoning, and water. Cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for four hours), or until tender. Shred beef with two forks and add remaining package of taco seasoning (I only used half the package). Stir together, add a little water if needed, and cover. Cook on high for another half hour, or so. I used this time to prep all my taco toppings.

For our toppings:
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Pico de Gallo (Wal Mart has some in the produce section that is super yummy)
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
Sour Cream

These were super yummy and made taco night seem not quite so boring! Try this, you will not be disappointed!

Never underestimate the power of good equipment

I have been married for 12 years and have never owned a whole set of really good knives. I have a few pieces from Cutco and those have been really good to me. However, the few of those that I have are serrated. And when it comes to chopping certain veggies, trimming meat, and doing several other things, those type of knives just don't work, no matter how good they are! So, since I'm on a Wal-Mart budget, I went there and found a really nice chef's knife from Chicago Cutlery. I spent about $20 on it, but now that I have it, I don't know what I ever did without it! I've been flying through my chopping, cutting and prepping in half the normal amount of time it used to take me!
If you aren't a good cook, maybe you just need better tools.

Here are a few things I've thought of that every cook needs to have:

!. Cutting Board and Good Knives: If you can't get a whole set of knives, then start with the basics (i.e. paring knife, chef's knife, serrated bread knife, 6 inch chopping knife). Look for knives that are made from one piece of metal, they'll be sturdier and last longer.

2. Mixing Bowls: They're not just for mixing. You'll use these for a LOT of things. FInd a set that comes with three or four different sizes to nest inside each other.

3. Measuring Cups and Spoons: A 2 cup pyrex measuring cup is a must, along with a set of nesting cups (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup) and spoons (1 Tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon).

4. A good set of pots and pans. These are worth the splurge, because they will last you a lifetime if you take good care of them.

5. Lastly, a timer! Don't assume you'll remember when to take it out. Especially if you have children. They suck every last brain cell out of your head and cause you to forget things you never thought you'd forget. Trust me.