Muy bien

This is a great take on taco salad. It uses Fritos, of course, as many great taco salads do. The new ingredient for us was Catalina dressing. It's like a Mexican hat dance in your mouth. And truly, you can't get much easier than this.

THE RECIPE:

1 lb. ground beef
1 can diced green chiles
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bag lettuce or 1 head lettuce, chopped
1 10-ounce bag regular Fritos
Chopped fresh tomato
Catalina dressing

Brown ground beef with chiles and onion. Toss together with remaining ingredients and top with dressing. Feel free to adjust ingredients to suit your family's taste buds. Serves 6.

*Note: If you anticipate having leftovers, you may consider letting individuals mix their own ingredients so you can store them separately afterward. The Fritos will become soggy in the fridge.

Back in time

This brownie pudding recipe came from the January 1944 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It's OK, but it's not sweet or rich enough for me. We're used to eating a lot more sugar than our grandparents did. Really, I mostly enjoyed it for its historical value.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. flour
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
2 T. cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. boiling water

Grease an 8x8 baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil and vanilla. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Stir in boiling water. Slowly pour water mixture over batter in pan. Don't mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.