Lazy Sundays..

Today has been really just recovering from the heat of the last couple of days - had one of those de-hydration headaches-from-hell this morning so my hubby was heroic and let me sleep in, until of course he got restless and decided there were things he needed to do (like mow the backyard, yes agreed!)

Finished off the lamingtons - and they aren't as 'spong-y' as I would have liked them. I ended up using double the sponge mixture and had enough of the icing mixture and coconut to cover them. I'm guessing if my sponge had risen as much as I would have liked, that wouldn't have been the case. They do look and taste the real deal though. All ready the fridge for tomorrow - Australia Day.

My culinary success for the day was making beef and bean chilli and serving them on soft tacos and mini-nachos-style for dinner tonight. No taco mix for me - I did this from scratch, tastes delicious and also means you can control the chilli or 'hotness' content for the kids. It was a huge success and I think I might actually make the spice mix up for a couple of batches next time and keep one in tupperware in the pantry for a quick-fix dinner. You could also use this with chopped zucchini and refried beans instead of the beef if you wanted to go vegetarian/vegan.

Liss' Taco Seasoning

1tb plain flour

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 stalk fresh oregano, chopped or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano if storing

Liss' Chilli Con Carne

1 tb olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

1/2 clove garlic, finely diced

1kg lean beef mince

1 x Liss' taco seasoning

1 cup water

420g can red kidney beans, drained

420g can diced tomatoes

3tb tomato paste

Method:

In a large frypan (preferably with high sides) fry off the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the mince and brown, ensuring you keep stirring and separating. Once browned, stir in the seasoning and add the cup of water, mix well and keep stirring over medium heat. Once well combined, add the kidney beans and 1/2 the can of tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes, and add the rest of the tomatoes. A further 10 minutes, it's ready to serve.

Serves 6 adults - so enough for two meals for 2 adults and 2 children, freezes beautifully.

Serving Ideas:

• Nachos -on a bed of corn chips with grated cheese, diced tomato and lettuce, sour cream/guacamole
• On rice - good on a cold night - if not serving the kids, add a little more fresh chilli or powder.
• Tacos or Fajitas.

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