The first few weeks of the back to school season are probably some of the busiest times of the year for families. Busiest and most stressful. My list of things to do was huge this year and only a handful have been completed. Why do we leave getting the backpacks ready for the night before school starts? And what is with all of those forms the school sends home? My favourite (insert sarcasm here) is the massive agenda the kiddos bring home that requires I sit down and go through, page after page. With them. Have you ever tried explaining the various school policies, like dress code and how much time each grade should be spending on homework, to a very tired seven year old? I managed to escape the barrage of “why’s” and “how come’s” this year, but only because my youngest was wiped out. The older one though? Well, let’s just say teens have their own opinion on those topics and you really don’t want to hear it.
So with all of the stress about forms, new friends and making those loathsome lunches, wouldn’t it be great to forget about one major worry? Making dinner during the school week is akin to playing charades with a toddler. You can try and guess what your children will eat and then watch them have a meltdown when they don’t like it. Or, instead of preparing for a night of hungry, unhappy kiddos, plan ahead and make a favourite of my family’s. If you make enough meat for more then one meal, tacos can be your best friend for mid-week meals when your creativity is running a bit low. They are easy to prepare and taste so good!
We have been using the Old El Paso kits for awhile now and I love them! They make dinner time a breeze because almost everything you need is all together, in a nice, neat package. Our favourite has always been the Old El Paso Hard and Soft Taco Kit. I am a fan of the Stand ‘n Stuff hard Taco Shells, while the kids prefer the soft tortillas. My hubby will eat both, so everyone wins! This dinner kit includes both the hard and soft tacos, along with a mild sauce and the taco seasoning mix. Add in a batch of the cooked beef and your toppings, like shredded cheese and you are good to go! The second best thing about making tacos for dinner is taking the leftovers for lunch the next day. With a little ingenuity, you can make your child’s lunch box the envy of the whole class!
If your children are like mine, the end of the school day is a little rough on them. They are tired and still have to face the dreaded homework. That is another reason to have Taco Tuesday (or Wednesday or Thursday) every week; to give them something to look forward to. You know what your children like, so getting their favorite toppings ready in advance will save time and make them happy. A happy child means a very happy mama. 🙂 Recently, my youngest thought it would be great to try the Refried Beans we were sent from Old El Paso. I was skeptical about his reaction, but he loved them! It was super easy to just heat up the can of refried beans and use them to top off our tacos. The best part is that these delicious beans are really not a fried food. They are made from Pinto Beans, blended together with Mexican spices to create a yummy paste. They make a wonderful alternative fiber source for your tacos.
Tacos make for happy kids…
Which makes for happy homes!
With the abundance of tasty toppings you can put on your tacos, there is sure to be something your family will enjoy. It is also a great way to get your offspring to try something new. This time it was the Refried Beans and Old El Paso Sliced Jalapeno Peppers (the latter did not go over so well 🙁 .) What would you suggest we try during our next Taco Tuesday?
FT&PD
Suz
This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. In exchange for this review, I have received special perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.
My kids are always SO happy when I make Tacos – it’s actually one of the easiest and most fun dinners ever!
When the grandkids sleep over this is one of their favourite meals to make
I never think to buy refried beans for our taco nights, I should try it on our kids.
I like soft tacos – so easy to make.
Tacos are awesome and make for a great fast weekend meal, especially on movie night!!
We love taco, we like to try different ingredient in them. Fast easy nutritious meal!
Old el Paso tacos are almost a staple here! The kiddos love them!
mmmm delicious!! one of our favorite meals. we always get the burrito kit and do it up with lean ground beef, yellow, red, green peppers, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce and shredded marble cheese
I love tacos and use these kits all the time.
Great meal options for those days/nights when you have a lot going on!
think I will pick everything I need to make Tacos this weekend!
I love tacos too!!! We do the tacos, have the mexifries like they do them up in the fast food place with hamburger and sour cream …mmmm
a taco stand on every corner would be a GOOD thing LOL
My husband picked up this kit the other day. He is a fan of both the hard shell and the soft tortilla, so he wrapped the soft one around the hard shell! Best of both worlds – “Taco Bell inspired” he said.
all set for tacos tonight!
I love Old El Paso Taco Seasoning and their kits.
We love having taco nights here and they’re great because you can make them up to how you like to eat them, they may be messy but they’re so good!!
Taco night tonight!
We love having Old El Paso nights. Always delicious!
This sounds like a great idea.Love tacos.
Who doesn’t love tacos? They can be made a variety of ways in a pinch! Time saver and delicious.
This is such a staple at my house. Tacos for dinner is a favorite for everyone in my household. You can’t go wrong!
Tacos are a wonderful meal, especially since everyone can dress their’s up just as they want, which of course means less grumbling at meals always a positive note. 🙂
We enjoyed Old el Paso tacos last night with friends,always a great conversation starter.
Oh my can you believe it’s time to start collecting back to School lunch ideas,can’t believe summer is almost over for another year.
This is going to sound weird but I’ve never tried refried beans or jalapenos but I’m to give them a try because we love tacos or wraps
This is my most favourite meals to make with the grandkids !
looks delicious