Taco Meat

4-5 pounds ground beef

2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce

2 onions, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon cumin

1 and 1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon crushed red chilies

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Drain. Add remaining spices and stir thoroughly. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Great for a crowd, or freeze in quart containers.

Pirate Punch/Sunshine Slush

This is my mom's recipe for a tasty treat called Sunshine Slush. Great for baby and wedding showers, pretty and yellow. With a bit of rum added, it becomes a perfect Pirate Punch for a party.

3 cups water

1 cup sugar

2 ripe bananas

2 (12 ounce) cans pineapple juice (I used a 64 ounce carton in mine)

1 can frozen orange juice

1 can frozen lemonade

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 liter or so club soda (I used ginger ale as that's what I bought by mistake)

Boil water and sugar 3 minutes and let cool. Put part of pineapple juice and bananas in blender and mix. Mix all ingredients together except soda. Freeze. When ready to serve, add soda. Let set at room temperature about 30 minutes until slushy and serve. For Pirate Punch, add rum to taste.

Black Bean Salsa

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 bag frozen corn, thawed

2 large tomatoes

1 red onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 avocados, chopped (optional and not in picture)

Combine in large bowl, cover and chill.