Taco Soup Canning

Yesterday we ran to Wal-Mart to get a few things.  Vince was going one way and I was supposed to be heading to the grocery section.  He never carries his cell phone with him but in fact, I didn’t have mine with me either so I guess it didn’t matter but when Chad and I would shop together, and we would get separated, we would call each other and we were “found”.  Every time we go to Wal-Mart, Vince and I get lost and one of us spends too much time looking for the other one so when we went our separate ways, it was agreed that he would come and find me in the grocery section. The last thing I said to him was . . please don’t get sidetracked and not come and find me!

As I was getting my cart, one of the co-managers walked by and we started chatting. I talked to her for a few minutes then headed to the canning section. I wanted to get some regular mouth pint jars since I mostly have wide mouth jars and have better luck vacuum sealing the regular mouths. Then I needed to get some lids but I couldn’t quite reach them. I’m just a bit too short. A very nice lady was headed my way and offered to help. Then we started talking about canning and you know . . with my love of canning, that conversation can go on and on and on . . and . . she’s a quilter too! We exchanged phone numbers and email addresses and last night, I received this email from her:

Hi Judy,  I’ve been looking over your website and just read one of your posts about your pressure canner and getting started.   Don’t remember what date it was, but one thing I thought was kind of funny.   You said maybe to hang out in the isle at Walmart and if you see any ladies with canning jars to quiz them!   That’s just what I did with you this morning!   Too funny!  I’m enjoying your site.  

Yep, we hung out and we talked . . so long that by the time I got to the grocery section, Vince was a bit unhappy with me. He had already checked out with his stuff and taken it to the car and . . to hear him tell it, he had searched the entire store for me and couldn’t find me anywhere!

There was a recipe that I wanted to can . . it is called Mexican Haystacks and the ingredients seem much like taco soup but the haystack recipe ends up being thicker. I made mine a bit thinner so I can serve it as soup or cook it down a bit and serve it like the haystacks, which usually is rice, with the “thickened taco soup” on top, then lettuce, then sour cream, guacamole and cheese.

Taco Soup

I made a double batch – 16 quarts and 12 pints.

We’re having a friend over for dinner tonight and this is what we’re having.