Pasta Salad

I couldn't find any recipes on the Internet that were close enough to what I made to pin, so I'm recording what I did here instead.

10 oz. pasta (I used bow-ties, but any type should be fine)
1 smallish head of broccoli, cut into small florets (discard most of base/ stem)
baby carrots, cut into small pieces
fresh mozzarella (approx. 8 oz), cut into small chunks
black olives, sliced (most of a can)
about 3 oz. hard salami slices, cut into small pieces
A couple handfuls dried cranberries (added after I took the picture above)
Italian dressing (I used about 6 oz. Kraft Olive Oil Italian Vinaigrette)

Cook and drain pasta. While it cools, prepare other ingredients. Mix everything together. I didn't measure ingredients exactly; just whatever looks like the right balance.

Taco Soup

This recipe came from the wife of a man who went to the same church as us growing up. I've modified it to fit my preferences (fewer beans, less onion, no peppers, less water).

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 (16 oz) cans black beans and/or red beans (undrained)

1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn (undrained)

1 (16 oz) can chopped tomatoes (undrained)

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 c water

1 (1-1/4 oz) pkg taco seasoning mix

1 (1 oz) envelope Ranch style dry salad dressing mix (sugar, buttermilk, salt, MSG, garlic,
onion, spices)

Brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles; drain.
Combine with beans and rest of ingredients in large pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 min.
Serve with toppings such as tortilla chips, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped
tomato, sour cream, or chopped avocado. Can be frozen up to 3 months.