All Kinds of Networking

Enjoy a Tex Mex Diabetic Meal of Taco Style Lasagna, Southwestern Skillet Corn and Tangy Lemonade Pie

Make a Tex-Mex style meal for your family to enjoy.  This meal,  is tasty , easy and economical.  For the entree, taco-style lasagna is a casserole that only takes minutes to make and then bakes for about a half hour.  The flour tortillas instead of lasagna noodles, the beans, taco seasoning, etc. come together to create a real southwestern-style dish.This dish has your meat, vegetables, and dairy all in one dish.  Some grain is included with the tortillas.  By topping with shredded lettuce and tomato, you add a salad element.  To go with the lasagna, serve southwestern skillet corn to add to the southwestern flair of the meal.  For dessert, finish your meal with the cool, tangy tartness of lemonade pie.

TACO-STYLE LASAGNA

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2/3 cup water

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

1 can (15-oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2-oz) Mexican-style diced tomatoes, do not drain

6 (8") flour tortillas

1 can (16-oz) refried beans

3 cups (12-oz pkg) shredded Mexican cheese blend

In a large skillet, cook the beef, pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain well and rinse with hot water.  Return to skillet, add water and taco seasoning mix; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for two minutes.  Stir in the black beans and tomatoes.  Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or pan.  Place two tortillas in greased pan and spread half of the refried beans and beef mixture over the tortillas.  Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over beef mixture.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining tortillas and cheese.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Before serving, top each serving with some shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes, if desired, to bring some salad into the meal.

9 servings 

SOUTHWESTERN SKILLET CORN

1 med red bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

1 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 (1 lb) pkg frozen corn, thawed

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro (parsley may be substituted)

In a large nonstick skillet, saute pepper and jalapeno in butter until they are tender.  Add cumin, cook another half a minute.  Add corn and cilantro; saute another 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

3/4 cup = 138 calories, 26 g carbs, 6 g protein

Note:  Be careful when handling jalapenos.  Wear gloves and do not touch your eyes or face.

 

TANGY LEMONADE PIE

1 pkg (.3 oz) sugar-free lemon gelatin

1 pkg (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed

1 3/4 tsp sugar-free lemonade drink mix

1 (8 oz) reduced fat graham cracker crust

6 tbsp sugar-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare gelatin according to package directions.  Refrigerate until almost set.  Transfer gelatin to a blender or food processor.  Add the cream cheese and lemonade mix; cover and process until smooth.  Pour into the crust.  Refrigerate overnight.  Serve with whipped topping.

Enjoy!

About the Author

For more of Linda's diabetic recipes and information, visit her website at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

Selecting The Best Business Broadband Internet Service Provider

In the last decade, many changes have taken place in the telecommunications sector, with increasing focus on the Internet, and as data and voice technologies continued to converge. One obvious area of change in the industry is the increasing number of mergers and acquisitions. Another is the dazzling array of new products and services being introduced on an almost daily basis. What is the best way to stay up to date with all the changes? In this article, we investigate and analyze some of these changes and provide ideas that will help in selecting the best business broadband internet service provider.

In recent years, many telecommunications entities have been affected by mergers and acquisitions. A few of the biggest in the US include:

* The acquisition of US West by Qwest Communications in 1999

* AT&T Inc. acquired BellSouth in 2006

* SBC (Southwestern Bell Corporation) Communications acquired Ameritech in 1999

* The merger of MCI Communications Corporation and Worldcom in 1998

* The merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic to form Verizon in 2000

* SBC acquired AT&T in 2005

* The acquisition of MCI by Verizon in 2005

In addition, many new services and products have been introduced and continuously enhanced in recent years including:

* Voice over IP services (VoIP) - Beginning in 2004, VoIP services have been available over broadband DSL or business Internet T1 service, without using standard switched telephone services. Three main methods of providing VoIP services are using an analog telepone adapter with an existing analog phone, using dedicated VoIP phones, and using softphone (or software) on a personal computer.

* Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) - SIP is a signaling standard approved in 2000 and now available in hardware or software solutions, as one method of "standard" VoIP service. Many companies provide SIP hardware and services, including both carriers and manufacturers of telephone systems such as Avaya, Shoretel, Cisco, Nortel, Polycom, and Snom.

* Skype - Skype is a proprietary system that delivers VoIP services. Skype provides one of the most widespread VoIP services and uses its own non-standards based approach.

* Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) - MPLS is a way to define a protocol-based private network using DSL or business Internet T1 service and without using hardware devices at each location. The main advantage is a having fewer points in the network that require configuration and management; this reduces overhead.

These are only two of many areas undergoing rapid change in the telecommunications industry. Choosing the best business broadband internet service provider may require some expert advice in order to make the best possible choices for MPLS, VoIP, SIP, business Internet T1 service and many more new technologies. A telecommunications broker that keeps up with the latest industry trends can advise on the best services available from numerous industry souces to meet specific requirements.

 

About the Author

Jim Green advises on selecting the best broadband internet service provider through an online telecommunications brokerage and assists his clients to choose the optimal business high speed internet services according to their needs.