Watch This! On Wednesdays!

As some of you have probably guessed, I love TV. I'm truly not proud of this addiction. I realize I should do more productive things (like reading, cooking, running, blah, blah, blah) in the evenings during the week, but I can't help it. And, besides, I wonder:  would I be doing y’all a minor disservice if I didn’t share my new favorite TV show info with you? It’s brilliant. It's on ABC (channel 8 in the DFW area) on Wednesday nights at 7:30 p.m. CST.  It’s called Better With You. Yep. My life is BETTER because of this show. LOL.

It's simply a riot. Even my husband laughs at their witty humor. It's a miracle I can get him to watch anything with me because he knows I hoard Housewives on our DVR. That challenges his patience.

It follows three couples (all family - parents and two daughters) at three different stages of life/relationships. BELIEVE ME – you must DVR at least one show and give it a chance! I'm getting paranoid that it might get cancelled (I don’t see how – it’s very different and clever), and I don’t want it to go away.

"Mia," one of the characters, is played by Joanna Garcia. She was "Cheyenne" on Reba. This is another favorite series of mine.  You can still catch it on Lifetime weekday mornings. Should I be ashamed I can quote TV programming without having to Google it first? She also recently married Nick Swisher. A New York Yankee.  I adore her anyway.

Speaking of the New York Yankees, I totally hopped on the Texas Rangers’ bandwagon this past season. I might be considered a fair-weather fan, though. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so interested if they hadn't been winning. And if they hadn't been winning, there probably wouldn't have been all of the extra cute “merch” and trinkets, shirts, etc. to purchase. In fact, I bought the cutest t-shirt at Dick's Sporting Goods (be EXTRA careful when typing their web address in, if you catch my drift). It literally had a ginormous letter "T" on the front. I had seen the adorable meteorologist on Channel 5 (NBC/Dallas-Ft. Worth) wearing it one Saturday morning. I emailed her the next day, asking if she wouldn't mind telling me where she got it. She immediately replied back. After work that following Monday, I stopped on my way home and purchased it (Thank you, Samantha Davies!!! You ROCK.). I concede the "T" was for the Texas Rangers. However, it’s fun to pretend it was for moi. TLC. I know. I'm a little fruitcake.

Holy cow. Did I major digress? Whoa.

Do yourself a big favor:  watch my new favorite show tonight. Set your DVR ASAP. ELC is hooked, too, although she always calls it Better Than You. We both agree her mistake is probably Freudian. One of her favorite episodes involved the Mom having to explain her friends’ “Fantasy Husband League” to the Dad. They played it at their Country Club, and the women even had a website. The Dad, bless his heart, was at the bottom of the recruits. He spent most of the show trying to work his way up, only to learn his wife was deliberately sabotaging him because she didn’t want any of the other women to want him. I heard my Dad LOL-ed when he was “requested” to watch it.

Since it's bitter cold everywhere – especially in Texas where our cities practically shut down at the first sign of ice – and we’ve had more than just a little ice this week – I thought I’d share a delish recipe ELC got from a dear friend many years ago. What could be more cozy than an evening at home, curled up on the couch, fire roaring, Better With You on the tube, and a big ol' coffee mug of yummy taco soup? It'll warm your soul while laughter warms your heart and spirit!

ELC’s Famous Taco Soup

2 lbs. of hamburger meat (you could also substitute ground turkey or even a shredded rotisserie chicken)

1 onion (we usually use a medium yellow one)

1 can of green chilies (2 cans for a bit spicier)

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper (or more depending on your taste preference)

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. marjoram (I think this is the “secret ingredient”)

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

1 can hominy (my favorite ingredient) – drained

1 can kidney beans – drained

1 can pinto beans – drained

3 cans stewed tomatoes

1 ½ cups water

Cook meat, onion, and green chilies until meat is well done. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for at least an hour.  Makes a BIG pot of soup, and tastes even better the next day. Serve it with your favorite cornbread. We like to top ours with a little sour cream, some slices of avocado, shredded cheese, and crunched up Frito’s.  It’s pure winter comfort food (it would also be SUPER easy and SUPER great for a Super Bowl Party). Bon appetit!