Tag Archives: tbell

Jul11

A Night At The Theater OOTD Bloopers

Posted on July 11, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Night At The Theater OOTD! Johnny and I had a wonderful date night seeing Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square and it was a whirlwind event. We had to stop by my parents’ to get the tickets, make the fifty minute trek to the Taco Bell and the Funhouse where we kick started the night, and make it to Playhouse Square by seven when the doors to the theater opened. With so much to do and no time to waste, we had to take OOTD shots in record timing. In fact, it might have been one of my most successful shoots yet because there weren’t too many bloopers to choose from! Check it out:

That look of pre TBell anticipation

Willing our food to get done faster with my gaze. We were hungry!

Don’t mind my face, just mind how cool the fringe looks in this shot! 😀

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finesse, style, poise. Straight working it.

I genuinely have no idea what warranted this reaction!! 😮

When I say we took rapid fire pictures outside of the Funhouse, it was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. After we got our Taco Bell, we walked over to the bar to eat it there. However, one of my pre OOTD quirks is that I’d really rather not eat before I take pictures. No, this is not because of a weight thing as I could truly care less. This is just pure laziness on my part lol. Once my makeup is on and lipstick is applied, the last thing that I want to do is eat, do touch ups, wipe the remnants of lipstick off, and put it back on again. I mean I could… I just don’t want to! And, at the end of the day, Johnny and I would rather get pictures out of the way at the jump so I can be done working and enjoy the date.

I promised Johnny that our photo shoot would be and I quote “so, so fast” and I delivered results, baby! I think we might have taken two minutes worth of pictures and called it. In that time, I checked on progress once, adjusted a few things, checked on progress again, and was happy with what we had and that was good enough for me. It’s funny because in this speedy session, I was pleased with more pictures than I usually am with an upwards of ten minutes shoot. Hence, the lack of bloopers. What can I say, I guess I thrive when it’s crunch(wrap) time!

The moral of this story? I should start treating every OOTD shoot like Johnny and I are about to dig into Taco Bell. Hey, whatever works right?! 😀

What is a “lazy” quirk about you? What is something that you don’t like to do before taking pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul10

Beauty & The Bell

Posted on July 10, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Mine and Johnny’s Moulin Rouge date night came as a surprise to us. We knew we were going, but we thought we were seeing it on the eighth instead of the first! I planned on making us reservations at my favorite restaurant, Pepper’s, but that plan got foiled with the mix up of dates. Lucky for us, I have another favorite eatery – Taco Bell, and that is where we went for our pre Moulin Rouge meal. Lol, check it out:

^^^ VERY NICE!!!!

Taco Bell is, was, and always will be everything I could ever want and more. We strolled into The Bell in our theater’s best, used the touch screen ordering device like seasoned pros, and naturally took pictures. You’re not going to not when you’re at the Taco Bell in fancy clothes! There was another perk to this particular TBell location, the fact that it is right next to a really awesome bar called the Funhouse.

After we got our food at the happiest place on Earth, we brought it over to the Funhouse to eat there and enjoy a libation. The combination of TBell and the boozy blue raspberry slushie was a match made in heaven! Not only does the Funhouse have great drinks for on the cheap, but it is literally the coolest bar I have ever been to. It is decorated with pictures of carnival side shows, coffins, and skulls everywhere. There is also a nice selection of arcade games. So, obvi it’s right up mine and Johnny’s alley!

Once we were done breaking bread or should I say burritos, we played ski ball which is both of our favorites. We started out pretty rusty because we haven’t played in almost two years. By the time our quarters were gone, we were scoring left and right and that was much more like it! Then, I dragged Johnny into the photo booth to get a commemorative photo strip of our night on the town:

Lol these pictures sum up our relationship beautifully and I love them so much! I truly can’t think of a better, more fun, more us beginning to our night at the theater than a trip to Taco Bell and the Funhouse. We had such an amazing date night and I can’t wait for more. BTW, we deff got Taco Bell again on the 4th of July lol!

What is your favorite bar in your neck of the woods? What about your favorite fast food eatery? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May16

Updated Vegetarian Cheesy Gordita Crunches

Posted on May 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Updated Vegetarian Cheesy Gordita Crunches

Hello!! Last year, I began making vegetarian cheesy gordita crunches as an homage to my beloved Taco Bell. It has become a staple in mine and Johnny’s dinner arsenal ever since, which is fine by me because they are so yummy and crazy easy to make. Also, can we talk about how freaking expensive Taco Bell is now? What used to be a constant in my life has quickly become an every once in a while thing because of it. While it saddens me deeply, I have upgraded my at home gordita game quite a bit and truly consider it to be a Taco Bell taste alike. Check it out:

^^^ Note that Taco Bell doesn’t use sour cream on their gorditas. I love it though and the Daisy sour cream squeeze bottle is perfect for tacos!

Although I miss TBell something fierce, I do find comfort in the fact that some of their products are available in grocery stores like the taco seasoning and Baja sauce. It takes the edge off, but only slightly lol. I have already been using both of these when making my gordita crunches and the real game changer happened when I discovered Old El Paso made nacho cheese shells. My mind was blown during my last curbside order and so was Johnny’s! The nacho cheese cheesy gordita crunch is his go to order at Taco Bell. 🙂

When I made this dish last week, it was definitely the best ever. I love to cook, but I have never made anything that I considered to be even remotely close to a restaurant or fast food chain before. What made it even better was how simple it was to make. This dinner took under a half hour to prepare with minimal work involved. All I did was make the taco meat for Johnny, heat up vegetarian refried beans for me, and melt cheese lol. This is a meal that I am so fine cooking regardless of how busy my day is and the leftovers turn into more easy peasy dinners throughout the week. You can’t beat that!

With some upgraded ingredients, I was able to invoke the taste of Taco Bell from the comfort of my own kitchen. Even if the prices of TBell went down, I will absolutely still be making my taste alike cheesy gordita crunches at home! 😀

Do you have any restaurant or fast food taste alike recipes? What is your favorite dinner to cook? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar2

Out & About OOTD Bloopers

Posted on March 2, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel for my Out & About OOTD! On Saturday, Johnny and I planned on having lunch at The Basement after running our errands. We actually DoorDashed it the week before but I was craving their spinach artichoke dip something fierce! By the time we finished running around, however, we were both really hungry and verging on hangry. Sitting around at a restaurant instantly became the last thing we wanted to do so we ended up at Taco Bell, instead. It’s all good, though, because it slapped AND we were able to snap some pics while we waited for our food. Take a look at what definitely didn’t make the first cut:

A tip of the cap and a howdy doo to all of my fine readers

Lol hey, if you’ve got it; flaunt it!

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Practicing my red carpet wave for when I’m not frequenting the Taco Bell

Don’t mind me just gathering my bearings

Not sure what’s going on here, but obviously I thought I was really working it!

My about to eat food face or just my losing my balance face? The world will never know!

Feeling fierce, but looking like OOTD amateur hour

Have I told you all about my recent falling out with Taco Bell? Well, we are clearly on the mend now but for a month I refused to get it no matter how badly I wanted it. The cause: At least one item in not one, or two, but THREE vegetarian orders in a row were contaminated with meat. The first time, I considered it to be a fluke. The second time, I was annoyed. But the third time? I was pissed because it was just flushing money down the toilet.

After the third offense, I went on strike and planned on saving my business for when the wounds weren’t so tender. It took some convincing on Johnny’s part to get me to eat one of my favorite foods on the planet, and I am so glad that he persisted. While my strike was difficult, the absence certainly made the heart grow fonder and the Taco Bell ordered after this photo shoot was the best ever and had no mistakes. I can handle OOTD bloopers, but TBell bloopers are a totally different story!

All in all, it was a pretty good Saturday this past weekend! Stepping out with my main squeeze even if it’s just for errands is always fun and the outing ended with a reunion worthy of the greatest love story ever told. #blessed ❤

Have you ever had a falling out with your favorite eatery? Do you still frequent it or no? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

Delicious Guacamole Recipe & Cilantro Lime Rice

Posted on August 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Delicious Guacamole Recipe & Cilantro Lime Rice

Hello! This past Saturday was a very busy one. We visited my mom at the Cleveland Clinic, I cooked up a feast, and watched my niece while her baby sister was born. For dinner, I treated my dad, brother, and Johnny to homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunches. This is the second time that I have made them and the meal turned out excellent. And in the words of Emeril Lagasse, I definitely kicked things up a notch.

The last time I made Taco Bell style Cheesy Gordita Crunches for dinner, I used the beef crumbles by MorningStar. While I didn’t care for it, Johnny liked it well enough so I just decided to use real beef for the guys and vegetarian refried beans for me. I have never cooked ground beef in my life and apparently it turned out good lol. Not that I was surprised because, I hate to toot my own horn, but Johnny says I cook bacon better than someone who eats meat. GREAT SUCCESS! 😀

Not only did I make all of the fixings for our taco dinner but I also prepared some extra additions to enhance the meal. I made a new Pinterest recipe for cilantro lime rice, which can be found here at Downshiftology. I also whipped up a batch of my own personal recipe for guacamole that I think is simply the best. Check it out:

^^^ Obviously I should have taken a picture of my guac before we chowed down!

Of course, Taco Bell was the source of inspiration for this meal and my life in general. However, I was also trying to serve major Chipotle vibes. The recipe that I used for the cilantro lime rice claims to be a Chipotle taste alike and I completely agree. It. Was. Delicious. The zingy lime and cilantro balanced out the garlic and salt perfectly and I honestly think that I could have ate the entire bowl. I highly recommend making it during your next taco dinner!

I also hate to toot my own horn again but I truly believe that my guacamole is a Chipotle taste alike too. It is SO easy to make with minimal ingredients and tastes divine. This is my recipe:

Ingredients:

2 mashed avocados
A small portion of red onion, finely chopped
Juice, pulp, and zest from one lime
Several sprigs of cilantro
Course sea salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

While you can add anything you please to your guacamole like chopped olive or tomato, I always say that simple is best. All of the different flavors and textures in my recipe blend together so well and that extra dose of lime in the zest and pulp sends it over the top. I also just mash up my avocado with a spoon, which makes it very similar in texture to Chipotle’s, which is definitely more chunky. Now, if only I could make a taste alike for their tortilla chips. YUM!

As you all know, I love cooking for Johnny but it was SO nice to be able to make a meal for my dad and brother too. Cooking soothes my soul and watching people enjoy what I make makes it even better. ❤

What are some of your favorite taste alike recipes? How do you prepare the perfect taco? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul6

Vegetarian Cheesy Gordita Crunches

Posted on July 6, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!!! Cooking in the kitchen of mine and Johnny’s new apartment will, honestly, never get old to me because it feels like an actual kitchen. Counter space for days and lots of room to spread out makes for a very happy me and I have had a blast cooking lots of yummy Pinterest recipes for dinner. Even the simplest of meals feels like a special event!

As you all know, Johnny and I are avid fans of Taco Bell and I decided to try my hand at vegetarian Cheesy Gordita Crunches. I drew inspiration from my undying love of TBell, of course, but I also took a peek at Texas Cookin’ At Home on Pinterest. I didn’t end up using the recipe, which featured a homemade sauce because Taco Bell has graced us with their own Baja sauce that can be bought in store. Now, let’s get to it:

Cheesy Gordita Crunches are super easy to make and only requires dressing a hard taco shell to your liking, microwaving a soft shell tortilla with cheese on it, and putting two and two together. Viola, a TBell level dish in under twenty minutes. For my crunches, I made MorningStar vegetarian beef crumbles, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and the Taco Bell brand Baja sauce. They were so incredibly delicious and filling – Johnny and I couldn’t have had another bite after two Gorditas no matter how much we wanted to!

Prior to going vegetarian in my youth, I had never tried actual taco meat before for no other reason than that it looked gross to me lol. I had never made the MorningStar crumbles before and was curious to try it on a taco. I love that Johnny will eat and actually enjoy the fake meat that I make and he ended up really liking the crumbles. Myself, on the other hand? Not so much. I couldn’t get down with the texture, I didn’t like the taste, and was so happy that I made some refried beans just in case this were to happen.

Although I wouldn’t eat the crumbles again, Johnny would and I definitely plan on making this meal often. It was fun to make, different than what I’ve been cooking, and that TBell Baja sauce? *Chef’s kiss*!

What are some of your favorite meals to cook? Have you ever made a recipe inspired from a restaurant before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun29

Summer Fun!

Posted on June 29, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! After a long and dreary winter, it is so nice to finally be enjoying the sunny days of summer. I have certainly been making the most of it with lots of fun in the sun… And the sunburns to prove it. -_- Despite looking like a lobster, I am already fantasizing about more days spent by the pool at my apartment community with a good book!

This past weekend was one filled with ACTIVITIES and I think that I am still recovering from it:

This past Saturday, my sister and darling niece came over to go swimming and it was such a blast. To make it even better, Kristen surprised me with a Taco Bell inner tube that I am still freaking out over. Her and Valerie went to Five Below to stock up on pool toys and couldn’t not get me this TBell themed masterpiece. Val had so much fun hitching a ride on it with me and it will definitely be joining me every time I hit the pool!

My brother and his wife and son also came to visit from Georgia over the weekend and Johnny and I loved accompanying them to the park. We swung on the swings to our heart’s content and I have to laugh at Johnny’s outfit choice on such a hot day! He is nothing if not committed to our preferred OOTD choice of All Black Everything. 😀

I have never been a huge lover of summer and will forever be fall’s number one fan. However, I have a brand new appreciation for the season now that I can share in the joy with my niece. Trips to the pool, zoo, and park have never been more fun and will be even better once I remember to wear sunscreen smh!

What is your favorite summer activity? How about your favorite season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep26

Jeans & A T OOTD Bonus Pictures

Posted on September 26, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy and welcome to some bonus content from my Jeans & A T OOTD! I don’t know if it was my hair, my outfit, or the setting at Taco Bell but I liked so many of the pictures that Johnny took for me that I had an insanely difficult time narrowing it down. That’s why we are going to look at some extra pics as well as a few blooper ones as well as discuss how we ended up at Taco Bell in the first place! Let’s get to it:

^^^ Can you guess which ones the bloopers are?! 😀

On Saturday morning, Johnny told me what every girl wants to hear when she wakes up: “I’m getting us Taco Bell for lunch”. It was the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me and I couldn’t wait for my husband to return home from errands with TBell in hand.

While Johnny was out, I texted him what I wanted and, instead of putting a “medium Baja Blast” I just texted “medium Baja”. I assumed that he knew I meant the drink but assuming makes an ass out of U and ME. Once he got home, I didn’t see my blue drank and figured that he left it in the car. When I asked Johnny where it was he told me: “I thought you meant a medium amount of Baja sauce on your food”. LOL!

The Taco Bell was delicious, as always, but it would have been even better to wash it down with a Baja Blast. I joked with Johnny about it and in between laughter, my sweet husband told me that we could go back to TBell on our way to taking pictures at a new hiking trail.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we drove around everywhere and could not find this trail to save our own lives. I also still really wanted my Baja Blast so I told Johnny let’s just forget it and take pictures at Taco Bell. At first, he didn’t think I was serious but I meant it with every ounce of my being. So, we turned around and headed to TBell and after getting a drink for the both of us, the photo shoot commenced!

Taking pictures for my Jeans & A T OOTD was a mini road trip and one hundred percent hilarious. It also gave me some of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken for my blog. Johnny’s silly mistake ended up being a blessing in disguise! ❤

What is your favorite fast food place? What is your usual order from Taco Bell? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep25

Jeans & A T OOTD

Posted on September 25, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hello and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! After getting my hair done and having a wildly successful Fall Haul, I just had to take pictures this past weekend. I wanted to check out this new hiking trail nearby with my husband/photographer but we couldn’t find it to save our own lives. So, Johnny and I settled for taking pictures at Taco Bell instead lol. As we all know, T-Bell is my absolute favorite so this was just fine by me! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Britney Spears T-Shirt: TJMaxx
Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters
Platform Boots: Forever 21
Union Jack Purse: Charming Charlie’s

When it comes to my OOTDs, the more extravagant the better. However, there’s some days where you just have to throw on jeans and a T and go. This outfit is one of the most minimal looks I have featured on my page but it packs a punch thanks to the accessories, super distressed jeans, and pops of color. It was a perfect look for running errands with Johnny because we always try and show out even if we are just making a Target run!

To add some interest to a simple jeans and T look, it is all about the accessories. I didn’t want to overpower the black and white palette that I had going so I relied on the extras in my OOTD to give small but effective pops of color. I started by putting on my platform heels which added a fun surprise with the flames on the heels. It also helped create the illusion of length as it blended seamlessly with my jeans.

I went with my Union Jack shades and purse to give a pattern to my OOTD without being overwhelming to the muted palette. These accessories provided visual interest that enhanced the look because the colors weren’t too bright and minimal enough that it didn’t put all of the focus on one piece of the outfit. To complete the look, I put on my favorite bracelet from Claire’s that has a chain which connects to a ring and walked out the door feeling my damn self.

By the end of my styling session, I felt like a million bucks and had an outfit that I was in love with even though it is a far cry from my norm. For some people, stepping out of their comfort zone means wearing a more bold piece. For me, it means toning things down and my Jeans & A T OOTD definitely did that! The accessories tied this look together but, let’s be honest, the outfit was already made with Britney Spears on my T-shirt. ❤

Tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from this look as well as the funny story behind winding up at Taco Bell for a photo shoot! 😀

Who is your favorite pop star? How do you step out of your comfort zone in your outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun14

Wedding/Taco Bells

Posted on June 14, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! My wedding day was an amazing but very busy one and I spent the entire day until our late afternoon nuptials preparing. After I blogged and packed for our wedding and weekend getaway, it was off to the hair salon. Then, I had a short window of time to get something to eat until it was time for my appointment to get my makeup done. So, obviously, I ended up in the Taco Bell drive thru!

Taco Bell will always and forever hold a special place in my heart and I couldn’t imagine having anything different for my wedding lunch. You guys have no idea how many people laughed at me for this but, hey, a girl has gotta eat! I must say, the Taco Bell I went to in Tallmadge really delivered on my wedding day and I was simply thrilled because it wasn’t the best the last time I was at that location.

Once wedding bells were about to ring, the tip of the cap to T-Bell continued because our lil flower girl niece threw Taco Bell sauce packets instead of flower petals. Mine and Johnny’s last task to complete before our wedding was opening, emptying, and cleaning handful after handful of sauce packets to be thrown. Our “sauce packet girl” was a hit and I am tickled to have been able to represent my favorite eatery/happiest place on Earth at my wedding!

Were there any nontraditional aspects to your wedding? What is your favorite fast food restaurant? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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