trying to break the Taco Bell habit

[ima_sinnic]

to my chagrin I have to admit I LIKE Taco Bell stroke-inducing Nachos Bel Grande, Mexican Pizzas, Nacho Cheese Steak Gorditas and all those other greasy and beef-by-product-laden concoctions. I LIKE having to spend only $3 for a lunch that I can slather with Fire Sauce.

I know it's wrong-wrong-wrong, they are slavemasters, timecard-cheaters, migrant labor abusers. They are in a constant state of boycott and I always say, NOW I will give up my Taco Bell habit and join the righteous crusade of boycotters, but furtively I sneak in there and buy yet another Grilled Stuffed Burrito and 3 Tacos Deluxe with free Senior Drink (yes! I am old enough to get the free Senior Drink!--oh, the shame of it!).

Somebody pound some enlightenment into me! Help me, please, for I am weak and too lazy to make my own much healthier tacos.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. We are victims of mad-cow disease just waiting to happen.

I hear ya.

[ima_sinnic]

3. now THAT'S a sobering thought!

yes, I must keep telling myself: mad cow, mad cow, mad cow . . .

[Racenut20]

2. No No No

You cannot LIVE without Taco Bell. I tried once and spent days walking around in a daze. It just isn't possible to give it up. Heroin yes, Marlboros yes, Jack Daniels yes, Budweiser and NASCAR yes. But never Taco Bell.

[ima_sinnic]

5. oh, friend, I am not alone

. . . is there a 12-step TBA program anywhere? :silly:

[brainshrub]

9. Perhaps we should start one!

The Taco-Bell 12-step program!

Step 1
"We admitted we were powerless over Taco Bell- and that Taco Bell is a bastard Corporation like Wal-Mart and Microsoft."

Step2
"Came to believe that the power of Progressive thought and social conscience could restore us to sanity".

Step3
"Made a decision to stop shoveling money to an anti-labor corporation and lose 30 pounds in the process."

[brainshrub]

4. Brother, I know how you feel!

I to, love Taco Bell. Although I would never admit it to my friends.

For all my ranting about Wal-Mart, I wish I could stop visiting Taco Bell. In fact, I may head there later this afternoon for lunch.

Gah! I am such a hypocrite.

[ima_sinnic]

8. oops! you might not have thought of TB for lunch w/o this thread

. . . so now I have enabled yet another falling by the wayside . . . hmm, as consolation I might have to ingest a Baja Chicken Chalupa--oh yes, that will make me feel a lot better--until remorse sets in yet again . . .

[peacefreak]

6. Oh, the shame. Oh, the sorrow

I understand. There is not even a Taco Bell in my town. I find myself making up errands to go to where there is one. Pick me up a burrito grande & 2 tacos, wouldya. Thanks.

[He loved Big Brother]

7. Well, Taco bell was my very first job

I can tell you that they are pretty clean, due to all of the time I was made to spend cleaning every damn thing in the kitchen top to bottom. When I moved onto McDonald's for my next high-school job, they were disgustingly messy by comparison. Sometimes people would drop a burger or someting and just kick it under the grill, where it would sit until someone cleaned it up, sometimes not until one or two days later.

Also, my Taco Bell manager wouldn't eat anything from there with meat in it, because she told me in confidence one day that they used grade-E meats. She must have told a few other people there too, because I noticed some employees would only order meatless items, though they were not vegetarians.

I was too young to know what grade-E meat entailed, but once I found out, I didn't eat any Taco Bell meat either. My advice- don't order anything with chicken or beef, stick to meatless items at the Toxic Hell.

[Bertha Venation]

11. Thanks for the tip.

I need to quit eating there anyway. I just discovered the joy of Baja Steak Chalupas, too. Oh, well.

My first job was Del Taco and I know that, at least 20+ years ago, the quality of their food and its preparation was beyond reproach. Don't know now.

[solinvictus]

10. Taco Bell

I used to eat there all the time. I stopped because I make many of the items at home now. Grilled Stuffed Burrito? Meximelt? Mexican Pizza? All at home now. You can control the fat and salt content AND avoid the low grade mixture of meats used in their food. I still eat there about once every couple of months, but I won't eat anything with their ground meat.

[Bertha Venation]

12. Thanks for the laugh!

I know you're serious and this is a serious subject but I enjoyed your rant.

Making your own tacos is a lot of work but soooo worth it. What kinds of tacos do you make?

[ima_sinnic]

17. actually, I developed a recipe for lentil tacos back in the 70s

(pretty straighforward, actually): cook lentils as usual (2 parts H2O, 1 part lentils, simmer for about 1/2 hr. til H2O is absorbed), then saute them with cut-up onions and garlic (or skip the onions & garlic if too hungry/lazy) and a little chili pepper and cumin seed, spoon into taco shells (I'm piggish and use flat tortillas HEAPED with the little legumes), top with favorite taco toppings.

I once had all the fixings spread out buffet-style at a party and the lentils taste so meatlike that a vegetarian had to ask me for reassurance more than once that there was truly no meat in them.

[Bertha Venation]

19. that sounds great!

I might try it.

I like to make fish tacos. Mmm.... :9

[Champion Jack]

13. want to quit Taco Hell? take a look at the kitchen, talk to someone

who works there. You WILL be cured.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Here's what cured me...

After ordering late one night, I was driving to the pick-up window and saw a hefty rat squeeze through a crack in the wall at the back of the restaurant. I didn't bother picking up my order.

[He loved Big Brother]

15. I don't eat fast food, but to be fair-

Rats and roaches have got to be a common problem at more than just fat-food (pun intended) restaurants. I don't care if I am at a very upscale restaurant, I don't think I really want to know what's going on behind the scenes. Because my guess is, it ain't too pretty. :scared:

[Deja Q]

16. Chipolte's a nice little place...

McDisease owns a part of it though... :-(

[ima_sinnic]

18. Chipolte's? hmm, it might be here in this town

but I have successfully boycotted McD's, Wal-Mart and DisneyWorld (on general principles of cultural pollution) for eons.

[Bertha Venation]

20. Look for Baja Fresh.

IMO they are the BEST. La Salsa is pretty good, too, but I fear they're only in So. Cali.

[Nikia]

21. I was thinking about going there today

Since my husband has been away this week, I've been eating lot of salads and veggies, which he doesn't like, I feel that it is about time for a steak chalupa. I do have some cans of chunky Campell's soup though that I could eat instead of salad, but Taco Bell is so tasty. I live less than a mile away from Taco Bell. Maybe I should compromise on its health impact and walk.