Best Taco Salad Ever and Other Amazing Uses for Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar #Sponsored

***Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Heinz Vinegar. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.***

A lot of my friends and family jokingly call me a hippie, and tell me I was born in the wrong decade. Rather than being an 80's baby, I belonged in the 60's. Yes, I own tie-dye, listen to The Doors and Grateful Dead, and I also try and use as many natural products as possible. I cloth diapered for quite a long time, and I try and purchase natural and organic products whenever possible. I also prefer holistic remedies rather than synthetic when it comes to my own health.

In my journey to live clean, I have discovered a lot of unconventional uses for every day products. One product I absolutely love is Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar. Most people have a bottle of this somewhere in their pantry, and it seems that loads of people have no idea what to do with it. It's one of those staples that tends to collect dust. That's a shame, since Apple Cider Vinegar, both filtered and unfiltered, has a myriad of uses. Some of the uses are actually very surprising, but we'll get to that later!

The first use I'd like to mention is cooking. Apple Cider Vinegar is a must-have ingredient for any foodie. I like using it in salads, in sauces, and even in my almost famous Cincinnati Chili. Since I have already shared my recipe on the blog, I'd like to share yet another mouth-watering recipe that showcases this extremely versatile ingredient. I bet you'd never guess, but the absolute best taco meat recipe in existence uses Apple Cider Vinegar. Here's my recipe for Taco Salad:

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The Best Taco Salad Ever :

Ingredients :
(for the meat)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons hot Mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon Chipotle or Ancho pepper
Coarse Sea Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup smooth canned tomato sauce
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons light brown sugar

Tortilla Chips (I use Doritos)
Lettuce or Mixed Field Greens
Chihuahua Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Salsa or Taco Sauce
Black Olives (optional)
Onions (optional)
Cilantro (optional)

Directions:
1.Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2.Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant about thirty seconds.
3.Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about five minutes.
4.Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar until thickened and liquid is reduced, about 15 minutes.
5.Season with salt to taste.
6. Place a layer of Tortilla Chips in a bowl or on a plate
7. Add lettuce or mixed greens
8. Top with beef, cheeses, olives, onions, Cilantro and salsa or taco sauce
9. Enjoy!

I made this taco salad last night, and as always, it disappeared very quickly! I love the slight tang the Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar adds. It balances perfectly with the spices and brown sugar used in this recipe. The key is to use as many fresh ingredients as possible. Try it! I guarantee your family will love this!

While Apple Cider Vinegar is awesome for cooking, it also has about a gazillion other uses. You might be surprised by some of them!

Surprising Uses for Cider Vinegar :

My kids laugh at me, but I actually drink Unfiltered Cider Vinegar every day. In fact, it was part of my fertility regiment when Dan and I were having trouble conceiving. I take it now to promote weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels. I also take it for my horrible, frequent heartburn. Some people are turned off by the smell or taste, but I actually love it.

Here are some great health benefits that Apple Cider Vinegar can provide:

We also use Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar around the house. It has a multitude of uses, and allows us to clean without relying on toxic chemicals. When I clean with vinegar, I can let my kids help without being worried about what they're being exposed to. My favorite household use is using it as bait for pesky fruit flies. It seems like whenever we buy fruit, especially bananas, fruit flies make an appearance. So I add some apple cider vinegar to a baby food jar along with a little bit of dish soap. I poke holes in the lid that are large enough for the flies to get in. (They're attracted to the scent!) Once they get in, they can't get back out. Viola! Fruit fly problem solved in a non-toxic way!

Here are some more great household uses for Cider Vinegar:

Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar can also be used for beauty and personal care. I love using it as a hair rinse! It leaves my hair super soft and shiny. Another way I love to use it is as a toner. Apple Cider Vinegar helps keep skin pH balanced and it even has astringent properties to help banish blemishes.

Here are more beauty and personal care uses:

So as you can see, Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar is an extremely versatile product with tons and tons of uses. It's also very inexpensive, so it's a money-saver, too! I have been using and loving cider vinegar for many years now, and I have found that it makes my life as a busy mom so much easier.

To learn about even more ways to use Apple Cider Vinegar, check out the Heinz Vinegar website.

You can also find some inspiration on the Heinz Vinegar Pinterest Page!

Do you use Apple Cider Vinegar in your home? What uses have you found for this amazing, natural product? I'd love to hear your ideas!