Saying Goodbye

On Friday, February 20th I had to say goodbye to my last living grandparent. My grandpa was 81 years old.

At his 80th Birthday Party

4 generations
My nephew, dad, brother and grandpa

Houston Reception
Dan, Grandpa and Christy

My grandpa, brother and dad

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008

We will miss you dearly, but it gives us great comfort and peace knowing that you are with grandma now. One day we will see each other again.

Garden Update

We were planning to make the new box for my flowers this past weekend, but we had yucky weather. Soon we will plant my peonies, ranunculus and dahlias (aka my wedding bouquet). I can't wait! Until then, check out some of our new goods. :) I'm so proud of our garden!

Dan planted the rhubarb. Yum! I can't wait to have some rhubarb fool. Mmm!

Check out our broccoli!

Did you know broccoli starts flowering if you don't pick it in time? Crazy!

Our cute cauliflower!


Potatoes!

Potatoes & Carrots

Fennel

Close up of Fennel Bulb

Cherry Tomatoes

Family Road Trip

This is what a road trip with our little family looks like.

Baby Dan is passed out in his bed.

Sissy is passed out in her bed.

And the car seat we wasted our money on sits unoccupied between them. :)
No, it's not a complete waste. They do start out fastened to the car seat because they are a little unhappy with car rides, they just end up going to their beds after we've been on the road for awhile.


And Baby Dan somehow always ends up in the front seat with me. :)

The Tamale Tradition Continues!

This is something I had meant to blog about awhile back.

On December 2007 Dan and I made tamales for the first time with my mama and we enjoyed it so much we decided we would continue this wonderful tradition. :) This year (2008) we made them just a couple of days before Christmas.

Making tamales is not difficult, but is very time consuming, it can take all day and can be very tiring. I am definitely sore by the end of the day.

It starts with pork.
This is one of the roasted pork shoulders that Dan made.

It is then chopped up and seasoned with more spices.

It's Dan's job to handle the pork.

It's my job to make the masa...with the help of my mama of course!



Now that the meat has been chopped & seasoned, the masa mixed, and the corn husks soaked...it's time to embarrar (spread the masa on the husks).
This is mine and my mama's job. :) This can be very tiring and this is what leaves us so sore at the end of the day.



A glimpse at the mess we can make.

Dan's other jobs are to: fill the corn husks with the meat and special sauce

and to wrap/roll the tamales.



A shot of some of the completed tamales.



Loading them into our pot.

Taking a break to stretch the back, as I watch my hubster hard at work.

Time for a quick photo.

Cutting into a tamale, checking to make sure they are ready.

Some of the cooked tamales before being packed.

Mama S packing the tamales in foil.

Packed tamales ready to go in the freezer or eaten!!



We make the best tamales! :)
Last year (2007) we made over 70 dozen over 2 days...this time around we only made a little over 20 dozen, but only did it on one night.

Put your orders in now. ;)