Heritage Day--Both Sides

McIntire's eating Green Eggs & HAM!! Plus a green smoothie--







Heritage Food-

I thought to include my recipe for Tamales for part of today's blog. I got a call from Joanna this morning. She and Michael are making tamales for a family in the ward, so they needed the ingredients. Tara is also in the mood for Tamales, so I will get over there maybe this week and do that with her since she asked to make them a few weeks ago. Easter is a good time anyway!

Tamales--this will make at least 8 dozen tamales depending on how thick you make the tamales.
You can thin out the masa or make a thin layer on the husk. You don't need a thick heavy layer.
The dough gets thicker when cooked.

3-4 lb chuck or round bone roast-cook in a crock for at least 4 hours on high.

Meat is done when it pulls apart easily, otherwise cook it longer. Use the drippings for flavor. I usually thicken((with cornstarch) the meat sauce after adding the enchilada sauce. It makes the meat filling easier to put on the husk and the sauce doesn't drip out when handled to put in the stack to freeze if you do them ahead of time.

1 can of enchilada sauce, a mild size can that has at least 20 ounce or close to it. Buy the size you get canned peaches in.

Cumin, 1 T, add Salt to season taste when added to the shredded beef to make the meat filling

Fresh garlic, use about 4 cloves of garlic to cook in crock.


Bag of Masa Harina corn flour for the tamales. Follow the instructions and you can make about 8 to ten dozen from a batch. I would start with mixing up a half a bag and then make more as you think you will need.

Sometimes the Masa gets dry if you have lot and it goes thick on you before you finish. I just add water if that happens.
I would use Crisco for the manteca or if you can find the lard,(manteca) in the red and white 1lb boxes, great! I wouldn't use more than half a cup for half the bag, or a cup for a whole bag.

Cook the tamales in a canner or steamer about 45 minutes. If you make 2 1/2 or three dozen at a time, they cook faster. or have TWO pots going at same time so they cook simultaneously. These reheat best as steamed. I don't the microwave much to reheat.
They stay soft and are better tasting!!

Visiting Teaching--

I went visiting teaching today and got acquainted with my companion, Jo Powell. She is the neatest lady and very spry for her 83years young, a widow. She was drueling when I told her I was going to make tamales. She said she loves Tamales! Wow, she just made a lot of points with me. Besides she also loves Mexican Food. She speaks Spanish as well, she and her husband served a mission in Spain, but he passed away just after they finished the mission in 2000. We had a great visit besides.

We visited one of our sisters, a well known former BYU speaker, lecturer, administrator extraordinaire-- who is now retired. "Yeah, right I say". She is amazing and reminds me of the 'Sheri Dew' type a person. Single, never married yet a dynamic personality, you know what I mean!

She goes often to give talks at Women's Conferences all over the U.S. That is why I say, Yeah right she is retired! We had a very pleasant visit and I also saw a plaque she had to put up on her wall.




I took my camera on the chance of getting her picture, but she said I could next month since she felt under the weather with her travels this last week. That's okay, I'll catch it next time.

I will cover more on the Celtic Harp Concert later . . . I was going for FHE-- I will tell about it and post some pictures on tomorrow's message. It was a great activity, very uplifting, and I want to learn more about the Celtic Harp.