Tamale Lesson

There was a knock at my door this morning around 9 am. It was my friend Gracie, she came to pick me up, the time had come ! Her sister Alicia was making tamales and I was going to learn how to make them. We have been planning this for some time now but something always came up. Alicia is known all over these parts as the best tamale maker. They are out of this world. Such wonderful taste and always cooked to perfection.
I just love these sisters. They are from a family of 15 and Alicia is about 64 I think and Gracie is 12 years younger. Gracie was born when her mother was 50. Gives any older ladies hope if they are still wanting more children !
So I grab my flip flops, yes I do wear them as well as act like them some times : ) Dressed a bit shabby and perhaps a bit underdressed and liberated if you know what I mean for heading out the door, but it was going to be just us ladies so got in the car with Gracie and headed over to Alicia's house. Alicia is blind but that has not stopped her from cooking. She never uses a recipe so if you want to make something that she makes, you have to stand by her side and learn. She is a whiz at this job and just makes it look so simple and with just one quick move has the masa spread on the husk perfectly. I was a bit awkward but got it done.
We had more laughs while working away at making 4 dozen tamales. When we were done, we took Alicia to dialysis and I went home. In about an hours time there was another knock at my door. Gracie has her arms full of pans. The tamales are done and she made Mexican rice for Emery for his lunch to go with the tamales. They gave me all the tamales we made and told me to freeze them and take them to Melissa. Who happens to love Mexican food but can't find any real Mexican in all of Vermont.
Tomorrow I will be boarding the plane with zip log bags filled with frozen, vegetarian tamales. Alicia is a vegetarian so her tamales are too. I just wonder what they will think about my bag tomorrow all stuffed with Mexican food when I go through security.
Melissa, real Mexican Tamales will be heading your way very soon, along with a mother that can now make them too.

picture is of tamales laid out on cookie sheets cooling so they can be frozen for the trip tomorrow