This year was thrown off kilter because mom and grandma were sick so things were postponed and schedules rearranged and menus adjusted ...and >>I<< had to cook. That wouldn't be a bad thing. I'm not a bad cook. I just don't do it often and I have my tried and true favorites that I usually don't screw up. If you ask my son...he says my win percentage is hovering at 60/40. Thanks, dear. ::rolls eyes::
Due to a gluten allergy, we have a gluten free lunch planned. NO problemo!
So...we decided on some scrumptious homemade tamales from Texas Tamale Company, homemade chili and an apple pie for darling son and a buttermilk pie for the rest of us. OK...I can do this!
First off, I totally recommend Texas Tamale Company!! LOVE their spinach and cheese tamales! OH! And their pork!! DELICIOUS!!!! And the people there are so friendly!!! I also got some their Cilantro Sauce De Julia and Casa Salsa. YUM!!!!! We'll be back...and just not for Christmas!
Needless to say, I know one item on our menu is not a fail. Tamales, check.
Monday, I baked the pies. Got some pie shells from Gluten Free Houston. Those are always good. It's been a while since I made a buttermilk pie. Can't wait! LOVE buttermilk pie!! The apple pie will be easy...dump the can in the shell, toss on a crumb topping and bake. Yeah. Right. Easy. Why can't anything ever be easy?!?!?
I prebaked my pie shells. Poured the Comstock apple pie filling in one and started to mix up the crumb topping. Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans, cold butter. I stirred and stirred and stirred and stirred and stirred and lost track of what I was doing until I had a lovely smooth batter. Where are my crumbs?!?!?!?! I add a little more flour. CRAP! Now I have a lovely thick paste. It tastes fine...nice and smooth...no crumbly lumps. DAMN! Well, that's all the gluten free flour I have. It's gotta work. So I spread the crumb batter concoction onto the top of the apple pie filling and stick it in the oven hoping for the best. About an hour later it's smelling pretty good...but O.M.G.!!!! It is butt ugly! The filling has oozed out over the edges creating a sticky gluey mess. Well...we'll slather some Blue Bell on it and no one will be the wiser. yeah. right.
On to the buttermilk pie. I'm using the recipe from Homesick Texan. It seems to be close to what I've done before. It's easy. Got the filling made; poured into the pie shell and bake. An hour later I've got a gorgeous pie!
My dear son comes in to check on HIS apple pie. First words out of his mouth was "What happened to MY pie?! Your pie is all pretty and mine looks like crap!"
God, I love him...well...most days. But he's right. I've seen better looking pies.
Tuesday morning I get up and start browning five pounds of hamburger and start cooking the chili. We cheat and use Wick Fowler's Two-Alarm chili mix. It's always good. Three hours later...chili is done, pies are ready...OH DAMN! need to wrap presents!!!! Thank goodness my dear, dear son has left me some tape. He's known to use a WHOLE ROLE OF TAPE on just one package.
With things loaded up, it's around the corner and through the streets to grandmother's house we goooooooo!
Lunch was a success. Chili and tamales devoured. It's time for PIE! DS is skeptical. Lots of cheesy comments about how the pie was stuck to the carrier thanks to the apple filling glue covering the crust. We might have discovered a new super glue! Now here comes the real test...how is the pie?
FINALLY! Darling son is speechless! He's speechless because he can't stop shoveling the pie in his mouth! SEE!!! You can't judge a pie by its looks! Maybe the uglier the better? The buttermilk pie is delicious, too!!! SUCCESS!!!!!
Now everyone has full and happy tummies...time for some presents and a nap.
Maybe later I'll post about the present I got from my dear, dear, DEAR son and the adventure in unwrapping it. ::rolling eyes again::
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah!!!
May 2013 be better than we hope!
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