Thursday, April 28, 2011

Redneckedness, Daisy Dukes and Growing up Mexican-American in Texas

Oh yes there are still Rednecks in Texas, even with the influx of folks we have had over the last several decades. From what I hear from those transplants, finding a true Texan is hard these days.

Yep, there are still plenty of rednecks running amuck in Texas. But clarification is in order here. 

There are rednecks, then there are cowboys and there are country boys. I love country boys and cowboys, but I do draw the line in the dirt against a redneck.  Sometimes it is hard to discern them because they tend to dress alike. Jeans, belts, boots and hats. A cowboy and a country boy will be polite and open the door for you....A redneck will slam a door in your face, among other things. I could write a book on Redneckness and there would still be more material to cover before the truth be told.  And I hear there are comedians making big money off that shtick. 

Being a third generation Dallas Texas gal, I understand the importance of a good pair of denim some diamonds, big hair, and Daisy Dukes!  Back when I  modeled my way through college, I had a pair of Daisy Dukes that landed me an interview with then up and coming rock band, Green Day and legendary funk master George Clinton.
Green Day had just finished their performance and as they came through the press area, Billy said "Wow, now that's a pair of Daisy Dukes!"

I later got invited to be a guest up on the Main Stage with George and his P-Funk All Stars at  Lollapalooza.  Dancing on stage while he performed "Atomic Dog" remains one of my favorite college broadcasting memories!

That was in the mid 90's and being Latina in Texas was a hot trend. Selena's music was popular and a phenom, by the name of Jennifer Lopez had emerged as a sexy Latina in Hollywood.  Suddenly, I was sought after because of my ethnic look, a far cry from growing up amongst the Rednecks as a child.  Even though I spoke better English than quite a few of them, they still loved to yell "Hey, you better run, Immigration is on it's way, Mexican."  You see there may have been a total of 20-25 non white people in my entire high school. Subtract 20 by 4 grades and there was approximately 5 people per grade and that included Blacks and Asians. It was a tough time but in way, I credit those rednecks for being great teachers. To this day, I can handle almost any cow patty tossed at me or wade knee deep through bull shit and still come out smelling like a rose.  

Yep, there are still rednecks in Texas, but when I die, I may not go to Heaven, I hear they don't let cowboys in....and if I don't, just let me go to Texas, Texas is as close as I've been.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

True Stories, Tijuaana and Tequila

Truth is stranger than fiction, and every writer knows this is true. I believe that most fiction is in fact truth; unless it is something like Harry Potter, it is based on truth in that writer's life. The last time I was in Mexico was 13 years ago. My boyfriend (who later that year became my husband) took me to see my sister who was living in California. We decided to take a day trip down to the the border. 

Do you wanna Tijuana amigo?

Tijuana was still a charming place even then, a bit seedy but still the Old Mexico of lore. We had our portrait drawn by a little old Mexican man and, shopped the flea market. I bought way too much stuff but I wanted to leave behind as many American dollars as I could.  Ever since I was a 7 year old child and my mother took me to Monterrey Mexico for our family vacation, I can remember the poverty and the despair on the faces of children, young girls, old men.  I wish it was different. I wish Mexico and her people had more money for the common man, for the average Jose.  More on that later though....

Next was  some grub. We found the requisite touristy Mexican restaurant. Before I knew what was happening my husband had ordered me a tequila shot whereupon I was lifted off the ground, spun around and another waiter with a bottle of tequila with a spout poured a shot in my mouth, I was spun around again. As I spining around the floor, I could hear my husband laughing his head off.  When I was finally placed on the ground, people were laughing and my face was as red as tan Texicana's can get.

But wait there is more,  not only is my husband funny like that, but he can be spontaneous when the mood hits him. He picked up the waiter who had spun me around and proceeded to spin him.  By then everyone in the place was smiling, laughing and clapping,

Mexico. I have not been back. I can't, but you see, my husband gave me some better memories than the last time I was there.

Mexico Lindo....where are you, amigo?

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Taco Tuesdays, Tornados and Texas Rangers....

Tuesdays are slow here at the Tamale Shop, but I am definitely not alone. According to retailers and those in the know, Tuesday is typically a day where most of us do not eat out, shop or stay in a hotel. I started Taco Tuesdays with the hopes of increasing sales by offering a 1.00 chicken taco. Some Tuesdays it works out, and then there is today! Wow...slow is really not the word to describe today. Blame it on the tornados and the threat of more today, whatever the case, my husband loves it when I bring leftovers home from Taco Tuesday.
I recycle Tuesday's lunch menu into Becky's Ballpark Nachos when the Texas Rangers play at home!  I take the chicken home, add our famous corn chips, some lettuce, tomato and only a mere SPRINKLING of cheese and voila, Becky's Ballpark Nachos. My husband would eat this everyday...in fact he insisted that I make them every Ranger home game. I said not so fast, pal...I don't know who you think you are, but we can switch hit every other home stand. Thus we've started Ballpark Hot Dog Night, where he gets to cook the dogs on the grill.

Just add margaritas and let's play some baseball. Let's go Rangers!

Note to Mother Nature ~ please no more tornados and twisters!  

Saturday, April 23, 2011

My head is already hurting just remembering Easter past....

Easter is here. Hard boiled eggs, Painted eggs, Deviled Eggs and Cascarones (Confetti eggs used to crack over some one's head)
Yes, my family does the cascarones and yes, I usually end up with a headache because it seems to me that I have one of the most beloved heads to hit every Easter.

One time when my children were younger, I thought I would be ambitious and make them all by hand!  This was way before Wal-Mart and Kroger carried these eggs!  I began the process several weeks before Easter by not cracking my morning's eggs in the frying pan, instead I would tap out a small hole at the top with my finger.  I would hoard up to 6-7 dozen of the eggs and I hid them up high in a cupboard in the Styrofoam packing so I would not have to smell them!

Then I stayed up the night before to cut the confetti by hand. Different colored paper, a pair of scissors, a big bowl and a glass of wine after the kiddoes went to sleep and I got to cracking! (LOL)  Trust me after a couple of hours of this...I was delirious!   The effort was worth it, the kids painted them all themselves in morning with some help from a sleepy mommy. To this day my daughter makes very sure that she brings a lot of cracking eggs, because deep in her memory bank she remembers that triumphant Easter when we arrived with the most! What I started continues to this day....we are all still trying to out do each  
other with the most cascarones!

Enough about all the silliness, Easter for us Christians is about Jesus Christ rising from the dead. I am hopeful that in some way we will all rise up tomorrow in one way or another, forgive others and ourselves and be a little bit more like JC.

Happy Easter All.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Good Friday, Earth Day - Green Tidings to all of you.

What are you doing today to celebrate our beautiful Earth? Going to church for Good Friday, maybe a fish fry tonight?  Oh it is so in vogue to love the earth....to be a Green queen, but what are you doing today, tomorrow - for the rest of your life? 

Back to Green though. Appropriately enough, Green is my favorite New Mexico Chile. Talk about beautiful Earth! New Mexico has stunning mountains and a sky just littered with stars. They look like diamonds on black velvet that you could almost reach out and touch.

Late December 2010 and we brought the snow. First stop, Jemez Mountains and then on to Sante Fe.  We drove in with large snowflakes hitting the windshield and followed the snow plows. The city itself is breathtaking, with the pueblos, the indigo mountains in the background and the bright bright sunshine.

AND - Green Chile Stew. It is what I do when I go to New Mexico. We arrive and all I want is to go eat some Green Chile, then a drink and a walk around the plaza to take in the sights and just breathe in the pinion air. Canyon Road to look at Art. Mass at St. Francis Cathedral.

Then north to Taos - so very cold this year - I never really got warm.  Went hiking. "I  climbed a mountain and then I turned around." Best green Chile stew was in Taos this year.

I am always on the hunt for the very best Green Chile Stew and the best margarita I can find. But New Mexico, you have nothing on us Texans when it's come to a margarita! So what if I eat Green Chile Stew everyday for 5-7 days? No my stomach does not hurt. Their stew is very mild compared to how hot we Tex Mexicans like it. This past December was not the best year for my taste buds. Seems like someone must have ate all the good chili peppers... 

But we will return again next year...

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Old Mexico vs.New Mexico - Introduction

Controversial title; it may seem, however it is not a contest but more of a comparison and not a true side by side comparison but highly subjective. From my point of view. I am Mexican American obviously, 3rd generation Texas Gal and I speak Tex Mex more than true Spanish. So when I opened my doors here 9 anos ago, I started getting customers from Nex Mexico  after I painted the front of the shop. Wonderful tales of how beautiful "The Land of Enchantment" was, talk of turqouise, of American Indian pueblos and the city of Santa Fe. In December of 2003 I announced to my hubby that we were going to New Mexico after Christmas for vacation. We left on a Sunday where upon I slept the entire trip. When my husband woke me up, we were in the foothills of the city of Sante Fe and I could make out the pueblo style houses from the twinkling lights scattered about. It did look magical! We made it to our B&B and when we opened the car door, cold crisp air hit us hard, but more so was the smell in the air. We both looked at each other and said "What is that smell?" and simultaneously we both said "I like it!.   

Thus began my love affair with New Mexico. More later.

We found out later it was pinion wood from our innkeeper and was burning in all the fireplaces in town.

Adios for now.  :)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Bienvenidos and Welcome to my World....

Well here we are....for the few of you who said you would read my blog. This story is dedicated to you.
What stands out for me is the people who walk through my humble door and how they stay with me. In nine years, I can honestly tell you, I have met some INTERESTING people. I have connected with people of all races, all creeds and all sizes. Something brings them in here, and it is not always the tamales. Many times, it is the way I have painted the buidling. It looks like something from Old Mexico, New Mexico or a photograph. Sometimes a referral from a friend, or they know our product and have been to one of the other stores.  And other times it is just plain curiousity.

Somewhere in betweem opening my store and organizing events in Lewisville, I became known as the "Tamale Lady". Now I am not "THE" TAMALE LADY....let's get that straight. I am one of many ladies who peddle tamales. And yes, there are a lot of Tamale Men. Hey my dad is a Tamale Maker. It is on my birth certificate. Listed under occupation...Tamale Maker.  My mom says tamale grease or (graza in Spanish) is in my DNA code. HA-HA. I say....but maybe there is some truth there.

I have been through births, deaths, marriages, divorces, illnesses...But what remains the same is that people love food, like to be treated well and appreciate a smile. Other than delicious fresh tamales, tortillas and other traditonal Mexican fare, I can give you my smile. :) 

See you soon...