Giving Thanks

Thankful for so many blessings. Thankful for a Heavenly Father who is aware of each of us and our needs. Thankful for my family that keeps me smiling and giggling. Also, thankful for the yummy smells in my home.

That’s the short list.  I was making pies this morning and that last one had to make it’s way on.

There are so many wonderful things to be thankful for, always.  Another one at the moment is an amazing aunt that took the time to teach me how to make tortillas.

It started when her boyfriend came for a visit and taught her his mother’s recipe.  The tortillas all the neighborhood children still talk about now that they’re grown.  That’s the one.

It looks a little something like this:

“THE tortilla recipe:
it is 3 to 4 cups flour to one cube softened butter….mixed in well with your fingers…add about 2 tsp salt and a pinch of baking powder. Have 2 cups lukewarm water ready to add as needed. It takes most of it. Mix with your hands to a dough that feels about like pie crust dough..not too wet but not dry either. flour the area you will roll them out very lightly (the flour burns on the grill otherwise) and using a peice of the masa about the size of an egg roll it out (flipping it over and around after each roll) until big and thin. (they aren’t all perfectly round but still taste great) then on a hot grill (we used a skillet, a cast iron grill and a big electric grill and they all worked great) that is dry..not greased at all….put one at a time and turn with it bubbles nicely all over…it may puff up and that is fine..when done stack them up on a paper towel on counter to cool before bagging them up. Thats it!! I think I covered it all. The butter and the dowel for a rolling pin (the size of a garden tool handle) really makes all the differnce. And every single other recipe I have tried in the past called for too much baking powder. Eppy explained that more than a pinch makes it stiff and hard to roll. That pinch is enough.”

Love.

Now, tortillas and I go way back.  My roommates in college used to tease me because I bought and ate way more tortillas than bread.  I wish I knew how to make them back then.

Jenny’s daughter showed up at my door a few weeks ago with this:

Inside were these treasures:

Part of the original rake-handle-rolling-pin and masa made by Jenny.  We ate that plus another batch in the first evening.

My first tortilla:

Not the prettiest thing, but it was sooo very yummy.  I’ve made them 3 times in the last month and am working on perfecting the skill.  My family doesn’t seem to mind.

The first photo is from one of my latest late night attempts.  I’m getting there.

Here’s Jenny’s actual recipe card she also sent over:

Adorable.  Those smiley faces and happy-go-lucky writing… she’s a lady in love.  I love that she’s in love.  I’m in love too.  Thankful for her tortillas and her sharing heart.