http://www.texmextogo.com

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Our Holiday Newsletter ( we may not have time come December!)

** Gift Ideas

• Pepper Pal -  Stuffed jalapenos just became easy with the Pepper Pal (new). Keeps the pepper upright while hand-stuffing and keeps the filling in while cooking and serving. Oven or grill use to table top. Perfect for baking pre-battered packaged jalapeno poppers. Stainless steel. I love this!
  View: http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/59_2/more_info.asp
• Gourmet Gift boxes – Our gift boxes travel the Nation or the World. Keepsake box, gourmet salsas and more, tortilla chips and a hand-lettered message from you....so just open and start eating! And you never had to leave home! We have five sizes to choose from: $29(8lbs) to $60.00(17lbs).
  View: http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/Category_ID/4/products.asp
• Mexican Accessories & Gifts –  If you’re not from or living in the Southwest, chances are you can’t find these items….great ideas for you, great gift for them!
  View: http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/Category_ID/2/products.asp

1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup water
Sift all dry ingredients together.  Slowly add water and a little oil. 
Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. 
Divide into about 40 small balls; roll out into approx. 4" to 6" circles. 
Fry in very hot oil (hot and deep) until delicately browned on both sides. 
Drain on paper towels. Bunuelos may be served sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar or with thin honey.  
Another favorite way is to break them up into a large soup bowl and serve with thin brown sugar syrup 
flavored with a stick of cinnamon. Bunuelos freeze well.  
Make sure you wrap each one in foil, separately, because they are fragile.  
Crisp them in the oven before serving again. Yield: 40
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Tamale Pie

3 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tbsp. flour

1 cup cold milk

6 slices bacon, diced

1 med. green pepper, diced

1 large onion, minced

1 1/2lb. ground chuck

2 ½ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 dashes cayenne pepper

½ tsp. garlic salt

 1 #2 can tomatoes (2 ½ cups drained)

1 – 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup large black olives (pitted) chopped

¾ cup grated American cheese

Directions:

Early in the day: in a double boiler, over direct heat, bring water to a boil. Combine salt, cornmeal, flour & milk.
Stir into boiling water. Cook, stirring till mixture boils. Now place over boiling water, cover & cook 1 hour.

In a large saucepan, sauté bacon till crisp. Drain all but 1tbps of fat. Add green pepper & onion & sauté till tender.
Add meat & brown. Add salt, chili powder, pepper, cayenne, garlic, salt, tomatoes & tomato sauce.
Add extra chili powder if desired. Simmer, uncovered 45 minutes. Add olives.

In greased 12x8x2 baking dish, place 1/3 of the mush mixture. Fill with chili mixture.
Top with remaining mush, spreading as evenly as possible. Refrigerate.

Serving time: sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 325 degrees for 1 1/2hrs.

Serves 8
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Mexican Tamales - This is a labor of love and tradition

You can find the cornhusks and the corn masa flour here:

http://www.texmextogo.com/store/PPF/parameters/62_3/more_info.asp

and find our Mexican tamale recipes here:

http://www.texmextogo.com/Recipes_meat.htm

For more authentic Mexican recipes, come on over…you’ll be there a while:

http://www.texmextogo.com/Recipes.htm

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DID YOU KNOW.…A TRADITIONAL MEXICAN CHRISTMAS

** Las Posadas – the best known manifestation of the Christmas spirit held each night on the nine days between December 16^th and Christmas eve. It is a re-enactment of Joseph and Mary’s pilgrimage, seeking a place to stay and give birth to baby Jesus. People carry candles, visit several houses and ask for “posada” (shelter), the adults are given a thick punch “Ponche Navideno” and at the end of the journey, the “piñata”, stuffed with candy and fruit, is broken. Christmas itself is usually celebrated on Christmas eve in Mexico with a midnight mass and a late dinner. Modern influences have introduced the Christmas tree and Santa Claus along with the traditional crèche.

** Flor de Nochebuena (Christmas flower)  the Poinsettia – the cuetlaxochitl (Poinsettia) is known as the Christmas flower, due to its red color and because it blooms mainly in December. These beautiful red flowers, which have become a symbol of Christmas, are native to Mexico. In some countries, it is known as Poinsettia after a former US ambassador to Mexico, Joel R. Poinset. It is said that he liked the flower so much that he dedicated the last years of his life to making the “poinsettia” the Mexican symbol of Christmas throughout the world. Pre-Hispanic Mexicans also used the flower for medicinal purposes. The red blossoms were believed to stimulate circulation to the heart if placed on the chest and were also crushed and applied to skin infections.

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RECOMMENDED WEBSITE

** VIP Passports and Visa Services – This is holiday and travel time and if you get caught such as one member of our family (!) did, with an expired passport, the wonderful people at VIP Passports will take care of everything with a simple phone call. Extremely helpful staff….we simply had to tell you about them. www.vippassports.com

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The Holiday Season is such a beautiful time of year, we wanted to share with you a bit of a Mexican Christmas…now we must get back to packing orders. If you’ve got friends or family you think might enjoy our newsletter, well by all means, pass it on! For more gift ideas, recipes or history on Mexican food, come on over and visit a while @ www.texmextogo.com

We’re always glad to hear from ya’ll…we’ll be back..

Annie

chef@texmextogo.com