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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Words of kindness linger on

Thatboy gets very depressed some times for no good reason. On Monday night he turned to me and declared "Christmas sucks this year." Now I should point out that every Christmas since we've been together I have done everything in my power to make it a special time for Thatboy. I've had to - I'm the only one who will. This year I've gone above and beyond, planning all sorts of activities to get everyone in the Christmas spirit, so this statement was a little shocking to me.


"Why does Christmas suck this year?"
"Well normally we get our tree the first weekend in December, and we have it up all month. This year, we're not getting our tree till next weekend, and then we'll only be here for a week!" (Yes, Christmas for him is determined by having a Christmas tree...and probably the presents underneath, but that's a different story.)

And so, being Superwife, I suggested we pick up a tree after work last night. So last night I made a super quick dinner so we would have more tree trimming time. I made hot cocoa, put on a Christmas movie and we were off. I have to admit, that unwrapping the ornaments got us both in a great mood. I forgot how much I love all our ornaments! Christmas was saved!!!!!

And our super quick dinner? I don't know if it's just a California thing, but our farmer's markets have the best tamales ever. Heated up with some corn, cheese, and topped with fresh salsa - dinner comes together in a matter of minutes.

My dad is the first person to introduce me to homemade salsa. We were living in Pennsylvania and the only Mexican restaurant in town was Taco Bell. I'm not kidding. But we had a thriving garden and one summer night, dad went out and came back with an assortment of onions, peppers, and tomatoes which he proceeded to chop into small pieces and throw in a bowl. We couldn't dive right in, the flavors had to marinate for what seemed like years. But one bite and I realized there must be more to life than Taco Bell. My recipe is not my father's salsa. I no longer have the advantage of a 1/4 acre garden, or even a potted tomato plan. Instead I have a pantry which is always stocked and an imagination that won't quit.


Not My Father's Salsa
  • 1 can whole tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 fresh tomato, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 jalepeno, chopped
  1. Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl and stir.
  2. Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours.

22 comments:

  1. I wish I could have dinner at your house every night. I promise you wouldn't even know I was there.

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  2. Yay for you! You are such a good wife. I have my chirstmas tree up, but it isn't decorated. We haven't had time and I'm just so tired by the end of the night. At least the house smells like christmas. I love that smell!

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  3. I love salsa so much. I love tamales even more. Maybe not. It is close.

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  4. You saved Christmas! Every year growing up, it was only a matter of time until Christmas was cancelled only to be reinstated a couple of hours/days later. Now, I make a point of doing as little as possible for Christmas. Thankfully, R doesn't care.

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  5. okay, Thatboy and my J are so much alike. I swear J thinks that Christmas isn't the same without a REAL tree, pinecone decor, christmas music and cinnamon-scented candles. Too funny.

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  6. Oh how I love tamales and how I really, really love salsa. Mmm. You really are Superwife. Not that there was ever any doubt.

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  7. I want a Christmas tree too! But would the **para transit bus driver say if I had a Christmas tree to load on his/her bus??

    **due to my broken leg, I take the para transit bus but you knew that, Kate!

    Joy

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  8. Is it not amazing how grown men can sulk, phew!!!!!

    I am sad to say that I have never had a tamale before!!!

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  9. You saved Christmas! :) Boys can be so cranky sometimes...

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  10. Hey the salsa sounds great, and I just wrote about tamales too!

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  11. Christmas cheer seems to be along time coming this year...but I agree that once the tree goes up it makes it brighter. I have collected ornaments since I was 15 (so there are many...wink...wink...) but each one holds a special meaning.

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  12. I LOVe homemade salsa!

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  13. Tell ThatBoy that Christmas sucks this year in our household too! :-)
    Those tamales sound crazy good. I don't know if they do this in CA, but in TX, people usually ate tamales on Christmas Eve.

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  14. Tamales at the farmer's market?? I'm jealous.

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  15. Awww your poor husband! That is so cute that he cares about the tree so much! Glad you were able to get one last sooner rather than later. :)

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  16. Awww your poor husband! That is so cute that he cares about the tree so much! Glad you were able to get one last sooner rather than later. :)

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  17. i'm with winnie. we're small, we won't be noticeable.

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  18. Aww...I hope Christmas got a little brighter for Thatboy! The salsa looks fabulous.

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  19. I'm glad you were able to cheer up Thatboy!

    You're salsa looks great too. Using canned tomatoes is a good option since fresh tomatoes aren't so great this time of year. Yum!

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  20. jim is obsessed with salsa. he'd eat it everyday if he could!

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