Shut up and eat

I’m having dinner over at a friend’s house. It is shear bedlam – as she has a family of five children. The noise level alone is decibels too high for normal conversation – and there is food flying everywhere. I feel the need to find rain gear.

My attention is drawn towards one of her middle sons, who declares that he doesn’t like the crust. I am intrigued, as nothing on his plate has a crust. His mother rolls her eyes and shouts above the din of children chatter that he thinks the outer edge of every food is crust. I watch as he eats only the center of each mound of food on his plate. (This is the same child who previously had to smell each bite of food before he allowed it entry into his mouth.)

Meanwhile, his younger brother has shoved two long french green beans up his nose and is pretending to be an alien. I find it hard not to laugh and in fact have to excuse myself from the table to have a good chuckle in the hall away from these dinner table antics. Brings back memories.

Let's suppose you are hungry. It's Thanksgiving. You don't have a turkey, no dry bread for stuffing and none of your friends are pilgrims. What to do? Hmmmm, your cupboard yields exactly one can of cream of mushroom soup, a box of stale Wheat Thins and a jar of olives that you kept from the office Christmas basket last year. You may starve. You may heat the soup and give thanks that stale crackers aren't so bad once they've soaked in soup.

Or you could make tacos. Go to the store - buy the following:
1 lb ground beef or turkey (hell it is Thanksgiving)
1 package of Mrs. Grasses Onion Soup
Chili powder (you'll need about 2 tablespoons +/- for your spice tolerance)
Shredded Cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
Salsa
1 head iceberg lettuce (use half head, finely shredded)
1 bunch cilantro (wash the whole bunch, remove stems, then coarsely chop leaves)
1 dozen corn tortillas
corn oil

Now - heat the ground beef over medium high heat, breaking it up with a fork, add dry onion soup mix and chili powder, cover and cook about 5 minutes, remove cover and break down meat into very small pieces - a mashing motion with the fork works best. Reduce heat slightly and continue cooking, covered until meat is done.

Set cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped cilantro in serving bowls.

Heat cooking oil in frying pan - about a 1/2 inch or so - enough to cover one tortilla flat. When oil is bubbly, but not smoking, fry tortilla in pan, folding in half to create a taco shell. Cook until crisp on both sides, remove and drain on a paper towel. Continue frying tortillas until all have been cooked.

Assemble taco: Place a couple of tablespoons of meat into the shell, top with lettuce, salsa, cilantro and cheese.
Eat. Have tequila shooter for dessert.
Use any leftovers to make taco salads tomorrow for lunch. Brag to coworkers that you didn't fall asleep after your Thanksgiving meal and you got to drink tequila.