I think I have told you in the past about our non-traditional holiday celebrations but in case you missed it or weren’t reading last year, I will tell you a little about our Thanksgivings here at our house. As you may have surmised, we have a blended family. Mr. Picky Eater and I married 8 years ago joining my daughter and me with MPE and his two sons. Since that time we have added a son-in-law, daughter-in-law, two dogs and the light of our life, our grandest son Rocket!
When I was growing up, we had very specific places we went on each holiday and when I was very young, there was fun and anticipation for me like the big party at my Aunt and Uncle’s where all the “orphaned” people would come because they had nowhere else to go. Here are a couple of pictures of different years spent with Aunt Irene and Uncle Ray.
Aunt Irenes Christmas Tree
This is the Christmas Tree that Greeted us every year.
I am on the left and my cousin Dana is on the right. Mr. Bowen – one of the orphaned people is in the middle.
This is my Aunt Irene and Uncle Ray – they introduced my parents.
That is Aunt Irene on the left, me in the middle and Mother Kalamity on the right.
This is me and Top Girl’s Dad – and Top Girl but we didn’t know about her yet!
But after my daughter was three, her parents weren’t married anymore which meant she had to split her holidays. You can only convince them for so long that it’s like TWO holidays at once. Then they figure it out and then it becomes a drudgery for everyone. Even though our kids were pretty much grown, I knew that our daughter had at least two places to go and it seemed the boys had three plus grandparents. I knew they would all be worn out just trying to make it to all those places and eat the same things at each place and not pass out from exhaustion! I really didn’t want to be just one more stop they HAD to make so, the first year we were married the night before Thanksgiving Top Girl and I went out to a Chinese Restaurant. MPE and the boys went to El Chico – a Tex-Mex chain started in Texas and making its way to Oklahoma a long time ago.
That worked out like a charm because we had our mothers over the next day for a traditional meal, we didn’t wait on any of the kids to show up – although they each did – and everyone had a very relaxing holiday. The next year and nearly every single Thanksgiving Eve after, we all go to El Chico for our traditional Mexican dinner and we have grown over the years. What started out as five is now eight! We still have traditional ham and dressing on the day with my mom (MPE’s mom has passed now) but our favorite and most fun is our “Mexican” turkey!
Last week I got an email from El Chico that invited me to enter a contest to create a taco and the winner would receive a $250 gift card to El Chico and it might even be offered on the menu sometime soon! That’s about what we spend each Thanksgiving Eve so you know what I was thinking, yep – let’s make up a new taco recipe! As I was thinking about it I received a forward from Top Girl. She had received the same email and she wanted me to come up with something so we would have the gift card for Thanksgiving Eve. She’s my girl!
In the end, I came up with Ranchero Tacos – and I also made burritos with them the next night. I hope you like it and I hope El Chico does as well so we can win!
Ranchero Sauce
Ingredients:
2 Cups Chicken Stock
4 Tomatoes quartered and seeded
½ each red, yellow and orange bell peppers
1 Large onion roughly chopped
1 seeded and deveined jalapeno (more if you want it spicier)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Smoked Ancho Pepper (ground – I used McCormick)
Salt and pepper to taste
Roast
2 good sized potatoes
Flour or corn tortillas
Directions:
Put it all in a sauce pan and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
I used an immersion blender and blended it all up. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender.
After it is all blended up, unwrap your beef – I used roast – and put it in the pot.
Place the lid on top and put in a pre-heated 325 F degree oven for about 3 ½ hours or until you can shred the beef.
Shred the beef and put back into ranchero sauce.
Peel and cube potatoes then sauté’ in a little oil until crispy on outside and tender on the inside.
Drain potatoes on paper towels then add to the shredded beef and ranchero sauce.
Put back in the oven for about 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Steam heat the tortillas.
Using tongs, place serving of meat, sauce, and potatoes in tortilla and top with a little shredded cheese.
Serve with pickles onions, carrots and jalapenos and/or salsa.
The next night, I took the Ranchero meat and potatoes out of the fridge – placed a little in the middle of a tortilla,
rolled it up burrito style and wrap tight in foil.
Steam for about 40 minutes in a stove top steamer and serve with Queso on top. YUM!!
One last note: My second post is up over at Oklahoma Women Bloggers site. This one is entitled Aunt Pat. She was very special to me – I hope you enjoy it!
We had that same silver Christmas tree for years and years and years! Recently I saw one in a vintage store and it had a hefty price tag. Mother says she doesn’t know whatever happened to ours but she probably gave it away or it started falling apart and got tossed. Such a shame!
Blended families are always a challenge on the holidays but I think you all have managed fabulously! Your tacos look delicious and I would love a couple right now, late as it is. 🙂
I still have my Nana’s which is just like that one 4 feet tall. We put it up every other year or so. Still in the same box it was delivered to my mom (in her maiden name) in 1956. She was a senior in high school that year. I love it! Thanks for liking the tacos – they were so great!
beautiful story and beautiful pictures Kelli! I love the one of you being so young next to Top Girl’s dad 🙂 & how I would love for you to prepare me some of these ranchero tacos, I really hope you win Kelli, I’m sure they will love it very much! 🙂
I will go and visit Oklahoma Women bloggers right now 🙂
Ingrid, it won’t be on until the morning! sorry!
I was going to reply to you about it , then I found your previous one and then I got your reply by e-mail 🙂
no prob! I will read it tomorrow! have a great night 🙂
How wonderful of your aunt and uncle to look out for the “orphaned” people on Christmas. The tacos should win (in my opinion) and now I’m on the way to read your Oklahoma Women blog post.
Lillian
Well, you had me at taco 🙂 These look awesome and I cannot wait to give all that yummy looking meat drenched in ranchero sauce a try.
I love those pictures Kelli! I think it was so wonderful that your aunt invited all the “orphaned people”. I bet she was very loved! I also love your mexican holiday tradition! I bet it’s fun and relaxing. I would look forward to that each year! I hope these tacos win!! They are certainly fabulous!
I’ve got to run out and get some colored peppers, but then I will get started on this. It looks absolutely YUMMY and it would surprise me if you don’t win!
You might have to change the heading on your blog, though, from “Learning to Cook” to “One of the World’s Greatest Cooks”!!!
These sound so good! I eat tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, etc. a lot, so these Ranchero Tacos would be a nice break from the usual fillings I make!
Thanks Carla – My daughter eats Ranchero sauce on nearly everything in the Mexican places here and I always thought it would be great to have some IN it. Worked out nicely!
I LOVE that photo of you and that tinsel tree–so incredible! I also love potatoes in anything, especially tacos. Can’t wait to give these a spin. And I’m totally pinning this to my Taco Tuesday board 🙂
Thank you so much Amy! Please drop by again soon!
oh, but those tacos look fantastic. Great stories, great memories, great photos 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Liz!
Kelli, my kids are gonna love you! And so easy so I love you too! Thanks for sharing at Thursday’s Treasures, I’m featuring you this week!
Oh wow! Thanks! My MOTHER won’t stop raving about these tacos – every time I see her or talk to her on the phone she’s asking about when I will make her and the ladies some more……..my mother never saw a taco she liked until now. I hope you and the kids love them too!
I hope you win, too! It looks like a very tasty recipe!
Thank you Noreen! I’ve got my fingers crossed. Thank you for dropping by and please come again!
Sounds divine. I’m a sucker for a good taco.
What kind of “roast” did you use?
Thanks
Just a regular ‘ol chuck pot roast. Hope that helps!
Hello Kelli, Can your recipe be PRINTED? I do not see a print button. I loved & enjoyed your stories& vintage photos! 💜💜💜 Such nice memories. I have 2 ball tip sirloin roasts. I hope that they work out for this recipe.