Happy Almost New Year’s Eve!

No, I haven’t lost my mind. Tomorrow is the Feast of Christ the King. It is the last feast day of the Year C Cycle. Next Sunday is Advent, and the beginning of a New Year. We’ll get into all of that when the time is right. For now it’s just a lovely Saturday on the Home Front.

It seems the older you get, the more nostalgic you seem to feel. Maybe not nostalgic necessarily – maybe reflective might be a better word. I was born in the 50s, became aware of the world around me by the mid 60s but really didn’t come into a sense of my own purpose until the later part of the 80s. I’ve looked back at those times and wondered if I were a bit older, would I see the world the way I do? Which of the decades would have had the greatest impact or shaped my moral and political perspectives more? It would be impossible to say. Besides, I rather like the way I turned out.

I can remember there were two very different kinds of women who were immediately recognizable from television as I came of age. One was Edith Bunker, the other was her cousin, Maude. My crazy mother was neither. If I had to pick a female TV personality that was most like my mother it would have been a cross between Lucy Ricardo and Bewitched’s Endora. She could concocted some hair-brain ideas that drove my sensible Dad straight up the wall. Despite her “liberal” viewpoint, she could also be a bit of a snob on the social scene. The lady who lived up the road from us, she was Maude. She was tall, dressed like Bea Arthur’s character on the show, and was the most outspoken woman I had ever met. Her daughters and I (nearly every girl in the neighborhood really) would sit at her feet and listen in complete awe. She gave lectures on the evils of men and how we didn’t need to fall into the traps of the generation of women who went before us. They had no choice but to be controlled – no, owned by their husbands. Don’t ever let a man tell you what to think, how to dress, what to do with your life. Be independent. Be assertive. One thing was certain as I looked at the women around me, there wasn’t a June Cleaver in the bunch.

I’ve never been fond of what Woman’s Lib eventually accomplished. Equal pay was important. Equal opportunity also important. I thought Women’s Lib would elevate men. I’m sorry fellows, but I thought most men behaved like Neanderthals. Instead of elevating men to a more refind behavior, women’s lib lowered the standards for women. Once liberated we could grunt, spit, scratch our privates in public, watch men strip and engage in meaningless one-night-stands. If it were fine for a man to do, then by golly we were going to do it too. Sorry ladies, but that’s not equal. If we find that behavior repulsive in a man, imagine how more distasteful it is in a women. Once upon a time we knew better. I think we need to start this libaration movement all over again.

And that’s my rant for today. God made men and women different for a reason. We have very different roles. Men are our protectors, we are their civilized compass. Enough said.

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Pork Medallion Mole
1 jar Concentrated Mole Sauce
3 cups Chicken Stock
Chipotle Seasoning to taste
1 lb Pork Tenderloin
Flour Tortillas for serving

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drippings, set aside.

Place Mole Sauce in a blender. Add chicken stock, blend well. As needed, add desired spices such as chipotle to increase flavor.

Cut tenderloin into medallions, about 8 to 10 total. Place in the casserole dish. Pour mole sauce over the medallions.

Cover dish with foil. Place in the oven to bake for about 90 minutes to 2 hours. The longer the better as the flavors will deepen. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes for the sauce to thicken.

Warm the tortillas just before serving. This Pork Mole is delicious with a spicy side of rice.

Spicy Mexican Rice and Beans
1/4 Red Onion
2 red Serrano Chili Peppers
2 small Jalapeño Pepper
1 (15 oz) can Whole Black Beans
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup White Rice
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes with Chilies
Cumin to taste
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cups Water
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 Green Onion

Cut a quarter section from a red onion from root to tip. Peel and dice onion. Stem and dice peppers. Rinse and drain the black beans, set aside.

In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice, sauté for about 2 or 3 minutes.

Add black bean, diced tomatoes and Cumin seasoning. Stir to blend. Add chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 15 minutes. Snip green onion, sprinkle over rice just before serving.

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Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
Alleluia, alleluia.