The world has seen its shares of ups and downs, of war times and peace times. As bad as the bad times get, they do end. Just as good as the good times seem, they too run in cycles, coming to an end.
Once upon a time, we had it all. A big, beautiful custom home of my own design, big fancy cars, lots of travels, all first class. And then in the blink of an eye, it was gone. The hows and whys really don’t matter. Life is fragile. Things break. It’s how you deal with loss that matters. I can remember asking Kiddo (who was all of ten at the time) which “life” seemed better – the one with everything or the one with struggles. The little man amazed me. He said struggles let you know you are alive.
Sometimes I think maybe that is part of God’s plan all along. Hard times, loss teaches us to appreciate life more, even with its hurdles. Some suffer loss and close themselves off, vowing never to be without again, hording the things that in the end we can’t take with us no matter how hard we try. Others see the world differently after a loss and material possessions don’t matter the way they once did. It’s taken nearly 20 years of hard work to get to our current place in the world. In those 20 years since loosing everything there were times when our faith was tested. Through it all our sense of hope and giving to others never waivered. While we may never have the financial means we once did, there is a roof over our heads. The bills are paid. There is ample food in the pantries and clothes on our backs. No more Tuxedos and Ballroom Gowns, but then we don’t do black tie events anymore. About the only thing I miss from our Gilded Age are the gourmet dinners.
As for the rest, it’s not who I am. I’m not sure I was ever fully that person I pretended to be.
Today is National Giving Tuesday. It comes on the heals of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday is all about giving back. It promotes a culture of generosity worldwide. While this began as an annual event, in some sectors of the world it is a year-round endeavor designed to express mutuality, solidarity and generosity throughout the year. While I don’t fully support some of their socialist messaging, I do believe in the important of giving to others. When we give, it creates a bond of compassion and understanding. You can wallow in the losses of life or resent others for what they have that you do not, or you can take a completely different approach to having and giving. Helen Keller put it best “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” It’s important to appreciate all that we have been given and to give to those who have even less.
America is a great and powerful country with great and powerful people. No child should ever suffer or go without in this land of opportunity. It’s not up to the government to bail people out or create a society that is dependent upon handouts just to survive. That’s counter productive. It’s really up to all of us, together. Don’t just offer a handout, and pat yourself on the back, offer a hand up. When we believe in the goodness of people, in the strength and determination to build a better tomorrow because we see ourselves as family united together by our Heavenly Father, great things are possible.
Chorizo Spice Taco Braid II
1/4 Yellow Onion
6 small Hot Peppers, optional
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Chorizo
3 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
Taco Sauce as needed
2 Roma Tomatoes
2 cups Iceberg Lettuce
2 Green Onions
3/4 cup Mexican Cheese blend, divided
1 tube refrigerated Pizza Dough
2 tablespoons Butter
Sour Cream as desired
More Taco Sauce as desired
Note: I used 2 small Jalapeños, 2 small Serrano and 2 small Habaneros straight from my garden.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Cut out a quarter section of onion in half from root to tip. Reserve remaining onion for another purpose, peed and dice the quarter wedge. Stem and dice the spicy peppers, set aside.
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook ground beef and chorizo together, breaking apart as it browns. Drain well, pressing out as much of the grease as possible. Return meats to the skillet, season with taco seasoning to enhance the flavors and absorb any remaining grease. Add the chopped onion, peppers and taco sauce to moisten the meat. Cook until the onions soft, about 4 minutes longer.
While the meat is simmering seed and dice tomatoes. Stack lettuce, roll tightly and slice to shred. Snip green onions. Set aside until ready to use.
Remove skillet from heat. Stir in about half a cup of the cheese, allow to melt into the meat by the residual heat in the skillet. This will bind the filling together.
Transfer the piece of parchment to your work surface. Place the pizza dough on the parchment and roll it so that it measures 10 inches by 15 inches. Mound the ground beef mixture down the center of the dough with a large spoon. Scatter about half of the diced tomatoes over the meat filling. With a pizza cutter, make slices in the dough about 1-1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long on either side of the meat. Beginning at end closest to you, lift strips up and over filling, crossing in the middle. Press ends at next two strips, lift next strips and repeat, moving forward. Repeat the wrapping until the last two. Bring last two over end of braid, tuck and secure with a pinch. Return taco braid on parchment paper to the baking pan.
Melt butter in a small microwave safe bowl. Brush to the of the braid with the butter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top. Clean any “spillage” that may have occurred during the filling and braiding process to prevent spills from burning outside your braid.
Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. (It’s a good idea to start checking at about 12 minutes).
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully lift taco braid with the parchment paper and slide onto a large serving platter. Scatter half of the shredded lettuce around the braid, reserving the remaining half to use as desired once the braid has been served. Garnish with remaining tomatoes and green onions. Serve with sour cream and taco sauce to pass around the table. Don’t forget the margaritas!
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
He will enlighten the eyes of His servants.
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