NOVEMBER 15, 2023 www.wintertexantimes.com 14 WINTER TEXAN TIMES (956)566-1157 Are you getting just a little bit excited? There are just so many wonderful celebrations this time of year. First it was Halloween and alongside that the Day of the Dead – a celebration of life observed all over Mexico and in a lot of south Texas communities. Then it is Veterans Day followed by Thanksgiving. And then comes Christmas – a favorite of so many. What a time for remembering and making new memories as families gather for the celebrations. My thoughts just naturally begin to think about my contributions to the celebrations – cooking a turkey for a big group comes first. Well, this year, it will be two turkeys as our group has grown to a probable thirty. Some kind gentleman at the grocery store saw me struggling to lift a 24 pound frozen turkey into the grocery cart. I just could not have managed without his help. He even helped me with the smaller one. My next big challenge is to determine where in the Rio Grande Valley I will find the best tamales, which is my big contribution to the Christmas Eve dinner. Have you ever tried to make tamales? This gringa – if you don’t speak Spanish, that’s an Anglo-Saxon term for white person – had never seen a tamale until I transferred to the Mexican border. Now I have even learned how to make them – and I had a very good teacher who was a retired chef from the Denver Country Club. First, of course, someone has to buy the corn husks and then put them to soak until they are very pliA wonderful time of year able. Then comes the challenge – on which side of the husk do you spread the masa? I had no idea there was a right and wrong side. Well, I soon learned. And then, of course, I never diced meat filling in small enough pieces. How patient my teacher was with me. Finally comes the folding of the leaf to make the package, placing it correctly in the cooking pot or even bundling the tamales into dozens to be frozen or refrigerated until the grand day when we all get to sample. Consider yourself lucky if you have a Mexican American friend who will invite you to a tamale making party- called a tamalada. Go, you will have a great time. 1,500 food baskets ahead of the holiday to pre-selected families across the city. The Edinburg Parks and Recreation Department will host a kick-off ceremony at 9 a.m. at 315 Mark S. Pena Drive before crews begin deliveries at 9:30 a.m. The community is encouraged to participate in Edinburg Cares in a number of ways. Residents can donate non-perishable items, such as canned fruits and vegetables, stuffing, and gravy mixes, now through Friday, November 17. Donation boxes can be found at the following locations: • Edinburg City Hall, 415 W. University Drive • Central Fire Station, 212 W. McIntyre Street • Edinburg Police Department, 1702 S. Closner Blvd. • Edinburg Parks and Recreation, 315 Mark S. Pena Drive • Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, 1906 S. Closner Blvd. • Hidalgo County Precinct 4, 1051 N. Doolittle Road • Texas T Barbershop, 1303 S. McColl Road • All ECISD Schools In addition, the city is in need of volunteers to assist in sorting cans, filling food baskets, and helping with deliveries. For more information on how to volunteer, please call (956) 381-5631. FOOD DRIVE From pg. 6 Photo Courtesy of City of Edinburg
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