I did it! Woohoo! After buying, cooking, shredding nearly forty pounds of pork. After washing eight bags of con husks. After de-steming and de-seeding and soaking four bags of dried chili pods. After buying twenty pounds of masa, setting it out and mixing it with broth, by hand, several times. After six hours of spreading masa on the corn husks. And drinking two beers. After steaming two HUGE pots which turned out to be nine dozen and being pants-ed while standing on a step ladder over the stove so I can see into the pots. And finally done cooking them at midnight on Saturday, I’m proud to say my first year of making tamales was a success! YES!
Oh my tamales are PERFECT! They look, smell and taste just like my grandma has been making them for the last 35+ years! Mister even gave me props for perfect tamales on the first try! Right on!
So after spending nearly fifteen hours in and out of the kitchen yesterday we’re heading out for the day. We’re going to catch a 10am movie and then another. Head to lunch and the finish Mister’s Christmas shopping. I don’t want to be in the kitchen AT ALL today!

15 comments
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December 23, 2007 at 4:17pm
pspproblems
go to http://www.pspproblems.wordpress.com for all your psp needs
December 23, 2007 at 5:10pm
Nikki
WooHoo!! Glad to hear it all went well, and that they came out perfect too!! That’s great! Merry Christmas, if I don’t talk to you before then!
December 23, 2007 at 5:39pm
shell
yay! that’s fantastic. i wish i could have one with you! hope you have a amazing christmas!!!!
December 23, 2007 at 6:47pm
jen
I dont blame you a bit. Enjoy your day girl. You deserve it. Merry Christmas Ce ce.
December 23, 2007 at 8:42pm
Sue
Rock on! I know how good those tamales are. Damn, now I want tamales. Or enchiladas. Or really any Mexican food.
I’m doing the cookie thing today. But it’s good. It’s freaking cold and windy and icky out, so warming up the house by baking is an excellent idea.
December 24, 2007 at 12:42am
minijonb
congrats! have a great holiday with your family.
December 24, 2007 at 1:22am
Valerie
Glad it all worked out so well! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
December 24, 2007 at 2:54am
gino
homemade tamales are the bomb!
today, i’m doing the cookie thing that i do every year.
December 24, 2007 at 3:52am
Heidi
Congrats on your first year making tamales!!! Wish I could sample one
Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2007 at 5:16am
Ann
I’m impressed….that’s a lot of damn work. Glad you get to get out of there and go have FUN for a while. Happy holidays to you and yours!!
December 24, 2007 at 7:01am
Carrie
So where are the pix? I’m trying to do the math in my head and those have to be some big tamales. My nieces girlfriend is Mexican and I told her tonight that I want to start doing this but she says she doesn’t know how. I think I am going to start a new tradition next year. We sat in the kitchen all day and made sweets. I pretty much watched because the smell of sugar made me want to vomit but I helped decorate cookies at least.
I can’t imagine how good your tamale are.
December 24, 2007 at 12:55pm
Slick
I had faith in you all along. I told you that you’ll be just fine.
You gotta trust Ol’ Slick, CeCe.
Stopped by to wish you a Merry Christmas!!
December 24, 2007 at 2:44pm
SassyMomma
Awww I know those are totally worth all the time and effort though. Can’t wait for the secret recipe! Go have some fun today (or yesterday actually)
December 31, 2007 at 5:25pm
Jena
I wanna make tamales – share your recipe
December 31, 2007 at 5:26pm
Jena
I wanna make tamales – share your recipe..