A Blast From The Past

This last week, since doing the vicarious temple work for our Mexican ancestors I have had the desire for "heritage food." It reminded me of the time I had an anniversary dinner a year after I was sealed to my parents.

I decided to make tamales and have everyone over for dinner. It was on a Sunday, October 20, 2005. Michael and Matt were not aware of our get together. I called them on Monday to tell them about the family party. Each one told me that both said, Michael and Joanna had a craving for my tamales the day before. Matt and Beth said the same thing not knowing what we had for our dinner. I thought that was a strong witness of the influence of our family link to our family on the other side.

So, the feeling I had of the tamales this week was similar the day I was in the temple. It brought my ancestors the the forefront. I had some extra tamales dough and meat filing in the freezer from the holidays when I last made them.



Then, when this craving for tamales came I took the frozen food out to thaw. I made them in a few hours of the afternoon on Thursday. They were delicious, beside to top off the feeling, I made homemade Mole. I cooked a couple of chicken breasts in the crock, and while steam cooking the tamales, I made the Mole sauce for the chicken. I make by taste and by trial and error. It comes out almost the same each time, even though I have written down a recipe in our family cookbook.

I made it that time and wrote down what I put into it. Sometimes it is a little sweeter. I used the Abuelita chocolate "cakes" with the sugar and cinnamon seasoning that are store bought. I sometimes make my own mixture out of powdered chocolate. I could not tell you how much I used, since I start mixing and tasting as I go. You know, that is how good cooks do it!!

Nevertheless, I had a bit of that with the nostalgia about my maternal grandmother that I wrote about last. I definitely see the connection even now. Hindsight.

I have been very blessed over the years to have the photographs, and documents, and stories about my ancestors. I am so thankful for the motivation it gives me to keep on writing, researching and bringing my family up to date about them all.

I truly cherish my heritage. I am thankful for the influence they have all had on me, even now. Their lives are important to me, and I believe they are all around me and assist me in my day to day life. The veil is thin and they are aware of all of my (our) needs, and as we search them out, they show their gratitude for our remembering them and bringing them the same blessings we enjoy.

The Spirit of Elijah is the chain and link to our past and blesses our present and future, as well as my taste buds.