Do Not Underestimate the Power of the Taco

Warning: this post may cause or increase hunger pains.

I know we are not the only Utahn's eating at the Taco Carts because if we were, there would only be one. Has anyone else noticed them popping up on every corner? It kind of makes me laugh. I had a good friend years ago (name has been left out to protect the innocent) that went to Mexico City on his mission. I remember him writing home about the street tacos. If you know this friend of mine, you remember his passion for certain things (skiing, clothes, shoes, food). Every time I got a letter that was about nothing but tacos, I figured it was just his latest passion. Now it's years later and the street tacos have started to make it big in Utah. He wasn't kidding. I think he wasn't actually supposed to eat the "street" food due to the unknown ingredients. But, given the County Health Dept. has cracked down on our Taco Carts, we should be safe to assume the meat is what they say it is. I think the first taco stand we tried was the one in the Osborne Apparel parking lot: Taqeria El Primo. After trying several carts throughout the valley, it has remained our favorite.

This is a picture I took of the tacos from Taqeria El Primo just last weekend. Jer's favorite's at this particular place are chorizo (sausage and potato) and lengua (cow tongue). I like to stick with the traditional asada (steak) and carnitas (pork). Josh loves them all. You can request grilled onions here and of course they have all the fresh fixin's in the coolers outside the cart. So yummy. They have lots of other menu items that I have yet to try (tacos are always the fave) but it's so fun to see what others order.

The other place we love is Chunga's (180 South 900 West). It's not a cart but it is one of those hole in the wall kind of places so don't go expecting a nice sit down restaurant. But, the Tacos al Pastor are five star tacos! The saying below is a picture of the wall inside the dining area. The picture on the bottom right is how Tacos al Pastor are made. Tacos al Pastor are made from pork shaved from a spit much like a Gyro. After marinating the meat, it is cooked on a rotisserie with a pineapple on top. The pineapple makes for a sweet flavor and is usually served on the taco with cilantro or salsa. It is like nothing you have ever tasted before. There is a fun review of Chunga's on one of our favorite blogs here.

So, next time you are craving a good taco, skip Del Taco, Taco Time and Taco Bell. Keep driving until you find the next taco cart and give it a try. Or, if you think we are crazy, that's okay too. Leave me a comment. I can take it. If you are a taco cart lover, tell me which one's are your favorites. We are always open to suggestions. I would love to hear if anyone has tried the tacos featured on Diner's Drive-In's and Dive's at Red Iguana. And, I LOVE the taco's at El Ferol (7200 S. State Street). They are deep fried and oh so bad for you but your mouth will appreciate it. If you are looking for a completely Americanized fast food taco, take a drive to Spanish Fork and order a taco at Glade's Drive In. While the burrito is my favorite menu item there, the taco makes a good ketchuppy kind of mess.

I thought maybe we could make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands.

I used to stress for a week or two before the kids "went off track" for the holidays. Now, having a "trenditional" schedule (that's what Emma called traditional when she was in Kindergarten and the concept of never going off track was foreign for us) I don't have to worry about how I'm going to entertain the kids for 2 or 3 weeks in the middle of winter. I love having the kids get out of school on December 18th and go back the first Monday after the new year. Stick two holiday's in there and a couple o' holiday eve's and there's not a lot of "free time" left.


The last two years Josh has gone to St. George with my parents for a few days during Winter Break. It's fun for him (since he gets along with adults so well) to spend hours in the car with just him and the grandparents. This year he got to help my mom clean out the fridge in Grandma Helen's garage. So fun! He is a good sport. He never complains about stuff like that. He doesn't much care about having to work when he's away from the girls. And, when it's just him and three grandparent's, he gets his way most the time (like when he talked them all into going to In-n-Out Burger and getting him a Double Double). He also appreciates a good sleep and there's no where better to do that than the Indian room at Grandma Helen's.


So with Josh out of town and Dad gone back to work, the two girls and I were left to entertain each other. The first day or two we did a lot of cleaning up after Christmas. But, when we woke up on the third day and it had been snowing all night, we bundled up and headed for the hills. While it wasn't the hills in the mountains (you know - the kind with "lifts" and people going down the mountain in an upright position) it was a pretty good hill for a couple of little girls and a sled. They had so much fun! It actually worked out to go with just the three of us 'cause there was no fighting and when they were nice and frozen it wasn't hard to talk them into going home. It was hilarious to watch them fly down the hill and hike back up. Erin is such a tiny thing, but man is her attitude big. I can't wait to put skis on her itty bitty feet. She's afraid of nothing and the cold doesn't bother her.

You wouldn't know that the girls are almost 4 years apart.

They started out so bundled up, but after getting the blood flowing, they quickly lost hats and gloves. Too bad for the mean mom that won't let them take coats off.

For those that believe Erin is mute - she's not quiet when she's sledding! Her giggles are so contagious.

"Now what can we do?" How many times did I hear that during the Winter break? A lot. That's why, as a mom, I do things like make helping with Sunday dinner an event. You tell them your "plan" and then have them pull up a chair, pour the sugar in, stir a little, take some pictures... and suddenly it was a game.


Actually, the kids request Homemade Chicken 'n' noodles a lot during the winter. And, since my mom taught me how to make the noodles from scratch and she learned from her mom (who probably learned from her mom), I have taught my girls how to make them. I make the dough, roll it out flat and then into a log. Then, Emma cuts the noodles with the thread. She always has to make one big fat 6 inch noodle for herself. Then, she passes the "rolls" to Erin and she undoes them and lays them out on the counter in the flour. Yummy fun. They are quite the experts in noodle making.

Notice how Josh helps - he stands in the kitchen, tosses the ball in the air and talks non-stop. We've all pretty much learned to tune out the sound of the ball until he knocks something off the wall with it. He either has a ball in his hands or at his feet. Now if I could tune out the non-stop talking. :)

This was probably the best batch of noodles we've made... and we've made a lot of noodles.


On New Years Day, we usually go bowling with the B's. There was just a few of us this year and Emma took her camera, so I only ended up with a couple of pictures. I love bowling. It reminds me of my growing up years. My parents always bowled on a league and it used to be cheap to take the family bowling (especially when you're on Military Base with your Military dad). So what happened? Who decided it should be $2 for shoes and $5 per game? That makes it a rather expensive night out for our little family. Most alley's do have a deal on New Years Day, but I sure wish we could bowl more than a couple of times a year.

Erin's little itty bitty feet are in those size 9 shoes and the shoes are too big. Little kid bowling shoes are so dang cute.


So what do we do at the end of a fun Christmas break? This...

A few of my favorites...

Each year during the Christmas Season, Jer is referred to as a "Humbug" by at least one person. The truth is: he LOVES Christmas. He especially loves all of the time we are able to spend together as a family. We find ourselves talking about this every year. What is Christmas really about? Is it about traditions, family, friends, food, gifts, the Nativity, parties, ward dinners and time off from school and work? It's about all of that and so much more. His frustration lies with one particular part of "all of that." The gifts. The point of gift giving at Christmas is to let those in our lives know that we love and appreciate them. Unfortunately, gift giving becomes 90% of the "celebration" rather than being equal to every other aspect and is highly commercialized. So, while Jer protests certain traditions (like white elephant gifts and $5 limits), I find complete satisfaction in handmade gifts. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have my own tradition with my sisters. I guess it's unfair to my hubby, my dad and my brothers, but they survive.

I love that each gift from all my sisters took time, energy, and real thought. Sometimes they are handmade and sometimes they are not. But, the bottom line is that they are personal and always meaningful. I also love the things the kids make at school. I love watching their faces as I open the wrapped gift. And, I always love my mom and mom-in-laws gifts. From the first Christmas Jer and I spent together as a married couple, his mom has impressed me with her thoughtfulness. Most years she brings tears to my eyes (like when she gave me a framed poem with Josh's hand prints). My moms gifts are usually based on some kind of "inside" joke. And if you know me, I appreciate a good giggle.

So, with that said, know that this post is not to celebrate gift giving, but to say thank you to everyone that put so much into each of these "favorites."

Santa (made by Josh) This little guy took almost a week to make in class. Mrs. Selman is such a great teacher. The kids brought cans to school and by Christmas break they transformed them into these darling things.

Poinsettia (crafted by Alisha) If you have ever checked Alisha's etsy shop, you know she has serious talent. This is one of the many things she created for the holidays. The funnest thing was that we all received a different one. I hate that I have to put it in a box until next year.

Antique Monogram (created by Jamie) So I knew for a couple of months that Jame had something amazing up her sleeve for the "sister gifts" this year. She found these old windows at an antique shop in American Fork and with her creative little head - it became this beautiful design. Everything she does is amazing so after much anticipation, there was nothing but excitement from me when I saw this! I love how it turned out!!

Watch Bracelet (designed by Cari) You all know I'm a succor for great jewelry. I was so excited when I opened this. The watch is a charm so it can be worn on the bracelet or on a chain as a necklace. The only thing that frustrates me about this gift is that I didn't think of it. :)

Slippers (made by Gap, given by Lynsee) This year Lynsee did something different for everyone. Some got handmade scarves - which I covet. I wish I had a picture of those. She made a darling scarf for Erin that I should have taken a picture of. Anyway, back to the slippers, I LOVE THESE THINGS! Every year Lyns has given Cari and I slippers. I usually wear them out so it's perfect timing to get a new pair from her for Christmas. I've pretty much been living in these since she gave them to me for two reasons: 1. They are so very cozy and my feet are always cold and 2. If I don't keep them on my feet, Emma will run off with them.

Menu Planner (made by Jenn) Another thing I wish I had thought of. Jenn created this in Photoshop and then made it into a white board. LOVE IT! So I can plan each week and then at the bottom it has a place for a shopping list. It's magnetic so it's on my fridge (convenient) and since it's a white board it can be used forever!

Magic Bullet (given by Mom and Dad) I seriously cringe at the idea of posting this mouth of a picture, but it's no secret that I have a big mouth. Yes, this is one of those "inside jokes" kind of gifts. Though, I think just about everyone I know has heard the story. My parents had me open this first (they gave one to all the kids) so that they could capture my reaction. That face is a true reaction - I swear it's not posed. I really was that excited to get a Magic Bullet.

Photo by Emilie Workshop (from Jer) Nothing new - Jer spoiled me for Christmas. But this was my favorite thing he gave me. Since I decided to be a Photographer when I grow up, I decided to take a class to catch me up with the digital world. I'm so excited - I can't wait! The class isn't until the end of February, but with my registration there were several tutorials. So, I've been reading and practicing already! I will be saving my pennies for a new camera and then I will need "subjects" to practice on. Keep me in mind for your photo needs!

Thanks to everyone for all the thoughtful gifts! Hopefully you all enjoy this tradition as much as I do. Are you as amazed as I am with all the talent?

Trouble With Tribbles

Meet Lilly (look at that guilty little face):

10:00 a.m. Jer and I listed the baby gerbils on KSL. We were being a little sneaky about the whole thing because the kids have been whining about keeping them since Thanksgiving. But, they are officially off the boob and ready to move out on their own.

2:30 p.m. We received an email from a lady in West Jordan asking for just two of the four. I will definitely be contacting her. I love these little things and it is easy to get attached. But, this little family can't have 7 gerbils in one cage. Something has to change.

10:30 p.m. Josh is laying in his bed reading a book and hears some serious squeaking in the cage. This is pretty normal having that many little animals in the room with you. But, as he listened, he realized these little squeaks were not 6 week old squeaks. So, he decides to check on them to find out what all the ruckus is about. Hmmm... could it be another litter?

10:45 p.m. I ran to WinCo to buy bedding, a water bottle and food. Fortunately, we have our old cage (a smaller one) that we kept out in the garage.

11:00 pm. We moved the four boys (from the first litter) to the small cage. Molly (the one female from litter A) gets to stay with mom and dad because the boys have been bullying her. We did a head count and it looks like there are four new little additions. Between Josh and Jer and I, we figure they were born last night. They are smaller than litter A when we found them. And, when I went downstairs this morning at 7:30 to get Josh up, I heard the newborn squeaks but couldn't find them.

So here's the deal - gerbils have got to go. The kids are really fighting Jer and I on this one. They are great pets to have - super clean, super easy, super entertaining. . . and apparently super fertile. If you are interested in taking a couple off our hands, please let me know. We have the four boys from litter A that are ready to go. Litter B won't be off the boob for about six weeks. Zac and Lilly will be separated. Can you have your gerbils spayed or neutered? I still can't figure out why we had them for a year before they figured out the birds and the bees.

I think we will be moving on to this:

Emma got this from Santa this year. My favorite part: "Watch 'em grow then let 'em GO!" Now if we can just convince the kids to go by this with the gerbils.