We were visiting my wife's family in Vermont which ends up being a large group, with most of her brothers and sisters, and their spouses and kids, and this year even several girlfriends of the kids. All told we were about thirty. Meals were split up with one or two people volunteering for each meal. New Year's Eve was my night. I was stumped at first as far as what to make, but the co-volunteer Eric (a foodie BIL) came up with the suggestion of top-your-own tacos. We actually went with tostadas, and made black beans, three different meat toppings, and about a dozen other topping options, with side dishes of Mexican-spiced rice, and homemade cole slaw. Logistically the meal worked well, although some people didn't realize that they were supposed to be able to pick up the tostada after they made it, and instead they buried it beneath a 2-inch deep mound of toppings. Also we forgot to put out the guacamole until after half the people had served themselves. Food wise, some parts of the meal worked better than others. The shredded chicken verde was good but would have been better with more of the tomatillo salsa, however the co-op closed early, and the normal grocery store had no green salsa. The beef/chorizo was good but could have used a bit more of something, Eric and I couldn't decide what it needed. The shrimp was a big hit, the only problem with it was it disappeared so fast, the recipe (as well as I remember it) for the shrimp is below. Chili-Lime Shrimp 2 lbs peeled uncooked shrimp (31-40 count -- cut into thirds) 10 cloves garlic (minced) 1 4oz can diced green chilies 2 limes chili powder canola oil Liberally cover raw shrimp with chili powder and the juice of 1 half of a lime, and let rest for 10 minutes. In small pan, heat oil over medium heat, add garlic and green chilies, until garlic is softened and fragrant. remove from heat. In large pan, heat oil over high heat, until it is smoking hot, add shrimp stirring occasionally to make sure all the shrimp are getting cooked, and none are burning, after about 2-3 minutes the shrimp should all be cooked, add the garlic and green chilies that you set aside, and the rest of the juice of the limes. Stir for about 1 more minute, and place in large bowl to serve. Overall the meal received rave reviews.

I seared three chicken breasts (I cut them in half) in the Dutch oven. Tossed in a large, diced, onion. Sprinkled with half a cup of taco seasoning. Added two cups of water. Lower heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced and chicken can be shredded. Add eight cups of enchilada sauce. Let all that simmer while you boil, drain and rinse your lasagna noodles and mix up the filling: 24 oz Ricotta, a tub of baby spinach, 4 cups of shredded colby/jack cheese (I don't like pre-shredded cheese and couldn't find blocks of "Mexican blend" to shred my own) . Ladle spoons of the enchilada sauce (without the meat - skim it off the top) to cover the bottom of the pan. Start layering your lasagna: noodles; meat sauce; filling; noodles; meat sauce; filling ... etc. This pan was four noodles wide and fit three layers of noodles. So eyeball three portions of the meat sauce and filling for each layer. Use the meat sauce for the layering and you should have quite a bit of the sauce left to pour over the top. Sprinkle with two more cups of shredded colby/jack, a can of sliced black olives and one bunch of chopped green onions. Bake at 350F for about an hour. Let rest while you make up a simple side salad of shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomato and sliced avocado. A dollop of sour cream and a dollop of salsa on top.

NiCO, I hope your new phone is doing as it is supposed to. Somehow mine never does, or maybe it does and I just don't know it, LOL. Jack, it finally cooled off here and we got a little rain. I've been canning and gardening and canning. The cattle are enjoying the respite from the heat and the little bit of green that's coming back from 6 weeks of no appreciable rain. I even cooked because my nephew was here working on fence. I made a pot roast, fried green tomatoes, some garlic bread and an apple pie. The crust was from SharonCB's recipe, the Nathan's Never Fail Pastry. I make a batch in the food processor, divide it into 6 portions, wrap in plastic wrap and then freeze it. The frozen portions are then put into a zip lock bag and I have pie crust when I need it. The last time I picked up a grocery store pie crust it was nearly $5 for 2 crusts and I just refuse to pay that, so I make my own and freeze it. I like the recipe very much, and use butter as the fat. I always smile and think of Sharon when I pull that chunk of dough out of the freezer. I didn't think to take pictures, though. Annie

Eggs should not be washed until (if necessary) just before using. The bloom on the outside keeps them fresh and also prevents nasties from getting into the egg through the porous shell. That the US government insists on eggs sold in grocery stores being washed is just another instance of the lawmakers having a poor understanding of how food safety works. @KW PNW Z8, it's a long story. Start with all the indigenous people being removed to reserves outside of town in the 1940s and 50s. then when the reserves were broken up in the 70s, people from differing, traditionally warring tribal groups were rehoused in the town, often living next door to each other. The fighting continues to this day. Then also, the town is the district centre for support services for those who are indigent, having mental issues, drug issues, you name it. Often these people don't have their own vehicles and there is no public transport between towns and only few taxis in the main town, so most of the people requiring such support are located in this district centre. Education levels are poor, mainly because a sadly large number of parents don't parent, either too out of it on drugs and/or alcohol, or they don't know how to due to their great grandparents having been removed from their families by then government practice and raised in orphanages. These ancestors have passed on their lack of parenting skills through the generations. It's a sad mess, and even sadder, there is resistance to changing the status quo. When you're dysfunctional you often think that is normal.