Taco Tuesday and the Little House on the Prairie

Laurel and I have been reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. It kind of blows my mind that I have a kid big enough to listen to chapter books, and it's delightful to revisit something I read in childhood. Ma runs the household with this air of confidence that I truly envy. My primary reaction to adult life and parenting has been "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS!!" In every chapter, I'm amazed at what they make do with, and how fast their chores get done. Ma makes their own brooms, for goodness sakes. My chores, on the other hand, are literally never done. Ever. And I have no shortage of supplies.

But there are times when I feel more confident about my homemaking skills. Every Tuesday for the past year or so, I've mixed up a bowl of masa harina, salt and warm water. At first, I carefully measured, to ensure that I would end up with the right consistency and the right number of tortillas. But in the last few months, the process has become more intuitive. My mom showed me the trick of using a plastic grocery bag to line the press. I feel the dough, add a little more water, or let it sit a little longer. Instead of needing to carefully divide the dough with a knife, I pinch off the right amount before rolling it into a ball and placing it in the tortilla press. Taco Tuesday started after we watched the Lego movie, kind of as a joke. It continues because it anchors our week. We usually invite some guests, but that often comes together last minute. If more people show up, I mix up more dough. It only takes a minute or two to cook a fresh batch of tortillas, especially now that we have the Griddler. Marko and Laurel are familiar enough with the process that they are actually pretty helpful. I clear out the half-full containers of leftovers in the fridge, and see what will make a good combination in a taco.

Tacos are the key to becoming more like Ma Ingalls. By that, I mean that she only ever cooked a few different meals. Routine and repetition made her a master at her job.