Enchiladas - Final

     Enchiladas. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word, enchiladas? Mexican food? That sounds good? Or maybe even what the heck is that? Well, to me, when I hear that word I think of Christmas. A time where my sister, mother, and I get together to face the long strenuous  task of making the enchiladas. This is all a really amazing memory that I have kept close to my heart since I was little. 

My grandma would always have Christmas dinner at her place. The family would go over and just spend time together. But when my grandmother died, my mom took over the responsibility of making and hosting Christmas for all of her children and grandchildren. It was a huge difference and also a huge change as well. I remember playing with my brother and sisters in the living room while, my mom and grandma would sit at the kitchen counter making the enchiladas. Of course at the time I didn’t know how hard that task would be. My grandma would tell us to come over and show us children how to make them, with her. We couldn’t do it as well as she could but we still tried.  But we all made it through with the memories of the past Christmas’ and bringing those memories to the present with a new generation. With all the same traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation.

We start the process early in the morning, my sister comes over and my mother, sister and I have a cup of coffee and talk for a little while and maybe have some breakfast. We go over all that needs to be done before we get started making the enchiladas. We make these every year and you would think that we would not argue about how we should make them. Whether it should be done my way or my sisters' way. We still agrue about which way is the right way year after year. While my mother is saying to us be nice it is okay to do it one way or to do it both way just that we do not argue. After we realize what we are doing we laugh about it and have fun while making the enchiladas, sometimes we make our mother a little crazy with the way that we talk to each other.

While the chili is simmering on the stove and you can smell the spices lingering in the air because my sister just made it. Then we go over all the ingreadents to make sure we have enough to make the enchiladas. Which would consists of: red chili powder, cheese, chicken, oil, water, flour, corn tortillas, onions, and a heaping bowl of Christmas Eve day making this food. We shred the chicken, which will do a lot of damage to your hands. By the time we are done with the chicken, my hands are so cramped that we all know it’s time to take a break. Next comes putting it all together. We get really excited at this part because we know that the task is almost over. The red chili has a certain smell to it, it’s a smell that I can’t quite but my finger on. Maybe sweet, or sour with a little bit of the hot smell. Finally, when everything is done and put away, we just wait till Christmas to eat them. When we do eat them we warm them up, add pork chili, lettuce, tomatoes, and if people want more cheese. The final product is so good, you could smell them a mile way. The chili blends together to make the perfect taste, along with the tortilla that cools your mouth when the chili is so hot. Most of all, having my family seated all over the house eating the food that we all love so much. That’s what’s so memorable about enchiladas. We only eat them once a year, together as a family, and only on Christmas Day too.