Taco Tarts

My goddaughter is a very successful woman. After graduating from THE Ohio State University with a master's degree in nursing home administration and starting a successful career, she married a great guy, added two lovely daughters to the family and settled in a lovely home. 

Then her husband was offered a fabulous position out of state just as the nursing home where she was employed began to downsize and - she was off to a new adventure! 

She grew up on a beef farm and decided to start her own! She (and her husband and lovely daughters) began raising beef, selling quarters and halves and manning an adorable booth at farm markets to help market her homegrown, superior, straight from the farm beef products.  The farm has also branched out to pigs and chickens when the lovely farm girls joined 4H and I have spotted some handpicked bouquets at the farm markets, too. My goddaughter even offers home delivery in her area if you order from her website. 

A few years ago she started a recipe challenge contest and if you live close enough, you can purchase a meat bundle for the recipes. We are on Week 2 - and to my pleasant surprise the recipe is one I gave her at her bridal shower when we filled a recipe box for her! 

I found the original recipe in Taste of Home recipe back in the late 80's I believe.  I think I slightly altered it - but it has been a family favorite from the first time they tasted them. Here is the recipe I shared with her and the recipe I made for this year's entry: 

I had planned to have these as our Super Bowl snack, such as it is. My husband watched football, I was set up in the kitchen for the season finales of Miss Scarlett and the Duke and Funny Woman as well as the latest tear jerker episode of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS.  Somehow the Diocese of Toledo decided to schedule confirmation for my twin grandchildren and 92 of their classmates at 3pm on Super Bowl Sunday. This meant I had to leave my house at 9:30 am, drive 1 hour and 45 minutes to their house for a luncheon, then to a church in the middle of a city (by drive I mean I was driven), then sit in a wooden pew for about 2 hours, leave the church and drive home. We were home by 7pm - I don't think he missed much of the game and my shows didn't start until 8pm.  But instead of taco tarts, we picked up tasteless burgers.

But tonight, since it was Monday, we celebrated with taco tarts.  

I wanted to update everyone on the young man I mentioned in my last post.  I had interviewed him at my volunteer position. He was homeless, but employed loading produce trucks overnight. His boss was letting him "sleep" in his car in the parking lot during the day (in broad daylight with semi trucks driving in and out). He was pretty depressed with life and so very tired.  I called from the church phone to check in with him and he has connected with an agency that I referred him to that is actively contacting landlords to find him an apartment he can afford. He was so much happier, hopeful and thanked me for my help the previous week.  We have put his application on hold in case he needs help with his deposit or moving expenses. It's always nice to have good news. 

This week's clients held more challenges, but I think we can stick our fingers in the dike for them.