Lent and Capirotada Time

Well it is that time again............time to do your shopping and get ready for Capirotada. Tomorrow is fat Tuesday as they say in New Orleans but for "nosotros los Mexicanos" it is time to prepare for Ash Wednesday. Not only do we prepare capirotada but we begin to prepare all the other lenten meals which means meatless pero muy sabroso.   Today we purchased el pan bolillo at the panaderia La Sonorense. Tomorrow we slice the bread lengthwise and toast it in the oven. Hubby diced all the dried fruit today to use for the capirotada. He shelled the peanuts and will toast them tomorrow. He went to Supermercado Mexico today and purchased Canela, piloncillo, tomatillos, queso Oaxaca and we will be ready to roll tomorrow.   For the rest of the meal we bought nopales, dried favas which in spanish are habas and the dried, powdered shrimp. We will make tortas de camaron con nopales en mole rojo. We will shell
and clean the favas and boil until soft, then will saute with chopped onions, minced garlic and diced fresh tomatoes. In the morning we have one very light breakfast as this is a day of fasting which means you have lighter than usual meals. For lunch we will have the favas and for late afternoon the tortas de camaron con nopales y mole rojo. Will have the family over in the late afternoon to share a meal and a prayer and then off to church for Ash Wednesday.   These are my family's traditions from Tlachichila Zacatecas.   Happy Fat Tuesday to all........Alicia Avelar Olmos de Carrillo