QUARANTINE BLOG # 291

January 15, 2021

Here, by request, is another food origin story (thank you, Amy): the taco.  And some recipes for your next Taco Tuesday.

The taco is probably the most common Mexican food ordered today – especially in America, but believe it or not, there’s some disagreement out there when it comes to where and when the first taco was made.  It is believed that the taco’s history in Mexico pre-dates the arrival of Europeans within the country, and that among the first taco dishes that gained popularity was the fish taco.

Margarita fish tacos

While the exact history of the taco isn’t known with 100 percent certainty, one thing we are pretty sure about is the history of the word itself.  Back in the 18th century, mine workers in Mexico used the word “taco” to refer to a small piece of dynamite (gunpowder wrapped up in pieces of paper) that they used to excavate large areas of rock.  It’s not exactly known how the word began to be used to be apply to the food version – meat wrapped up in a tortilla – but it is easy to see how this translation in meaning was made.

Slow cooker honey BBQ chicken tacos

And in case you didn’t know (I did not), a growing menu item is the dessert taco.  These tacos tend to be made of a sweet tortilla shell with cinnamon and sugar, wrapped around some sort of sweet filling. 

👉  To compliment the history of tacos, check out “40+ Recipes for Taco Tuesday.”  In addition to the taco recipes the site tells you how to make seasoned ground beef taco meat, what dips, salsas and quesos to pair with taco recipes, what main dishes to add to your menu, and if you would like something stronger than ice water or a soda pop to wash them down, there are margarita recipes.

👉  Brian and Elizabeth sent me some new signs of note:

And my personal favorite (since Bonnie hung a No Trespassing sign on the gate leading to our swimming pool):

👉  I missed this one.  I’m not making this up – and it has nothing to do with any of the politicians now serving in Washington, DC.  Yesterday was the annual “Feast of the Ass.”

The Feast of the Ass was a Christian feast during medieval times, celebrated in France.  It celebrated all of the donkeys of the Bible, especially the one that was believed to have brought Jesus and his family into Egypt after Jesus’ birth, during what is known as the Flight into Egypt.  Another example of a donkey in the Bible is the one that Jesus rode on into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  It is also believed that a donkey was in the stable in which Jesus was born. 

👉  The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, known retroactively as Super Bowl I, was played 54 years ago today at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.  The National Football League champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 35–10.

The Chiefs posted an 11–2–1 record during the 1966 AFL season, and defeated the Buffalo Bills 31–7, in the AFL Championship Game.  The Packers finished the 1966 NFL season at 12–2, and defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34–27 in the NFL Championship Game.  Many sports writers and fans believed any team in the older NFL was vastly superior to any club in the upstart AFL, and so expected Green Bay would blow out Kansas City.

The first half of Super Bowl I was competitive, as the Chiefs were behind only 14-10 at halftime.  A turnover in the 3rd quarter sparked the Packers to score 21 unanswered points in the second half.  Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr, who completed 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, was named MVP.

👉  Today’s close is from Paul David Tripp.

I love the story of the Israelite army as they faced the Philistine army (from 1 Samuel 17).  On the first day of the face-off, out came that giant warrior, Goliath, who called for Israel to send out its best man to do battle with him.  Remember, these Israelite soldiers were the army of the Most High God, who had promised that He would deliver these enemies into their hands.  Yet what did the soldiers do?  They were immediately filled with fear and withdrew to their tents in fear.

Why didn’t these soldiers stand up to Goliath’s challenge? Why didn’t they fight in the name of the Lord? The answer is clear and unavoidable.  They had forgotten who they were, they were filled with fear and drew the wrong spiritual conclusion.  They compared their puny selves to this massive warrior and concluded there was no path to victory.

David wondered why this Philistine was permitted to taunt God’s army. He shockingly said that he would answer this man’s challenge. Was he arrogant? No, he knew who he was. He understood what it means to be a child of the living God. It was not little him against this huge warrior. No, it was this puny Philistine warrior against almighty God. David walked out into that valley because he had his identity clear and won a victory because he knew what he had been given.

Will you deal with life based on what you assess you bring to the table or based on who you are as a child of the King of kings and Lord of lords – the Savior who is always with you in power and grace? Will you live in timidity and fear or in the courage of hope? May God give you grace to remember your identity as His child in those moments when remembering is essential.

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