I’ve never made homemade tamales before today and I hope to make them again because it was a great experience.

My friend Adriana invited several families to her home to learn how to make the labor intensive and time consuming Mexican treats. We were so lucky because it really was fun to be working side by side with moms, kids, and a couple of dads.

Some were making the seasoned masa while others were busy spreading the masa in a thin layer over the softened corn husks.

Adriana made homemade red and green sauces, as well as shredded chicken and pork to use as fillings before we arrived. There were bowls of shredded cheese and a vegetarian mixture of corn and beans and salsa as well.  

We had two assembly tables and 4 huge pots with steamers ready to go.

Adriana gave us lessons how to spread the masa in a thin layer, how to not overfill them, and how to fold them and place them in the container for steaming.  

We were all eager to learn and to get started, as we wanted to make 100s!

Once the tamales were assembled, they had to steam for 2 hours to cook the masa.

Everyone patiently waited and enjoyed time together while the tamales did their thing.  We monitored the pots and added more water as the steam evaporated.  

The dog had fun licking up the fallen scraps and looking for more.

I loved every part of the process, even being part of the kitchen crew clean up team. I loved watching everyone work together and creating something good together. There were lots of smiles in the kitchen.

We all were hungry and enjoyed them when they were ready and then we bagged them by the dozen for each family to take home.

I love this new tradition and hope we do it again next year. Gracias Amiga!!