The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

My dear friend, Ruth, has celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe as long as I've known her. Many times she's invited us to celebrate with her. This year was one of those times, but we decided to celebrate in the evening at home with Daddy, too, with one of my favorite Mexican dinners: Carnitas, Chiles Rellenos, Mexican Rice and Mexican Fruit Cake!

My husband's sister is married to a man of Hispanic descent from Brownsville, Texas, and since the union we've acquired some really great Mexican recipes. This is my sister-in-law's recipe (I think from her mother-in-law) for Carnitas and Chiles Rellenos:

Carnitas:

Rub minced garlic over pork shoulder.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover with salsa verde and large chopped onion.
Cover with foil and bake at 300° for 4 1/2 hours.
Remove and cool, then skim off the fat and shred meat, removing bones.
Return to pan with juices.
Bake, uncovered, for 1/2 hour more until crisp.
Turn with spoon and cook 20 minutes more.
Serve with warm corn tortillas, avocado, lime and sour cream.

Chiles Rellenos:

Cut Poblano Chiles in half and remove seeds, trying to keep the stem for a "handle."
Stuff peppers with refried beans and queso blanco.
Sprinkle with more cheese on top.
Bake at 350° until skin is bubbly.

Mexican Rice:

Saute 3 cups of long grain white rice in 3 tablespoons of oil, until about half the grains are starting to brown. Add chopped garlic and onion to taste, about 6 cloves of garlic and 2 onions. Saute a few minutes more. Add 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice and 5 cups chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low for another 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Mexican Fruit Cake:

Mexican Fruit Cake

2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 c. pecans, chopped
1/3 c. oil
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple

Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Stir by hand until completely mixed. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 inch baking pan or dish. Bake 40 to 45 minutes in metal pan; 30 to 35 minutes in glass baking dish.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
2 c. confectioners sugar
1 stick oleo
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together. Ice when cake is cool.

We sprinkled chopped nuts and coconut over the icing to make it look a little more festive.

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Conversion of the Americas and of the World:

O Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, who as Our Lady of Guadalupe didst aid in the conversion of Mexico from paganism in a most miraculous way, we now beseech thee to bring about in these our times, the early conversion of our modern world from its present neo-paganism to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of thy divine Son, Jesus Christ, starting in the Americas, and extending throughout the entire world, so that soon there may be truly “one fold and one shepherd,” with all governments recognizing the reign of thy Son, Jesus Christ the King. This we ask of the Eternal Father, through Jesus Christ His Son Our Lord and by thy powerful intercession -- all for the salvation of souls, the triumph of the Church and peace in the world. Amen.



Happy Feast Day!