Traditions

Guess what I just found for sale at Michaels? Wheat! In natural, pale green and soft brown! I saw it with my own eyes!  On the shelf!

So, I decided this is the perfect time to share how I make Harvest Brooms. They are the perfect accent to celebrate the fall harvest season which is just about to begin!

Harvest brooms are a great way to continue an age old tradition of saving a bit of the wheat harvest to create a "house blessing". House Blessings bring a family good luck through the coming winter. In the spring, the wheat is sprinkled over the newly sown fields to ensure a plentiful harvest in the fall.

The harvest broom is the simplest of all wheat weaving and only takes a few minutes!

And it is a great way to introduce kids to an age old tradition. Check out the really easy wheat ornaments below!

You will need:

- 20 to 40 wheat stalks

- Dental floss

- scissors

- Bit of raffia, ribbon or fabric strip

- Dried flowers, berries, pods, etc

- Glue gun (optional but helpful)

Make a Harvest Broom

1. Clean and soak your wheat stalks as described in last year's post for making braided and twisted House Blessings. Cover your work surface with a piece of plastic or several layers of newspapers.

2. Remove wheat from the water and blot to remove excess water.

3. Using dental floss, tie the stalks together just above the heads. Pull your dental floss very tight and secure your knot using a surgeons knot. (Tutorial for surgeons knot is at the end of this post.)

4. Tightly tie the ends together using dental floss. None of your stalks will be the same length. This is not a problem. Just be sure you place your floss so that the bundle is tied about 1" below the shortest stalk.

5. Cut through all the wheat stalks about 1" above the floss.

6. To make a little hanging loop, cut a piece of floss about 6" long. Run one end of it between the stalks and under the floss tie as shown.

7. Fold the floss in half and tie a little overhand knot near the end. (I made two here - the first one was a little too long.) Cut just a little below the knot.

8. Now gently pull the floss loop toward the top of the broom until the knot is snug against the floss tie. The knot will be hidden by any decoration you add to the top to cover the floss tie.

9. You are ready to embellish! I usually tie a bit of raffia around the floss at the top of the broom, but ribbon or fabric strips also work well. A dab of hot glue will help hold it in place.

9. You can embellish your broom with just about anything you have on hand. I like to use flowers that have dried naturally in vases or on plants, dried poppy pods, dried fern leaves, corn stalks, fall leaves treated with Mod Podge.

But craft stores, florists and farmer's markets offer a huge selection of tempting ideas as well. Below - a few others I recently made using garden materials and "stuff" found at the Pumpkin Patch and Michaels.

Dried red echinacea from the garden last fall and oats found along the side of a country road.

Corn husks and round red ornamental corn from the Pumpkin Patch, tied on with raffia - and a little help from hot glue!)

Beautiful tiny 3" long blue Indian Corn and corn husks from the Pumpkin Patch and thistles from Michael's.

I love these simple little ornaments made with wheat! So easy for kids to make.

Simply tie 6 to 8 wheat stalks together right where the head meets the stem the same way as you did in step 3 above.

Trim the stalks in a kind of fan shape about 2" above the tie.

Embellish!

These little ornaments are so small they don't require much to dress them up. A bit of raffia and some craft store "pepper berries" work great for these. Small dried flowers also are very pretty, but perhaps a bit too fragile for tiny hands.

So - let your kids figure it out! Little plastic toys work!! And Christmas bells and baubles! A favorite piece of drift wood or a precious stone! Milkweed fluff! Pine cone!  

If you can't find wheat at your local Michael's or florist, you can always order from my favorite - Black Beard's Wheat! These are the nicest people to work with and their wheat is absolutely beautiful. This one is my most favorite!

Package of 70 - 120 wheat stalks run $6.75 to $7.00 depending on kind of wheat. A very fair price.  And if you want to learn more about wheat weaving, you will find some great books here!

If you are a teacher, you might want to consider contacting a farmer near you to see if he would be willing to allow you to either purchase the wheat you need for your class, or perhaps even allow you to pick it for free since it is for the kids!

If you are given permission to pick, do so about 4 or 5 days before the farmer plans to harvest and wear gloves and use garden clippers to cut the wheat. Cut near the ground. Please don't ever pick from a wheat field without getting permission.

It is best to hang the wheat in bundles, upside down for at least a week before using. But if this is not possible, simply clean it using the instructions here.

OK guys! I want to see some wheat brooms and house blessing ornaments magically appear in my side bar flickr pool!

We always look forward to blueberry season at the Pumpkin Patch!

This year the trip out to pick berries was even more memorable because we took along two of our favorite pals!

After picking buckets of blueberries, Sophia and I picked 6 baskets of beautiful, juicy, delicious raspberries for her Mom to freeze. Actually we picked more than 6 baskets but only 6 made it out of the field in the baskets. The rest - left the field in our tummies!

And Antonio took charge of the basket while his Mom shopped at the produce market.

Labor Day weekend is Harvest Festival time at the Pumpkin Patch! And for the second year, my sweetie and I will be hanging out from 10:00 to 3:00 on Monday, Labor Day. We will set up a totally free, crafty area just outside the market.

Last year, visitors kept our tables full all day - painting gourds and making wheat House Blessings.

Locals! Think about spending part of your day at the farm and joining us. There will be hay rides, good food and a fabulous selection of farm fresh produce. And don't forget U-Pick options too! Check out the Pumpkin Patch Harvest Festival info here!

I have wheat drying in my garage and I am cleaning gourds like crazy! 60 so far and still going!

I hope to see some of you there.

It is July! My Shasta Daisies are in full bloom. How else would I choose a winner?

16 people entered. I am counting to 16 over and over until the last petal.

Almost there!

I do not believe it! The last petal is number 1! Lolly! You are the winner!

Congratulations!

A huge heartfelt thank you to all of you who entered and joined me in celebrating Christmas in July!

I am on a mission! A Winter Holiday Cookie Mission!

On December 5th - St. Nicholas Eve - Gingerbread Snowflakes is going to host a Holiday Cookie Recipe Swap!

My hope is to host cookie recipes (or special holiday treats) from as many different countries around the world as possible. Google Analytics tells me that I have readers all over the world, so I am hoping many will join in and share a favorite cookie recipe that is a part of their family holiday traditions.

To participate, all you will have to do is to post your cookie recipe on your own blog on December 4th or 5th. You can make a "how-to" post or simply post the recipe with a photo.

There will be a special link system set up on my St. Nicholas Eve post that will allow you to copy and paste your photo and your post URL and through the magic of the internet, your recipe photo and the link will appear on my post!

Readers interested in making any of the goodies can simply click on the link back to the site to get the recipe!

I realize there are tons of recipes available on the big recipe sites! But I have been discovering that it is those lovely family recipes that are the real gems. And I am hoping that sharing our recipes on the swap and then baking some of them for our own families will give all of us an opportunity to share in each other's cultures and holiday celebrations.

If you have spent any time at all with me, you know I am all about that!

There is nothing to do right now! Just, please, start thinking about what recipe you would most like to share, and mark your calendar. I would love it if you would e-mail me and let me know if you will be joining me in December, but it is not necessary.

I will be posting a reminder in late November.

I hope to see each of you right here on December 5th!

 Since so many of us seem to love collecting ornaments, Christmas In July Giveaway #2 is a collection of ornaments made just for Gingerbread Snowflakes holiday posts these past two seasons.

And to give them a little more "history" they have already been a part of Christmas celebrations at our house.

Added 7/23:  After reading several comments, I am concerned I did not make it clear that the winner will receive one of each of the three ornaments pictured - three ornaments in all plus the wheat kit.

So, without further delay - let's just get right to the good stuff!

Japanese Inspired ornament

I haven't the heart to ask Diane to try to unpack all her holiday ornament boxes to find these, so I promise to make one very, very similar! In fact, if you tell me which style you like best of the three pictured, I will make that style!

Yarn Star

Pick your favorite from this image!

Punched Tin Butterfly

I still have the little guy on the left, made just for this post! So my sweet sample butterfly could soon be all yours now!

Wheat Stars

 I am also including one of my little wheat star kits. The kit includes instructions and materials to make a Wheat Star. And... I am going to send along an additional bundle of wheat stalks for making more. Just tell me if you like the single or double star.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment! As long as the words "Winter Holidays" or "Christmas" appear in the comment I will be happy! Oh and leave me an e-mail address!

Giveaway ends on July 25th at 6:00pm PST. (July 25th! only 5 months until Christmas Day!)

The giveaway is open to everyone! So if you live outside the USA, don't hesitate to enter! I will be happy to ship your ornaments!

Added 7/23:  And it is also open to all my internet buddies!  Don't be shy!  This giveaway is for everyone!

Happy Christmas in July! And good luck to all!

I just finished making my very first snowman. He has been smiling at me from my desk for two days now! I can't help but smile back and return to what I am doing in a happier mood.

I must admit, I have become a fan of snowmen only recently, having been a collector of Santas for over 25 years. At first, I was quite offended as manufacturers began replacing my beloved Santas with snowmen as the collectible symbol of the season. (Snowman, of course, appeal to a wider audience).

In time, realizing that snowmen could be displayed until late February without visitors looking at me as if I am a nut case, I began to appreciate their importance in the scheme of things and began a small collection. But then I realized how much more fun it would be to create and make my own!

In this post, I am sharing an easy, peasy way to make snowmen - of any size or shape you like - 3" to 3' - plump or not so plump!

Making the pattern

1. Head. Using any object you have on hand that is the size you want the head, trace the object onto the paper you have chosen for your pattern.

For the snowman above, I used a piece of 8 1/2"x11" scrap printer paper. But for larger snowmen, you could use tissue paper or newspaper or butcher paper. Drinking glasses and cookie cutters work fine for smaller head shapes. Dinner plates and platters will work for really big snowmen!

2. Body. Draw a curved line as shown starting at the head. The shape of the line will determine the shape of your snowman. Mine is fairly slim, but you could make yours nice and round if you like!

  3. Neck. At the point where the body and head come together, draw a little curve.

4. To Make a symmetrical body. Fold your pattern in half, making sure the right and left sides of the head line up with each other.

5. Cut out your snowman pattern following the head and body lines you have drawn.

6. Open your pattern! A perfect snowman!

7. Make the base. Measure across the bottom of your pattern and make another circle about 1" less in diameter than the bottom measurement.

8. Arms. Totally optional! But if you want arms, draw a simple arm on your pattern paper. I choose to add a mitten shape to my arm, but arms can just be rounded on the end.

9. Cutting. Lay your pattern pieces on your fabric, and cut. You will need two body head pieces, one base, and four arms.

I added a 1/4" seam allowance as I cut the pattern. But you could just as easily include it in the pattern as you are making it.

Assembling your Snowman.

1. Stitch around the snowman using a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave the bottom open. If your fabric is loosely woven or ravels easily, stitch along the seam allowance a second time to give strength.

I cut a sample snowman from muslin so I could use a dark thread to show the stitching lines, but when stitching your own snowman, use a matching thread.

2. Stitch around the arm pieces.

3. Cut tiny triangles and slits into the seam allowance on all curves. Make lots of cuts as shown. Otherwise, your seams may pucker when you turn your snowman inside out.

Base construction - alternative #1

Fold the "base circle" into fourths and finger press to make faint lines.

Place pins at each line.

Divide the bottom edge of the body into four parts.

Pin the base and the bottom of the body together, matching the four marked points. Add additional pins in between as needed to hold the two pieces together.

Stitch around the base leaving most of one side open.

Turn your snowman inside out!

In her e-book "Stitch Village", Joan Gorman shared a tool for turning small items that is absolutely fabulous! How I have struggled all these years trying to turn a thin strap or casing. If only I had known about hemostats! My sweetie found mine at Harbor Freight for next to nothing. They make all the difference when turning stuffies.

Stuff your snowman with your favorite fiber fill, packing the head fairly tight and the body a little less tight.

Now stuff in a little bag of rice or beans (as shown below in Alternative base #2). This will give your snowman stability and allow it to stand without support. Whip stitch the opening closed.

Base construction alternative #2 - My preferred way to do this because it is so easy!

1. Make a pouch. Using a long running stitch, stitch around the entire outer edge of a square of muslin or other scrap, lightweight fabric. Draw the "pouch" slightly together by pulling on the thread. Fill with rice or beans. Draw the thread tightly closed and secure the thread by making several small stitches to hold it closed.

Your pouch does not need to be pretty or neat.

2. Using a long running stitch, stitch around the entire bottom edge of the body. Draw the thread up as shown and secure.

3. Stuff your "bean bag" into the opening. You may have to remove a little filling because you don't want the little bean bag to protrude beyond the base. It's whole purpose is to provide stability so that your snowman can stand without support.

4. Attach the base to the body. You can either whip stitch it into place or simply glue it into place!

Note: Keep in mind that if you are making a tiny little snowman to hang as an ornament, you will not need to add the "bean bag".

I prefer to attach the arms after the snowman is stuffed. 

If your fabric is fairly thin, you can fold under the raw edge and slip-stitch into place.  If the fabric is fairly thick, as mine is, just whip stitch the raw edges right at the side seam.  I tacked my arms into place (near the "elbow" so they wouldn't flop around!

Now you are ready to make hats and scarfs for your snowman! This is my "snowman clothes" stash of felted sweaters that I picked up at SCRAP recently. They were already felted for me! Most are discarded leftovers from other felting projects, so I guess this becomes a reuse, reuse project!

You might recognize the hat and scarf I used on the little guy at the top of the post! Remember my Easter Bunnies? The sleeves of that little felted sweater worked perfectly to make a hat and the scarf.

Create a little face!

ACK! @%&#* I just realized I forgot a carrot nose! Ooops! I can't believe that in the past two days I haven't even noticed something was missing! That cute little face must have wrapped me in an enchantment!

Little black beads are perfect for the eyes. Stitch a little mouth using embroidery thread. If you want, you can anchor the threads in the back of the head since it won't show once the hat is placed on the head!

I used one of those wonderful blue line pencils that wipes away easily with a damp cloth to create the little face before stitching. Good thing too, because my first attempt at a mouth looked pretty stupid! Just ask for a Water Erasable Marking Pen at any craft or fabric store.

The nose - I'm working on it! Any suggestions?

I plan on sharing more of my snowmen in November so be sure to check back! And if any of you make snowmen, please post them on my Flickr with a link to your site. They will appear at random on my sidebar flicker.

I always appreciate and enjoy your company. Thank you so much for joining me for Christmas in July!.

The winner of Joan Gorman's fabulous e-book "Stitch Village" is:

Number three from the bottom - Christephi. (I discounted Joanie's comment because she probably doesn't want to win a copy of her own book!)

My sweetie said to be sure to tell you that his eyes were closed very tight when he selected the winning number!

Christephi writes a delightful blog called Sprouting Flowers. And if you will take a little look at this recent post for making the cutest mother pig in the world with her tiny brood of precious baby piglets, you can see that she will no doubt put Joanie's e-book to good use!

If you didn't win the giveaway, you can still order a copy of Joanie's lovely e-book right here! I have learned so many new tips and trick that have made my crafty so much easier than ever before. I know you will love owning a copy.

Thanks to all of you who entered and shared your plans for making gifts for holiday giving. I hope you will send me pictures.

Be sure to drop back by on July 20th for Christmas in July giveaway #2.

Ok!  So I am a MOM!  And that entitles me to share a few of my "Mom Treasures" - handmade gifts from my own children, Diane and Michael!

Diane took photography in high school. This one is one of my favorites - her instructor gave this image 10 out of 10 for both composition and print making. I love the feeling of depth and mystery.

Here is proof! Diane has been into PC for a long time!  This beautiful box has been in constant use for over 25 years! Having such a crafty daughter, my house is full of treasures! And these are some of my favorites.

The butterflies in the background are actually painted on a framed mirror - the design first scratched through the mirror coating on the back and then painted. Personally, I think Diane should treat her fans to a tutorial for this technique!    

My beautiful, origami lilies! I use them often in bouquets, wreath decoration and shelf accents. She actually made them as the topping for a package!  Can you imagine the hours it took her to wrap that package?

I can not look at these clay creatures without smiling!  Diane wishes I would get rid of them!  Can you believe that! I don't think she has a clue when it comes to understanding "Mom Treasures".

My son, Michael, who insists he is not artistic, made this print for me when he was in grade school.  Apparently the design was carved into linoleum, inked and applied to paper.  He told me he made it for me because he knew I loved American Indian pottery. Mike has more artistic ability than he wants to admit.

I have to admit, when I opened this gift from my 6 year old son, I was taken aback for a bit!  Having been accustomed to "girl gifts" from my daughter, I was startled by this monster staring up at me from the tissue!  Of course all these many years later, he too brings a smile every time I see him sitting among my house plants!

Ok all you Moms out there!  Why not share some of your "Mom Treasures!"

My Great Grandmother Grammie had a huge impact on the person I am today.  She taught me to sew, cook, bake, embroider and garden.

I grew up on a lovely property that had room for an orchard full of cherry, apricot and apple trees and a huge garden where Grammie grew strawberries, raspberries, beans, peas, tomatoes, grapes, rubarb and many other good things that have faded from memory.  The property was large enough that she had her own cottage and so she could be a part of our lives every single day.

There are more memories than I can count attached to every one of the pieces in the photo.

Although I am certain she would also beat eggs and meringue using the "egg beating" jar on the left, my favorite memories are of the times she would bake up a pan of shortcakes, let us pick strawberries in her garden, and then pour cream and sugar into the jar and let my brother and I take turns whipping the cream until it was just right for strawberry shortcake.  I can not look at it without being transported back to those golden afternoons in her kitchen.

The glass plate with the little dividers always sat on the big dining table at every family celebration and it was heaped full of her bread and butter pickles, dill pickles and spiced peaches. I always have it out during winter holidays.

Family celebrations in our family - there were many!  Every Christmas, New Years, Easter, Forth of July, Thanksgiving and of course every birthday.  With 9 total family members, there were plenty of birthdays to fill in the gaps between holidays.  And then in the summer, there were always picnics, and in the fall a trip up to the mountains to see the aspens turn.  At each celebration, four generations of family members came together to share each other's company and delicious food. 

For my siblings and me, these celebrations brought us our greatest joys and happiest memories. And, although at the time we were unaware of it, these times of togetherness provided a constant in our lives - something we could count on and look forward to throughout each year. Grammie was a very big piece of seeing that each of these celebrations took place... and she provided most of the home cooked food!

Everytime I look at any of these treasures, I am reminded of how very, very lucky I was to have have been able to share my childhood with a close knit, loving family that included grandparents and a great grandmother that we dearly loved.

My Grammie. Thank you for allowing me to share her with you. I wish everyone reading could have had her strawberry shortcake - oh and her garden fresh peas... OMG and her lemon pie on a warm afternoon while sitting in her big metal chairs in the shade of the big, old walnut tree.

PS. Sonja left me a comment on my Colored Mod Podge Glass Jar post and told me that the little pink dish and the pink goblet are actually depression glass which was often sold in grocery stores and purchased using collected stamps.  To be honest, I had never given their origins a thought!  They belonged to Grammie and were a part of my childhood! 

Sonja made me realize there is more to the story, and has peaked my curiosity.  If anyone would care to share anything about the other pieces included in the photo above, I would appreciate it very much as those little bits of information add to my understanding about the woman she was before I knew her.

I always celebrate Cinco de Mayo by setting out my much loved Mexican painted wood trays and my sweet little Mexican pottery creature colletion. 

I have several trays and quite a few birds (and one frog) - all rescued from thrift shops and garage sales over the years.  I can't bear to leave them sitting unhappily in those musty places where they are not appreciated.  I have to give them a good home!  Just HAVE to!

And THIS year, I am also celebrating by making my very own crazy delicious Enchiladas inspired by both my Santa Fe roots and my friend Angie who recently shared her own version of enchiladas on her blog At Home in Mexico.

Angie's Enchiladas are filled with potatoes and carrots!  I just HAD to try out the unusual filling, and my sweetie and I both liked it very much! Angie's use of potatos and carrots inspired me to try making mine with a sweet potato filling!  OMG. Sooooo good!

Of course, we ARE huge sweet potato fans - sweet potato pancakes, sweet potato fires.... Sigh!

Our techniques vary a bit, but on the whole are quite similar.

(And to my secret sister in chard, I am making these again next week and adding a layer of cooked chard!  Will let you know!)

Pamela's Enchiladas! 

I know, I know - my egg did break into two pieces as I was hurriedly transferring it from the pan. So - maybe not the greatest "food shot" you've ever seen.  But take my word for it, these enchiladas are absolutely delicious.! 

I have prepared these for dinner 3 times in the last week.  We just love them that much!  But every time I made them, I had trouble with my eggs!  Don't know why they are fighting me but I give up! Never, ever fried a photo perfect eggs.

Eggs?  Enchiladas?  YUP!  In New Mexico, we like our enchiladas stacked rather than rolled, and many of us consider them best with a fried egg placed right on top of the stack! 

You don't have to make everything from scratch like Angie and I do. If you prefer, you can substitute several items that are available in most grocery stores. I will point them out in the recipe.

So - lets make Pamela's Enchiladas!

Recipe makes enough for four people, one stacked enchilada each. (Trust me, they are filling so start with one each.)

Ingredients

Corn tortillas (fresh if you can get them!) Figure two per person.

1 large sweet potato (Don't used canned sweets - not at all as good.)

1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Chile Con Carne seasoning

2 Tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 to 2 cups red chile sauce  (Angie and I make ours from scratch* but if  you wish you can substitute canned enchilada sauce. I had to substitute a can for the "real" thing last fall and I was pleasantly surprised!)

2 large garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano  (not the same as turkish oregano or Greek oregano - totally different flavor.)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (more if you really like lots of cheese!)

4 eggs

Red salsa (I use Trader Joes - see below - when in a hurry or it is winter and no good fresh tomatoes are available

Green tomatillo sauce ( Again, Trader Joe's brand is very good if you don't make your own)

LET'S MAKE ENCHILADAS!

1. Prepare the enchilada sauce.

        If you are opening a can of sauce, this is easy!  If you want to make the sauce from scratch, see the notes at the end of the post.

Place the sauce in a small skillet ( a little larger than the size of your tortillas).  Add the garlic and Mexican oregano. Add salt to taste.

Bring to boil and then simmer on low for about 10 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Thin as necessary with a little water to keep it from getting too thick.

2.  Prepare the sweet potato.

Scrub the sweet potato, cut off the ends and bake in a micro wave oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning the potato over about half way through the cooking time.

Let cool slightly, remove the skin and mash. 

Add the chile con carne seasoning, butter and salt and pepper and mix with a fork.

Set aside until ready to use.  I always like to reheat mine in the micro just before I add it to the enchilada plate.

3. Finely chop the onion.  If your family loves fresh onions, feel free to use more than the recipe suggests.

4. Grate the cheese.  I prefer using the large opening on the grater, but the fine grater makes cheese that melts faster.

5.  Get everything ready to go in an assembly line because once you start, things move quickly!  Start frying your eggs just as you are ready to begin assembly.

ASSEMBLY!

Dip a corn tortilla into the hot bubbly sauce for about 30 seconds - just long enough for it to become soft.  Don't leave it so long it breaks apart.  Angie and I both use our fingers - but you may prefer to use tongs.

Place the tortilla on a serving plate.  (I like to pre-warm my plates in the oven to help keep everything hot.

Place about 1/3  cup of mashed sweet potato on the tortilla and spread it evenly over the surface.

Sprinkle with onions.

Add cheese.

Dip a second tortilla into the sauce until soft and place on top of the stack.

Add more cheese!

Place a fried egg on top of the stack.  (I like mine over medium) 

Add red salsa and green tomitillo sauce.

You could always garnish with sour cream and avacados, but these are very filling without those additions.

OMG I am getting so crazy hungry right now.  I should have eaten before I started writing!

A little plug for my favorite "store bought" salsas for when I don't have time to make my own.

Enjoy!

Notes about red chile puree (chile caribe) or guajillo sauce

Angie's instructions and pictures are perfect for making red chile, which is the base for making enchilada sauce.

Place dried red chiles in a large pot and cover with water.  If you can get New Mexico dried red chile, they are the best - in my opinion! You can order them on Chimayo To go right here.  (You can also order guajillo chile on this page if you prefer.)

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Let cool slightly.

Place chiles and a little liquid into a blender and blend until smooth.

Strain over a large bowl.  The pulp will go through the strainer into the bowl and the tough skin will remain in the strainer.  Discard the skin. 

I usually process 60 to 80 red chile at a time and then freeze in 1 cup glass jars. Just so you know,  it takes about 10 to 12 dried red chiles to make 1 cup of red chile puree.

Usually, the puree is too thick to use for enchalada sauce, so I thin it with water, adding 1/2 to 3/4 cup water to create a nice thin sauce.

And now, you are ready to add seasonings - Mexican oregano, chopped garlic and salt! Let simmer a few minutes.

This isn't the only unusual filling I put in my enchiladas - but you have to wait until next fall to get another enchilada recipe!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

        .