Empanadas

Brett was gone on business to Arizona this week. The kids and I feel such a void when he is gone. There were carpools to drive, doctor appointments, bills to pay, mounds of laundry scattered about the house and a teenage battle looming in the near distance all screaming my name. After tending to a few must do 's on the list and letting a few salty tears wash me clean I decided to pull out my trusty Kitchen-Aide mixer and take a trip back in time 30 years to Saturday mornings on 323 Exchange Street where the smell of Mom's cooking and fresh pan dulce were a feeling of comfort and home.

Mom's weekend breakfasts consisted of huevos con chorizo or barbacoa. Freshly mashed beans, corn tortillas and savory salsas. Dad piled us girls in his yellow truck and took us to the local Panaderia where we picked out our favorite pan dulce. Kinda like this...

There were conchas, cuernos de azucar, ojarascas, Moni's favorite- maranitos, and my favorite- empanadas filled with pumpkin. We took them home and dipped them in Mexican hot chocolate and ate to our hearts content.

So instead of wallowing in self pity, I whipped up some of these babies and let my thoughts get lost in the dough. I filled them with pumpkin just like I loved them as a child and delivered a few to an unsuspecting doorstep. And just like that all was well with the world. At least until tomorrow.