A Southern Grace: hot tamales and free money*

May 25, 2010

hot tamales and free money*

Yum

*That's an oxymoron, right? Whatever the case, in this instance it translates to GIVEAWAY.


While I've never endeavored to make my own tamales (the whole wrapping and steaming bit is entirely too involved for my limited attention span), I do like to eat them, especially when someone else is footing the bill. Boy, I'm not coming across as a gem of a person, am I? It seems like I want tamales to be made solely for me and paid for by anyone other than me. AND I want 'em NOW! :)


They even come wrapped like a present!

I kid, I kid. I think generosity has a boomerang effect--if someone's good to you, you should return the favor in some way if you ever want to be on the receiving end again. So with that in mind, I'm sharing my recent gift from CSNStores.com with one of you! Just leave a comment telling me your favorite number and why it means so much to you, and I'll randomly pick a winner to receive a $50 gift certificate from CSNStores.com to spend as he or she pleases. Comments will close when May ends (it'll be a bittersweet farewell), and I'll announce the winner on the first of June.

And hey--I'm serious about the number thing. If you get picked and haven't told me your lucky number, I'm picking again. I'm petty like that. Good luck!

107 comments:

erin said...

I have been trying to psych myself up for making tamales. About as close as I have gotten is a tamale pot pie I am working on!

(and since I'm here... my favorite number is 16- it was always my lucky number on my hockey jersey growing up!)

unMuse said...

My favorite number is 7. Why? my birthday is 7-7-77 and I was born at 7:52 in the morning. (Well, according to my mom, it was about 10 minutes later, but she begged the dr's to change it.)

momgateway said...

I love chicken tamale but tamale making is too hard for me ... but 27 is my son's bday so I like it...btw,, com ejoin my giveaway too

KateG said...

My favorite number is 12. I have no rational behind on day many years ago I picked it for my basketball jersey and kept it for softball, socer, and anything else that needs a number.

Chrissy said...

My fav number is 888. Ever since i was little I loved the little ceasar's pizza commercials-888! Always been obsessed with it since then- i know it's weird.

Borea said...

My favorite number is 19. Whenever I was younger, I always pretended to be 19 in storytelling/imagination games we'd play (like Town, which was all the neighbor kids setting up pretend businesses in their driveways and the rest of us visiting and learning about their services). Once I turned 19, I rationalized that it would be the best year ever. It wasn't bad, actually. 19 is still my favorite number, now out of habit more than anything. It's prime, and fairly unique, and I use it to test numbers in fonts.

As for tamales, I'm with you. I can't be bothered to make them myself, but I will order them whenever I'm at a place that has good ones. Favorite tamales are traditional pork, and jalapeno and cheese.

LaChelle @ SugarDuchess said...

Mmm. Tamales... I'll have to get somebody else to make me some for dinner tonight. :)

My favorite number has always been 5. For some reason I've always associated numbers with different genders and personality traits. I know, weirdo girl over here... 5 is handsome and charming and chivalrous. He opens your door and takes your coat and pulls out your chair--my kind of man!

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

I love the number 7 too. Lots of good things have happened to me that involve the number 7. My oldest was born on the 7th and my youngest the 17.

tasteofbeirut said...

I like the number 9; I also love tamales but will not make them unless I have got 2 people with me in the kitchen to help out!

Mel said...

Love the giveaway...and glad I'm not the only one who appreciates (and begs for) free/good food. Ok, my favorite number is 4. I gave birth to my fourth boy when my oldest was four. Now that a few years have passed, I can appreciate the fact that I am blessed with four little boys who give me at least four hours of laughter a day (the other hours, I'm usually pulling my hair out). :)

Cardboard Hour said...

My favorite number is 881 - for no other reason than that' what i've always said when people ask me!

Bethany said...

My favorite number is 24...that is my birthday date and I will be 24 this year!

Courtney Peacock said...

My favorite number is 11. Once when I was little I went to the state fair and I was absolutely determined to win this giant teddy bear. You know that carnival game with the water guns and you have to aim at the target? I played that game at least 5 times, switching guns each time. I finally won my bear when I played with water gun #11. And I decided right then and there that 11 was my lucky number.

kat said...

My favorite number has always been 3. It's my birthday & I don't know why but I've always considered it lucky.

Marjie said...

I love the number 9. I have 9 children, and that's just perfect. OK, now you know that I'm really insane, so I deserve a prize for insanity, right?

Susan said...

I'd say 33 is my favorite number - it's been a good year for me :-)

Di said...

I've never even had a tamale. Better add that to the bucket list.

My favorite number is 2.

JenB said...

When I was a kid my favourite number of 25 because that was Devon White's jersey number - my fav baseball player!

Angie's Recipes said...

I don't think I have courage to make tamales...it seems to me so difficult to make.
Oops...I don't have a lucky number..but I like 3...that stands for "I love U". :-)

Ali @ His Birdie's Nest said...

My favorite numbers are 3 or 27 b/c those are my Bestie and Sister's favorites :)

La Bella Cooks said...

My favorite number would be 4. It always seems to give me luck. Strange, but true as it always seems to show up in my life.
Ohh, send me one of those tamales...I'm starving over here!

April was in CA now MA said...

My lucky number is 12. It's the date my hubs and I met and I was certainly lucky that day many, many years ago.

The Teacher Cooks said...

My lucky number is 11 the day my husband and I got married!

Kassy said...

My favorite number is 7. I don't really have any special reason why...I just like that number :)

Those tamales look really good! I've never had one though :(

Elaine said...

I helped make them once and have a real appreciation for those who do!

Favorite number is 4

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Ihat is something I'll have to make soon...

Cheers,

Rosa

Lyndas recipe box said...

There are some things I just don't want to make, and tamales happens to be one of them too!...I love eating them, I'm just too lazy to learn to make them. :)
Free food is always a good thing-I love going out to eat, especially if at a friends house.
My favorite number is 5, because there are 5 in our family!

lisa is cooking said...

I've never made tamales, but I'd like to to. It's on the list of things I keep saying I'd like to try making. My favorite number is seven because it's lucky, but for some reason, thirteen is also lucky for me.

Whitvia said...

My favorite number is 8. My middle name is Octavia and that means the 8th child in Latin. I am an only child though.

Shelby said...

My fave # is 9 - born 09-27-81... and I just like the three squared thing...

Julie said...

Lucky # 13!

Why 13? Well, my son was born on the 13th of December so that definitely makes it special for me. Plus I work on the 13th floor of a building and so far it's the best work situation I've ever had in my 10 year career.

Cara said...

fun giveaway! I've never made tamales either. I wonder how many I could manage to assemble before growing tired of it? 16? I'll go with 16 then :)

Lisa-Marie said...

I have never made or had tamales. This clearly has to change!

My favourite number is 3 - groups of three things are good, the third time generally is the charm, and it's the number for pi if you round up. Also, it's the number of people in my family when I grew up.

Faith said...

Mmmm...tamales! I've never been brave enough to make them myself...but I do love eating them. ;)

My favorite number is 14 -- my soccer jersey growing up! ;)

Patricia P. said...

Love tamales! My favorite number is 10. That's my birthday. Not that it has ever helped to have a favorite/lucky number. I am chronically unlucky.

ss said...

42 has always been a fav....just sounds good to throw it out there...42, 42, 42 ;-) I would like 42 tamales, Please....

Ingrid_3Bs said...

I've never had tamales. From the bit of them I saw from your photo they look interesting.

My fave # is 13. It's the day I was born on and liked that it was a number most people don't like. My second # would be 2. I have twins and for years everything was by two. :)
~ingrid

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I have a favorite number, but if I had to pick one, it would be 8. The number is nice and symmetrical, and I think there's some kind of nice Chinese symbolism with the number.

-D
webmailaddress2 @ yahoo dot com

Katie said...

i would say my favorite number is 65...bc our anniversary is 6/5 - lame, i know...

Pam said...

Great. Now I am craving tamales and I have no clue how to make them. UGH.

Anyway, my favorite number has always been and will always be, 11. I am not quite sure why. I don't like even numbers only odd numbers. 11 just makes me happy for some reason. Yes, I know, I am weird.

Carolyn Jung said...

I've never made tamales, either. But I do love eating them, especially when the masa is really soft and creamy.

My favorite number? It is 5. Because that's the number of people in my immediate family, and each of them mean the world to me.

oneordinaryday said...

Unfair! I don't have a favorite number, Grace!! : (

Unknown said...

My lucky number is 17. It's my birthday and the day I got married.

scrambledhenfruit said...

I like the number three. Contrary to the saying that bad things come in threes, I think good things come in threes. (My three kids, for example!)

Amy I. said...

I L-O-V-E tamales! I've been wanting to have a tamale party at some point.. I hear it's a lot less tedious and a lot more fun with a bunch of people working on them, assembly-line style. My favorite # is 18.. my birthday is on the 18th and it's also a special/lucky number in the Jewish tradition.

Dor said...

My lucky number is 5. My birthday is in May, and once it rolls around I always tend to have a good month :-)

laura said...

2... good things come in pairs!

Laura said...

My favorite number is 8.

When I turned 8 years old, something about the shape of the number appealed to me. Also, I really was no longer a baby, and I was on my way to doing grown-up things. Shortly thereafter, I used "8" as my guess in various contests at birthday parties and what not that involved an adult saying "I'm thinking of a number from 1-20. Whoever gets it wins this giant lollipop." I won more often than not which was a thrill. As I started understanding numbers more and learned that the number 8 positioned horizontally represents infinity, the more the number resonated with me. Plus if you add up the numbers of my birth date, it adds up to 8.

laurantig at gmail dot com

Julie said...

Favorite number? Never thought much about it. But I think I'll say 2, because I have two kids. My birthday is on the 2nd, and I have a birthmark on my leg that looks just like the number 2 :)

Mimi said...

Making tamales is something that can only be done by a group of at least 4, my lucky number. One person to prepare the husks, one to spread the masa, one for the filling and one to tie them up. Of course you need additional friends(with cervezas)for the fiesta.
Mimi

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

I'm probably out of the running being in Australia but that's ok. I think my lucky number is 8! :P

Barbara said...

I've never made tamales either, but sure would get in a long line for a good one!
Nice giveaway, Grace!
My fave number is 5. Years ago in a human dynamics class we were taught to calm ourselves by repeating a number mantra. 5 was mine....I still use it! It's better than counting sheep!

Lori said...

9.. Its always been nine, since I was a kid. Why? I dunno. Does everything have to have a reason?

Meanwhile, I love tamales. Use to pay a dollar per tamale in AZ. This wonderful lady would come to our office and sell them. I would buy a half of a dozen and pop them in the freezer for quick meals.

Silver Strands said...

I was in Ensenada a month or so ago and our tour bus broke down right at a tamale stand. Serendipitous! I was never a big tamale fan, but WOW ... those were super yummy! Now I hope to start making them - thanks for the help!
oxoxoxx
Denalee

Carol in Indian Springs Village said...

The tamales lood scrumptious!

My favorite number is 11. Both hubby and I were born in November. Of course if I get to retire when I plan on it, my favorite number could be 54 (my age when I plan/hope to retire).

Anonymous said...

My favorite number is and always has been 3. I don't have a clue why I chose 3 (or perhaps why 3 chose me), but its my favorite!

Paula said...

Mmmm ... I love tamales. They aren't that hard to make; however, I'm more than happy to eat ones prepared by someone else! Gee, it's 8:15 am and now I want tamales for breakfast!

My favorite number is 8. Don't know why ... it's always been that way since I was a little kid.

Unknown said...

I love tamales but have never made them myself. I want someones mexican grandma to teach me how :)

I have two favorite numbers....9 and 6 (I wrote them in that order so they wouldn't get confused with another meaning LOL). when I was a kid my friend and I spent many weekends playing The Game of Life. And you took your play money and put it on 2 numbers, spun the wheel and won more money if the dial landed on one of your numbers. I always won. Talk about Free Money! hahahaha

Anonymous said...

My new favorite number is 9 because it's my daughter's favorite. She thinks she'll be all grown up when she is 9 :)

Stefanie said...

We make tamales every Christmas Eve - it is a lot of fun but very time consuming! My favorite number is 6.

Joanne said...

Tamales are tough. One day I'll try them. One day.

Favorite number. 25 since it's the day I was born!

Anonymous said...

I agree that tamales are way delicious! And too challenging for me to make! So I only have them while out.
And my favorite number is 5, I was married in May (5!) and besides that I just like it.
Thanks
Tammy S
tlstickland (at) comcast (dot) net

Dolce said...

Never made a tamale. But oh boy I love to eat them...

My fav' number is three. It's all rounded and I like the way it looks I guess!

The Beauty Bug said...

my lucky number is 15 - my birthdate

FOODESSA said...

I think that I've been deprived all this time...I've never eaten those tamales. You can be darn sure...the first time will be in a restaurant. I do need a break sometimes;0) Don't we all?
Alright...Lucky number = 10...for the number of years we abandoned travel in order to pay our mortgage in the smae amout of time!
Then, we celebrated with a very fancy cruise;o)
Thanks for your generousity and flavourful wishes, Claudia

The Blonde Duck said...

The number 3 and the number five. I have no idea why. I always buy everything in 3s at the grocery store and when grouping things, I do fives.

But I only want 2 kids. Go figure.

KP said...

When I first saw the title of this post on my blogroll, I wasn't sure if you were talking about those hot cinnamon candies, or actual tamales. I love both, so either way, I was coming over though:)

I don't really have a favorite number, is that odd? I will say 5 because that is the number of monsters in my family (yours truly included.)

Mrs. L said...

I'm not sure why but my favorite/lucky number as a little kid was the number 2. Somewhere around the age of ten I realized that the number "22" had two 2's. So it had to even luckier right? Since then, it's always been the number 22.

As for tamales. I love the holidays when folks around here make big batches and bring them to work for sale.

Sook said...

Homemade tamales... yum!

Cheryl said...

I've made tamales once. They were fabulous and totally worth the effort, yet somehow I haven't been able to psych myself up to make them again. What's up with that? I put them on my menu at least twice a year, but always bail.

I don't really have a favorite number, so I'll go with 22, because I have 2 kids and I was married on the 22nd of April in 2002. That's a lot of 2s, isn't it?

shaz said...

mm, they look so yum. i don't think I've ever had a proper tamale before.

I don't think I'm eligible for the giveaway dear, but just for the fun of it, my fav. number is 3. Just ask Jack Johnson, he's even got a song about it :)

marla {family fresh cooking} said...

I am gonna go with 33. Pretty number. How 'bout those tamales, they look carbolicious! xo

Lisa said...

Tamales...how cool!
I like 7 because of its beautiful artistic perfection.

Memória said...

I love tamales. The first shot of the tamal is so tempting. My favorite number is 7 because it is part of the date of my birthday - February 7. Thanks for the giveaway!!

P.S. I saw the comment you left on melskitchen and was so intrigued by that flavor combination of Mexican brownies and cinnamon ice cream. YUM!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I'd have to say my lucky number is 21 since my daughter was born on the 21st. It could also be because when you are a teen you can't wait to be 21 and legal in all States:D

Albany Jane said...

And just where did these tasty looking tamales come from, missy? C'mon - no secrets!

Unknown said...

mmmmmm, tamales. Yumm. My favorite number is 5. All my names first, middle, maiden and last have 5 letters.

Cheri said...

I have never had a tamale, if you can believe that. I have seen many recipes but, like you, I'm always to lazy to try it out. One of these days... :)

Erica said...

love tamales!!!These look so wonderful. Really beautiful photos.

Janet in Maine said...

Love tamales. Can't get a decent one in Maine though.
My favorite number is 28. It's the date of my birthday and I have always felt good about it.

Ms. Meanie said...

The tamales look amazing and who cares if you didn't make them as long as you get to eat them! :)
Favorite number? I'd say 24 since my bday is on the 24th.

Lisa L said...

Ever since I turned 14 on the 14th of August (way back when) my favorite number has been 14. I use it for everything.

And since I'm family (o; you can just go ahead and pick someone else if my name comes up. I just wanted to tell you what my favorite number was. :o)

maybelle's mom said...

we make giant batches of tamales and freeze them. and 31 b/c both of my girls are born on a 31.

Katherine said...

Now I am hungry for some tamales! My favorite number is 13. I like the fact that it marked as unlucky. Also, my brother chose that number to wear when he played baseball and football.

vrtish55 said...

My lucky number is 13, because when I was a teenager, I had a bad car wreck, my cousin and I were shook up, but not hurt. It was on Friday the 13th, but also Good Friday. We were so blessed that day. My favorite number is 7, my daughter and son were both born on the 7th. Love home-made tamales, but I've never made them. :)

mamabeck said...

I have been jonesing for some tamales lately...maybe I can manage to get some done, soon, eh?

Favorite number is 1701. Its a number that oddly re-occurs often throughout my life, just at random.

RecipeGirl said...

Tamales are on my list of things to make one of these days.

42 is my favorite number because 6 x 7 is 42, and for some reason all of those numbers have been lucky for me in my life.

Pots and Pins said...

Today my favorite number is 19...yesterday is was 9...some days I just like different numbers/things, you know? Thanks for letting me play! xo, Nan

Juliana said...

Tamales, I love tamales, but never made it...so many steps...
Favorite number? 17...10+7, 10 include all the numbers and 7 is perfect.

Catherine said...

I've never tried making tamales before.
My favorite number is 3.
Have a wonderful weekend~

Anonymous said...

my favorite number is 7! Those tamales look scrumptious :)

Nic said...

Your tamales remind me of my time in Arizona, brings back such fond memories!
Don't enter me (not telling my special number, lol) but I want to say that it's a super thing to share your gift certificate, you are very special Grace!

Lisa said...

Tamales are a bit of work to make, but when they are homemade they are so well worth it. You're so funny, Grace....

Anyway, my favorite numero? It's 7. Super #7....it's the date that I met my guy three years ago. I've been lucky ever since.

pam said...

My favorite number 5. It's my birth month..happy birthday to me. Plus it stands for me, hubby, and our 3 daughters.

Robin said...

34, it was my cousin's football number.

Sinful Southern Sweets said...

17~ It was the day on which I got married.

LJMH said...

I love tamales but have never been brave enough to try to make them - frozen Trader Joe's tamales seem to meet the craving when we have it. My favorite number is 8 for the symmetry of it.

Kate at Serendipity said...

Favorite number or lucky number? Mine are different. I guess that makes me special, eh? My favorite number is 22. I have not a clue why. My lucky number is 13. I TOLD you I was special...

These tamales look special too. YUM.

Kelli said...

My favorite number??? I don't really have one, but I'll tell you my daughter's favorite number is currently 7, last year it was 6, the year before 5... You get it? It's whatever her age is that year!

Anonymous said...

Tamales are on my "to do" list for 2010... I just haven't gathered the courage yet to give it a go!

My lucky number? Number 6. Because I was born on the sixth day of the month... and that's gotta be sort of lucky, right?

Clutie -girl said...

My Fav number is 2!Because 1 is a lonely number and 3 is a crowd!! 2 just sounds perfect!!

grace said...

luky number 8. In chinese communities 8 represents prosperity and confidence. I like to bring that into my own life regardless of my culture!

vanillasugarblog said...

i'm with you on the whole wrapping of the tamale. i mean i like them and all, i don't normally order them when we are out, but i jsut think they are kind of boring. now now if i move back to cali, i'm sure i'll get some done right and change my mind. but for now, nahhh, i mean they are a lot of work and all that waste in wrapping--i can see wy you'd lose your attention in it.
lucky number? 11 why? love how simple is and looks.

Paula said...

It's hard to pick a 'favorite' number but I'd have to say 4...the month of my wedding anniversary.

My next favorite number would be 50. :D

jhtkmt@bellsouth.net (Karen Thompson) said...

I've never attempted to make them, but i'm always surprised by how much I like them!

My favorite number is 4. Not because I love it, but because I always see variations of it during my day. It seems like every time I look at the clock, it's 4:44.

Laurie said...

my favorite number is 8. We were a family foseven plus one more that we 'adopted' even though Kas was over 50! We called him "number eight." He's gone to heaven now but will always be our munber eight!

Kerstin said...

4 has been my favorite number since I was 4 years old :)