Handmade tortillas

Being native Southern Californians, NZ and I have a thing for real mexican food. Not like El Torito, Chevy's or Taco Bell (although we do partake in the TBell drive through a few times a month), but real-deal authentic mexican food. The kind you get from the family owned, mom and pop, hole in the wall joints. Sometimes, it may not be a storefront, but instead a taco truck on wheels..They may or may not have a valid food license...but that's besides the point.

My most recent adventure in trying to make mexican food from scratch (note, not canned or packaged), was a complete success, although I ended up eating pinto beans for lunch AND dinner for 2 weeks straight. I just finished off the last of them for lunch today. Next time I will make sure I only soak half a bag of pinto beans at a time to limit the amount of pinto bean meals to a normal amount of servings.

Tonight, I made tortillas.

I confess, this was not my first attempt. I have made them in the past, and between you and me, I think it's partially to blame for NZ falling in love with me way back when. You see, about 6 months after we met, I quit my job as a teacher, and became a nanny for two families, which also allowed for me to be a somewhat stay-at-home girlfriend. In that stay-at-home-and-play-soccer-mom-to-someone-elses-kids time, I also started cooking for NZ, and experimenting in the kitchen with cheap, healthy alternatives to storebought. Amongst my discoveries was a recipe for flour tortillas. AWESOME.

{Handmade Tortillas}

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 c warm milk (water can also be substituted)

Using my Kitchenaid Mixer with the paddle attatchment

(Look at me cheating..I just hate kneading!)

1. Pour all ingredients in the mixing bowl, except the milk.

2. Turn mixer on slow, and slowly add the milk.

3. A sticky ball will form

4. Mix for 2-3 minutes, then cover bowl with saran wrap for 30 minutes

5. Break dough into 5-6 sections

6. Roll out each dough ball onto a well floured surface until it is translucent

7. In a dry skillet, cook each tortilla about 30 seconds per side.

(The tortillas will bubble up when it's time to flip them)

8. Keep tortillas wrapped in a dishtowel until ready to eat