Dignity Be Damned

I was in the mood for tacos but we had eaten beef dinners more than once this week, so I wanted to lighten up just a bit. So, instead, I made chicken tacos and they were a big hit with My Beloved. Our friend Cassie, of Garden Girl Farms, had made a wonderfully onion-and-cilantro-filled fresh tomato salsa, which she gave me last time I went for eggs, and I picked up the rest of the ingredients, including a little box of Spicely fajita spice, from our local corner market.

The chicken I coated with the fajita spice and cut into strips to grill on the Jennair since it was another windy, cool day. Outside on the Weber grill would have given extra flavor but I wasn't in the mood to brave the elements. As each strip was finished, I shredded it with two forks and set it aside.

The rest was easy since I indulged in some convenience foods. Already-shredded cheese and corn taco shells from a box. Inauthentic?  You bet! So, sue me. We tucked chicken, green onion, cheese, salsa, black beans and lettuce into the crisp shells, and put the bottle of Cholula on the table. I like sour cream or crema on my tacos, so that's the white stuff in the picture. My Beloved is a purist - he eschews gloppy white stuff.

This meal is a day-brightener, and no fooling. There's a reason why kids love tacos. You simply can't be miffed about our cool, windy summer when you are biting through crisp corn into moist middles - believe me, I have tried! I defy you to retain a grump with tomato juice running down your hands and pieces of your taco are showering down on your plate to be chased later with a fork. Dignity be damned, it's just plain fun.