Request for submissions: Tamales!

I don't know how I made it to thirty years old before I experienced a tamale, but O-M-G!

I don't mean a canned tamale (after having the real thing, who can eat a canned one?) I mean a real, handmade tamale. Wow!

The thing is, I don't have any idea how to make them. I have heard they are very involved so have been reluctant to try the "cookbook" versions.

If you have a tamale recipe that is a tried and true favorite at your house, please let me know. I'll post it here, and at Pennywi$e Family with attribution and a link back to you.

Thanks in advance!

Steel cut oats

We made Alton Brown's steel cut oats at my house this morning--toasting the oats makes a world of difference in flavor. Give it a try!

Also, when buying steel cut oats, don't be fooled by the cute metal cans of oats. You're paying $6-$8 per pound this way. Better to head for the bulk bins where costs of steel cut oats should be closer to reasonable in the $0.11-$0.20 range.