For those who know me, it’s no secret I love tacos.

During 2020, I attended a virtual Field Trip through CreativeMornings, where I learned how to make corn tortillas from a Spanish chef living in Germany. (Technology!) It forever ruined me for store bought tortillas.

Also during 2020, I learned how to make authentic Tacos al Pastor via Zoom from our favorite culinary tour group in Puerto Vallarta. Needless to say, these became a staple in our house. Hubs and I would turn on mariachi music, make tortillas, dance in the kitchen and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

You’ll notice I’m speaking in past tense. Because of course we live a fluid life in fluid bodies and the only constant thing in this world is change.

Enter 2021 and my resolve to stop at nothing until finding answers/relief/some sort of sustainable way to manage the fire happening under my skin.

The hope I wrote about from my first visit to the holistic nutrition center shed some light on probable reasons for my persistent inflammation: dairy (corroborating one of my initial theories) and GMOs (corn & soy).

It feels a little petty to grieve corn, but I won’t lie: My heart sank. I knew this would be a tough one.

The good news is with so many new allergies and food sensitivities in the world, we have so many more eating options and substitutions… like cassava flour! It took some convincing, but hubs agreed to welcome these new tortillas into Taco Night.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups cassava flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ⅛ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¾ cup warm water plus more if needed

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine cassava flour, salt, and garlic powder.
2. Add oil and warm water. Knead dough until thoroughly mixed.
3. Roll dough in ball and cut into fourths, then cut into fourths again to make 8 slices of the ball. Roll each section into 8 small balls and place between two pieces of parchment paper. Place balls of dough into a tortilla press. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.
4. Heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Cook each tortilla for 1-2 minutes per side, or until it begins to bubble.
5. Serve tortillas warm with your favorite taco ingredients and enjoy!

Not mildly related to tacos, but hang with me…

In the Liturgical Calendar, last week was Epiphany which marked the Magi’s visit to little Jesus – or what I like to think of as walking on a path, getting confused, getting lost, getting frustrated and wondering if we’re even on the right path to begin with, only to eventually arrive and realize you were right where you needed to be all along.

Sound familiar?

My epiphany last week was a reminder that God’s timing is always perfect.

When I think of my own personal timeline and the work I’ve done over the past several years to heal my disordered eating, I’ve felt especially grateful while scouring labels and checking the gluten-free, corn-free, dairy-free boxes.

Knowing what I know now, this feels less restrictive and more intuitive. Of course I want to eat things that yield to a more optimally-lived life. If corn and dairy aren’t part of that, then I won’t choose them.

What if I had to whittle down my food options before I’d made peace with food?

This past weekend, I listened to an interview with Amy Bream, a Crossfit Games athlete and fellow Nashvillian who was born without a leg. She referenced the story of Jesus encountering a man who’d been blind since birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

John 9:3 NIV

No matter her circumstance, no matter your circumstance, no matter my circumstance, I’m claiming this for us all. If God created the universe, then I believe He can handle our humanity and turn our situations around for good.