Ranchos group - GREAT reading!

["Natalie" <nc_coleman@...>]

WOW! 300+ posts in June, and it is only July 2, and there are already 
31 posts! Bring it on!
The food postings have been very interesting, and has caused me to 
reflect on why I cook as I do. My father is my Zacatecas connection; 
he came to the U.S. in 1916 as a 4 yr. old - his mother died when he 
was 17 yrs. old, so I am sure she impacted his culinary tastes and 
traditions. (My mother was born in Calif. - her mother was from 
Mexico, but I don't know where; my mother was 5 yrs. old when her 
mother died; I was almost 12 yrs. when my mother died. I remember her 
as being a good cook - she made flour tortillas everyday, a skill I 
NEVER learned; I don't know her culinary traditions.) Back to my 
father: he loved carnitas, frijoles de olla, birria, cabeza, cesos, 
lengua, capirotada, to name a few. Growing up, these were foods eaten 
only on special occasions or holidays. When I first came to Virginia 
in the late 60's, the only tortillas available were frozen corn 
tortillas!! By the mid-70's, when my children were young, I would 
make sure that they made their acquaintence with tortillas & 
frijoles, tacos & enchiladas (which morphed into a layered casserole -
 too lazy to roll the enchilads; I called them chilaquiles, though 
they aren't truly chilaquiles - my 5 yr. old grandson, of Irish, 
Lithuanian, Anglo, Mexican, maybe Cherokee-heritage, has grown to 
like them). OK - I'm sorry - got off the track.
RE: DNA - Are any of you familiar with the following site:
http://genetealogy.com ? This site was established by Megan Smolenyak 
Smolenyak (that's right, her maiden name and married name), co-author 
of "Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your 
Family Tree".  See also: Http://genetealogy.com/articles/html/
Very interesting reading for those of you on the DNA track. Well, I 
think I better close for now. Y'all have a great day. Hasta la 
proxima.

Natalie Coleman, VA