marriage and tamale pie

yesterday was kind of a bad day and being thankful was unfortunately not the first thing on my mind. so belatedly, i am thankful for:

1. my husband, who is - without a doubt - the absolute most patient, loving, accepting man on the planet. possibly that ever existed. when i doubt myself or us, he is there with the strength to support us both. when i think our marriage is falling apart, he is there to give me a hug and remind me that he loves me and is here for the long haul. he is my rock, my safe place, my comfort, the quiet place i can rest. i don't give him enough credit for the amazing man he is and continues to be. honey, i love you and appreciate you more than you could ever know.

2. baby spot, whom God is using to make my marriage stronger, even and especially when i think the world is falling apart around me.

3. comfort food. when i am upset (and often when i'm not) i gravitate to the kinds of things my mom made when i was a kid, things like meatloaf and stew and soup. i don't actually remember her making tamale pie ever for dinner but she must have, because i remember her teaching me how to make it. it's yummy and relatively little work, and (at least at my house) made of things i generally have on hand:

tamale pie

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small can black olives
1 (14 oz.) can corn niblets
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2-3 T. chili powder
8 oz. (2 c.) cheddar or mexican blend shredded cheese

2 c. water
1 T. butter
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. cornmeal

preheat oven to 350'.

brown ground beef in a large skillet. add onion and sauté; add green pepper and sauté. stir in olives, corn, tomato paste, and chili powder until well blended. cover and simmer 10 minutes. pour into a large casserole dish and stir in cheese.

bring water and butter to a boil in a small saucepot. stir in salt and cornmeal, reduce heat, and cook until water is gone and mixture is about the consistency of paste. spread over meat mixture in casserole dish. bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until cornmeal mixture is golden brown.

note: i also dump in a can of cut green beans. what's that, you say? green beans don't go in tamales? well, whatever, i think they're good. also, i sometimes substitute an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce for one of the cans of tomato paste. the meat mixture will not stick together as firmly and it will be a little bubblier when you take it out of the oven, though.