Our family bond with Fritos

Our family bond with Fritos

Traditions in our family have shifted a bit through the years. When I was a young girl my family lived in Wichita Kansas. Our family was not rich as far as money and monetary possessions, but family food and good times were always in abundance. My father was a mason by trade and still young, so very much bottom man on the totem pole. This caused the winter months to be a bit more challenging for us all. Work as a mason in the winter was not booming to say the least.

We would gather often for family meals. Football was always a good reason to gather. This would always bring great joy for me as a child. I remember my uncles and other friends of the family coming together to share our meals and root for their favorite teams. We would have big potluck style meals. Some would bring dishes to share. Others would bring their stories and love. All where welcome and everyone’s belly was always full. The meals where always my greatest joy. Remembering my great grandmothers joy in her eyes when my dad would kiss her cheek and she would call him Tommy . I thought that funny because that was also my brother’s name and he was a baby. I remember giggling thinking of my dad a big strong mason worker as a baby.

The biggest gatherings of the family where always the holidays. One year our still standing family recipe was born. This was 40+ years ago and this year I will pass the torch to my boys.

New Year’s Day 197o Something?

This had been a particularly slow year for work, and we had to visit a few local food banks for food. We received canned goods and dried beans. We also receive a giant block of cheese. My grandmother was a master in the kitchen and could turn food into magic. You could feel the love in her food.

I know this is the secret still to this day of what makes it so yummy!

Black eyed peas where always a must. My family had many superstitions and black-eyed peas where a main must do. These brought good luck and prosperity. The Scottish side of the family. They always freaked me out a little because as a child I thought they were really eyes staring at me from the spoon lol.

It did not matter had to eat at least one. This year my grandma disguised it for me.

This year we had pinto beans, black eyed peas, and a giant can of enchilada sauce. We had some ground beef and a bag of Fritos along with a block of cheese.

My amazing grandmother cooked the beans in the enchilada sauce and then added the beef cooked in her special spices with a huge dash of love. The enchilada sauce was runny, and my grandmother could not come up with a name and really was concerned we would not like it. She joked and called it enchilada soup.

My grandfather who was always supporting her to the fullest. Grabbed the Fritos and put some on a plate then added Soup on top. He declared we will call it Frito soup. My baby brother tommy called it goop and everyone laughed. So, Frito Goop stuck. Grandpa added some grated cheese to the top and boom, to everybody’s pleasure it was a huge success and became a family tradition every year on New Year’s Day.

We have added to it in many ways since then. For one I have added chicken some years and different kinds of beans. We have added sour cream and guacamole. Lettuce, tomato, and onions.

One thing that has always been a must is the Fritos and the black-eyed peas. The Fritos because it just does not taste the same with anything else. They are the perfect combo of salt and crunch . The black eye peas for the prosperity and good luck. We are very prosperous as a family, now and have grown every year so the tradition works in my book.

There is no recipe for this tradition it must be felt and created handed down from one family member to the next. Love is a secret ingredient you can not find in the store. You can only show how to create that.

When I became an adult, I married a man who did not celebrate holidays and we choose to honor his faith in raising our children, but I had certain traditions I had to honor and keep as well. So, we compromised.

Every year we would have a large super bowl party and every year I would create Frito goup for our friends and family adding black eyed peas. My secret ingredient of love. And other goodies through the years. Many other have grown to love it and look forward to the big "game day" at our house.

One year I added my own twist for desert and created an all time favorite called peanut butter Fritos. This simple recipe was passed to me from a dear friend and let me tell you what. Who new Fritos could be so good. Yes, I said peanut butter Fritos.

This one is so simple you will want to do this at home. 1 Bag of Fritos 1 cup of peanut butter 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup of Karo syrup. Melt sugar and syrup together then add peanut butter and pour over the Fritos …

Done and your famous at every party. You can even get fancy and add other candies like mm’s, Reese’s , or simply good old chocolate chips to the top after you pour it over the Fritos.

I just got the call a few days ago my youngest son who is 25 now is hosting a super bowl party. Guess who will be carrying on the family traditions this year. I look forward to sharing the precious recipes and mostly those amazing memories. As we create our own new traditions and honor the old.

I love how food can bring such pleasure.