Hormel Tamales are my Hero!
Only a few weeks ago I was diagnosed with a rare, fast moving. terminal cancer. It was a terrible shock to me and all the family. With a possible time-line now ticking I have marveled at what thoughts have crossed my mind. One in particular has been around food as I had been previously unable to eat. Sitting in my recliner, I suddenly had a huge hankering for the food of my youth. Hormel Tamales in a can, each wrapped in paper.
My faithful children and husband went on a hunt to bring home tamales for Mom and wife. Searching all the major stores in the Denver area we marveled that none were available. Even the Internet was searched and still no Hormel tamales to be found. Every place was sold out; there were labels on the shelf, but no cans.
In conversation between PTO moms from my granddaughter's school this Facebook post was sent: "alright Facebook peeps, we need to search everyone's cupboards...I need one or two cans of Hormel Beef Tamales (non-spicy) for a friend of mine's mother who is in hospice with cancer. She is craving these and they cannot be found anywhere. We have tried local stores, online stores, etc. I have some folks looking out but I need to widen the circle. Time is of the essence and she and her family would be grateful as would I."
To my amazement the responses started coming in. A Kroger store in Russellville, Arkansas had them in stock. Someone else spotted some on eBay. Amazon had some crazy overpriced ones. Another person was checking their food bank as they got stuff like this. Dollar Store was out of stock.
With a light at the end of the tamale tunnel, a friend of a friend came through and reached out to people at Hormel. They totally surprised me by sending out word that they would be over-nighting tamales to the dear local friend of my daughter's who originally posted the Facebook plea to her friends.
The box is here! I am working my way through the colorful blue and white paper filling to find the 5 cans of tamales!
My mouth began to water knowing I'd soon be tasting these gourmet tamales of my youth.
The over-night mailing was first missed so it was fun watching the path my package was taking beginning one day later. Janesville, Wisconsin; Rockford, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; Commerce City, Colorado; Broomfield, Colorado; then to my daughter and finally hand delivered to my home in Arvada, Colorado! What a joyful day!
Of course having a team of children and grandchildren I do believe it's my duty to bring them up young on Hormel Tamales!
In the course of the hunt, a cousin of my husband told the story of his bachelor days. He'd be invited to a party and instead of arriving empty handed, he'd open a can of Hormel Tamales and pour a can of Hormel Chili, no beans, over it, adding cheese and then warming it up. Party goers were impressed that a bachelor would arrive with such a delicious casserole. Now that the tamales have been found, he and his wife brought over the Hormel Chili in case we wanted a bachelor casserole!
As I write this post it is July 4th, 2020. I am so anxious to share my addiction, so this evening we are opening up Hormel Tamale cans for the tasting pleasure of my family.
Here are the tamales fresh from the can, still wrapped in paper, in the skillet, ready to heat! You can almost smell them here!
Just like I remember them! Paper removed, warmed and ready for that first bite of remembrance from many years ago!
Hormel, thank you! You still put a smile on my face with these gourmet tamales! My son, one of my taste testers, said "I'm full but I still want to keep eating them!" We all went home full and happy!
