January 15: Passing the Taco Bell Torch

In high school, there used to be a Taco Bell directly across the street from the school. For a time, I made a habit of frequenting that particular establishment at lunch and/or after school. Needless to say, the addiction of tacos and tostadas, not to mention my favorite - the bean burrito loaded with sour cream, quickly became part of my existence. I have to say, there's nothing like sour cream dispensed from that cool, little caulking gun they use. When I became a parent, I found myself sharing with my own kids many of the childhood experiences I went through. For a while now, I had been talking up Taco Bell; as we would pass by one of their facilities or throw around options for a Mexican dining experience (unfortunately, my wife doesn't consider dining in at a Taco Bell one of those experiences). But, Friday, January 15 was the day that I was finally able to pass the Taco Bell torch on to my children. And, I have to say it felt great! With my wife at work and my daughter in school, I seized the opportunity to introduce Taco Bell back into our lives with my son, who is home with me on Fridays instead of being at daycare. As we approached the drive-thru, all of those memories came rushing back to me in a whirlwind of joyful nostalgia. Actually, I'm kidding about that last statement. I'm really not that obsessed with Taco Bell, but rather just wanted to make sure you're still hanging on my every word. We did, however, use the drive-thru and I selected something simple for their first experience: soft tacos; a staple item of the Taco Bell franchise. We got 8 so that my daughter was able to experience the authentic taste of fast-food done to perfection! And, guess what? Both kids LOVED them!!! My son devoured 2.5 tacos and my daughter knocked off another two. Which is a far cry from the 5 that my wife consumed when she was pregnant with my daughter years ago, but still a pretty good tally for a couple of youngsters. And, even though we probably won't be hitting "the Bell" again in the near future, I can now go to bed at night at peace with myself knowing that I've given my children a chance to taste heaven wrapped in paper and delivered in a plastic sack.

Addendum: For those of you not so keen on the idea of fast food, but still curious about the aforementioned soft tacos (and I know you are after reading this post), I found this little gem on the Internet. I haven't tried it myself, but I'm sure with a little creativity and love, you can make a more healthier alternative without sacrificing the integrity of the original.