The Italians are fond of red clothes, peacock plumes, and embroidery; and I remember one rainy morning in the city of Palermo, the street was ablaze with scarlet umbrellas. - Ralph Waldo Emerson and Slow Cooker Carintas Soft Tacos

Photo by Susie Nelson

With all the events transpiring in our world, I certainly think we all need to stop for a moment to take a look at the First Lady’s new bangs.  It appears her bangs are the number one search on the Internet. Are you ever amazed at the “what’s trending now” panel on your browser?  Fascinating. I will say Michelle Obama didn’t make a false step fashion wise in my opinion during the inauguration ceremonies. Both her choice of outfits and new hairstyle got a yes vote from me.  If you asked the man or woman on the street what the President was wearing, I wonder if one person could provide an adequate description beyond the man wore a suit, undoubtedly an expensive suit, a shirt, and a tie?  Unless he’d opted for a powder blue sequined tuxedo with wide lapels and a big yellow flower that squirted water, I doubt whether his suit was navy, black, brown, or pinstripe would be worthy of so much as a nod on the 5 O’Clock News. However, if his wife’s clutch didn’t match her gown it would have gone viral.

Funny, in most of the animal kingdom, males of the species are the “peacocks”, if you will, not their female counterparts. Several hypotheses are offered to address the reasons behind this.  Possibly the brilliant colors prevalent in male plumage might be to attract the opposite sex.  I’ve always wondered if, like us, certain birds are considered by their peers more beautiful and attractive. Is one musk ox hotter than his hairy neighbor grazing in an adjoining field? If so, would the less attractive of the group lure mates with their riotous sense of humor, great personalities, or uncanny ability to ferret out worms? Do some pigs stand shoulders (that would be pork shoulders) above their sty mates, while others are just, well, pigs?  These are more of Susie’s conundrum’s for you to ponder on those nights when you’ve totally wrung the juice out of all other avenues of intelligent thought.

Another theory is females, if duller in color, blend more easily into their surroundings thus making them less vulnerable to predators while guarding a nest. One researcher surmised male birds eat more carotenoids, a chemical enhancing brightness, during the mating season thus making them appear more colorful and attractive to a mate.  The only case where the female bears the more striking plumage in avian species is where the males are the ones left to guard the eggs and protect the nest and the females compete for mates.  Interesting.

Back in my grandfather’s day men dressed conservatively.  There are no pictures in my albums of him wearing sweats and running shoes.  Men dressed for dinner, and didn’t leave the house without securing a tie around their necks and placing a hat on their heads.

By the late 60′s and early 70′s flower children glided into our world eating magic mushrooms, dancing in the park to Jimmy Hendrix, a colorful cat himself, and driving Volkswagen buses painted with flowers and peace symbols. Young men burned their draft cards, tossed their razors and white button down shirts in the trash, and vibrant color was visible everywhere. Tie dyed tee’s replaced standard white, manes of long hair and ponytails took the place of mop tops and the slicked down styles of the decades before, and headbands, beads, sex, drugs and rock and roll ruled the airways.

Looking further back, in the late 1700′s men’s dress was nearly as flamboyant as the women of the time.  Fussy, embroidered waistcoats over dressy shirts were popular accented with lacy scarves at the neck and cuffs.  Breeches,or knee-length pants with leggings finished off the outfit.  Shoes often had heels and oversized buckles and curly powdered wigs of varying lengths made it hard to differentiate one sex from the other.  It is my understanding wigs came into play because people didn’t habitually bathe as they do today, and often their hair was riddled with lice.  Heads were shaved to rid themselves of the problem, and wigs were worn to cover the bald heads.  Euuuwww.

Today we seem pale in comparison, at least here in the U.S.  Other cultures embrace a love of color evident in clothing worn by both sexes but other than brightly tinted mohawks, or football fans, American men tend to stick to their comfort zones when it comes to vibrant colors.

Sports seem to release the inner peacock in men, I must say.  Fans arrive at the stadiums wearing large pieces of cheese on their heads and disguised in wild face makeup.  Inhibitions seem to be left at the stadium gate and anything goes.  I have seen grown men fully painted sitting in freezing weather with no shirts drinking a cold beer.  Perhaps it goes back to the coliseum days, where we shed our civilized skins for those more primitive.  As usual I have no answers only questions.

Superbowl is coming up.  The 49er’s are playing so life at our house is as good as it gets.  We’re having some excellent television kibitzers in, so I’m making food ahead of time to keep their furnaces stoked.  These carnitas are good in burritos, soft tacos, tortas, or tostadas.  Cooked a long time in the crockpot and shredded, the meat melts in your mouth.  Heat them up or tone them down, but anyway you cook them they’re good.

I want to thank Peri at Peri’s Spice Ladle for nominating me for The Illuminating Blogger Award.  I will pass this on soon, but in the meantime stop by and say hello.

Slow Cook Carnitas Soft Tacos

4 1/2-5 lb. pork butt or shoulder
1 onion sliced thin
2 16 oz. tubs chunky salsa hot
12 8″ flour tortillas

Garnish

Salsa
Sour cream
Sliced Avocados
Guacamole
Chopped Cilantro
Jalapeno Pepper

Rub

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. chili powder
3 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried cumin

Mix all seasonings together and rub over entire roast. Toss any extra. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Spray 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place roast on bottom of cooker. Top with sliced onion. Pour tubs of salsa over top. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Remove meat from sauce and shred with two forks. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Heat tortillas and place 1/4 cup of meat inside. Serve with choice of garnishes.