By The week after the championship. I'm not sure how to describe this week. There's a particular emptiness after the thing you've been building toward is achieved — not depression, not ingratitude, just the recalibration that happens when the north star you've been navigating by goes quiet. The phone calls have slowed. The press has moved on. The trophy is on my desk. Now what?
Jordan Rivera committed to the University of Colorado on Wednesday. He called me at seven in the morning. He didn't want to announce it publicly without telling me first, which tells you everything about his character. I told him Colorado was getting a real one. He said, "You made me believe I could be a college quarterback, Coach." I told him he made himself believe it. I just gave him the practice reps. He was quiet and then he said, "No, Coach. It was more than that." I'll keep that in my chest for the rest of my career.
Diego played his last JV game this week — the JV season runs independently of the varsity. He finished the year with 847 rushing yards. Eighth grade stats at a private school with a serious football program. He'll be on varsity next year. I've known this for a while. I'm not allowed to say it in the building, but I'm saying it here: he's going to be a real player. Not because he's mine. Because I've watched this kid work.
Tamale making round two this week — the championship celebration batch. I went to my parents' house in Las Cruces over the weekend and we made tamales with the trophy on the kitchen table. Mom cried twice. Hector said "okay, enough emotions, more masa." This is the right instruction. More masa. Always more masa.
After the tamales were done and the trophy was still sitting on Mom’s kitchen table, Hector disappeared for about twenty minutes and came back with a pan of these. He’d made them while the rest of us were still riding the emotional highs of the weekend — classic Hector, always the one to anchor a celebration in something sweet and practical. Easy Mexican Brownies, spiked with cinnamon and a little heat, rich and fudgy and exactly right for a kitchen that had just spent four hours making masa. If the tamales were the tradition, these were the exclamation point.
Easy Mexican Brownies
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1 box (18.3 oz) fudge brownie mix
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs. Stir until just combined — do not overmix.
- Add the spice. Fold in the cinnamon, cayenne, and vanilla extract. Taste the batter and adjust cayenne to your heat preference. The cinnamon should be forward; the heat should be a warm finish.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Gently fold in the chocolate chips so they’re distributed evenly throughout the batter.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 28–32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.
- Cool and cut. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, at least 20 minutes, before cutting into 16 squares. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 115mg