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recipe, Mexican food, easy recipes, chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, elote casserole, Hass avocados, type 2 diabetes

This recipe for chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce is part of a sponsored campaign with DiMe Media and Hass Avocado Board. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Did you know that in the United States, Latinos are twice as likely as non-Latino people to develop type 2 diabetes? That’s a scary statistic that I’ve been acutely aware of for a very long time. I lost someone very important to me, my favorite Great Uncle, to type 2 diabetes when I was 15-years-old and it was horrible. The worst part is that it could have been prevented with a few simple changes in his diet and a little education about eating healthy.

Cardiometabolic abnormalities, a cluster of risk factors for both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides and high blood glucose levels are higher in the Latino population overall than among non-Hispanic whites.

We can help prevent ourselves from developing type 2 diabetes. One of the most important and effective things we can do to lower our risk for type 2 diabetes is to eat well to maintain a healthy weight. This can be done in many ways and one of the easier ways is to take some of our favorite Latino recipes and reconfigure them to be healthier.

One of our favorite recipes in my house is beef tacos. We love tacos. We can eat them every day of the week. Literally. We could eat anything in a tortilla but tortillas are not the best things for us to eat, especially since our favorite is flour tortillas filled with sour cream, cheese and ground beef. But with a few simple tweaks we can make tacos less hazardous to our health.

Here is my recipe for Chicken Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce:

Ingredients

Tortillas (or you can go the healthier route and eat as a bowl on a bed of lettuce)

Olive Oil

Taco Meat

3 Chicken Breasts

1 Garlic Clove, diced

3 lemons juiced

1 onion, diced

Salt/ Pepper to taste

 Directions:

 

  1. Boil the 3 chicken breasts for 45 minutes to an hour.
  2. Shred chicken.
  3. Heat a frying pan on medium heat until water sizzles when splashed on pan.
  4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
  5. Add onion and garlic to hot oil, sauté until golden brown.
  6. Add shredded chicken, stirring thoroughly until slightly golden.
  7. Add lemon from three lemons.
  8. Salt and pepper to taste.
  9. When thoroughly heated, turn heat down and start working on Avocado cream sauce.

Avocado Cream Sauce

recipe, Mexican food, easy recipes, chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, elote casserole, Hass avocados, type 2 diabetes

Ingredients

2 Hass avocados
1 lemon, juiced
1 large clove garlic, pasted or grated
A small handful fresh cilantro leaves, optional
About 1/3 cup light sour cream

Directions
Place the Hass avocados in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, if desired, and sour cream and process until very smooth and mayo-like in consistency.

recipe, Mexican food, easy recipes, chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, elote casserole, Hass avocados, type 2 diabetes

Avocados are virtually the only fruit that contains monounsaturated fat, and they are sodium, cholesterol and trans-fat free. How can something that tastes so good be so good for you?

Toppings

Salsa

Shredded Quesadilla Cheese

Refried beans with Sazon seasoning

Tomato, diced

Shredded Lettuce

Next, heat your tortillas up on a comal (ten seconds, flip, five seconds, flip, five more seconds and then remove) or in the microwave, 35 seconds for a pack of ten. I’ll be honest they taste better heated up on the comal (griddle) and if you want to go healthier eat on a bed of lettuce.

Then spread your warm refried beans with Sazon seasoning (about 1 tablespoon), next add your quesadilla cheese (about ½ a teaspoon), top with sautéed chicken breasts.

Top your chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, salsa and diced tomatoes. For extra crunch, shredded lettuce will do the job.

If you really want an authentic meal, make elote casserole or Mexican rice (recipe coming soon) to accompany the meal.

recipe, Mexican food, easy recipes, chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, elote casserole, Hass avocados, type 2 diabetes

Enjoy this easy recipe for chicken tacos and avocado cream sauce with your family knowing you are serving them a meal that you made with love and is good for them.

recipe, Mexican food, easy recipes, chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, elote casserole, Hass avocados, type 2 diabetes

For more information about type 2 diabetes visit saboreaunohoy.com/aguacatesydiabetes. Share your favorite avocado recipe and follow the #SaboreaUnoHoy 10-day photo challenge for a chance to win prizes.

My favorite recipe for Hass Avocados is Chicken tacos with avocado cream sauce, what’s yours?

 

 

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Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

Elena of Avalor is a princess for my little girls. Latinas, how long have we been waiting for a Latina princess to share with our daughters? Seems like a lifetime, right? The closest we’ve had has been Dora and she’s not even a princess. She was a little explorer with a blue monkey in wellies but we loved her because she was all we had at the time, when my girls were babies.

Then a few years back, we were super excited about Sophia the First but that kind of fizzled and, while she is adorable and my niece’s favorite princess, she is not really Latina in any discernable way, unless you count her brown hair.

Well, no more. She is here. Disney’s new Elena of Avalor is an animated series that follows the story of Elena, a brave and adventurous teenager who saves her kingdom from an evil sorceress and must now learn to rule as crown princess until she is old enough to be queen. Set in Avalor, an enchanted fairytale kingdom inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore, Elena’s journey will lead her to understand that her new role requires thoughtfulness, resilience and compassion, the traits of all truly great leaders.

Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

Elena of Avalor is a princess for every little Latina girl.

I am excited for Elena and so are my girls but, honestly, I am reserving judgement for after I see a few episodes and see just what Disney did with their first ever Latina princess. I want to see if she is really a true representation of a Latina girl. Is she someone my daughters can look to and recognize themselves? Or is she simply like every other princess but with a slightly tanner complexion? These things are important to me and my daughters and they matter.

I’ve watched two episodes and I love the focus of the importance of family. I love the fact that her grandparents call her mija and they play guitars like my father, my daughters and I. I also loved that they made it all begin when she was 15, which is a very important year for a Latina girl because it is the year of our Quincinera. This is especially exciting for my girls because they are already planning their quincineras that are 4 and 6 years away.

One of my most favorite things is that the people of Avalor, though Latino, are all different shades of skin tone, hair and eyes and that is more realistic than most portrayals on television. I also really appreciate the references to Latino culture and language. In fact, my daughters said, “They only got one thing wrong…our Grandpa Manny doesn’t have grey hair.”

Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

Meanwhile, I know all the little Latina girls are going to want to get their hands on Elena of Avalor merchandise because, you know how we Latinas are, we support one another and we really want to love Elena. I just hope she can live up to our expectations. I had the opportunity to get my hands on a few pieces and my daughters really loved them. They really love the “Sister Time” song and love both Elena and Isabel.

Hasbro provided me with three dolls from the Elena of Avalor collection for review purposes.

My girls are loving them and I have partnered with Hasbro to giveaway a gift pack of Elena of Avalor prize pack for that special little girl in your life.

Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

*Disney Elena of Avalor and Skyler 2-Pack; ages 3 years & up; $34.99

*Disney My Time Singing Elena of Avalor Doll; ages 3 years & up; $29.99

*Disney Elena of Avalor Doll; ages 3 years & up; $14.99

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To enter to win all you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment below telling me what you love the most about Disney’s newest princess Elena of Avalor.

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Vi and Va, #ViAndVa, Latinas, Dolls
This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Vi and Va Dolls and Latina Bloggers Connect.

You all know how skeptical I get about ethnic dolls. It seems that most times, the manufacturer either over shoots the mark and we end up with something like the Mexico Barbie fiasco with a cartoon representation of an entire race or no real effort is made at all and we end up with the same Barbie only with brown hair. This is also not acceptable. There has to be a happy medium.

There is a new Latino culture inspired fashion doll line for little girls, Vi and Va (Viva!).

They are sold exclusively at Target so I am assuming since most of us spent at least $80 twice a week in that joint, we’ve all seen them. I was provided one of each doll for review purposes.

Viviana (Vi) and Valentina (Va) are teenaged sisters. The other two dolls in the series are Felicia and Roxxi who are not just friends, but family. All four of the girls are related. The purpose of the line is to help young Latina girls embrace their heritage while showcasing the diversity in the Latino culture and celebrating family bonds. This is what the press release tells us.

Here is what I think. My girls took the dolls out of the boxes and immediately loved them because of the diversity in how they looked. You see, my girls understand that not all Latinas look alike. We come in all shapes and sizes (like the rest of the population). For example, my sister is 5’2″ has jet black, very curly hair, green eyes and beautiful olive skin. I am 5’7″, have dark brown, wavy hair, light brown eyes with flecks of green, very fair skin with freckles. My daughters have blue eyes, one has straight and the other has wavy, blonde hair and both are very fair-skinned. We are all proud Latinas and I was happy to see a doll that looked sort of like all of us.

I know that some people were offended by the fact that the dolls came with a boom box, an art easel, a baking tin and a guitar. I get it. I was offended that the Mexico Barbie had papers but I can’t be offended by what the Vi and Va dolls have because, in my house, we do all of these things.

Both my girls and I have guitars. Both girls have an art easel and regularly can be found walking from room to room with a sketchpad in their arms. Both of my girls have been in ballet since they were 2-years-old and you’d better believe that while we don’t have a time machine so we can’t get our hands on a boom box, my girls can’t pass up an opportunity to dance if music is playing on Pandora. And if I’m really being honest, my 10-year-old loves to cook. This not something I forced on her. My husband is quite the chef and she enjoys cooking with him. I’m not offended by the accessories, at all.

The dolls come dressed in bright, vibrant colored clothing with bold patterns and prints. You know, just like most teens (Latino or otherwise) are wearing these days. In fact, when I asked my 7-year-old about the dolls this is what she had to say, “I like them because they look like me and Bella and they dress like us. I only wish that they switched the things they do because I am the artist and Bella likes to cook!” What can I say, I think if making all little Latina girls feel “Latina” was the point, they hit the mark, at least for my girls because when you don’t look stereotypically “Latina” sometimes its hard to feel included.

My girls have been playing with them non-stop since they opened them. I really think they feel special because there is a “Latina doll” with blonde hair (like them) but she’s Latina. That might not make sense to you if you are not Latina, but if you are you know exactly what I’m taking about.

They only had two small complaints. First, they are annoyed that the 1 million Barbie outfits they own, won’t fit the Vi and Va girls. They are built different than Barbie; shorter and curvier. Secondly, the doll’s feet are weird. What can I say, I am not a fan of feet on anyone but there should be a warning for small children, “Do not be alarmed, the tiny toes are there, you just can barely see them.” Other than that, my girls really like the dolls.

Look, these dolls are not supposed to take the place of human role models. It’s just a very small step to making our littlest Latinas feel like they belong, are represented and help them to be proud of their culture. I think Vi and Va does that wonderfully.

As for role models, well, that’s my job so I’m not too worried that just because a doll happens to have a baking pan, my daughter might begin to believe that she is supposed to be barefoot and in the kitchen. I want my daughters to know that they can be and do anything they want, no matter what they look like, where they are from or what others think of them. I want my girls to know that if they are willing to work for it, there is nothing they can’t do.

If you like the Vi and Va line and would like to find out more about what’s going on with these diverse, modern Latinas you can find them on the website, Facebook and Twitter.

I’m giving one lucky reader a Vi and Va Birthday Celebration Doll Pack.

What? A Quincinera and a Sweet 16 party in the same year? If you think your little girl would enjoy this set, please enter to win via rafflecopter below.

This is sponsored post in collaboration with Vi and Va Dolls and Latina Bloggers Connect. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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calavera,beauty, day of the dead, make up tutorial, dia de los muertos, day of the dead, day of the dead make-up tutorial, dia de los muertos make-up tutorial, Dia de los Muertos, Halloween, Day of the Dead,Calavera,How to apply Dia de los Muertos make-up, Book of Life, Day of the Dead costume, Dia de los Inocentes, Latina

Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos are only a few days away.

Last weekend was our city’s annual Fright Night and Zombie walk. My daughters have been wanting to participate for the past 3 years but we’ve felt they were too young to be immersed in the middle of all of those “zombies” so we’ve been watching from the sidelines. This year, we decided would be the year that we all walked “amongst the dead”. They were zombies and I was la Calavera Catrina, recognized as a sugar skull.

Dia de los Muertos, Halloween, Day of the Dead,Calavera,How to apply Dia de los Muertos make-up, Book of Life, Day of the Dead costume, Dia de los Inocentes, Latina

My husband and girls dressed as authentic walking dead zombies. My husband was a typical zombie ironically wearing a blood smeared “Be Kind to the Earth” t-shirt with a vintage plaid flannel. I guess he was going for hipster zombie look.

My 9-year-old was a prom queen zombie. Luckily her ballet rehearsal was done in just enough time to get home, change into her “prom” dress and dead face. My littlest one was the cutest dead school girl ever.

My little brother and I chose to go in a different direction. I love the Walking Dead but I just can’t make myself drag my legs and growl at people so my brother dressed as a sugar skull and I dressed as the Grand Dame of Dia De Los Muertos, la Calavera Catrina. The best part? Everything I needed was in my closet.

Dia de los Muertos, Halloween, Day of the Dead,Calavera,How to apply Dia de los Muertos make-up, Book of Life, Day of the Dead costume, Dia de los Inocentes, Latina

Here is how to apply the Dia de Los Muertos make-up and pull together a costume that will make heads turn.

I think it turned out awesome!

 

      1. Begin with an even layer of the Ben Nye Clown White make-up all over the entire face, except the eye sockets, with a sponge, and set with powder. You can buy setting powder at the Halloween shop but, honestly, baby powder works just as well. It is important to set the color with the powder, because the black lines and color on top may get smudged unless you place a barrier in between. Seriously, your face will look like it is melting off if you don’t and who wants to go through all that time painstakingly applying make-up only to have it slide right off your face?
      2. Next, I sculpted the perimeter of my eye socket with a black liquid eyeliner, it’s much easier to use than regular black face make-up and it lets you be more precise with your lines. Then intensify the area by blending a matte black shadow in the same hue over the top of the entire eyelid and filling in the drawn socket.
      3. For the detailing, pick up a black liquid liner with a precise tip, and draw an upside-down heart on the nose, the two rows of scalloping, connected by a circular motion, that surrounds the eyes and the two small circles on either side of my cheek bones. Mark out seven lines in a V-shape on your forehead. I made a jewel in the middle of mine, you can too or not, whatever you choose. Connect the lines with curved shapes to create a spider web.
      4. Use the same liquid liner to draw the two lines on your cheeks and draw a rose on your chin.
      5. Use a color wheel of your choice to fill in the scalloping around your eyes, your jewel and any other designs on your face that need color. I set the color with more translucent powder, not too much, just enough to keep the color from running.
      6. Moving on to the lips, I wanted red lips so I used my Red Chanel lipstick to draw in my lips. Then with the black liquid eyeliner, I drew in the intersecting lines across my lips. I let all lines dry well and then went over with liquid eyeliner again.
      7. With the liquid liner, add a few dotted details over the face, and a flower on your chin. Touch up individual areas with the color palette of your choice as needed, and after a few coats of mascara, I used fake-eyelashes to give my eyes a little extra umph.

For the hair, I simply washed my hair and dried it curly. Teased it. Pulled it to a curly, side pony tail and then added two oversized red roses behind my ears, which I held in with bobby pins. You could also opt for a headband with flowers on it.

To finish the look, I shopped my closet. Sometimes being a Latina with a dad who retires to Mexico 8 months a year has its advantages. I wore a long black skirt, a white peasant blouse with red, yellow and green roses from Mexico as my blouse, an ornate, traditional Kelly green velvet apron with gold scalloping and bright gold shawl. It came together perfectly but, honestly, the make-up makes the costume.

What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Dia de los Muertos, Halloween, Day of the Dead,Calavera,How to apply Dia de los Muertos make-up, Book of Life, Day of the Dead costume, Dia de los Inocentes, Latina

Do you celebrate Dia de Los Muertos?

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sears

As part of a compensated collaboration with Sears and Latina Bloggers Connect I have been asked to share my thoughts and opinions on this video with you.

When I saw the above video,  I teared up because who doesn’t want to do something to repay their parents for all that they’ve done for us growing up? And what’s not to love about giving back? When I was a child my mother always told us that it was better to give than to receive and I always thought she was just telling me something to make not getting something seem more palatable but she was on to something.

We grew up blue collar so there wasn’t a lot of “fun”money. There were no private schools, ballet classes or instruments being learned. My children have these things because I didn’t. So I worked doubly hard to give them these opportunities. Just like my parents worked so that I could have more than they did. They sacrificed everything for us. I went to college and grad school because that’s what my parents wanted for me. They both only graduated high school.

There were 6 children. My mom stayed home. My parents never got to do anything for themselves, it was always about providing for us, even if they had to go without and I guess it rubbed off on me. Don’t worry, I’m not missing meals or denying myself the simple pleasures like the occasional conference trip, but my parents did for us. As a grown up, I wanted to repay my parents for all that they had given us. I know, it’s impossible to repay a debt to someone who has given you life but I didn’t want them to have to go without, not ever again. So, I get where the girl in this video was coming from. One of the first thing I did when I had the money was buy my parents their wedding bands because they got married young and had children almost immediately, there was never any extra money for something like jewelry. I know it’s just a trinket but it was a big deal to them because it was something they had denied themselves.

Sears has produced a video series called More To You featuring surprises with real people, based on real tweets from people who want to give more to the ones they love.

In the video above, Sears visited Jasmine, a young woman who wanted to do something special for her hard working father. Little did Jasmine know that he had a surprise for her as well.

Want Sears to give more to you like they did for Jasmine and her dad? Tweet @Sears with #MasDeLoTuyo and Sears just might give more to you or allow you to give back to those who matter the most to you.

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Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

I have been compensated by #CollectiveBias and Nestle #NuestroSabor to share my thoughts and opinions on Nestle La Lechera Dulce De Leche Cheesecake and Nescafe Clasico. My opinions are always my own and cannot be bought if I haven’t tried it myself or don’t truly believe in it, love it or would not use it in my own home with my family, I will not support it on my site. ~ Deborah

September is Hispanic Heritage month and I cannot think of being Latina without thinking of my own abuelito, Grandfather, Manuel because he was my father’s father and, for me, he is where my Hispanic Heritage starts. He was where my story began.

When my grandfather became a father to his first son, my dad, he was already an older gentleman. My grandmother was his second wife. His first wife had died, leaving him with 3 nearly grown daughters. By the time I was born, he was already in his 70’s and by the time I met him, he was in his 80’s.

Don Manuel was once a strong, handsome rancher who was well respected in his community and did a lot to build the small town he lived and raised his children in Mexico. By the time I met my grandfather, he was a tiny, elderly man who I could look directly into his eyes. He was shrinking in stature but his heart and soul were big and beautiful, only to be outshined by the smile he reserved just for his grandchildren. I loved my grandfather for so many reasons but mostly for how he loved my papi.

Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

When we went to visit my abuelito in the summer, it was like transporting to another world and another time. For a little half-breed girl who was raised in Chicago, everything felt different but it was all worth it; the week long drive in a hot car sweating with my 5 brothers and sisters, the month out of my summer, the weird food and odd looks we got from people, every bit of it was worth it for one of his hugs. They were the best hugs, they felt like coming home, even though I was in a strange country.

A favorite memory of my grandfather, and it’s a consensus of my brothers, sisters and many cousins, is of my grandfather eating his pan con leche y café, every single morning of his adult life, maybe even his childhood. My grandfather worked his land until about 2 years before he died in his 9th decade. He broke horses until he fell and broke his hip in his 80’s. This man was a man amongst men. He was quiet, strong and kind and gentle. I never heard him ever say a mean thing about anyone, even when he had reason. But every morning, after milking the cows and before going back out to the fields, he brought fresh milk home and ate his pan con leche y café.

We used to giggle at him. This tiny, old man eating torn pieces of bread covered in fresh milk. Now that I think of it, we were just kids being kids. What was the difference between his pan con leche and our cereal? He would offer us a bite, every single time and we’d take a bite and scrunch up our faces because it wasn’t what we were used to eating. He would smile and we would giggle and we would do it again the next day, for the entire time we were there, every time we were there. Now, that I think of it, he must have waited for us to wake up and kept filling that bowl with pan con leche. That’s the kind of person he was. He’d do anything just to see us smile. He was a good man and whenever I think of pan con leche, or pan or leche, or café, my heart gets a warm fuzzy feeling and I can feel one of my grandpa’s hugs that I haven’t had in over 20 years. So, I decided to make a recipe to pay homage to that great man, Don Manuel Cruz. Te Amo, Abuelito.

Abuelito’s Dulce de Leche y Cafe Cheesecake

Ingredients

Nestle La Lechera Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Kit ( available at your local Walmart)

Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

 

2 cups of prepared Nescafe Coffee

2 large eggs

12 ounces of cream cheese

4 tablespoons of butter

12 Alessi Biscotti Savoiardi Lady Fingers ( Cut in half)

 

Directions

Soak the cut lady fingers in the Nescafe until coffee is completely absorbed ( 5 seconds)

While Lady fingers are soaking, make the graham cracker crust from the kit and press into the bottom of a spring form pan.

Line the sides of the pan with all 24 Nescafe soaked lady fingers, to create the sides of the cheesecake crust.

Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

Follow directions on the La Lechera Dulce de Leche cheesecake mix.

Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

Pour the cheesecake filling into the spring form pan.

Cook for 30 minutes.

Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

Let cool for an hour.

Chill for 3 hours.

Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

When ready to serve, heat up La Lechera Dulce de Leche toppings and drizzle over top of cheesecake.

Remove cheesecake from spring form pan and serve by the slice. Enjoy.

Nestle, Dulce de leche, Nescafe, Hispanic Heritage, Recipe, Sponsored

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citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman

 

Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Kikkoman and Latina Bloggers Connect to create a recipe or re-work one a favorite dish. I had so much fun experimenting and it was compensated! I’ll give you a hint, Kikkoman is more versatile than you can imagine. Think outside of the Asian inspired box. I did. Kikkoman can actually be used in lieu of salt in every type of cuisine. In fact, to reduce the sodium content of your dish by 1000 mg swap ½ teaspoon of Kikkoman Soy Sauce in place of ½ a teaspoon of salt.

Anyways, if you are like me, the minute you hear the name Kikkoman, you instantly think of soy sauce for your sushi but Kikkoman is so much more than just soy sauce, they make Teriyaki sauce, Ponzu and many more products than I ever knew about. After all you can’t get much more perfect than Kikkoman soy sauce when cooking because 19 generations and 300 years of living by the family philosophy of it’s founder, “Isogaba Maware” (Make Haste Slowly; Advance and grow with tremendous thought and care) can’t be wrong. All this means is that Kikkoman takes it’s 6-month natural brewing process seriously and has since the seventeenth century.  We should all advance and grow with such thought and care. True haste without thought will surely make waste in everything from food ingredient choices to life choices.

I actually adapted two recipes for dinner last night using Kikkoman soy sauce.

I chose Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken and paired it with a nice, refreshing summer watermelon and feta salad.

Here is the recipe for the Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

6 Large Chicken Breasts

Marinade:

1 ½ cup of Orange Juice

½ cup of olive oil

¼ cup of La Preferida hot sauce

½ cup of Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons of grated orange zest

2 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce

½ cup of honey

Dash of Paprika

 

Glaze:

1 stick of unsalted butter

½ cup of honey

½ cup of orange juice

¼ cup of brown sugar

½ cup of honey BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons of grated orange zest

Between ¼- ½ cup of Dijon mustard (to taste)

3 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy Sauce

Directions:

Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, hot sauce, Dijon mustard, Kikkoman soy sauce, orange zest, honey and paprika together in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and toss to combine and cover chicken breasts. Cover bowl with lid or saran wrap and let marinate overnight or at least 1 hour, but for best results marinate over night in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, pull chicken out of fridge and let it come to room temperature before you grill. Room temperature meats cook more evenly and don’t lose as much moisture. Prepare the grill and set to medium and direct heat.

Drain your chicken breasts from the marinade and pat dry. Grill for 5 minutes on each side, then turn heat down to medium-low, close the grill lid and continue cooking for 25 minutes.

citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman

While the chicken breasts are on the grill for those 25 minutes, start making the glaze.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat or on grill burner. Whisk in honey, orange juice, brown sugar, honey bbq sauce, orange zest, Dijon mustard and Kikkoman soy sauce. When it’s time to glaze the chicken breasts, reserve some of the glaze in a separate container to serve with the meal, in case someone wants more sauce on their chicken. I, personally, love my food saucy but some others don’t so reserve some. Stir occasionally. Check that poultry is cooked to 160 degrees before serving.

 

citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman

 

Then brush chicken breast with glaze, flip glaze side down, glaze other side and then continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Glaze once more, flip over, glaze top, cook for 3 minutes more. Then take chicken off the grill, loosely tent with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes, so the juices will reabsorb into the meat.

The interval when my chicken was on the grill for 25 minutes was when I started my side dish Watermelon Feta Salad. It’s quick and easy but you need 20 minutes to let it refrigerate it so you can totally make this ahead of time.

This recipe for  Watermelon Feta salad serves about 6 people, generously.

citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman, watermelon, feta, cucumber, salad

Ingredients for salad:

4 cups of cooked quinoa (cooked and cooled)

4 cups of fresh watermelon (cut into bite sized cubes)

2 tablespoons of Kikkoman Soy Sauce

12 ounces of Feta cheese (crumbled)

2 cucumbers (cubed)

citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman, watermelon, feta, cucumber, salad

Ingredients for dressing:

3/4-cup fresh organic basil {packed}
Fresh squeezed juice from 2 large lemons
1/2 cup olive oil

citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman, watermelon, feta, cucumber, salad

Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce on the watermelon as a flavor enhancer.

Then combine the quinoa, watermelon, feta cheese and cucumbers in the bowl.

Using a food processor, process basil, lemon juice and olive oil together until well combined then gingerly toss sauce with quinoa/watermelon/feta combination. Cover and chill for 20 minutes in refrigerator to allow flavors to combine appropriately.

citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman, watermelon, feta, cucumber, salad

Serve as a side to the Citrus Honey BBQ grilled chicken. It is absolutely delicious; light, filling and mostly guilt-free. My girls and husband gobbled it right up. The dinner table was quiet and that is always a good sign.

So were you surprised with how I used my Kikkoman soy sauce? My husband even used it in his recipe for sausage gravy and biscuits. It was one of his best batches and none of us knew it had soy sauce in it until he told us and think of how much better it was for our health with less sodium.

citrus honey bbq, grilled chicken, recipe, Latina, Kikkoman

How could you use Kikkoman in your favorite recipes?

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Cinnabon, International Delight, cocktail, rum chata, recipes

Craving a deliciously cool cocktail recipe to celebrate summer vacation with?

Summer vacation is almost over. We’ve been so busy that it’s been one great adventure, trip or event after another, every weekend since May. I’m not complaining, really, I’m not but as in most things, too much of a good thing can be a little overwhelming. I honestly feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. I’m sure you know what I mean. You know, just a moment to sit in the sun, close my eyes and be still with no worries of putting myself in danger of a heat stroke. It’s the little things people.

Anyways, I’ve partnered with International Delight to try out some of their new flavors and I’ve become a little obsessed with finding ways to use them other than just rocking my coffee. Last month, I came up with a recipe for a Mexican Hot Chocolate milkshake that blew my families minds. Apparently, I really crave cold weather comfort drinks but adapted for the hot weather.

Cinnabon, International Delight, cocktail, rum chata, recipes

As I was sitting by the pool, wishing it was a little less humid and watching my kids do cannonballs, I began imagining myself on a tropical island (because I’m melting as one does when on a tropical vacation) and then my daydream went off into a completely odd direction and as I was sitting on the beach, it began to flurry and I was trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue, like I did when I was a little kid, but I was in my bathing suit which was odd. The point is, it made me smile and I thought to myself, why can’t I have a little snow right this very minute. Obviously it’ll never snow in July but with the courtesy of International Delight Cinnabon Creamer I could have a little bit of snowflake on my tongue, right here in July.

I never have been one for taking no for an answer so here’s the recipe I used to make this deliciously cool and refreshing cocktail, Dulce de la Nieve.

Cinnabon, International Delight, cocktail, rum chata, recipes

Fill cocktail shaker ½ way with ice. This helps chill the shaker and the ingredients as you add them. Leave plenty of room for shaking, so if your shaker is small use less ice.

1 part Rum Chata Rum

1 part heavy cream

2 parts International Delight Cinnabon Creamer

¼ teaspoon of sugar

¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Grip firmly, shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend dairy products well. Typically when shaking drinks you need only employ the slow count to 10 method. Once the shaker is frosted, you are ready to strain and pour into an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sip for maximum effect.

The only problem I have with this drink is that it is so sinfully delicious that I always want more. Just like you can’t just catch one snowflake on your tongue, you can’t just drink one Dulce de la Nieve. It’s also a fantastic drink to enjoy around the holidays. It reminds me a lot of the Rompope my dad used to bring back from Mexico but lighter and sweeter. It’s a very delicate and delicious variant on eggnog, minus the eggs and incorporates some Cinnamon buns.

Now, that I am now cool and refreshed, I think I might go take a nap on this lazy summer afternoon. I deserve it and so do you!

What’s your favorite cocktail to cool down with on a hot summer’s day?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

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IDelight, #uniquerecipes, #Latina, Recipes

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. Sorry, couldn’t resist. My Mexican hot chocolate milkshake that is! A milkshake with a little Latina spin.

I decided earlier this spring that this summer was going to be the summer of fun. I wanted to give my girls the kind of summer that I had as a child; travel, spontaneous fun and lazy days of sleeping in and staying up late catching fire flies. Everything in moderation and no yelling mom moments. Life’s just too short for stressing over the little things. Eat that ice cream, put your feet in the sand and just have fun! This is my goal for my children this summer. No stress, no classes and no rigid schedules just beautiful childhood memories to last a lifetime.

 

I really wanted them to experience some of what I remember to be my fondest memories from childhood like riding my bike until my legs felt like they were going to fall off, swimming until I felt like I was going to collapse and giggling until my stomach hurt and watching movies under the stars. We don’t have a drive-in nearby, so we’ve improvised and made our own. We’re doing a lot of improvisation this summer and it’s been magical.

IDelight, #uniquerecipes, #Latina, Recipes

 

As a Latina, I was raised drinking Mexican Hot Chocolate. In fact, Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate was a breakfast staple paired with some kind of pan dulce, my favorite was the churro. We drank Mexican hot chocolate until we graduated to coffee, my other favorite thing in the world.

Mexican hot chocolate was not just served on cold winter mornings, there was just varying degrees of how hot our “hot chocolate” was served. For instance, during the summer months, we often threw a couple ice cubes into our chocolate. I realize, as an adult Mexican hot chocolate and churros is not a healthy breakfast, but it still makes me nostalgic for my childhood and why shouldn’t it be a treat once in awhile?

IDelight, #uniquerecipes, #Latina, Recipes

It’s June and I still get the craving for my Abuelita and churros, and the Big Guy and our girls love it to, so instead of making hot chocolate with lots of sugar and whole milk and topping it all off with warm churros, I decided to make Mexican Hot Chocolate Shakes with Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream International Delight creamer. Oh yes, you heard me right! When I told the girls about this idea, they freaked out.

IDelight, #uniquerecipes, #Latina, Recipes

Here is what you will need to make six 10 ounce milkshakes, so that you can share this sweet, cool treat with the whole family and whatever little friends you find at your home this summer.

Ingredients

· 2 cups of Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream ID creamer

· 2 package of powdered instant Abuelita hot chocolate

· 8 medium scoops of vanilla bean ice cream

· About 3 cups of ice

· Top with Whipped Cream

· Cinnamon/Sugar Mix

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients in the blender and mix until all smooth.

2. Top off with some whipped cream.

3. Lightly Dust with Cinnamon

4. Drink slowly while enjoying each other’s company

We had this sweet frozen treat while watching the World Cup USA versus Portugal soccer match. The game ended in a last minute tie but our Mexican Hot Chocolate shake topped with cinnamon made it all a little less painful.

IDelight, #uniquerecipes, #Latina, Recipes

For more great recipes check out the International Delight Pinterest Community or join the International Delight community at internationaldelight.com!

What’s your favorite childhood memory that you’d like your own children to experience?

IDelight, #uniquerecipes, #Latina, Recipes

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

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hair, beauty, Latina, Imágen, salon products, just for Latinas

Have you ever heard of Imágen salon hair products?

Neither had I until they approached me to try their products. We all know there is nothing quite as relaxing as going to the spa and letting the professionals apply hair coloring products, wash, style and blow out our hair. Oh, how we Latina girls love a good blow out. Well, doesn’t everyone?

Imagine if everyone were the same. Life would be boring right? Isn’t variety the spice of life? I am the child of a biracial couple and I have the hair to prove it. I am Latina and we have hair that comes in almost as many varieties of colors, textures and thicknesses as the color of our skin but I have found a product that is made just for my hair, Imágen.

I happen to have a whole lot of fine hair in deep chestnut, sometimes its curly and sometimes its straight. My sister on the other hand has very thick, coarse, jet-black hair that hangs in spiral curls. My other sister has shorter, baby fine hair that is naturally wavy. She always looks like she just left the beach. The problem is that it’s not usually up to us how our hair is going to look on any given day, so we have to depend on good product; preferably one that works with our type of hair. Discovering yvonnehodgsonhair.co.uk was a life-changer in that very moment of our lives because they have award-winning hairstylists who turned our ungroomed hair into something beautiful.

Believe me when I tell you that I have tried just about everything on the market. When I was a teenager, I would use whatever my mom bought. As I entered my 20’s and started putting real effort into my beauty routine, I began using Paul Mitchell. Then I had kids and I was lucky if I even got to shower.

As I get older, I’ve noticed that my hair has gotten duller, more brittle and as the gray comes in and stress causes me to lose hair, now, just for shits and giggles, my hair has decided to get curlier. Basically, what was working for me, is no longer working. Every day is a hair surprise and that is not necessarily a good thing.

I’ve tried using hair soaps like Lush’s Godiva but it made my head itchy. I tried Wen and it helped with the hair falling out but did nothing for the frizz and, I know it’s just mental, but I really miss the lather of conventional shampoos.

Enter Imágen a hair product line made specifically for Latinas.

I am very weird about my hair, I always have this fear that I’m going to use a new shampoo and all of my hair is instantly going to fall out and there I will be with no hair. Just in case you missed the memo, we Latinas have a lot of our self-image wrapped up in our hair. I’ve had long hair most of my life. So the very last thing I want to do is to jack my hair up.

I was skeptical but I tried the Imágen shampoo and conditioner and my hair felt soft without feeling greasy or heavy like most shampoos leave my hair feeling.  Then, I used the straightener because it’s a warm weather month and that translates into instant frizz for me. I dried my hair and added a little of the Imágen anti-frizz serum ( my new favorite thing) and I have to say, I am very impressed with the product. My hair is soft and straight, no fluff and I didn’t even have to use the straightening iron, so no extraneous heat damage.  Just in case you don’t have naturally curly or wavy hair, you should know that beating back frizz during humid weather is nothing short of a miracle.

I’ve only used the product a couple times so far but, honestly, I am really impressed.

hair, beauty, Latina, Imágen, salon products, just for Latinas

There are 6 products currently in the line; Imágen Salon Formula Moisturizing Shampoo – containing avocado oil and botanicals to naturally revive dry, damaged hair; Strengthening Conditioner – formulated to penetrate the hair shaft, instantly detangling and smoothing even problem hair; Leave-in Conditioner – a protein-enriched complex that restores moisture and softness; Temporary Straightener – a straightening and shining formula to temporarily remove curl and frizz without harsh chemicals; Shine – a weightless mist that adds brilliant shine; and Anti-Frizz Serum– a greaseless finishing balm to tame ‘frizzies’ and seal split ends. All products: MSRP$7.99 and are available at Target.

Currently, the Imágen Temporary Straightener and Imágen Anti-Frizz Serum are both on sale for a $1 off regular price. On June 22nd, all of the Imágen Salon Quality Hair Care products will be on sale for $1 off. So don’t take my word for it, give it a try and let me know what you think.

To make it easy, I am going to giveaway one complete set of all six of the Imágen salon products to one lucky randomly selected reader. All you have to do is enter a comment below telling me what your favorite beauty product is.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post written by me about Imágen Salon but all opinions are my own.

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