The first time I had garbanzo beans,  it wasn’t in the form of hummus or as a salad topper in a mixture of beans…. it was in the delicious cream of garbanzo, a silky savory soup that has been visiting my mouth ever since.  I had to claim this soup as my own, I craved it to have a burst of tomato and a bit of spicy chile.  I knew the  creamy garbanzo would holds hands with the hot chile de arbol and swirl in perfect harmony.  This is my Garbanzo bean soup.  It has been hailed by my Mother as the best soup of all time…. I know you’re thinking “her mother”, but she’s a tough critic to please.  I think what she was most impressed with was the fact that I used Mazola Sobrecito bouillon packets.  She thought it was genius that they are made with sea salt and when added to water they leave no clumps in your food.  Okay, mom pleased, mission accomplished.

Ingredients for Spicy Cream of Garbanzo Soup:

1 1/2 – cups of raw garbanzo beans

6 – cups of water

3 – Mazola Sobrecitos Bouillon packets Tomato flavor

2 – medium sized tomatoes

3 – chile de arbol (stems removed)

1/2 – onion

4 – garlic cloves

1 – bay leaf

nice olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans in water overnight.

Drain and rinse beans.

Add water, Mazola Sobrecitos, garbanzo beans,tomato, chile de arbol, onion, garlic, and a bay leaf to a pot over a medium high flame and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce flame to a simmer, cover pot with lid and simmer for 2 hours.

Discard bay leaf.

Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend till smooth.

Serve right away.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes and drizzle top with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Enter to win a $25 Walmart card and a box of Mazola Sobrecitos

How to enter:

Visit Mazola Espanol on Facebook and leave a comment below on what your favorite bouillon recipe is.

Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook!

Subscribe to my You Tube channel:  http://bit.ly/PawEKM

Like Mazola Sobrecitos on Facebook!

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them.

Open to U.S. Residents only.  No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter.  Contest ends October 8th, 2012 at 11:59 PM, PST and one winner  will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.

This contest is closed. Congrats to Livivua C.

 Book reading is a serious ritual in my house. I like to get cozy and prepare for bed each night, not only for my son but for myself as well. We usually start with dinner, then a bath, and a quick blow drying of our curly crazy hair, I say that because my son has been blessed with my curls. I go ahead and choose a comfortable pair of pajamas, one for me and one for him. Then it’s time to grab some milk… mine in a cup with a straw, and my son is still allowed one bottle a day and I usually give it too him right before bed. At last, Max picks the book he wants read to him or the one he will try and read to me in his garbled language that he speaks so well. Lately it has been “The Waves on The Moon”, which is the cutest story about a little girl and her adventure to the moon which is made of milk.  We both run to the bed and get snuggled up with our drinks in hand and a story to be told in the other. I prop the pillows then transport my little guy into the tale that lies before us. He giggles in between gulps of the warm creamy delicious milk that has become his nightly routine. When the story is done, I may read it again just to make sure he is super tired by the time I turn off the lights. Lights out, a good night kiss…. followed by an “I Love you” and “Night Night.” I cuddle him as we both drift into a deep slumber, I fall asleep with a smile on my face knowing I am doing the best job I can as a parent. Reading to my boy helps prepare him for his future, and giving him milk at night will aid him through a better sleeping experience. 

If you want to read a fantasy filled book to your child…. Visit www.otroscuentos.com to download the collection of bedtime stories for free.  Find “The Waves of The Moon” and “Elena The Slurping Monkey” books there. Such adorable fables with a positive message and your child will be encouraged to drink milk along side the character in the stories.

Enter to win a (1) two month supply of MILK via a $40 Walmart card and a hard copy of  the BEdtime Stories Book Collection:

How to enter:

Visit www.otroscuentos.com and leave a comment below on what your favorite bedtime story is.

Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook!

Subscribe to my You Tube channel:  http://bit.ly/PawEKM

Like El Maestro Del Vaso Medio Lleno on Facebook!

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them.

Open to U.S. Residents only.  No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter.  Contest ends October 5th, 2012 at 11:59 PM, PST and one winner  will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.

This contest is closed. Congrats to MaryLou Alvarez!

I never walk places alone…. But Saturday night had me feeling brave. I was at the Dodger game with my family and naturally instagraming and tweeting my where abouts, when I got a text from a friend saying she was at the stadium as well and wanted to say “Hi.”  I couldn’t pull any of my family members from their glued seats to accompany me to walk over and meet my friend.  I thought “I’ll just go by myself, it’ll be a little adventure.”  I popped a piece of Trident Layers Wild Strawberry + Tangy Citrus chewing gum in my mouth and dashed up the stairs to the top of the field area, found the nearest stairwell and the next thing you know I was doing the seventh inning stretch with my oldest girlfriend.  It felt good to recite “take me out to the ball game” at the top of my lungs, and even better to do it in fond company.  It’s in those minutes that you feel connected and full of life.  We kissed goodbye and promised to see eachother soon.  As I walked back to my seat to meet my family, I was so high on the winning energy of the stadium and on having a moment to be silly alone…. I burst into song singing out loud not caring who could hear or who was witnessing my strut.  I pretended to be John Travolta in  “Saturday Night Fever”  singing  “You can tell by the way I use my walk I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk.”  I guess you could say I was feeling sassy.  I guess you could say it was the gum chewing and living in the moment.

I dare you to do the same, take a path you wouldn’t normally take and see what unfolds. These people here on the subway are living it up “All Night Long.”

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign by Latina Mom Bloggers and Trident.  However all opinions expressed are solely my own. 

“Stop acting like a hungry little monkey”, those words came spilling out of my mouth faster than I could catch them.  I didn’t say it in a mean way,  I just said it as a matter of fact.  You see my friend Karla was over and I had just come from buying a bunch of fruit to curb this Bionico craving that had been hankering at the back of my tongue for the last couple of days. When I mentioned in passing I was going to start working on a dish of bionico, she turned into a hyper, nagging, relentless little infected blister.  Saying to me every other minute “Are you going to make that bionico?”, “What time are you going to make the bionico?”, “How much bionico are you going to make?”,  “Can I take some home?”  I felt like her energy turned into a nervous twitch and if she could scratch the side of her ribcage and make ooooh and ahhhh sounds she would.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand the power of the bionico, but she was acting straight out grubby. I started to feel uneasy and wanted to protect and hover over my now sacred bionico…. thats when I just blurted it out,  “Stop acting like a hungry little monkey.” Her eyes grew wide, I don’t know if she was embarrassed or if she was just stunned by the reality of my words. It was too late, the truth was on the table.  I tried to glaze over what had just happened by abruptly shifting gears with a long,  sincere explanation of how September is National Organics Month, and Whole Foods Market is celebrating with an abundance of fresh, organic grapes in stores all month long.  This eased the blow, then I whipped up a big bowl of  bionico and forced myself to share half with her.

Ingredients for Bionico: 

1 1/2- cups organic red grapes (sliced in half)

1/2 – cup organic green grapes (sliced in half)

2 – sliced bananas

1 1/2 – cups peeled and chopped mango

1 1/2 – cups watermelon (cubed)

1 – cup green apple (cubed)

1 – cup pineapple (cubed)

1 – cup strawberries (sliced)

1/2 – cup sugar

3/4 – cup sour cream

1/2 – cup raisins

1/2 – cup chopped almonds

Mix all fruit in a big bowl.

Then in a small bowl mix sugar, and sour cream together until smooth. Then pour over mixed fruit and mix well.

Serve in a serving bowl and sprinkle with raisins and almonds. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market, but the recipe and opinions are my own. 

It’s National Guacamole Day, and my house is stocked with bowls of tortilla strips and guacamole.  The man in my house usually watches football on Sundays and with that habit comes snacking.  I say stocked because each room in the house has a T.V. blaring the latest touchdown, and right next to the remote control is a bowl of guacamole and chips.  Easy to grab and even more delicious to savor.  Of course I made my own guacamole and tortilla strips… click here for the recipe, after all it is National Guacamole Day and we should all be celebrating.  While I was smashing my Avocados from Mexico, making a big creamy batch of guacamole, I remembered all the folks I had interviewed while I was in NYC for BlogHer12.  Each one of them talked about guacamole as if it were a patron saint.  I saw fireworks in their eyes at the mere mention of guacamole.  People of all walks of life LOVE the green stuff known as guacamole.  People just love green stuff in general I guess, but guacamole is up there.

Here, take a look for yourself,  I had the pleasure of working on this sweet video with my fellow Abuelita Avocado Ambassadors.

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post on behalf of Avocados from Mexico and Latina Bloggers Connect.  The recipe and opinions are my own!  Yes, and without a doubt #ILoveAvocados #AmoLosAguacates

 I still am not sure how I will celebrate Mexican Independence Day this year…. I know there will be a grito contest down the street from me, but I may have had enough of my own gritos with my webisode for a little while. Maybe I’ll invite a few friends over for a plato of Chef Aquiles Chavez’s Avocado Enfrijoladas. Chef Aquiles Chavez is considered one of the best chefs in Mexico, he is the host of Aquilísimo, The Touch of Achilles, and Achilles in Houston…. 3 of the Most Watched cooking shows in Mexico, and also seen in the U.S. on the Utilísima Network. Now I have to see what all the fuss is about…. I guess it’s settled, I will be having this delectable dish for Fiestas Patrias. 🙂

Ingredients for Avocado Enfrijoladas:

Recipe by: Chef Aquiles Chavez

Serves: 4

1 – tablespoon olive oil
3/4 – cup white onion, chopped
1 – chile de arbol
1  – cup chicken broth
3 – ripe Avocados from Mexico, halved, pitted and peeled
1 cup Queso Fresco, cut into ¼-inch cubes (or soft feta cheese if you prefer)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups cooked black beans with everything and broth or 1 can of black beans (15.5 ounces), drained and rinsed
8 corn tortillas
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 ripe avocado from Mexico, halved, diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional for garnish

Preparation:

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add ¼ cup of onion and chile de arbol, mixing constantly until the onion is golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken broth and when it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mash the avocado. Then add the diced cheese, the remaining onion, cilantro, serrano chile, salt and pepper and mix lightly.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet, and add a tortilla. Heat the tortillas for 30 to 60 seconds per side. Place the tortilla in an area with enough space to fill the 8 enfrijoladas. Fill the center of the tortilla with avocado ⅓ cup mixed and roll the tortilla. Repeat steps 8 times or until the end of the avocado mixture.

Take the chicken broth mixture, remove the chile de arbol. Then, pass the chicken broth and beans to a blender and blend until you reach a creamy consistency. Transfer the bean mixture to the pan to a boil (about 5 minutes). Separate ½ cup bean sauce and divide the rest among 4 plates. Place 2 rolls on sauce on each plate and sprinkle with remaining bean sauce. Serve with cubes of avocado, onion, shredded cheese and cilantro, if desired.
Serve immediately

This is a picture of Lisa Quinones-Fontanez and her beautiful son Norrin.  I was asked by Yahoo! recently to nominate a woman that shines…. There are many woman I know who shine, but Lisa’s story and what she represents is one that needs more of a voice right now:

Lisa has touched my heart time and time again.  I read her blog Autism Wonderland as if it’s my personal bible. She is a woman warrior fighting for her autistic son’s rights on a daily basis.  She has been recognized by Babble as one of the top 30 Autism Blogs, and is a regular contributor to Parents magazine.  Unlike many bloggers who use blogging as an outlet to escape into their own private internet world, Lisa delves into her reality and brings wisdom and hope to parents who are going through the same diagnosis with their child. If it wasn’t for her blog, I would have NEVER known the signs to look for in an Autistic child…. She is a huge inspiration to many parents who are  lost in the autism fog trying to find answers and fearful of what the future holds for our vulnerable delicate autistic children.  She is not only changing her son Norrin’s life, she is helping hundreds of parents  take the right steps to help change the lives of their children too.  She is a modern day hero who wears her heart and emotions on her sleeve, and in her darkest moments she is still strong enough to share her own fears with the world.  Lisa is currently looking to build the 1st school in the Bronx for autistic children.

Please click on the this link to help Lisa win The Yahoo! Women Who Shine contest… That money will help her build her school and in turn help many autistic children in need of service and therapy! Good Luck Lisa,  you have my vote! To find out more about Yahoo Women who shire… click here.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post while participating in the Social Moms blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read  more posts on this topic, Click here.