This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and the California Milk Advisory Board.   All opinions are my own. 

Are you ready to rev up that Bar-B-Q pit and shish kabob for grilling? It’s officially grilling season with Memorial Day around the corner and Father’s day a stones throw away. It’s time to start planning your menus and gathering people around the pit. What do you typically like to grill? My family grills carne asada and anaheim chiles stuffed with queso quesadilla. We love to grill veggies and green onions, if my uncle is around he always wants his share of jalapenos thrown a top the fire-y hot grate. I like to make packets of aluminum foil and fill them with chopped zucchini a little bit of olive oil and cotija cheese…… I call them Bar-B-Q calabasitas. Here’s the serious truth, we can’t have an outdoor cooking session without making Grilled Corn And Queso Fresco Salad. I usually prep the corn in the house then throw it on the barbie, while the maize is grilling I chop up the other ingredients and make a dressing of crema, lime juice, and a little cotija cheese. OMG…. My mouth just watered recounting the details of this recipe back to you. Every time I make the salad (which is when we have a Bar-B-Q) my fiance tells me I need to be making this salad at least once a week. My Mom loves it cuz it’s vegetarian, and I heart it because it’s down right GOOD! I usually make it as a side dish but it could be enjoyed as a meal all on it’s own. Don’t get me wrong, it does taste lickable paired with a slice of chicken or sizzling piece of carne asada as well. But what really makes this salad pop is the queso fresco teamed up with the sweet corn and the tangy crema lime cojita cheese dressing. Delish! Make it for your next Bar-B-Q! Plus it’s so easy to get all the hispanic dairy needed for this recipe. With California being the leading producer of hispanic dairy products all you have to do is look for the Real CA Milk / cheese seals on the labels of your hispanic dairy. These cheeses will give your next meal the authentic touch of latin cuisine and make it taste better then you could have imagined. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Grilled Corn and Queso Fresco Salad:

• 1 – tablespoon of butter (room temperature)
• 4 – corn on the cob
• 5 or 6 – stalks of green onion
• 1 – tablespoon of olive oil
• salt to taste
• 2 – ripe avocados (sliced and cubed)
• 1 – cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 – cup sliced red onion
• 1/2 – cup cilantro leaves
• 5 – radishes (thinly sliced)
• 1 – package queso fresco Ranchero (crumbled in large pieces)
• (optional) 2 – grilled green chiles- diced (serrano, or jalapeno, or anaheim)

Ingredients for Crema Lime Cotija Cheese dressing:

• 3 – tablespoons crema
• 1 1/2 – large limes (juiced, about 4 tablespoons)
• 1 – tablespoon cotija cheese

1. Heat up the bar-b-q or grill.
2. Smear butter on the corn on the cob. Set to the side.
3. Trim edges of green onions off and smear with olive oil. Set to the side.
4. Sprinkle both corn and green onions with salt to your liking.
5. Place both corn and green onion on bar-b-q and grill for green onion for about 6 minutes. 
6. Grill the corn for 15 to 20 minutes or until kernels are slightly charred. 
7. Remove from grill and shave the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife. 
8. Add shaved corn to a bowl along with avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, radishes, queso fresco, (optional) green chiles, and grilled onion to serve on the side. (pictured above)
9. Give the ingredients a good mix, and set to the side.
10. In a small bowl mix ingredients for dressing with a whisk, then pour over salad and give a final mix.
11. Serve with grilled green onion on the side.
12. Enjoy!

Layered cake is considered something special in my book. I have had the divine pleasure of the black and white indonisian cake. I have had layered berry cakes and the list goes on. I know people make crepe cakes by staking crepes on top of each other with gooey fillings in between. But never have I had a crepe cake with layers of crepes baked into the cake. I decided to make one for myself since crepe cake was exactly what I was craving. I don’t want you think I’m mad as a hatter, but this was one of the best cakes I ever tasted. Make it for yourself…. it’s a special treat. The peanut butter honey frosting and fresh banana slices will seriously make you a firm believer in this cake. Promise. I posted the recipe on Babble…. click here to grab it along with step by step pictures to guide you through.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by McCormick, who sent me a wonderful spice kit to aid my taco night! The recipe and opinions are 100% my own.

I’ve been raised eating hard shell tacos. Crispy on the outside and perfectly tender and succulent on the inside. Greasy fingers and lots of napkins. My grandfather always drains his on a paper bag. I guess I’ve graduated into modern times and drain mine on a paper towel lined plate. Either way, the tacos are always delicious and they’re part of my family food soundtrack. I start to get a little antsy when they are freshly taken out of the frying oil and are scorching hot, and I’m trying to let them cool enough to get the toothpicks taken out. I just want to stuff my taco with all the fixings and crunch. It’s the anticipation that drives me insane. I can almost get in a bad mood for that instant until the taco hits my lips and all problems are solved. Temporarily at least.

Well tonight was like any other taco night I’ve shared with my family, except I had to have dinner on the table pronto…. we were all starving after a crazy day. I knew my fiance was craving meat, and I had some left over potatoes in the fridge. So I made the type of tacos I always make when I’m extremely pressed for time. We call them hamburger tacos. Here’s the thing… you put the meat in the tortilla raw and as it fries the meat cooks. You just have to make sure to spice it up right. I think the real secret lies in the McCormick chipotle chile pepper, not too much just the right amount. It seasons your taco and takes your ground beef from being a bland everyday ground to something special and you really didn’t do that much. Well you did, but you really didn’t…. McCormick did.

Ingredients for Hamburger Tacos:

• 1 – pound ground beef (70/30)
• 2 – teaspoons McCormick Garlic Powder
• 1/2 – tablespoon McCormick Chipotle Powder
• 1/2 – teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 – tablespoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 12 – corn tortillas
• toothpicks
• 3 – cups vegetable oil

Now for the give away….. First follow McCormick on Pinterest. Then follow the rules below: Pinterest Taco Night Challenge ends May 31st, 2013! Good Luck!

Bright yellow custard.  Sweet tangy lemon.  Meaty coconut.  Wrapped in English short bread cookie crust.  Chewy and magnetically addictive.  If they only existed on  another planet, I’d have to book my flight.  They could transport me to a coffee shop across the Atlantic with brick stone roads and cold air.  Or I could easily be on a beach with the ocean crashing at my feet… that’s how these bars make me feel.  Close my eyes and entwined in their delicious magic I feel adventurous.

Ingredients for Lemon Coconut Bars:

Crust

• 1 1/2  - sticks of butter (12 tablespoons) (room temperature)
• 1/2 – cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 – cup flour
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt

Filling

• 2 – cups sugar
• 4 – eggs
• 3/4 – cup fresh squeezed lemon juice ( I used Melissa’s Produce seedless lemons)
• 4 – tablespoons flour
• 1 – cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/4 – cup powdered sugar

Disclosure: I was treated to an afternoon with the CA Strawberry Commission that included dinner and lots of strawberries, I was also given a stipend for my recipe. All opinions and recipe are my own.

I recently went on a trip to an Oxnard, California Strawberry field. I know, that makes you think of the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever.” I couldn’t stop humming that tune to myself the whole day, such a melancholy song in one of the sweetest fields of California…. I learned all sorts of new fun facts about strawberries, and got to spend the day with a few of my good friends. I ran around in the fields looking for the biggest prettiest reddest strawberry I could find and tried to shove as many in mouth as possible.  Picking them fresh and tasting them at the warm temperature made such a sweet difference. I guess I’m use to eating them out of my fridge and cold.  Here are a few interesting facts that Farmer Bill Reiman and The CA Strawberry Commission shared.

• Every day superfruit: 8 strawberries contain more vitamin C than an orange. Low in sugar, with only about 50 calories, strawberries are a great source of fiber, folate and potassium.
• Good for your heart: Potassium found in strawberries can help control blood pressure and fight strokes. Plus, antioxidants, fiber and phytochemicals in strawberries have been shown to reduce total cholesterol levels.
• California’s strawberry farmers are among the most progressive and environmentally conscious in the state. In fact, they have invested millions of dollars in research and sustainable farming practices to reduce pesticide use and environmental impacts.
• There are no genetically modified strawberries commercially grown and shipped. Different varieties of strawberries are developed for different climates and growing conditions. These varieties are developed using traditional breeding methods that involve selecting two parents and crossing them using their flowers.

With all these great facts about strawberries I decided to bake a cake to celebrate strawberries and how much my family loves them.

Ingredients for Strawberry Blueberry PoppySeed Olive Oil Cake:

• 3 1/2 – cups flour
• 3 – teaspoons baking powder
• 1 – teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 2 – cups sugar
• 1 – cup whole milk
• 5 – extra large eggs (or 6 regular sized ones)
• 1 1/3 – cup extra virgen olive oil
• 3 – tablespoons poppyseeds
• 2  - cups fresh strawberries (chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1 – cup fresh blueberries

Ingredients for Strawberry Icing:

• 1/2 cup strawberry puree (about 8 to 10 strawberries)
• 3 – cups confectioners sugar

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray, and set to the side.
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl, and mix to combine. Set to the side.
4. In a mixer add in sugar, milk, eggs and olive oil. Mix to combine for 5 minutes on a medium speed.
5. Then gradually add flour mixture to sugar/olive oil mixture, mix until completely combined.
6. Add poppy seeds, strawberries, and blueberries to batter and mix to combine. 
7. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and back for 60 minutes. 
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 3 hours. 
9. Then pull cake away from the edges of the pan and center.
10. Invert cake onto a platter.

1. In a blender add strawberries and blend until completely liquified.
2. Then using a sieve strain strawberry puree into a cup.
3. Pour confectioners sugar and strawberry puree into a bowl together and mix with a whisk or fork until completely smooth. Icing with be slightly thick.  
4.  Then slowly pour icing over cake and allow to harden for a minimum of 2 hours.
5. Slice and ENJOY!!!!!!

Here are a few pictures from the field trip!

Ericka and I being greedy with our strawberries, and hoping nobody catches us!

Thank you CA Strawberry Commission for a fun and sweet day!

This giveaway is officially closed! Congrats to Candy!!!!

For a chance to win the gorgeous teapot pictured below, leave a comment on how you enjoy strawberries, and for an extra chance to win share this post with your facebook friends. Winner will be chosen by random.org. Contest ends Sunday May 12th at midnight PST.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post between Latina Bloggers Connect and FritoLay. All opinions and the recipe are my own.

If you know me well, then you know for a fact that my house has a personal cabinet dedicated to chips (if we don’t have a minimum of 5 bags in the house then their will be a  problem), we eat chips with everything and since I could speak my number one chip has always been Lays. I also enjoy bringing friends together for a great time. Last Tuesday my friends and I got a jump start on Cinco de Mayo with Lay’s #StaxQueRico flavors. I asked all my guests to come over, sort of potluck style, and to bring a dip that would pair well with the new Stax crisps or a dish inspired by the crisps. It was a complete success…. All sorts of yummy dishes made their way into my kitchen and we had an amazing time. Here is what we had: pork adobada, strawberry mango salsa, spicy avocado sauce, hot dogs topped with stax Adobadas crisps, chicharrone chicken, chile verde, sangria, bloody marys, and my bacon bean dip and fish ceviche.

Check out these pictures from the party:

Ingredients for Fish Ceviche:

• 3 – cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 – cups of finely chopped white fish (either halibut or tilapia, or a mixture of both)
• 3/4 – cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 – cup finely chopped tomato
• 3/4 – cup finely chopped cucumber
• 1/2 – cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 – tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 – tablespoon salt
• 2 – ripe avocados (diced)
• Tapatio (optional)

Directions:

1. Add lemon juice to a large bowl, then add in the small fish chunks. Place in the fridge, and allow to refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.
2. Next chop red onion, tomato, cilantro and cucumber. Add all veggies to fish/lemon mixture.
3. Give it a good mix then add garlic powder and salt. Mix to combine.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place back in fridge, and allow to refrigerate for 1 additional hour.
5. Right before serving mix in avocado chunks.
6. Serve right away.

Disclosure: This post is compensated by Latina Bloggers Connect and Frito-Lay. The opinions are my own.

Are you going to be there? I am with bells on! It’s the party to be at! Let’s get the Cinco de Mayo celebration going early. It seems I just can’t get enough of Lay’s, and especially now with their new flavors. Get a load of the new line of crisps: Flamas, Limon, Adobadas, and Chili Limon. They have that irresistible crunch and flavor that help me kick back and relax! All that in a #StaxQueRico crisp…. Now that’s reason to celebrate. Join me and some friends Thursday May 2nd 9p.m. EST / 6p.m. PST on TWITTER by following the #StaxQueRico hashtag. We will mingle there! Click here to RSVP, so I know you’re coming.

Click here for #STAXQueRico Twitter Party Rules and Guidelines

Down South cooking from the East side of town…. East Los Angeles that is.

We are all guilty of having one of those nights where time slips through the cracks and you look down at your watch and see that the small hand is on the 3 and the big hand is placed on the 12. Are you kidding? I love those moments of my life. Many moons ago I found myself in a small restaurant in Hollywood having a delicious breakfast of Chicken and Waffles, I believe it was around 3 in the morning, and promised myself I would go home and work this delectable meal into my breakfast routine. Just for the record… I keep my promises. Here is a big big endorsement of my love for the chicken and waffle spread.

Fried Chicken and Waffles
Ingredients for waffles:

• 1 1/2 – cups flour
• 4 – teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 3 – teaspoons sugar
• 2 – eggs (separate yolks from whites)
• 1/2 – cup butter (melted and cooled)
• 1 3/4 – cups whole milk

Directions

1. Plug in waffle iron and allow to heat…
2. In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
3. In a small bowl or cup mix yolks, butter, and milk together then pour into
4. dry mixture. Mix well to combine.
5. Take the whites of the eggs and whisk them into stiff peaks.
6. Then fold the stiff whites into batter. Mix to combine.
7. Take a laddle and a half and pour into your waffle iron and press.
8. Should take about 5 minutes to become fully cooked and golden!

Let’s move on to the chicken…

Ingredients for fried chicken:

• 1/2 – cup coarse salt
• 5 – cups cold water
• 4 – large boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 – cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 – teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
• 1 – cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 – cup cornstarch
• 2 – cups vegetable oil or lard

Directions

1. Pour coarse salt and cold water in a big bowl. Next add chicken breast and cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Remove chicken from bowl. Dispose of salty water. Put chicken back into the bowl and pour in buttermilk. Cover bowl with plastic wrap again and place back in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
3. Remove chicken breast from buttermilk bath, and cut into 1 1/2 inch strips, then place on a wire rack to rid of excess buttermilk for about 7 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in a large paper bag add black pepper, Lawry’s seasoning salt, flour, dried basil, and corn starch. Close the top of the bag and shake it up to mix evenly. Now take your sliced chicken strips (a few at a time) and add to the flour mixture. Close the top of the bag and shake it up to coat your chicken evenly.
5. Then place chicken strips back on the wire rack to sit and absorb flour mixture for 5 minutes.
6. Pour vegetable oil or lard in a big frying pan over a medium flame and allow to get hot for about 6 minutes. Then working in batches add your chicken strips to pan and fry on each side for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of the chicken. Once browned and crispy, place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the oil.
7. Partner your fried chicken with a delicious waffle and who knows… you might end up doing the chicken dance! I can tell you, I sure have! ENJOY!

I have to admit the truth, I’m having a full on affair with lemon pastries these days.  Let me apologize to my friends in advance (A-dre, Emma, Kristen and Ericka) these ladies have been trying to get me to eat lemon desserts for YEARS, and I would turn my nose up and act like they had offered me the worst thing on earth.  I should of listened to you girls.  I Don’t know why the thought of lemon pastries just repulsed me.  I had somehow convinced myself I would hate it.  Recently I was in Miami and had my first slice of Key Lime Pie, and it was as if the heavens had opened up and let me lick the sky….. I LOVED IT!  Now I’m going lemon pastry crazy.  Here is my first dessert I ever made using lemon anything.  I’m happy to share it with you.  My family (especially my Mom) went bonkers for it.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake:

• 12 – honey graham crackers sheets (each sheet has 4 crackers in it)
• 3 1/2 – tablespoons butter (melted)
• 12 – ounces of cream cheese
• 1 – 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
• 5 – ounces of coconut flavored gelatin (I use D’Gari) (if you are unable to find coconut flavored gelatin- substitute with one cup of sugar and 1 individual packet of Knox gelatin)
• 3 – cups of boiling hot water
• 6 – ounces Lemon flavored jello mix
• 1 – cup of fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. To make the crust…. place all graham in a food processor and pulse till completely grounded up into crumbs. Then pour in melted butter and pulse again to incorporate.
2. Pour buttered crumbs into a springform pan. Press crumbs into pan to form a crust. Then place in the fridge while you make the next layer. 
3. In a mixer add cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk and mix on medium till they cream together smooth. Set to the side.
4. In a medium sized bowl mix coconut gelatin mix and 1 cup of boiling hot water together, mix until gelatin is completely dissolved. Set to the side to cool for about 25 minutes mixing with a spoon occasionally.
5. Once coconut gelatin mixture is cooled enough, pour it a little at a time into the cream cheese condensed milk mixture, and mix with mixer on medium till completely combined. It will start to thicken up right away so work fast.
6. Pour cream cheese mixture into crust lined springform pan. Then place in fridge for 2 to 3 hours.
7. Then in a medium bowl add lemon jello mix and 2 cups of boiling hot water, mix until completely dissolved. Set to the side to cool for about 30 minutes.
8. Once lemon jello mixture has cooled, remove pan from fridge and add fresh blueberries to the top of the the cheese cake layer. 
9. Then slowly pour the cooled lemon jello mixture on top of the blueberries. 
10. Place back in the fridge for one hour. Then when ready to serve, take a butter knife and run it along the inner edge of the pan. Then release the springform pan and cut and serve. Enjoy!