I have a lot of energy…. I wake up full of life and love to stay up past midnight, almost every evening. I think the best of me comes forward in the night time hours. Something about the sun hiding and the calm of the stars makes me want to dig deep into my creative self and a lot of times touch the silly young girl that still lives in my heart. I believe now that I’m a Mom, the evening belongs to me more than ever, it’s the time I have to myself once my son goes to sleep. I gladly stretch my wings and usually get something comfortable to lounge around in. It is also the time that I work on the writing portion for my blog, or other work I may have. Most importantly, it is the time of the day when I make myself a platter full of snacks. I refer to this platter as my night picnic. I load it up with little nibbles I have laying around the house and pretend I’m about to set sail into the night on a boat under the stars. Or sometimes I will spread a blanket out on my lawn, lay my platter beside me, pour myself a glass of vino, and work on my computer covered in the night sky.

I start in the cheese drawer in my fridge, I rummage through the different types of cheese…..everything from queso fresco to blue cheese to aged sharp cheddar to gruyere to cream cheese. You name it, I got it. Then I raid my fruit bowl. I use whatever fresh fruit I have in the bowl, and usually keep it seasonal. Fling open the doors to my pantry and look for olives and nuts. It’s also in my pantry where I can find my beautiful Triscuits. I have been a fan of the whole grain wheat cracker since I was a teenager and as my tastes evolve…. I still enjoy the original triscuits and all the new wonderful flavors including the grain brown rice triscuit. I make sure to pile them high on my night picnic platter and enjoy them with some of the best foods you could ever put on a cracker.

What I used for this night picnic platter:

• black mission figs
• gruyere and cheddar chunks of cheese
• apricot & honey goat cheese
• peppered salame
• ​blue cheese stuffed olives
• marcona almonds
• white nectarines
• Triscuits

A new take on an old favorite. Enjoy the new line of Triscuit baked with whole grain brown rice and wheat, some with real food ingredients like sweet potato or red beans.​

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

Today was my son’s first day back at school, and this working Mama was beyond tired this morning when the alarm clock decided to make it presence known. One eye slightly opened just a slit to look at the time while the other eye kept it’s lid closed tightly shut hoping to daze back into Zzzzzzz land. It wasn’t long before my son was on the side of my bad saying “Is it a school day Momma? Am I going back to school today?” How could I resist his excitement? I said” it sure is,” and forced myself out of the delicious covers. As I stumbled half asleep across the room my son says “Are you going to drink coffee Mama?” I smiled and thought to myself “I certainly need it.” Then he says to me “I want coffee too with your churro creamer.”

I know my boy is bright, but this was just confirmation that he listens to every word I say. My son is about to be 4 years old in a few days and there is no way he needs coffee at this age, but I think he wants to try my new creamer, since he hears me ranting and raving how good it is. International Delight just released a new line by Cold Stone Creamery of three new flavors:  Cold Stone Creamery™ Hot for Cookie™, Cold Stone Creamery™ Founder’s Favorite™ and Cold Stone Creamery™ Churro Caramel. When I came home with a bottle of Churro Caramel I poured it into my coffee and purrrrrrred like a kitty, it was so good! That’s what he heard, and now I am shocked to hear his coffee request. I didn’t want him to feel left out so I told him I would make him some Churro Caramel Cinnamon Tea Coffee. I figured since he has never tasted coffee he wouldn’t know the difference anyway. I could sink into my cup of joe enhanced with International Delight’s New Cold Stone Creamer, and he can enjoy some tea with a splash of creamer as well. Yes, this all took place before 6:30a.m.

Ingredients for Churro Caramel Cinnamon Tea Coffee:

2 – cups water

2 – cinnamon sticks

3 – tablespoons International Delight Cold Stone Creamer

Fresh churros (optional)

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan over a medium flame pour in water and add cinnamon sticks in .

2. Bring water to a boil. Then remove pot from flame and allow cinnamon sticks to steep in water for 15 minutes.

3. Pour tea into a cup then add in International Delight’s Cold Stone Creamer!

4. Enjoy!

Love ice cream + coffee? This summer, International Delight is bringing your favorite Cold Stone Creamery ice cream flavors to coffee and they’re celebrating by giving away five $400 grand prizes to throw this summer’s ultimate Ice Cream Social!  To enter, visit the ID + Ice Cream Pinterest board and pin your favorite image using the #IScream4ID hashtag. Good luck!

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

Love ice cream + coffee? This summer, International Delight is bringing your favorite Cold Stone Creamery ice cream flavors to coffee and they’re celebrating by giving away five $400 grand prizes to throw this summer’s ultimate Ice Cream Social!  To enter, visit the ID + Ice Cream Pinterest board and pin your favorite image using the #IScream4ID hashtag. Good luck!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

If you know me, then you know I heart coffee cake big time. I seek it out, I crave it, and I go absolutely bonkers when I find a good one. Rarely do I make it myself….. I don’t really know why that is, maybe from sheer fear that I will eat every last crumb and share none. I get stingy and greedy when I have a good piece of coffee cake in front of me, it’s kinda funny to see. Here is my solution to a piece of coffee cake…. I made coffee cupcakes…. that way I will know exactly how many I’m eating and it forces me to share. In this case, I curse the cupcake, but I know it’s the right thing to do.

Ingredients for Mango Rum Streusel Cupcakes:

• 1 – box of yellow cake mix (make batter according to package with eggs, water, and oil)
• 1 – mango (peeled, cut, and diced into small little cubes)
• 2/3 – cup flour
• 1/2 – cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 – cup sugar
• 1/2 – cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 1/2 – teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 – tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• 1 – tablespoon rum

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
2. Mix cake mix according to box, by mixing cake mix, oil, water and eggs together until combined.
3. Line a cupcake pan with cup cake liners.
4. Add 1/4 cup of batter to each cupcake holder.
5. Peel and cut mango into small cubes. 
6. Then add a teaspoon of mango to the top of each cupcake holder. Set to the  side. 
7. In a bowl combine flour, almonds, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Give it a good mix. 
8. With the tips of your fingers bend in the butter until fully incorporated. 
9. Once streusel becomes crumbly, pour rum over the top then toss crumbly streusel to combine.
10. Top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon of streusel. 
11. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool for an hour. 
13. Enjoy!

Look at the picture… it takes my breath away!  I have to keep pinching myself as a reminder that YES I AM going to this spectacular jaw-dropping  place deep in the heart of wilderness heaven, better known as Glen Canyon or Lake Powell. Doesn’t it look like it could be located on another planet? It just still doesn’t seem real.

Incase you’re wondering, this is how it happened….. A few months ago Kathy from Crafty Chica and Denise from Pearmama came over my house to shoot a licorice bracelet video. I know I’m lucky to call them friends. 🙂 We spent the day together bonding and making licorice bracelets (click here to see the video), then Denise mentioned in passing that American Latino Heritage Fund of The National Park Foundation was offering a chance to win a trip to one of three wonderful national parks and how amazing it would be to get chosen and go. A few days pass and I get a call from Monique from Curves and Chaos and she tells me that she spoke with Denise and Cathy and was wondering if I wanted to join forces with them and apply for the trip.  She said “Cathy will cover crafts, Denise will cover parenting, I’ll cover fashion, and you’ll cover food.” I said “Of course, who wouldn’t want to go to one of those places?” Meanwhile never in a million years did I think we would get chosen. Denise took the writing reins and applied on our behalf.  Next thing I know….. We were chosen! The Latina BlogStars (a moniker we have been given for the trip) are heading to Glen Canyon / Lake Powell August 18th. Follow our expedition through all social media channels by looking for the #ALEx13 hashtag.

The good news didn’t end there…. Columbia Sportswear and REI geared us up from head to toe with all the clothes, shoes and accessories we need for our expedition. Not to mention the cool socks and binoculars we got. We each individually went to the REI store closest to our homes to pick up our goods. Monique and I went to the Santa Monica store together, when we arrived they had all our clothes that Columbia had sent us on a clothes rack waiting for us. I felt so pampered and fell in love with the cool windbreakers and walking pants. Monique made a cute video of our visit… click here to see it!

Aramark is putting us up in one of their lodges and we are scheduled to go kayaking, on a boat ride, hiking to Rainbow Bridge, on a floating restaurant, and on a jeep expedition! WOW! I am seriously counting the days till my departure and can’t wait to share it all with you.

Photos of Lake Powell and Rainbow Bridge courtesy of  ARAMARK Parks and Destinations.