What is your early morning treat of choice to leave for Santa? Are you team cookies or team scones? A few years ago my son and I made Christmas Tree Cranberry Pecan Scones during the holiday season. We fell in love with these scones, made with Real California Milk dairy – butter, buttermilk, heavy cream… yes, they are fluffy and absolutely perfect to serve for breakfast.

As we sat there eating our delicious Christmas Tree Cranberry Pecan Scones, my son asks if we could leave a batch out for Santa instead of our traditional cookie. I explain to him this is more of a breakfast treat, and he says to me “Perfect, Santa comes in the early morning hours to drop off my gifts he can have an early breakfast!”

From that point on we started leaving Santa a small plate of scones and a glass of milk. I make a batch on Christmas eve to leave a plate for the man in red and the rest for my family to enjoy Christmas morning. I feel like a good samaritan knowing I’m doing my part by using #RealCaliforniaMilk products – they are made with sustainably sourced milk from California dairy families, and when I see that seal I feel confident I’m giving Santa pure quality.

Happy Breakfast together + Holiday Season = Building Memories! #MorningsMeanMore

In a few days I’ll be celebrating Friendsgiving brunch with a group of my closest friends, then a handful of days later hosting a Thanksgiving breakfast. In other words I’ll be cooking up a storm in the coming days for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving breakfast and dinner. I am always looking for ways to spread the love and make dishes last longer. Which bring me to The Crispiest Potato Cakes, my breakfast favorite using mashed potatoes.

The Crispiest Potato Cakes have a creamy mashed potato center. I make a big batch of mashed potatoes that can be used several times. Seasoning them to perfection with Real California Dairy – butter, buttermilk and cheddar cheese. I use #RealCaliforniaMilk products because they are made with sustainably sourced milk from California dairy families, and I know when I see that seal I am getting pure quality. These creamy mashed potatoes get a crispy hash brown crust on both sides and are fried to a crisp.

I can’t tell you how happy these potato cakes make my family and friends. They are perfect to serve at breakfast time if you want to bring the smiles on early in the day. They pair best with a fried egg, a little salad, and sour cream. Happy Breakfast together + Holiday Season = Building Memories! #MorningsMeanMore

I have lived comfortably between my two cultures my whole life. Pleasing my American tastebuds with my deeply rooted Mexican flavors is what I instinctually crave. This is not to be on trend…. I do it because it’s in my blood. Thanksgiving is no different.  This ultra American holiday meal has been peppered with Mexican flavors in my house since my family started observing this smorgasbord feast…. Truly making it our OWN traditional meal with Mexicanized dishes. From Creamy esquites to pumpkin flan to toasted bolillos to chipotle mac and cheese to my favorite Potato Poblano Mushroom Soup.  
Lucky for me Northgate Gonzalez Market carries all the basics of Thanksgiving to continue my family traditions with an abundance of Mexican flavor. I am sharing my Potato Poblano Mushroom Soup recipe with you because this is the way we begin our Thanksgiving meal.

 This Thanksgiving I am grateful I have Northgate Gonzalez Market (my one stop shop)  available to me because when I get too busy preparing all my sides… I can count on Northgate Gonzalez Market to come through with the desserts, drinks, and anything else we might need. #NorthgateMarket #EveryVisitHasAStory#Ad

On Dia De Los Muertos I honor my dearly departed with Chocolate Calavera Cake made with my family’s favorite Abuelita Chocolate! I know my tio’s and tia’s are sure to come when I put these cakes on the altar. The lovely scent of marigold and chocolate is the welcome they have been waiting for. I pay great attention to the ornamentation in decorating the lovely calveras with royal icing, as my tio was an artist and will appreciate the small details. I pick up all my ingredients at Northgate Gonzalez Market and a bundle of Flor de Cempasuchil to decorate my ofrenda just so. My tia will be thrilled to find her mini skull chocolate cake and that’s enough for me to feel at peace.

I don’t think I really grasped the full idea of Dia De Muertos until my grandfather passed away. It wasn’t until then that I saw the beauty in remembering and honoring his spirit. I feel like I do it every day by wondering what he would think of a situation or when I find myself acting just as he would. It’s as if his memory has taken on an entirely new life form and actually it has. 

Remembering him especially during the days leading up to Day of the Dead when I see the Pan de Muerto displayed at Northgate and re-living how much he loved it in my mind. Every year I make sure to buy a couple of different loaves in various sizes and flavors. Northgate will have a Pan de Muerto Relleno de Chocolate Abuelita y Dulce de Leche this year along with 1lb Pan de Muerto. Some sugared and some plain, but equally delicious.

To accompany the pan de muerto and really pay homage to him I will make his favorite Atole De Coco (recipe below) and sip and savor all the memories that come along with it. Just thinking about this brings me to happy tears as I am forever grateful for the love my grandfather showered me with and am proud to show gratitude in his name. How will you honor your dearly departed?

Calling all dessert lovers! Could we really celebrate Easter without a gorgeous dessert? I’m taking the fuss out of our Easter meal this year with a simple and easy Carlota! I decided to add cherries to my Carlota and change it’s traditional color of white to a festive pinkish-purple pastel. It’s the prettiest color but aside from that, the fresh cherry flavor only adds to this already delicious dessert…. pushing it all the way up in dessert ranks. Lucky for me, I was able to find all my ingredients at Northgate Market and pick up a few extra goodies while I was there. I hope you’ll try this Easter Cherry Carlota and make it whenever you have a bag of cherries hanging around.

Dear Valentine,

I am so grateful for your existence, and feel super lucky to call you my partner.  I wanted to surprise you with a special breakfast, and I know that pizza is your favorite.  Since you are my warm and fuzzy I desired to do something sweet for you.  I ordered everything I needed from Northgate Market so I could give you my Cupid’s Arrow Breakfast Pizza. I made it with Mozzarella cheese, papas, roasted red peppers, and jalapeños. Each time you tear into this heart-shaped pizza pie remember how much I adore you.  Thank you for putting a smile on my face, and for being so supportive always.

xoxo – Presley’s Pantry

Ingredients for Cupid’s Arrow Breakfast Pizza:

• a batch of pizza dough – Click here for recipe
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 4 cups Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños
• 1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper
• 2  potatoes, cooked and cut into heart shapes and arrow
• 4 eggs

Directions:

Bring dough to room temp

Rub a baking sheet lightly with olive oil an hour and half before you’re ready to bake.  

Pull plastic wrapped dough out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.

45 minutes before ready to put your pizza in the oven, place a pizza stone on rack 1/4 of the way up from bottom of oven.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare the ingredients

Fry your potato hearts and arrow pieces. Set to the side.

Take one of your dough balls and place on a lightly floured surfaced and shape into a disk.  Then continue to pull out into the desired size of your pizza by draping it over the back of your hands, and continue to rotate dough with the back of your hands in a clockwise motion with the aid of your thumbs.

Sprinkle your lightly olive oiled baking sheet with a pinch of cornmeal then lay pizza dough directly on top to form shape.  Continue to go around the edges forming a slightly raised rim with the tips of your fingers by pinching and gathering the dough. Then shape into a heart.

Drizzle a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil on the inside of the heart and then spread it around the inside with you fingers avoiding the rim.

Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese,  a few jalapenos, red roasted bell pepper, and a few potato hearts. Break a raw egg in the middle and place pizza in oven for 11 minutes or until crust is golden!

Bake

Bake each pizza one at a time. Place your heart shaped  pizza on a plate and decorate with potato arrows, and serve with coffee,  fresh fruit, a little salad.