Anyone who loves their cooking appliances knows KitchenAid takes the stand mixer to a new level.  It’s numero uno, top notch, cadillac supreme, blue ribbon, first class, peachy keen, stellar, boss…. you get what I’m getting at.  IT’S A FINE PIECE OF MACHINERY!

This past Wednesday I found myself among a slew of talented creative bloggers at a event hosted by none other than The White on Rice Couple and KitchenAid.

A.)  I was completely thrilled to be invited, and meet many of my blogging peers that I had never acquainted in person.

B.)  Joy the Baker and Cristina Ferrare gave cooking demonstrations along with their new cookbooks, something I really enjoyed observing.

C.)  I got to play with the new shiny KitchenAid toys!

Here is a pocket-sized photo documentary run down of the day:

KitchenAid citrus juicer attachment working hard to freshly squeeze OJ for tasty mimosas….Starting off the morning bubbly.

Todd and Diane sharing their journey through videos, photographs and their heartfelt storytelling.  There was not a dry eye in the house.  In simple words, they are genuinely caring people and that translates through their work.

The team posing before the kitchen went into full swing.  From L to R: Todd Porter, Joy the Baker, Cristina Ferrare, Diane Cu, Rachel Barbarotta, and Alex Ferrare.

Lunch:

White on Rice Couple made all the food and it was goody-goody yum-drops.  Click here for the Spicy Sriracha White Bean Dip recipe.  I’m waiting for them to post their Chicken salad recipe…. Any day Todd and Diane. 🙂

Then last but not least:  Joy the Baker taught us all how to make marshmallow frosting.  She was very sweet and so were the cupcakes.

Photo of Joy and I taken by: Sara O’ Donnell a.k.a. Average Betty.  All other photos taken by me, Nicole Presley.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. Just a fun event I had the pleasure of attending.

What a difference in perspective you gain from seeing where fruit comes from 1st hand. I’ve been to the Farmer’s Markets a million times but still didn’t gather all that goes into the care and growth of the fruits or vegetables.  You sort of take things for granted when it is packaged and sold at your local convenient store or Supermarket.

I was recently invited on an adventure for ‘the citrus lover’ up to Ojai to get a first taste/tour of their exclusive “Pixie Tangerines” (they will be in the markets starting March 10th).  In accepting this invitation I was able to walk the farms where the citrus is grown and learn all types of interesting facts along the way.  Did you know that the tangerines get their color when the temperature drops at night and the weather turns cold????  I didn’t.  Like most Americans  I like seedless fruit and most of the citrus we sampled was seedless including the tangerines.  Nothing prepared me for the exquisite taste of these tangerines…..  I called them “jewels for the mouth” a burst of candied citrus tangy-ness with hints of berries and honey…… the PERFECT specimen.

First stop: Friend’s Orchards … this is a Father daughter team ran by Tony and Emily Thatcher.  In addition to the delicious Pixie tangerines they grow, they also produce some of the BEST tasting ‘W. Murcotts’ I’ve ever known.  Here are some pictures of their orchard.

Next stop: Churchill & Brennis Orchards….. Jim Churchill and Lisa Brennis , a husband and wife duo.  Their orchard has been CCOF- Certified Organic since 2007.  They have many acres of pixie tangerine trees and also produce the cute sweet little “Kishu”, look for it… only in season for a few more weeks.  A little photo diary of our visit.

From L to R: Me, Ericka of Nibbles and Feasts, Dorothy of Shockingly Delicious, Nancy of A Communal Table, and Priscilla of She’s Cookin.

The great news is you don’t need to go all the way to Ojai to get your mitts on these citrus gems, Melissa’s Produce will be bringing them to you.  Keep an eye out for this packaging….. when you see it grab away!

 Photo Credit: Group photo taken by Robert Schueller.  Photo of me by tangerine tree taken by Nancy Buchanan. All other photos taken by Nicole Presley.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored or compensated post.

It’s official…. Presley’s Pantry is 1 year old.  It’s growing up so fast. 🙂  Thank you to all the people who have supported me along the way!  I sincerely appreciate it and promise to continue making yummy things to eat. 🙂

Much Love,

Nicole

There’s something to say about a good cup of joe, and Nescafe Dolce Gusto just made coffee even better to drink.  They have these uber cool machines that pour you a cup in single servings and I have been enjoying every last drop.  Well now it’s time for me to give one away to you my fine pretty.  Enter to win this magnificent coffee maker and you will be one happy elf this Christmas!  Check out all the delicious flavors at Nescafe Dolce Gusto online store.  Let your taste buds have a party with Caramel Latte Macchiato, Espresso, Vanilla Latte, and even Chai Tea Latte.

The LUCKY winner will receive: 

• One Nescafe Dolce Gusto (Piccolo model) Coffee Machine
• One box of assorted coffee capsules

Here’s how to enter to win! Up to 4 chances per person….. Good Luck!

Counts as 1 entry:  Leave a comment below letting me know which time of day you love coffee the most.

Counts as 1 entry:  Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook.

Counts as 1 entry: Tweet:  Awesome #Giveaway! Win a Nescafe #Dolce Gusto Coffee Machine via @Presleyspantry! Please Re-tweet! http://wp.me/p1mJLS-W1

Counts as 1 entry:  Share this post with your friends on Facebook.

Yay!  Up to 4 entries means better odds of winning!  Please leave me a comment for each action you took so I could keep track. 

Open to U.S. Residents only.  No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter.   Contest ends December 24, 2011 at 11:59 PM, PST and one (1) winner will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.

I feel like I’ve been working my way up the tamale making line my whole life.  When I was a little girl I wasn’t allowed to get my tiny hands in the tamale making process along with the other women in my family.  The spreading of the masa or filling the tamales was reserved for the adults.  I was stuck soaking the corn husks and then putting them in a strainer to dry.  When I got a little older I was then asked to label the bags so we would know which were red, green, or sweet.  It wasn’t till I became a pre-teen that I was allowed to sit at the table with the grown ups.  I remember my aunt saying to me “If you can master the spreading of the masa, then you are ready to make tamales.”  I learned quickly and never had to watch over soaking corn husks again.  I was now sitting in the prize spot with my family, listening in on all the tidbits they shared about life and days of their youth.

I am now able to make tamales from start to finish with no help or extra assistance from anyone and have somehow become the ring leader of the entire process with the ladies.  Every year, my aunts vow that they are done making tamales and are happy that they have taught me well to carry on the tradition, but the minute December rolls around they all start looking at the calendar to see if there is a day when we can all meet.  None of this unity would be possible without Maseca, and for that, I am grateful for the amazing tasting corn flour.

This year I spent the day showing my little cousins and nieces how to spread the masa on the corn husks the way my aunts showed me.  Hoping that one day down the line they too will be able to make tamales for their families and show their daughters and sons……

Photo & video by: Mando Lopez

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign for Maseca and Latina Bloggers Connect.

 LA CAUSA is a local non-profit organization in ELA that works to re-empower youth that have been pushed out of the traditional educational system and provides them with knowledge, training, and hands on preparation in becoming agents of change in their community!  LA CAUSA has now opened a sub-division called “PALOMA” – (People’s Affordable Local Organic Market Alterations)….

It’s a great program that is reaching out to local corner markets to increase the percentage of healthy food/produce  available in stock and by doing so decreasing the amount of junk food in store.  They are transforming the East Los Angeles Food Desert into a Food Oasis one store at a time.

The first store to under-go the make-over is Edith’s Market located at 498 South Ford Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90022, which is positioned directly across the street from Humphreys Elementary School.  

Since this store is central for many kids in the community, LA CAUSA/PALOMA thought it would be clever to teach the children at the elementary school how to incorporate some of the new produce available to them into their diets.  This is where I come in…. it was my pleasure to take part in this program and give the children a salad making demonstration along with samples.  KALE SALAD that is.  I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction I received from the majority (95%) of the schoolchildren.  They asked for second and third servings of kale salad!  SCHOOL AGED KIDS EATING KALE!  Some of their parents were on hand to witness the demo and were shocked by their kids reactions, which prompted them to find out more about the leafy green.  Here are a few pictures from the event along with the kale salad recipe!  Try it on your kid today, there’s a huge chance he or she will love it. 

Ingredients for kale salad:

1 – medium sized bundle of Kale (chopped)

1 – red onion (thinly sliced)

1 – cup sliced almonds

1 – cup dried cranberries

Ingredients for salad dressing:

2 – medium sized lemons (Juiced)

1 1/2 – tablespoons honey

1 – teaspoon minced garlic

2 – tablespoons olive oil

1 – tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 – teaspoon soy sauce

In a large mixing bowl add chopped kale.  Set to the side. In a medium sized bowl add all ingredients for salad dressing and mix well. Then pour salad dressing on top of kale and allow it to sit in dressing for an hour to two hours. Then add in onion, almonds, and cranberries. Mix well and serve! Enjoy!

Here are some wretched facts about the ELA community and why these programs are important: 

• – In East Los Angeles you are more likely to find  a fast food chain than a market with fresh produce.
• – There’s 3.6 markets per 100,000 residents in East Los Angeles compared to 12.5 markets in West Los Angeles.
• – The diabetes rate in our community is skyrocketing and with a teenage obesity rate in East Los Angeles being 19.6% it’s only going to become an epidemic.

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. This is my way of taking pride in my community and it’s fantastic progress! The recipe and opinions are my own. 🙂                  

All photos taken by: Mando Lopez

As the holidays circle around us and I start to organize my schedule counting down the days till the next celebration, the one prominent thing I have on my mind is making tamales with my family.  It’s a tradition that goes hand in hand with the holiday season.  There’s something about making the chile, preparing the meat, the smell of Maseca masa as you spread it on the husk, and the feeling of unity as my family and friends gather for this ritual.  My tribe flocks together every year at my Tia Rosie’s house to embark on 35 dozen or so tamales.  We set up an assembly line and everyone is responsible for a different task.  Red chile with beef, Green chile with pork, vegetarian, and sweet tamales for all to enjoy come Christmas eve.  We make them fresh, package them neatly, freeze them and steam them once Dec. 24th rolls around.  This is the opening of my holiday season, and I consider it one of the best gifts.  There is one difference I must share this year… I am delighted to announce I am part of a campaign for Maseca called Blog Amigas.  Can you imagine the joy it brought me to be involved with a product I whole heartedly celebrate along with my family every year already?  Now it will be something I’ll share with you too.  Hopefully you feel the same warmth it brings me.

Let me invite you over to the New Mi Maseca website. You can find all types of recipes there from tamales to tortillas and some healthy recipes for you and your family to enjoy. Click here to look around.  Or you can play “Raspa y Gana” sweepstakes for a chance to win free groceries!  Sweepstakes ends Dec. 12th so you better hurry.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign between Maseca and Latina Bloggers Connect.