I’ve had my nose stuck in this cookbook lately.  You know the feeling when every page has something new and exciting to offer…. Melissa’s Produce : The Great Pepper Cookbook is doing that for me.  It really is the ultimate guide to choosing and cooking with peppers.  At the start of the book there is what I would call the blueprint of a large selection of chiles and a scale of how hot these chiles/peppers are once they hit the tongue.  Some actually seem combustible and others very mild.  I thought I had a fair share of knowledge on chiles, but I have come to learn so much more.

The Lemon Lime Shrimp and Shishito Peppers is probably my favorite recipe in the book thus far.  I have made it a few times but for some reason, always at night with a circle of friends who eat it all before I can grab a camera.  Never the less it is a must make at home and very easy to make.  I’m also rather partial to the red chile lemonade and all the spicy sweets (desserts) the book has gifted me.  Most of all it has turned me into a shishito believer.  Pictured below is a plate of blistered shishito peppers in a soy sauce and lime sauce I made a while back. For my blistered shishito peppers recipe click over to Que Rica Vida! You won’t be sorry.

The Great Pepper Cookbook is an essential staple for any cook who desires spice in the kitchen.  Hot or mild, it’s got it all. Order your copy today!

When I first found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted a boy! There is a photo of me crying out of pure joy with a little sign that says “It’s A Boy!” I had heard it was hard to raise boys when they are young, but harder to raise girls in the teen years. I’m sort of a tomboy in disguise so I didn’t need any prissy girl roaming around the house. BOY, oh BOY… I got what I asked for. My boy is a ruff and tumble lad who has very little fear installed in his heart. He does things on a daily basis that make me cringe. He’ll take a spill and immediately follow it with “I’m okay!” Meanwhile I’m holding my breath on the verge of a heart attack and tears. Rarely does he cry, and if he does I know it must be bad.

With the ending of the school year and summer walking through our lives I know there are going to lots of active moments that may be met with scrapes and bruises. Instead of waiting for them to happen I’m gonna prepare myself now. I made a list of everything I need. Ointments, band-aids, gauze, hydrogen peroxide, and baby aspirin. I already cleaned out my medicine cabinet of old outdated meds to make room for my personal Summer first aid kit. Here’s the catch, my son Max gets uneasy whenever I have to tend to an open wound. He’d rather I leave it alone and allow it to scab up solo. We all know that’s not gonna happen. I figured out a method that works really well for me. PALETAS! I hand him a paleta and that gets his mind off the cut at hand. I combined a few of his favorite flavors to make something that will ease the pain and the heat of summer.

Ingredients for strawberry banana horchata paletas:

• Fresh strawberries (sliced)
• Banana (cut into wedges)
• Horchata (store bought)
• Popsicle mold
• Popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. Drop a few pieces of strawberries and banana into the Popsicle mold.
2. Pour in horchata to reach the top. 
3. Top mold with cover and insert Popsicle sticks.
4. Freeze overnight.
5. Fill basin with warm water and dip mold into water for 15 seconds to loosen from mold.
6. Pull straight up toward sky on paleta. 
7. Eat This Now!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Knowledge Universe. However all opinions are 100% my own.

I love to go from being a mess to getting work done.  I’m not only talking in the literal sense, but the physical sense too.  A few months back I was inspired by Knowledge Universe and made a commitment to GROW HAPPY for me and my family.  I  wrote about it here on my blog. 

I teamed up with Knowledge Universe which is a great company that cares for 0ver 130,000 kids everday and have now teamed up with Michelle Obama’s Partnership for a healthier America (PHA) to help battle child obesity.  The goal was to help families make little simple changes that would lead to a healthier lifestyle down the road.  I took this challenge myself and these are the results.

Results On Goals:

FOOD: We have been able to maintain the less sugar rule in my house.  We are down to one amazing dessert a week.  I have cut all soda from the household and reduced the amount of sugar I would normally put in aguas or lemonade down considerably.  I make big bowls of fresh-fruit salad (which usually get sprinkled with fresh lime juice and tajin.)  I have also been freezing bananas then putting them into my vitamix for a quick banana sorbet and topping it with shredded coconut and chopped pecans.  This works really perfect and always hits the spot.  My son has still not fallen in love with salads but I surely have.  It seems I am eating salad way more than anything else these days.  I go to the farmers market usually on Sunday morning and buy anything that looks vibrant and fresh.  Then I come home and roast a batch of veggies to drop in a salad anytime I’m craving one.  This has really helped me, plus roasted veggies simply taste better.

BODY: My son is an absolute athlete in the making.  It might be in extreme sports because he seems to love all things on the adventurous side.  He rides his scooter down hills, jumps off little ramps and is the first one to leap into the pool off a diving board.  Yes, I have a dare devil on my hands.  I’m not complaining, I just have to keep him well protected because of how extraordinarily active he lives.  Me and my fiance have really stepped it up in the movement department.  We have been taking hour long walk/runs at least 2 to 3 times a week and I have been practicing pilates twice a week with my best friend.  I am starting to see a change in my body and have lost 5 pounds.  Yippeee!  Plus I love the accomplished feeling I get after a great workout.

MIND: Mental health is such a huge issue for me.  A few years ago my son was diagnosed as “provisional autistic.”  He was not talking at the time and had to spend up to 12 hours in therapy every week.  We were unsure of what the outcome would be for him and tried our best to get him the help he needed.  Since then he is talking non-stop and sounds like a young adult half the time, is going into a main stream school (starting this fall for kindergarten), has a quick and wicked sense of humor, and is reading at a first grade level. He has exceeded our wildest dreams.  Even though we’re thrilled with all his astonishing achievements, I will not let his mental health slip my grips.  I am constantly working on building his knowledge base and teaching him new things.  We read almost every night and then I make him repeat back the story to ensure reading comprehension. We play bingo or loteria, build puzzles and of course are always playing his iPad together.  I am very proud of my little guy and know all the hard work it took to get to this place.

Did I ever mention that I’m obsessed with the Los Angeles Dodgers?  Well I am.  So much so that we recently changed our cable company of many years because it no longer showed Dodger games.
 A few days ago I got a call from the Dodger’s front office asking me to come on down to the stadium to try out the new food items on the menu.  You could imagine my freaking utter happiness!

It’s very cool what Executive Chef Jason Tingley is doing for Dodger Stadium these days.  He’s revamping the food selection for those of us that are going to ballgames this summer and also want a little more to eat than just a Dodger Dog.  Not that there is anything wrong with the classic, beloved Dodger Dog.  25,000 Dodger Dogs are sold at every home game, an amazing number by any standards.  It’s just that now and again, food freaks like myself want a variety and oh man, is there a variety now!

First, with the new addition of the restaurant stand, Tommy Lasorda’s Trattoria, you can find things like artisan cheese pizza (inspired by Chef Jason’s trips to Portland, OR),  chicken pamasian sub, the meatball sub, and Tommy’s personal favoratite, meatballs and pasta to which Mr. Lasorda says tastes the closest to the way his mama used to make.

Let’s move on to the BBQ shall we?  Chef Jason Tingley really put out all the stops with his BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich.  He says he’s willing to challenge anyone in the city to a BBQ Beef Brisket cook off.  Yes, its that good!  The Japanese jidori chicken is pretty darn delish also.  It has a potent spicy kick to it… but nothing you couldn’t  handle.  Then there is the old fashioned, Mexican street elote (Roasted Corn.)  It has all the trimmings and topped with mayonese and seasonings.

Speaking of Latin flavors, the new Souveneer helmet nachos are to die for.  They are time honored with the ingredients:  Cheese, carne asada, beans, creama, toped off with a pico de gallo.  They went really well with the limited time “Cuban Dog.”  They’ll only serve them when they play the Miami Marlins but its so worth the wait.  They taste amazing with pulled pork, a piece of ham, a slice of cheese and a pickle on a dog.  Wow factor!  Chef Jason Tingley wanted to name it the “Puig Dog” but he didn’t want to hurt the rest of the player’s feelings.  (Awe…)

A funny story from this evening:  Druing my food tour, I kept saying to Chef Jason that there isn’t enough simple sweet offerings in the stadium.  I said that a Dodger cookie would be nice and that they should consider making them on a regular basis.  I’m sure I was bugging him to no end.  But after the tour was well over and we were deep into the Dodger game, at the 7^th inning stretch, I was brought 5 freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that were made just for me by the chef!  I know, Im spoiled!

Oh BTW, the Dodgers won that night which was a nice capper to the amazing food-frenzied evening.  I highly recommend you give the new selects a try.  You won’t be sorry.

 GO BLUE!

A few weeks ago a film crew from Arkansas (the home of Walmart) came knocking on my door, and wanted to get my perspective on sustainability. When I was first approached about the idea, I jumped at it thinking “this is my chance to let the biggest retailer in the world hear what I think can be done better, or what I would like to see more of in the future. The opportunity to represent my people and hopefully make a difference for us all. ”  That day we filmed for the better half of the morning, and I was honest and as candid as possible. I talked about recycling, renewable energy, the everyday differences I myself commit to, GMO’s, organic products, and trying to shape up the planet as much as possible to leave this world a better place for my son and the generations that follow him.

This past Tuesday I was in Arkansas for the first Walmart Sustainability Expo. A few CEO’s from the largest global companies had also gathered there to join in on making a green footprint in the quest for sustainability. I sat there in a room of over 2000 people listening to all the changes that Walmart has committed to making, and then watching as some of the largest brands followed their lead. Kellogg’s, Campbell Soup, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Unilever, and Proctor and Gamble all pledged to make a difference. Some companies promised to use a significant amount of less water, others promised to reduce the amount of packaging used by making smaller containers with concentrated product inside, and lastly we had the companies that pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. About an hour into the conference they played the video (posted above) that my family and I were featured in along with 3 other Walmart Moms and their families. I watched the video from my seat and knew that all eyes and ears in that room were watching too. I felt so proud of us 4 Walmart Moms who stood up to make a difference, and hoped that those companies heard what we (the consumers) had to say.

Pictured below is a sketch of a group of CEO’s that had just made their pledge and were having their picture taken to document the joyes occasion.

The level of green consciousness was definitely the focal point of everyone in the room, and when I departed from the conference that night, I felt great knowing I was part of a team of people that were looking to build a better tomorrow.

This post is sponsored by Sprint.

The other day I happened upon an ice cream sandwich cake on the internet. It looked so good and tempting. I don’t know why, but it just had my name written all over it. Maybe it has something to do with the bloodmoon, or pms, or maybe the odd warm weather…. whatever the reason…. I wanted it.

As I examined the chocolate sauce dripping down the sides of the cake (my current obsession), I thought to myself  “I bet that would be heavenly with cajeta, and neapolitan ice cream sandwiches instead.” In that instant all the pieces came together. This coming Thursday (April 24th), I will be hosting a #Billboards2014 party here in my home with my #Framily on behalf of Sprint, and a cajeta neapolitan ice cream sandwich cake would be the perfect dessert for us. Plus the ice cream sandwich is sort-of  in the same shape as the new Samsung Galaxy 5S, and guess what? Sprint is giving me the new phone to give to one of the members of my #Framily. Oh it’s gonna be a fun night.  We plan on watching the awards, playing games, snacking, and eating cajeta neapolitan ice cream sandwich cake.  Don’t forget to follow the conversation on both instagram and twitter…. we will be using the #Framily and #Billboards2014 hashtags!

Ingredients for cajeta neapolitan ice cream sandwich cake:

• 12 – neapolitan ice cream sandwiches
• 1/2 – cup cajeta
• 2 – cups whipped cream
• optional: fresh strawberries

Directions:

1. Lay 3 ice cream sandwiches on a plate. 
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons on cajeta on top of sandwiches. 
3. Place another 3 sandwiches on top of cajeta, with the sandwiches stacked in the opposite direction.
4. Top with another 2 tablespoons of cajeta. 
5. Top cajeta layer with 3 more sandwiches.
6. Another two tablespoons of cajeta.
7. Lay down the final 3 sandwiches.
8. Frost the entire stack of sandwiches with whipped cream. 
9. Drizzle the remaining cajeta over the top of the cake and place back in the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour to firm. 
10. Slice and Enjoy! 

 Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mama Francesca Cheese. However all opinions and the recipe are 100% my own.

I think I have confessed here on my blog before that my family and I split ways when it comes to Italian food. For some reason they need to be coaxed into eating it. I have decided to stop this crazy nonsense of me sacrificing the flavors I love for them to be happy, when in reality they absolutely love it. Instead I am going full force ahead and serving everyday meals laced with Italian flavors. For instance, I have been serving bubbly cheesy garlic bread fresh out of the oven with our dinners at night, and NO ONE can resist it, especially me. I can’t just say it is the inviting warmth of the hot bread, I have to give credit to the incredible parmesan cheese I’ve been using: Mama Francesca. The premium cheese has really taken a front and center spot in my home since discovering it at Walmart a few weeks ago. Did I mention the price point can’t be beat for a cheese of this caliber? It taste great and is being used at least twice a week, not only by me but by my fiance too (and he’s a tough sell.) I have even managed to work the lovely Mama Francesca parmesan into my homemade salad dressings. Okay, it’s  become a permanent fixture on my grocery list and I don’t foresee it coming down. When you find something this good, you just can’t imagine living without it.

I’m really looking forward to the new Mama Francesca “The Tereztto” which will be  launching in Wal-Mart on 4/21/2014! Another way for me to keep making my meals feel more Italian!

Ingredients:

• 1 – loaf french bread
• 3 – tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• 2 – tablespoons mayo
• 3 – tablespoons Mama Francesca Parmesan cheese
• 2 – tablespoons minced garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Take loaf of french bread and slice it down the middle (creating to long slices of bread.) 
3. Place butter, mayo, parmesan cheese, and minced garlic in a bowl.  Mix to combine.
4. Evenly spread butter/parm mixture on each slice of bread.
5. Place slices of bread on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Then place under the broiler for 3 minutes or until golden brown. 
8. Cut and enjoy with a hearty meal.