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.

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.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Latina Bloggers Connect and Avocados From Mexico. My opinions are 100% my own.

I had never had guacahummus till a few days ago at a wonderful live party hosted by Maura and Latina Bloggers Connect for Avocados from Mexico.  It is wonderfully addicting and so easy to indulge in the whole bowl, which is what I would have been doing if I wasn’t in a party situation where we are taught to share.  Instead I waited patiently and acted civilized until it was my turn again to dip away.  I’m sure you already know how much I love avocados from reading this blog but this was a new dish I had never tasted so I had to remain calm.

Meanwhile Maura made other delicious treats for us to snack on Mango guacamole, green chile avocado queso served with tortillas, and avocado paletas, all of which were superb.  I was just thankful to be able to attend a fun fiesta surrounded by some of my favorite blogging ladies.  We noshed on our avocado delights and gulped down the delicious aguas Maura prepared.  At the end of the day I told my friends ANYTIME they want to invite me to a party to eat avocados from Mexico, feel more than welcomed. Here is the recipe from Maura (her blog is called The Other Side Of The Tortilla) for her most delicious guacahummus.  If you make it, make sure to invite me over.

Ingredients for GuacaHummus:

• 1 cup hummus
• 1 medium Hass avocado
• juice of one lime

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend 1 cup of hummus with 1 medium Hass avocado and the juice of one lime. Use a spatula to scrape all the guacahummus out of the bowl into a serving dish.

2. Serve with hearty tortilla chips.

Recipe by Maura Wall Hernandez from The Other Side of The Tortilla

Ericka and I eating Maura’s avocado paletas at such a speed.  Mine was nearly gone when this photo was snapped.  Just a testament to how good they are! Click here for the recipe.

If now I’ve tempted you with visions of avocado love and you need more…. here are a couple of my own recipes to make:

Avocado Bruschetta                                            Grilled Corn Queso Fresco Avocado Salad

Baked Artichoke Avocado Dip                           Shrimp Avocado Ceviche

Chicken Enchiladas in a Avocado Sauce           Guacamole and Flour Tortilla Strips

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Latina Bloggers Connect and Avocados From Mexico. My opinions are 100% my own.

Disclosure:  I was provided with tickets to the Dispicable Me 2 movie premier to facilitate this post.  All opinions are 100% my own.

My family and I recently went to the Despicable Me 2 premier held at the Gibson Theater in Studo City,  CA.  It was sponsored by Go-Gurt.  It was quite the event to be at….. a lot of good food, movie stars, Minions, and of course Go-Gurts.  Go-Gurts are fruit flavored yogurt tubes that my son went wild for while watching the movie.  Go-Gurts come in 16 varieties and are an excellent source of calcium with vitamins A and D.  Freeze them, then pack them up and go see Despicable Me 2.  It’s in theaters now!

Here are a few photos from the premiere.

Speaking of the movie, Despicable Me 2 had a lot to live up to considering the success of the first one.

Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is settling into fatherhood and has retired of his villainous ways.  His three girls Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and unicorn loving Agnes (Elsie Kate Fisher) are all as cute as ever and try to convince Gru to date and put himself out there.  Gru’s reluctant until he’s recruited by the AVL (Anti-Villain League) by the beautifully quirky secret agent Lucy (Kristen Wiig).

Gru and Lucy team up in attempt to take down a new super villain known as El Macho (Benjamin Bratt).  With the help of his loyal yellow minions and Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), Gru sets out to save the world once again.

Steve Carell is excellent as the voice for the tough, yet warm-hearted Gru.  Gru is beginning to feel more comfortable as the father to the three young girls and Carell adds another layer to his character in this sequel.  Carell’s performance as the lovable and disciplinary father is truly cute.

Kristen Wiig, who voiced the horrible foster mom, Mrs. Hattie in the first Despicable Me, returns here as Gru’s love interest.  If it weren’t for the Minions, Wiig’s Lucy might be the funniest character in the film.

The major pluses in Despicable Me 2 is the cute, adorable and goofy minions.   The little yellow guys have a bigger role in this sequel and the film benefits all the more from them.

For those Mexican food-lovers in the Southern California area, there is an amazing annual event coming up, the East LA Meets Napa gala organized by AltaMed.  I highly recommend it!  This event brings the tastiness of local Latino owned Mexican food restaurants and wine that is made in Northern California, Napa to be exact.  I had the pleasure of attending a preview tasting for the event at Loteria Grill a few days ago and let me tell you I made sure I had a bite of everything it had to offer.  I attended East LA Meets Napa last year and wouldn’t miss it for the world this year.  I am so proud of AltaMed for providing many underserved communities with quality care for the past 41 years.  This organization continues to prosper and grow bringing more people/families the health care they need.  Support this amazing event by buying a ticket now.  It’s a win win.  You won’t be sorry because the food is amazing, the wine is sublime and all proceeds go to getting more people healthcare by AltaMed.

Chef Jimmy Shaw was a gracious host and his Tacos Bilingue were some of the best tacos I’ve ever tasted.  Beef tongue and pork tongue divided by a slice of avocado.  These are the tacos I’ll be looking out for!

It all takes place at Union Station (800 N Alameda St in Los Angeles) Friday, July 19th from 6p.m. to 9p.m. For tickets, click here!

Here are a few photos from last years event.  Hope to see you there!

We are heating up in Los Angeles, and 4th of July is around the corner… that can only mean one thing…. Paleta time! These strawberry, blueberry, and chia seed lemonade paletas had to be made.

Ingredients for Paletas:

• 3/4 – cup fresh strawberries
• 1 – cup sugar
• 2 1/2 – cups water
• 5 – lemons (juiced)
• 1/2 – tablespoon chia seeds
• 3/4 – cup fresh blueberries
• Paleta mold

Directions:

1. Add blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup water to a blender and blend on high until smooth.
2. Pour the first layer into popsicle molds filling them only 1/3 of the way up.
3. Place in the freezer to set first layer for 3 hours.
4. Next mix lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Add in 1 cup water and chia seeds to lemon/ sugar mixture. Set to the side for chia seeds to expand while you wait for the first layer to freeze.
5. Now pour the chia seed lemonade mixture into the molds and fill up to the 2/3 mark. Place sticks into the paletas and place bak into the freezer for 2 hours.
6. Add strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup water to a blender, and blend until pulpy but slightly smooth. Pour the strawberry mixture into the paleta molds to the top. Place in the freezer overnight.
7. To unmold paletas by placing molds into a bath of luke-warm water for 20 to 25 seconds then gently pull out.
8. Enjoy!

My tia makes the best jello cake. She calls them “Pastel de Gelatin.” I personally don’t care what she calls them as long as I get my slice. This year I took my personal stab at it and bought it out in true 4th of July style. One fork in you’ll make jello cakes a part of your summer too!

INGREDIENT LIST:

• 1 – white cake mix
• 1 – 6 oz. box of strawberry jello
• 1 – 6. Oz box of blue jello
• 2 – cups boiling hot water
• a fork
• 1/2 – pint fresh blueberries
• 1 – basket fresh strawberries
• 24 – ounces cool whip

Directions:

1. Bake cake per the instructions on the box in two 8 inch round pans lined with wax paper.
2. Boil water, then place the cherry jello in one bowl and the blue jello in the other bowl. Add 1 cup of water into both bowls. Stir to completely dissolve gelatin. Set each bowl to the side.
3. Remove cakes from oven and poke about twenty holes into each cake with a fork. Then slowly pour 1 cup of the liquid jello mixture over each cake. The first cake gets poured with red, and the second cake gets poured with blue.
4. Place cakes in the fridge to set for 4 hours.
5. Then carefully remove cakes from pan. Remove wax paper from the bottom of the cakes. Place one of the cake layers on a plate.
6. Take a scoop of cool whip and frost the top of the first layer of cake, then top with blueberries.
7. Add the second layer of cake and frost the entire cake. Sprinkle with strawberries.
8. Place back in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
9. Enjoy!