I feel like I have been preparing for a marathon. Practicing small little jaunts, that are priming me for the big day. My son is going into kindergarten, and even though he has been in preschool for a while now, it just feels different. I have this overwhelming excitement building up in me for various reasons, but one of the main ones is our morning routine. I keep going over the basics of what needs to be done, in order to get out of the house on time and get him there ready to take on his day. This routine I’ve been planning has to be consistent and easy to attain.

1. Lay out the uniform the night before. This will take the guess work out of what he will be wearing and allow him to just focus on putting his clothes on fast.
2. Make him a healthy breakfast. I plan on making a decent batch of bacon or sausage that could last for a few days in the fridge. That way in the morning all I have to do is make an egg and put it between two pieces of toast along with a slice of cheese and the bacon for a breakfast sandwich. He is going to have to be at school all day long, and I want to make sure I send him off well balanced and prepared to take on his scholastic learnings. Plus I don’t know if he will eat at lunch time, and at least I know for sure he’ll be eating a big breakfast.
3.  Make sure he takes his daily vitamin. People have warned me when your kid goes to school he/she is sure to bring home a cluster of different illnesses (cough, cold, flu…. you name it). I am going to take an extra preventative step and make sure he is loaded up on his daily vitamin. I know it won’t keep everything at bay but I’ll take any extra assistance a gummi vitamin wants to help provide. 
4. I’ve been teaching him how to wipe down his table/desk with clorox wipes when ever he eats, or does busy work at his desk. I like the idea of keeping the space where he will spend most of his time germ free. A healthy child means “no” missing school, and a better education for him since he’ll be present. This will be part of our morning routine, having him get his backpack ready with a folder, school supplies, lunchbox and his clorox wipes, so he could wipe away while at school too. 
5. Laying down the rules. I figure I will start each morning with a little pep talk, and a schedule of what he can expect from his day. I will write down the list on a big note pad, and go over the details with him. Then I’ll give him a burst of love and send him off to school with positive energy by his side.

The best part of this routine is I’ll be able to get the uniform pants, ingredients for breakfast, daily vitamins, clorox wipes, and big note pads all from Walmart, which will make it so easy to attain my morning routine throughout the year.

Ingredients for breakfast sandwich:

• wheat english muffin
• 1- slice colby jack cheese
• bacon (cooked)
• 1/2 – teaspoon butter
• 1 – egg

Directions:

1. Toast english muffin in toaster or toaster oven until crisp.
2. Once toast is done place cheese slice on one of the toast slices.
3. Place bacon on top of cheese.
4. In a small frying pan over a medium flame add butter and allow it to melt. Coat the pan with butter.
5. In a bowl whisk the egg until scrambled.
6. Then pour egg into the small frying pan and cook on one side for 3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
7.  Remove egg from pan and place on top of bacon. Top with remaining toast.
8. Enjoy!

You know that feeling you get after you just walked out of a film that was so satisfying on every level? The story line was great. The acting was superb. The cinematography was excellent, the art design was dazzling, and you were completely sucked in from start to finish. That was me with The Hundred Foot Journey. I loved everything about it. I roared with laughter, I cried, I had so much food envy throughout the movie… I just loved it! Here…let me give you a briefing on what the movie is about.

An Indian family loses everything they had and owned in India and decides to flee to Europe, the south of France to be exact. Once there, they open a restaurant directly across the street from a very highfalutin 1 Michelin Star restaurant. The culture clash that ensues with the rival restaurateur Madame Mallory (Hellen Mirren) begins and takes us on a visually mouthwatering adventure.

There is a little bit of everything in this film for everybody. It’s the perfect date film, or a girls night out, or Sunday with your Mom. The Hundred Foot Journey is in theaters now! Go see it!

In complete tribute to the foodie film I wanted to create something I could make quickly but be transported back to the film. Here is my Curry Chicken Salad.

Ingredients for curry chicken salad:

• 1 – pound chicken (cooked and chopped into cubes)
• 1/3 – cup red onion (cubed)
• 1/3 – cup pistachio
• 1/3 – cup champagne grapes ( I used Melissa’s Produce) (stems removed)
• 1/3 – cup mayo
• 1 – teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 – chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, red onion, pistachios, champagne grapes in a bowl. Mix to combine.
2. Mix mayo, curry powder, and chili powder in a bowl to completely combine.
3. Pour curry mayo over chicken mixture.
4. Mix to combine.
5. Salt and pepper to liking.
6. Spoon salad over a slice of lettuce. Or put on a slice of bread.
7. Enjoy!

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Number of Servings: 10

Let’s elevate the tailgate experience at your place. Nothing like watching college football from home, while enjoying all your favorite treats. In honor of the season I created a lovely drink that has become the number one request in my house. This mango lime refresher brings a tropical freshness to the tailgating experience. Offering a cool balance between bites, and quenching your thirst at the same time. Give it a try, my guess is you will love it as much as my family does. Then hop over to the awesome “Tailgate At Your Place” site , the digital destination that will help you throw the “ultimate” home tailgate party. It is such a wealth of tailgating party info, you’ll be able to find college football trivia, party tips, and other recipes. Throwing parties has never been so easy. Here’s the bonus part, when you interact with the site, you have a chance to win one of hundreds of prizes! Isn’t that cool? Make this drink! Go to the site and be ready to enjoy the football season!

Ingredients:

• 2 – large ripe mangos (peeled, and all flesh cut from bone)
• 2 – limes (peeling removed)
• 1 – 1 inch strip of lime peel (reserved from peelings of lime)
• 1/2 – cup sugar
• 9 – cups water
• 10 – strawberries

Steps:

1. Add mango pieces, lime, lime peeling, sugar, and 2 cups water to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Strain mixture through a sieve. Allowing all liquid to pass through. Discard pulp.
4. Add mango/lime liquid to a pitcher, then add remaining 7 cups of water to pitcher and mix to combine.
5. Place pitcher in the fridge for a minimum of and hour and a half to chill.
6. Serve cold and garnish glass with a strawberry.
7. Enjoy!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Red Baron. The opinions and text are all mine.

Chilaquiles Divorciados

Some things just stand better on their own. Chilaquiles Divorciados is one of them. I heart everything about them…especially the name. Two completely different chilaquiles that decided to throw in the towel on their union and disconnect whole heartedly. One hot and spicy “Chila” stands in all her red distinction , and the other easy going and smooth “Quiles” swims in his pool of green chile. Two separate dishes plated together but each making a different statement on their own. (more…)

Last year I realized that I did not have a rib recipe (aside from short ribs) on my blog, nor could I say I really knew how to make them.  Then in a very candid conversation with my friend Stephen from Latino Foodie who was also in the same boat with the “rib situation” we both decided to master making ribs.  Well we kinda motivated each other to get ribbing.  That was last summer and it didn’t happen on my part.

Then last month I was on a trip with Walmart in their hometown of Arkansas and they brought in some master bar-b-que experts to teach us a few tricks of the grill.  I watched them and was amazed at a few things I had never learned along the way, and knew I would incorporate my newly found knowledge into some grilling recipes.  Then one of the masters teaching us about steak, grilling and the best cuts to look for mentioned that he was a rib master and had won many competitions.  Mind you he was not showing us how to make ribs at all.  I waited until his demo was over then pounded him with a million questions about making ribs on the grill from start to finish.  He told me about the 2-2-1 method which means, 2 hours with the ribs on the grill (ribs facing down), 2 hours with the ribs wrapped in foil (meaty side down-ribs sticking up), then remove ribs from foil and place them back on the grill (rib side down) for 1 hour.  Now the part I didn’t know is you can’t cook ribs under direct heat, or at least you shouldn’t.  He told me to heat the outer flames on my grill to a medium low heat and place the ribs in the middle.  And to keep the hood of my barbecue closed the entire time with the exception of the meat turning (of course.) He said his favorite ribs to grill were the St. Louis Style pork ribs.  I asked him where I could buy my ribs and he said he always buys his slabs at Walmart.

Here is my video showing you exactly how I made my delicious cherry chipotle ribs, from start to finish, using the 2-2-1 method.  Oh and can I just say they were the best darn ribs I ever had!  Toot, toot (my own horn.)

Ingredients for cherry chipotle ribs:

• 1 – teaspoon garlic powder
• a pinch oregano
• 1 – teaspoon black pepper
• 1 – teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1 – teaspoon sea salt
• 1 – teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
• 3 to 4 – pounds St. Louis Style Ribs
• 6 – tablespoons butter (divided in half – one portion per packet)
• 1 – lime
• 1/4 – cup honey ( 1/8 cup per packet)
• A generous helping of Cherry Chipotle Fruit Sauce by Not Ketchup (Shhhhhh, I bought this sauce at Sam’s club! If you can’t find it feel free to use your fave fruit sauce or BBQ sauce)

Directions:

Watch video for directions and how to get these scrumptious babies in your life! 🙂

My belief is no matter what religion you believe in or not: To believe in the spirit of humanity. To be kind. To treat the people you love with tenderness, patience, and respect.  To extend a hand when you can. To love with everything you got. To let people live their lives as they see fit without judging them. I believe in unconditional love.

Two weeks ago I was out having dinner with my family and on the ceiling of the restaurant was a painting of Jesus. My 4 year old son asked me who was that man and what was he looking at? I found myself at a crossroads of how to explain faith to him. I myself am still coming to terms with what I believe and what I don’t believe, plus I wanted to be mindful to not force my beliefs onto what my son should believe. Instead I would love to open him up to all sorts of different religions and theories and let him decide on his own as he grows and matures.

I decided to start a gradual introduction of religion, so he would have the tools needed when he gets older to make that decision on what he chooses to believe. I announced we would have a family movie night, and I was going to make a heavenly dessert of coconut donut cakes to go with our movie viewing. I wanted to make the evening fun, and show the lighter side of faith first. I had heard that “Heaven Is For Real” was a great family friendly movie and could be our initial stepping stone into the world of faith. The movie didn’t depict the type of church I grew up with, but the message was the same. I’m not sure if my son understood what heaven was from this film because I asked him to draw a picture of heaven and he drew a picture of my coconut donuts instead, but he did understand the core of human emotions and reached his arms around me as the film left me teary eyed, saying “You’ll be okay Mom.” That’s all I could hope for from him at this age.

I absolutely loved that Heaven is for Real was based on a true story and was the story of a small-town couple who must find the courage and conviction to share their 4 year old son’s life changing experience with their town and the world. The film stars Greg Kinnear and Kelly Reilly as Todd and Sonja Burpo, the real life couple whose son Colton claims to have visited heaven while having a near death experience. I got my DVD at Walmart, which includes an exclusive bonus disc. That bonus disc filled my enquiring mind…. because of course I didn’t want the story to end… I wondered what happened to them, and where are they now? Here are a few of the bonus tracks you could look forward to if you buy your disc at Walmart.

1.  The Burpos: 11 Heavenly Years Later – An intimate sit down with the Burpos and a look at their home town to get a sense of their life now and how Colton’s miraculous story changed them.
2.  Heart of the Movie – Todd Burpo reflects on the events from his story and how they are reflected in the film
3.  Answers – Todd Burpo reflecting on the events in the movie.
4.  Religious Leader Vignettes – Religious leaders reflect on the themes of the film and how they translate to real life lessons for everyone.

What is your faith? Do you have one or many or none? When was the last time you had a family movie night? What would you like to eat these coconut donut cakes with?

Ingredients for coconut donut cakes:

• 2 – sticks butter (room temp)
• 3/4 – cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 – cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 1/8 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 – large egg
• 2 – egg yolks
• 1 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 – cup butter milk
• 2 – cups powdered sugar
• 3 – tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 – cup shredded sweetened coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a donut baking pan with a non stick baking spray. I used a mini donut tray and a normal sized one. Set to the side.
3. In a mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. For about 3 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set to the side.
5. Slowly add eggs to butter/sugar mixture and continue to mix until fully mixed in.
6. Alternate between adding in the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Mix until fully combined.
7. Fill the donut cavity one third of the way up. Use your finger to smooth the top of the batter. For the mini donuts I used 1 teaspoon of batter, and for the normal sized donuts I used 5 teaspoons of batter.
8. Bake for 7 minutes for mini donuts, and 12 minutes for normal sized donuts.
9. Remove from oven and  allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 
10. In a bowl whisk powdered sugar and whipping cream together to make an icing.
11. Dip each donut into the icing. 
12. Top with coconut. 
13. Let set on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
14. Enjoy!

This post is part of a compensated campaign between Kikkoman and Latina Bloggers Connect.

I’ve been making roasted vegetables for over a decade now. Once I discovered roasting vegetables was far more superior over boiled or fried in flavor I never turned back. I make roasted veggies quite often, and love to switch up the flavor in my vegetables when ever I can. Let’s take the precious brussels sprout for instance… my family won’t have anything to do with them, unless they’re roasted.

The other day my fiancé said he wanted a salad, and I looked into the fridge but didn’t have a head of lettuce in sight. I saw a nice plump supply of raw brussels sprouts sitting there begging to be made. I thought “What if I make a brussels sprout salad and enhance the flavor with Kikkoman soy sauce? I could coat the brussels sprouts with soy sauce before roasting, then make a soy sauce mustard dressing, and sprinkle the whole thing in goat cheese.” The thought of it made my mouth water. I then started kicking myself for not thinking of making my brussels sprouts with Kikkoman sooner. I skipped the regret and started making my old recipe with a new twist. It was so easy and simple to make and seriously the salad was so cosmic it belonged to the stars. You have to try this super yum-a-licious salad, it makes the perfect accompaniment to dinner, or a solo act for lunch.

Ingredients for roasted brussels sprouts and goat cheese salad:

• 1 – pound fresh brussels sprouts (stems trimmed off and cut in half)
• 4 – tablespoons olive oil
• 4 – teaspoons Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• 1 – teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 – teaspoons deli mustard
• 3 – ounces crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash, trim, and cut brussels sprouts.
3. Place brussels sprout halves in a large bowl.
4. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce over the brussels sprout halves. Mix with your hands to evenly coat brussels sprouts. 
5. Remove the brussels sprouts out of the bowl with your hands ( Note: Do not pour the brussels sprouts out onto the sheet, you don’t want the baking sheet to be wet) and place on a large baking sheet.
6. Place baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes to roast. Then remove the brussels sprout halves from oven and using a spatula flip to roast the other side. Place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Brussels sprout halves will be in the oven for a total of 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Some will be extra crisp and slightly charred and others will be a little browned. Set to the side and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
7. In a small bowl whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Kikkoman soy sauce, garlic and mustard. 
8. Pour dressing over roasted brussels sprouts, and mix to coat evenly. 
9. Sprinkle goat cheese into the top of the salad, and mix one final time. 
10. Eat either warm or cold. 
11. Enjoy!