I seriously pride myself on being a potato girl. I never shy away from my favorite carb, nor do my boys. I believe Mando’s first word was “papa” and he wasn’t making reference to his father. My son follows closely in his dad’s footsteps, asking for potatoes with every meal. It’s kinda funny, the times we have been out at a Chinese or Japanese restaurant and my son tries to order french fries, that’s a true sign of a potato lover. There are so many varieties of potatoes in the US, and I have tried a great deal of them.

Not long ago Walmart asked me to try a new potato by the name of Albert Bartlett Rooster Potato, which up until now have only been sold in the United Kingdom. This potato starts off with pink skin and cooks golden yellow, and it is only sold exclusively to Walmart here in the United States. I quickly investigated this product to see what they were all about, and they only cost $2.87 for a 2 pound bag at my local Walmart . With promises of being buttery, nutty, and fresh I had to give them the old Presley try. I examined the packaging and found that this potato is very versatile. You can roast, mash, bake, fry, and boil it…. not quite in that order but you get the picture.  I decided since I don’t have a good mashed potato recipe on my blog, I would try my hand at this recipe. Enjoy it at your holiday table. Enjoy!

Ingredients for loaded mashed potatoes:

• 6 to 8 – Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes (peeled and cut into 4 pieces per potato)
• 1 – stick butter (sliced)
• 3 – tablespoons sour cream
• salt to taste
• 2 – cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 – cup bacon (cooked and crumbled)
• 1/2 – cup green onion (chopped)

Directions:

1. In a pot filled halfway with water over a medium flame, bring water to a boil. Meanwhile peel and cut potatoes. 
2. Add in potatoes and cook in boiling water for 15 minutes. 
3. Remove from flame and drain out water.
4. Smash potatoes with a masher and add in butter and sour cream, continue mashing until smooth. 
5. Salt to your liking.
6. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.
7. Next mix in bacon and green onion. Continue mixing until fully combined. 
8. Pour the mashed potato mixture into a casserole dish, and sprinkle the top with remaining cheddar cheese.
9. Place under the boiler on high for 5 to 7 or until crisp.
10. Enjoy!

I love having a few pounds of turkey in the fridge. I make sure to make enough during the holiday season for all the leftover meals. There is so much you can do with leftover turkey, but one of my favorites is turkey in mole or turkey mole enchiladas. If I have big pieces then I simmer them in mole, but if I have little scraps here and there I shred them up and make a batch of enchiladas. I know you’re thinking “Who in their right mind has time to be making mole?” Well making mole from scratch is a daunting task, but lucky for all of us mole can be bought in a jar, and with a few added ingredients made into a divine sauce. It’s the best mole shortcut, and only takes a few minutes. What I love best is my local Walmart sells the mole in a jar and all the other key ingredients. This is a great meal to make with leftover turkey, and it veers away from the typical cranberry spread turkey sandwich. I like to invite friends over that I may not have been able to see over Thanksgiving, and let them think I slaved away in the kitchen to make them this dazzling meal. Even though I’m sure I just gave myself away with this post. Hee-Hee, now you know. I am going to include step by step photos of the entire process to show you exactly how to do it. Enjoy your leftovers!

Ingredients for turkey mole enchiladas:

Turkey filling:

• 2 – tablespoon olive oil
• 2 – cup onion (chopped)
• 2 – teaspoon garlic (chopped)
• 6 – cups shredded leftover turkey
• 1/2 – teaspoon oregano
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s
• 8 – tablespoons chicken broth
• 2 – cups grated queso quesadilla, or grated jack cheese, or crumbled queso fresco

Mole:

• 1 – jar Dona Maria mole
• 4 – cups chicken broth (boiling)
• 1/2 – cup salted peanuts
• 1/2 – cup raisins

Other Ingredients:

• 1 – cup vegetable oil
• 24 – king size corn tortillas
• toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over a medium flame add in olive oil and allow to get hot.
2. Add in onions and saute until translucent for about 7 minutes.
3. Add in garlic and continue to stir for about 2 minutes.
4. Add in turkey, oregano, and Lawry’s stir to combine and continue cooking for 10 minutes. 
5. Add in chicken broth, mix, and set to the side.
6. Mole: In a blender add in mole, chicken broth (boiling hot), peanuts and raisins.   
7. Blend on high until smooth. Set to the side. 
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
9. In a small frying pan over a medium low flame add in vegetable oil and allow to heat.
10. Dip one tortilla at a time into the hot oil and fry on each side for 1 to 2 minutes or until hard but still bendable. 
11. Place fried tortillas in a baking dish. Then a few at a time add 2  tablespoons of turkey mixture to the center of the tortilla. 
12. Top the turkey mixture with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese, then roll the tortilla up to create a tube shape. 
13. Place all the enchiladas in a the baking dish, then pour the mole over the top.   
14. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and pour additional mole over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 
16. Enjoy!

Disneyland is already a magical place, but now that California Adventure is celebrating Viva Navidad…. it has seriously taken the experience to a new level of happiness. This holiday season (November 15th to January 6th, 2014 – with a special Three Kings Celebration from January 3rd to 6th) California Adventure is serving up some amazing delicious Mexican food, and I got the opportunity to learn from one of the Viva Navidad Chef’s (Chef Nubia Renteria) how to make her version of sweet pineapple raisin tamales. Watch the video above to see how easy they were to make.

For the recipe and instructions click over to Babble!

I’m a Thanksgiving cook. I live to get a bird in the oven and dress it up and carve it and serve it to my loved ones. I think about my Thanksgiving menu weeks in advance and always buy a turkey either frozen or fresh when I could find a good deal. I sometimes make one in advance…. because I just can’t wait. Plus I like to make other things out of turkey, so I like to have plenty leftover.

The other day I was at Walmart and couldn’t believe how good of a deal I found…. I thought is this a deal or a steal? I grabbed a 12 pound turkey and brought it home to thaw. A few days later I removed the neck bone and packet of giblets from the cavity, made a simple brine, and let my turkey soak up the salty water. After a 24 hour bath for the bird, I decided it was time for a marinade. I put together a simple combo of white wine and orange juice and let my turkey now sit in a tangy boozy orange marinade for a few hours. When I was ready to get started I pulled my bird from the liquid and pat it dry. Placed it in a roasting pan propped up by a sliced onion and some carrots. I shoved pieces of butter wrapped in fresh basil under the skin and then added teaspoons of minced garlic and chile pepper flakes. The turkey baked in a total of 3.5 hours and made for a spectacular dinner. I recommend never going over 12 pounds when baking a turkey. A smaller turkey stays more moist and if feeding a bigger amount of people, then bake two.  Here are a few of my best tips.

How to brine a turkey:

• 2 – gallons cold water
• 1 – cup kosher salt
• 1/4 – cup sugar
• 1 – 12 pound turkey

Directions:

1. Remove turkey neck bone and giblets. Rinse the turkey. 
2. In a large pot add water, salt and sugar. Mix until salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
3. Place the turkey in the brine and place in the fridge for 12 hours. Make sure entire turkey is covered in the brine.
4. Remove from liquid and rinse. Pat dry with paper towels and get ready for marinade.

How to marinade turkey:

• 1.5 – liters pinot grigio or other white cooking wine
• 2.78 – quarts orange juice (with pulp)

Directions:

1. Place turkey in a large pot.
2. Pour wine and orange juice over the top of the turkey. 
3. If a little bit of the turkey is still poking out of the top you can either soak some cheese cloth with the marinade and place it on top. Or you can rotate the position of the turkey half way through the marinade time. 
4. Cover and place in the fridge for as little as 2 hours and up to 8 hours. The longer you leave the turkey in the marinade the stronger the flavor. Do not exceed the 8 hour mark or the marinade will make the texture of the meat mushy.
5. Remove from marinade and pat dry.

How to bake and dress a turkey:

• 1 – onion (chopped into 4 parts)
• 2 – carrots (peeled and tops removed)
• 2 – sticks of butter
• 1/2 – cup fresh basil
• 2 – tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 – teaspoon chile pepper flakes (the kind you put on pizza)
• bay leaves
• olive oil
• roasting pan

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a roasting pan place onion and carrots in to keep the turkey elevated. 
3. Pull the skin on the top of the turkey away from the meat by sliding your hand under the skin to create a pocket. 
4. Wrap fresh basil around butter cubes and shove under the skin. 
5. Then in a small bowl combine minced garlic and chile pepper. Mix to combine. Add under the skin and massage in with your hand. 
6. Add bay leaves into the center of the turkey along with any left over butter, garlic or onions.
7. Then with a pastry brush add a little olive oil to the entire outside of the bird for a crisp appearance. 
8. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes uncovered per pound. I baked my 12 pound bird for 3.5 hours. 
9. Remove from oven and cover it/ tent it with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 30 minutes before carving.
10. Remove foil and carve.
11. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Cacique.

I am 2 things.  # 1: I am a bit of a cheese connoisseur.  By no means am I a cheese snob though.  I just happen to love those of the exotic form. Stinky, smooth, creamy or crumbly they all rank high in my book.
#2: I’m a musician.  How do these two worlds connect you ask?  Well, a few years back I was lucky enough be be able to tour around the world in a band I was in.  To me,  the biggest perk of this was that I was able to eat my way through countries.  No matter where I was, I always made it a point to go out and taste the local cuisine everywhere I went.  Three places in particular:  Italy, France and Switzerland, generally, all happen to make the best cheeses anywhere.  My point is that I have tried some of the best cheeses this little planet of ours has to offer.

One more thing I forgot to mention: I’m Latina.  And I love love love me some Mexican queso. I’ll take queso fresco, panela, queso quesadilla and any of the other Cacique cheeses and cremas. One of my favorites has to be Enchilado.  I put it on as many things as possible when I cook.  The thing about this cheese is that even though it is considered a semi-exotic to some folk,  you could find it just about anywhere here in the states.  There are three or four local markets that are within a 1 mile radius of my house that I could go to to find this alluring and enticing queso.  I love that!  What I love even more then that is a good cheese coupon.  I recently became a member of the Autentico Cheese Society which sent me a coupon for some Cacique cheese.  Join today! First 20,000 members to sign up for Autentico Cheese Society will receive a welcome package with $5 in coupons. Sounds cheesy good to me.

Ingredients for beef and enchilado queso tacos: 

• Corn tortillas 
• Left-over shredded beef
• Vegetable oil
• Cacique Enchilado cheese (grated)
• chopped lettuce
• chopped tomato
• Sliced Avocado
• Cacique Crema Mexicana

Directions:

1. Over an open flame heat corn tortillas on both sides to heat.
2. Fill the center with shredded beef. Then fold the tortilla over so both edges touch.
3. Enclose with a toothpick.
4. In a large frying pan pour in enough oil to fill to the 1/2 inch mark. Allow to get hot. Then add in tacos and fry on both sides for 7 to 8 minutes or until hard crisp.
5. Remove from frying pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
6. Let tacos cool for a few minutes then carefully  pull toothpicks out of taco.
7. Open the shell and stuff with Cacique Enchilado cheese, then top with lettuce, tomato, and avocado slices.
8. Drizzle top with crema.
9. Enjoy!

How to eat your finished tacos in 3 easy steps:

The funny thing is I learned how to make a complete Thanksgiving meal from start to finish in my early twenties. It was something I wanted to know how to do. I felt by having the classic all American feast under my belt, it was like earning a well deserved medal. My Auntie Rosie showed me the basic ropes and since then I have made my way testing and switching up ingredients every year to get to my ultimate dinner on the table. I personally crave the combination of sweet with my savory. I like to have several options for candied dishes on my big plate of savory to mix and match between cranberry sauce and turkey or yams with stuffing. Some people think of the yams as a dessert when paired with marshmallows, but seriously they belong on the main plate. There is plenty of other desserts to choose from and yams and apples shouldn’t be one of them.

This simple dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. When ready for the big feast… pop it in the oven to bake. Check out this easy to make recipe and find all the ingredients at your local Walmart….. I did.

Ingredients for apple yam crumble:

• 1 – cinnamon stick
• 4 – medium sized yams (peeled and cut into 1″ cubes)
• 6 – small granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
• 1/2 – cup brown sugar
• 4 – tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 – cup honey
• 1 – cup mini marshmallows

CRUMBLE:

• 1 – cup brown sugar
• 1 – cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 – cup flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 – stick butter (melted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a medium saucepan halfway filled with water over a medium flame add in cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
3. Peel and cut yams and apples. 
4. Boil yams in water for 10 minutes. 
5. Drain yams and remove cinnamon stick.  Set yams to the side.
6. Butter a 11×8 casserole dish, and add apples and boiled yams in. Mix to combine.  Set to the side. 
7. In a small saucepan over a medium low flame melt sugar and butter together. Mix until combined. Add in honey and mix until fully incorporated.
8. Pour over the yam and apples. Mix to ensure all yams and apples are coated in sugar honey mixture. 
9. Top with marshmallows. Set to the side. 
10. Let’s make the crumble.
11. Add sugar, graham cracker, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Mix to combine.
12. Add in pecans, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix with hands until fully combined.
13. Spread crumble over the entire top of yams and apples. 
14. Bake for 35 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
16. Enjoy! 

Every year I have a Posada for Christmas and I invite all my friends and family to come and revel in homemade tamales and other Mexican delicacies.  It seems that every person that walks through my door brings some kind of drink/spirit with them. I end up with many types of liquor and am left unsure with what to do with them all. But this year will be different because of this awesome app on my Surface tablet called Cocktail Flow…. Read More Here