There’s something to be said for a sugar cookie that someone has carefully taken the time to decorate. This is one of my favorite ways to spend my afternoon. Filling in the small details and add extra decorative depth to my cookies. I naturally like to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos with decorative sugar cookies. They make my alter look so amazing and the rest are for me and my family to enjoy and remember our loved ones lost. I make my sugar cookies with Mazola corn oil for  a more crisp taste. I’ll share the recipe in my next post. But for now….. Watch my video on how to decorate Dia de Los Muertos Sugar Cookies.

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Mazola. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

The Ooooie Goooie chocolate will draw you in.  The worms will tickle your tongue. This Halloween cake will be the slime of the party.  I made this dessert with rats banging at my back door to get a bite of my worm cake.  I didn’t answer but one managed to get in just in time for cake cutting. Let the festivities begin.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN…….

Ingredients for worm cake:

2 – boxes of Devil’s food chocolate cake mix

eggs, water and vegetable oil

2 – can of milk chocolate frosting

1 – bag of gummy worms

chocolate cookie crumbs

Bake cakes according to instruction on the box for a total of four 8 inch cakes. Allow to cool completely.

Place first layer on a cake stand and frost with 1/2 of can of milk chocolate frosting, then add second layer and repeat till done with all cake layers and both cans of frosting.

Then poke holes into cake with a straw and insert gummy worms into holes so they can pop out. Then dust entire cake with cookie crumbs.

SCARY HALLOWEEN CAKE …. made easy.

Dia de Los Muertos/ Day of the Dead (Nov.2nd) is a beautiful remembrance of the departed…. I made this Caramel Chocolate Almond Rice Krispie Treat as a dedication to my Uncle Robert.  It was one of those days…. I was missing my Tio who passed away 3 years ago.  With Dia De Los Muertos/ Day of the Dead (Nov.2nd) around the corner, I decided to start building an alter in his name.  I put on his favorite song “Miss You” by the Rolling Stones and played it loud on repeat.  Choked up with tears stuck in my throat, I tried my best to belt it out and get to the rest of the song without a complete break down.  The title “Miss you” seemed perfectly appropriate.  My Tio loved Rice Krispies, he use to eat them all the time.  He also loved his caramel, so why not combine the two to make the perfect treat.  My family has always observed Dia de Los Muertos but it takes on a completely different meaning when you are honoring a close family member dearly missed.  I dedicate this recipe to him and hope that where ever he is now, he’s eating his favorite foods with his friends having the best time.

Ingredients for Caramel Almond Dia de Muertos Rice Krispies Treat:

Non-Stick cooking spray

1 – stick butter (melted) or smartbalance

6 – cups vegan marshmallows

2 – tablespoons 1/2 and 1/2 or almond milk

50 – caramel candies (plastic wrapper off)

1 – box of Rice Krispies cereal (12 oz.)

1 1/4 – cups whole almonds

I decorated my calavera with the following items:

Royal icing

sugar cookies

smarties

mini vegan marshmallows

raspberry gummies

Fruit Loops

edible metallic decorative balls

colored sprinkles

pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Spray the whole room with non-stick cooking spray. Just kidding  just spray a 9×13 pyrex glass baking dish, one pot, a big mixing bowl, and mixing utensil.  Set to the side.

1. Place the pot over a medium flame and in add butter and vegan marshmallows.  Mix until marshmallows are completely melted and smooth.
2. In an additional pot add 1/2 and 1/2 and caramel over a low flame and mix until melted and smooth.
3. Then take both mixtures and combine in a big mixing bowl.
4. Fold in the Rice Krispies and almonds along with the marshmallow caramel mixture.
5.   Press  into 9×13 sprayed pyrex dish and continue to press down to make mixture even. Allow to cool completely in pyrex.
6. Once cooled, flip over onto a cutting board.
7. Using a calavera (skeleton head) stencil made out of a piece of wax paper cut around the edges of the stencil.
8. Remove excess pieces and either eat or use later for decoration.

DECORATE:

Decorate as you wish.  Pull inspiration from my photo or anything else that makes you happy. To you and your loved ones departed or living this Dia de Muertos.

In my world making Cafe de Olla is a serious process.  If you’re having family and friends over and want to clean up the house, make food, dress up to look nice, decorate your entertaining space, select good music and make your guests feel comfortable…. making cafe de olla is one more daunting task.  I’m tired just thinking about it.  As you all may or may not know, Cafe de Olla is the finishing touch especially when honoring Dia de Los Muertos / Day of the Dead (Nov.2nd).  Nestle just took one less worry off our hands with their new instant Cafe de Olla.

I was invited to the Nestle Headquarters a few weeks ago to speak with experts on papel picado, Dia de Los Muertos history and to learn to paint the perfect calaca face. I have taken part in Dia de Los Muertos year after year and celebrate it at home and make it a point to visit the annual Hollywood Forever Cemetery fiesta.  Click here to see my photo diary from last year’s Dia de Los Muertos celebration.

Above photo of face painting courtesy of PearMama, opening photo by Nicole Presley

Thank you Nestle for inviting me to this fun event.

Sometimes you just need comfort. I found joy and comfort in Idaho. I had never been and went with the Idaho Potato Commission on a breathtaking trip to the carbs capital for a 75th anniversary celebration. I made fantastic new friends while discovering the world of potato farming. We met the growers and the humble people that supply us with mountains of potatoes. I witnessed first hand all the work that goes into bringing spuds to our table.  I will forever remember these lovely people and wonder from this point forward if my potatoes came from one of the farms I visited. I made this lovely recipe with Idaho potatoes as an ode to my incredible trip. I couldn’t resist showing you a few pics from the trip and a short sneak peek video of our spuds from ground to the factory. I left there loving Idaho with hopes of returning one day.

Ingredients for potato green chile cheese casserole:

4 – cups corn flakes

1 – stick butter (melted)

1 – can 14 0z whole anaheim green chiles (only use (8)drained, patted dry)

12 – oz pepper jack cheese

6 – green onions (sliced thin)

1/3 – cup chopped onion

15 to 20 – Melissa’s Produce Dutch Yellow Idaho Potatoes

1 –  Russet Idaho Potato

1/2 – cup sour cream

12 – oz cheddar cheese (grated)

1/2 – cup 1/2 & 1/2

Preheat oven to 350 fahrenheit

Crush cornflakes in a bag then add to a bowl with melted butter. Mix well to combine.  Place half of the cornflake mixture into a 8×5 baking dish. Press down on cornflake mixture to line bottom half of baking dish.

Take chiles and stuff with big pieces of pepper jack cheese. Place stuffed chiles on top of corn flakes. Then sprinkle with green onions and onion. Shred remaining pepper jack cheese and set to the side.

Peel all potatoes and cut into 2 inch pieces. Then in a pot bring water to a boil and boil potatoes for 2o minutes. Remove from flame and drain. Then pour potatoes over chiles and onion.

In a pot add sour cream, remaining pepper jack and cheddar cheese, and 1/2 & 1/2 and mix over a low flame until sauce is smooth and cheese is melted. Then pour over potatoes.

Then with the other half of cornflake mixture add to the top of the casserole.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until top is golden crisp brown. Enjoy with a leafy green salad for the perfect meal.

Here are some photos from my trip.

Eleven bloggers in Idaho- L to R: Marla Meridith, Julie Deily, Dorothy Reinhold, Patti Londre, Meagan Micozzi, Rachael Hutchings, Me, Greg Henry, Sara O’Donnell, Jessica Reddick, and Jessica Segarra.

A BIG BIG FUZZY WARM THANK YOU TO THE IDAHO POTATO COMMISSION FOR THIS WONDERFUL TRIP!

Mmmmmm. That’s the sound that slips my lips when a scrumptious sandwich as mouthwatering as this one is set before me.  Let me rewind a little.  I was in Vegas for the Blogalicious conference, thanks to my awesome sponsor Sprint.  It was a great deal of fun.  I learned so much and was inspired to run back home and start posting.  I also made a ton of new friends and danced my ass off at a few late night parties and do I really need to explain, we’re talking Vegas here.  Long weekend short, once Sunday arrived I needed something greasy but with a touch of sweet and a light crispy crunch in my belly, something to soak up a weekend in Vegas.  Bacon and apple…. add some brie and a dash of honey and you’ve got the winning hand.

Ingredients for BBAH Sandwich:

2 – slices of french bread

2 to 3 – slices of granny smith apple

3 – slices of brie cheese

1 – tablespoon of honey

4 – slices of cooked bacon

Take a slice of french bread and top with apples slices.  The arrange the bries slices on top of apple.  Drizzle the brie with honey.  Top the honey brie with bacon slices.  Place the other slice of french bread on top and you have got your self a seriously delicious sandwich!

Thank you Sprint and Latina Bloggers Connect for sponsoring me to advance my career/website by sending me to Blogalicious, and for making me have so much fun in Vegas I needed to dream up this sandwich. Recipe and opinions are my own.

Do you ever wake up inspired?  Just itching to expand?  Wanting to get yourself in the kitchen, experiment and get dirty?  I was having one of those days.  It usually comes when I want something sweet.  The air was perfect, the sun was shining through the window, I was playing my favorite music, completely focused on the tart at hand with good vibes all around me.  I had all the ingredients in the house for a fig tart and I was making it happen.  I could hear my phone making a faint sound from the other room, and something told me to check it.  I wiped my hands down and scrolled through my phone.  It was an email from Latina Bloggers Connect sending me the AWESOME news that Sprint had chosen me as one of the ambassadors for a sponsorship to Blogalicious in VEGAS!  Jumping up and down, excited and acting like a clown,  I ran back to the kitchen popped my pistachio cream fig tart in the oven and waited for it to be ready.  I hit the jackpot twice, not only was I going to Blogalicious, I was going to have my fig tart to celebrate too.  (In Oprah voice) Thank You Sprint!

Ingredients for Pistachio Cream Fig Tart:

1 – 17.3 ounce package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (2 sheets)

3/4 – cup salted pistachios

1 – cup powdered sugar

1 – teaspoon almond extract

1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese (room temperature)

6 – tablespoons of fig jam

20 – black mission figs (sliced in half)

1 – egg

1 – tablespoon of water

This recipe makes 2 tarts

Bring puff pastry to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

In a food processors combine pistachios and powdered sugar.  Pulse until the pistachios are a fine crumb.  Then add in almond extract and cream cheese.  Pulse until all is evenly combined. Remove from food processor and set in a bowl to the side.

Lay one puff pastry sheet on a lined cookie sheet, and spread with 3 tablespoons of fig jam. Make sure to leave a 1 inch frame all along the edges.

Then take a teaspoon of the pistachio cream and drop it in a dollop then take another until you have 10 dollops in a row.  Top each with a half of fig.

In a little bowl make an egg wash by mixing egg and water together.  Then brush edges of pastry with the egg wash.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

While your first tart is baking, prepare the next one with the rest of the ingredients.  Or you could cut the other sheet in half and make two small ones.  I ended up doing this for a total of 3 tarts. One large one and two small ones.  🙂 Same baking time.

Here’s a picture of a small one before it went in the oven, and instead of dollops of cream, I spread it even.

Disclosure: Thank you Sprint and Latina Bloggers Connect …. Blogalicious was a grand time and I am grateful for the sponsorship. Recipe and opinions are my own.