Presley's Pantry

Growing up we were never allowed to take down any of the Christmas decorations until Three Kings Day/Dia De Los Reyes (January 6th)… the tail end of the 12 days of Christmas. My grandfather would tell us we had to wait for the Three Kings to arrive bearing gifts. I would look forward to the day by placing my shoes outside my front door to be filled with a gift, and in the evening we would cut into the rosca.  This year will be no different in the fact that the decorations will stay up till Jan.6th, I will make a rosca de reyes with a few toy babies in the middle, and call a few friends over to celebrate Dia de Los Reyes with me and my family. Usually the highlight of the evening is cutting the rosca to see who gets the baby (who ever gets a baby in their slice of rosca has to make a tamale dinner on Feb. 2nd for the group), but it can’t fully be enjoyed without a cup of hot chocolate. Chocolate caliente hecho con agua is my ideal type of hot chocolate. It is made with a water base that really allows you to fully taste the divine Mexican chocolate, and at the very end milk is added, but not a lot in comparison to the water. It’s really special and should be made anytime a cold day drops it’s temperatures down and you want warm comfort in a cup.

I decided this Three Kings Day I am going to go simple and make it easy on myself by just serving this chocolate and rosca.  I made this recipe really easy for you too….. watch the video below to see exactly how to make it.

Ingredients for chocolate caliente hecho con agua:

• 7 – cups water
• 2 – cinnamon sticks
• 1 – teaspoon vanilla
• 3 – Mexican chocolate tablets (I used Abuelita)
• 2 – cans evaporated milk

I just looked at the weather and the next couple of days are about to be “Brrrrrrrrrr” status COLD! The lows are scheduled to be 36 degrees Wednesday night. That’s super cold for us folks here in Los Angeles. Thank the stars I’m staying in New Years Eve, because this California girl likes to stay warm and toasty. There are a couple of things I’ve been doing to make sure I’m consistent with keeping heated during these frosty times. I got the pilot on my heater turned on, invested in a cute beanie, been rocking some thick wool socks, and constantly have a batch of Raisin Pear Ponche on the stove top. (more…)

I wasn’t always a sugar freak. In fact as a young girl I would lean toward the savory side always buying chips and pickles instead of candy. When I did want sugar I grabbed for a piece of fruit, and it was always special if I could get some raisins. My Mom use to buy me little boxes of raisins, brown or golden, I just adored eating them. (more…)

I’m all about entertaining for the holidays , and this past week really got me thinking about my upbringing and how it all seems to meld together as an adult. You see…. my dad’s side of the family is from the south, and makes a seriously delicious sweet potato pie. I went to an all Jewish elementary school in Brentwood as a young girl, and learned about jewish traditions and foods. Being born a Latin girl afforded me the privilege of growing up eating spicy foods like soy-chorizo and chipotle among many other flavors…. (more…)

I love spending my time in the kitchen, but during the holiday season I have a million things to do, so anyway I could take a short-cut I do. The other day I needed a festive cake for a party I was attending. I didn’t have time to bake a cake, so I bought a plain white cake from the super market, and thought I would just decorate it myself to give it that special touch I was looking for. While I was there, I found some super cute little candy flowers, green candy balls, meringues, and (more…)

Everything seems to be wrapped up in a bow at this time of year, from presents to cookies to hair clips. A bow insinuates a gift of some sort, even if it is worn on a person’s head, in this case mine. (more…)

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the California Milk Processor Board and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

My dad comes from a long line of excellent cooks. Even he has the touch that makes food so dreamy. As a young girl I would watch the food preparation unfold in his house especially during the holidays. Lots of hands chopping, stirring, whipping, and mashing. My busy eyes would dart from on side of the room to the other. My Grandmother (my dad’s mom, who was born and raised in Tijuana) (more…)