Are you ready?  The count down for the big game is upon us and everyone is buzzing about it.  Who’s your team, Seattle or Denver?  Or are you like me…. Who cares?  What’s on the menu?!  For me it’s a reason to get together with friends, eat good food, watch a bunch of awesome commercials and wait for the show in the middle of the game.  I know my opinion isn’t the popular one in America but I bet there are a lot of closet, non-pigskin freaks that will be watching (unless we are talking about chicharrónes of course.) Let’s stay on the subject at hand.  I will be joining in on the fun with the rest of America on Feb.2nd.  My family has been invited to a friends house and I am in charge of bringing something savory that is cheer-worthy.  It didn’t take me long to decide on individual mac and cheese servings packed with bacon,  jalapeno, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and topped with potato chips.  Like always I was able to find all my ingredients at my favorite one stop shop…. Walmart.  (I got the cute football napkins there too. Extra point!)

GOOOOOOOOOOOOO CRUNCHY BACON JALAPENO MAC AND CHEESE!!!!!!!

Ingredients for crunchy bacon jalapeno mac and cheese:

• 4 – jalapenos (charred, peeled, and diced)
• 1 – pound bacon (cooked and crumbled)
• 2 – cups Barilla macaroni
• 3 – cup cheddar cheese (grated)
• 7 – stalks green onion (chopped)
• 2 – 8 ounce packages of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1 – stick butter
• 1 – tablespoon of minced garlic
• 3 – cups half and half
• 1/2 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 – bag of Lay’s potato chips (crushed down to crumbs)

Directions:

1. Place jalapenos on an open flame and char/ burn the skin. 
2. Place jalapenos in a ziplock for 30 minutes to steam.  Set to the side. 
3. In a large frying pan over a medium flame fry the bacon until it is fully cooked, then remove from oil and drain on a paper plate.  Crumble and set to the side.
4. Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil.  Add in macaroni and boil as directed on package.  Drain and place in a bowl.
5. Add bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onion to macaroni, and mix to combine. 
6. Cut 1 package of cream cheese into 1/2 inch cubes and add to macaroni mixture.
7. Peel and chop jalapenos into cubes (deseed and throw stems away).
8. Add jalapenos to macaroni mixture mix well. 
9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
10. Butter 10 – ‘3 inch’ ramekins. 
11. Fill each ramekin with macaroni mixture.  Set to the side. 
12. In a large frying pan over a medium flame add butter and garlic.  Melt.
13. Add in 1 package of cream cheese, mix to melt into butter.  It will still be a bit chunky.
14. Add in half and half and continue stirring to melt in the cream cheese. 
15. Add in Lawry’s and mustard to cream cheese/butter mixture.  Mix to combine.
16. Slowly pour 1/3 cup of cream/butter mixture into each ramekin.  
17. Top with potato chip crumbs. 
18. Bake for 30 minutes.
19. EAT THIS NOW!  

Recently I was out having a Chinese dinner with my family and at the end of the meal the waiter brought us a plate full of orange slices and fortune cookies.  I quickly grabbed the cookie closest to me and busted it open to get my fortune. I could see the little piece of paper on the inside of the cookie sparked the interest of my four year old son who is obsessed with reading. I turn my attention to him and started explaining to him what a fortune cookie was. Then he asks me “Can we make some at home?” Before I could answer, my fiance says “No, you can’t make those kind of cookies at home, they only make them in a factory.” Then my son says “Why not? Do you have to cut them out with scissors?” I thought about it for a second trying to figure out what he meant by the scissors question , did he mean the shape? Then I realized what he meant and answered him “Yes, you have to cut the paper to go inside the cookie with the scissors, it’s a craft.”

A few days later I was at Walmart looking around in the craft section and came across the scissors. I thought I should buy my son some kid scissors so he could practice cutting paper (like he’s learning in school) at home. I ask him “Do you want some little scissors to cut paper?” Then his eyes lit up, and he says “To make fortune cookies?” I thought to my self this is going to be one crazy project / food craft, but why not? I looked into his eyes and said “Yes, let’s get all our supplies right now, and we will make them as soon as we get home!” That’s exactly what we did. Who needs a factory? Do It Yourself!

Ingredients for fortune cookies:

• 2 – egg whites
• 1/8 – teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – cup flour
• 1/2 – cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Place a baking mat on a cookie sheet and lightly spray with a non stick baking spray. Set to the side.
3. Write or print a few fortunes or messages on a piece of paper. Then cut them out and place them in a dish. Set to the side. 
4. In a mixer add in egg whites and almond and vanilla extract. Mix on high until egg whites are stiff. 
5. In a separate bowl sift the salt, flour, and sugar together. Mix well to combine.
6. Add the flour/sugar mixture to the egg whites. Mix well to combine.
7. Use a teaspoon, and pour it onto the baking sheet. 
8. With the back of a spoon make it into a 3 to 4 inch circle. Make one cookie at a time to begin with because it is hard to get the timing right with more then two. You need to fold the cookies fast or they will break and not work. Start with one and see how many you can make.    
9. Bake cookie for 5 minutes. The edge should be golden and the inside pale.
10. Take it out and quickly remove the cookie from the mat with a spatula. 
11. Then place a fortune in the middle. 
12. Next fold the cookie over so both ends meet. 
13. Last fold the cookie over the rim of a mug.
14. Place the cookie down to cool completely.  
15. Make the next one. This recipe made almost 2 dozens.
16. Eat This Now! 

There is nothing worse then biting into a piece of fruit that has no flavor or is sour. I absolutely despise when that happens. I get so upset, because when you are at the market loading your fruit into the cart you imagine a great tasting piece of natures jewels…. I do at least. I fantasize about the sweetness and the just right texture. Well here’s some of the best news…. Walmart has this thing called 100% guarantee which means…. If you buy their produce that is labeled 100% guarantee, and you don’t absolutely love the fresh produce, all you have to do is bring your receipt back to the store for a full refund! How awesome is that? I love that they feel confident enough to offer that to the consumers. Plus it let’s me know it’s good, because they don’t want to lose money. It’s just a little insurance on my fruit.  I decided to take them up on their pledge and bought some navel oranges…. WOW…. they were everything promised to be… sweet, tangy, juicy, and lovely. I wanted to have them first thing in the morning to start out my day, and that is exactly what I did.

Ingredients for honey orange bolillo french toast:

• 4 – bolillos (which they sell at Walmart in the bakery area)
• 4 – eggs
• 1/2 – cup milk
• 1 – tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 – teaspoon cinnamon
• butter (for frying)
• 3 – navel oranges
• honey butter spread
• honey
• candied pecans

Directions:

1. Cut bolillos down the middle length-wise.
2. In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. 
3. Dip two slices of bolillo at a time into egg mixture. 
4. Add a dab of butter to a large frying pan over a medium flame. Allow it to get hot then add in dipped bolillos. 
5. Cook on each side 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove from pan and place on a plate. Continue until all bolillo slices are cooked. 
6. Using a pairing knife, cut the peeling off the oranges, then slice into rounds. 
7. Spread french toast with honey butter spread, and top with orange rounds. Finish by drizzling honey over the top and sprinkling with chopped candied pecans.
8. Eat This Now! 

The winter weather here in southern California is either hit or miss. Sometimes you feel a chill coming and sometimes it feels like it might be a Summer day with cleaner air. I like winter to be on the cooler side. When the sun decides to take a break and let a little bit of the cold hit our coast, I instantly think of sopa de estrellas. Who can resist the savory star shaped pasta? I’ve been eating it since I was a kid. When I would get home from school on a cold day, I always knew there would be a small pot of sopa de estrellas or fideo waiting for me on the stovetop. Even though they are super similar I prefer the estrellas. As a kid it made me think of fantasy sci-fi or astrology, and it seemed to fit in with my cast of cute girly characters I wore in my hair or proudly displayed on my shirt. As an adult I love them just the same. I adore the fact that they are star shaped and a serious traditional dish my Grandpa made me growing up. They bring total nostalgia of a cold day from my childhood. I used to really be thrilled when he would let me watch over his shoulder as he made a fresh batch, he would tell me to make sure to burn the pasta good before adding anything else…. this would give the sopa good flavor. He was absolutely right about that. I add cubes of cheese to the top of the sopa when it’s done cooking and find myself happy and warm.

Here’s something I forgot to mention I found my estrellas at Walmart for .33cents a bag. Yes…. you read that right, I love it at Walmart. If you need to spend extra money on your gas bill this month due to the heater being on… This meal is inexpensive, and taste just right.

Ingredients for sopa de estrellas: 

• 1 – tablespoon olive oil
• 1 – 7 oz. bag of estrellas ( I used La Moderna)
• 3/4 – cup onion (thinly sliced)
• 3 – garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1/4 – teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 – teaspoon black pepper
• 8 – ounces tomato sauce (1 small can)
• 5 – cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 – cup diced chunks of cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a small pot over a medium high heat add in olive oil and allow to get hot.
2. Pour in the estrellas. Mix to coat with oil. 
3. Cook for  about 6 to 7 minutes. Stirring every so often. You want to make sure your pasta stars are burned. 
4. Add in onion, garlic, oregano, and black pepper. Mix to combine. 
5. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to soften the onion.
6. Pour in the tomato sauce. It will sizzle. Mix it in. 
7. Then add in the broth. Stir once or twice to break up the estrellas. Once the mixture comes to a boil let it cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until stars are soft to the bite. 
8. Remove from flame and add the cheese cubs in. Mix. 
9. Serve hot and enjoy with corn chips. 

Remember a post I wrote a few weeks ago telling you about Viva Navidad at Disney’s California Adventure?  Well, I was there again yesterday celebrating the finale’ of Viva Navidad with Three Kings Day / Dia De Los Reyes. This fantastic celebration is only happening for a few more days until Jan.6th to be exact.

I am so thrilled that all the traditional richness of Latin holiday culture is being celebrated on such a grand scale at Disney’s California Adventure and I was lucky enough to not only attend, but to interview Chef Toby J. Hollis and learn his way of making pozole. The very pozole that they are now serving in the park for Dia De Los Reyes!

If you have some free time in the next couple of days head down to Disney’s California Adventure and make your way to Paradise Garden where you will find pozole, bunuelos, rosca de reyes, and other great authentic Mexican food.

Watch the video below of Chef Toby showing me the ropes of his pozole, and hop over to Babble for a pozole recipe and other foods to eat during Dia De Los Reyes!

I was honored to interview Susana Tubert, creative director for Disney Entertainment at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.  This Latina is making a big impact at Disney.  She’s brought us VIVA NAVIDAD and now the celebration finale with Three Kings Day.  You have a few days still (till Jan.6th) to catch this event at Disney’s California Adventure.

Check out my interview with this amazing lady here:

 Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor Board and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed and recipe is are 100% my own.

In my travels, I remember when I had panna cotta for the first time, in Italy.  It was a day off from touring with my band and I was wandering around the city of Milan.  I was purposely trying to get lost in order to “accidentally” find a treasure of a restaurant to blow me away.  After walking for about an hour or so, I happened to wander into this beautifully colored tiled bakery (Panetteria).  The people that worked in there were loud, happy and celebratory.  Celebrating life I suppose.  I asked them what they recommended to a slightly hungry girl from the United States that wanted to experience a bit of the essence of their culture.  They all immediately argued as to what I should eat.  Back and forth they playfully screamed at each other but in the end, the lady that seemed to be the matriarch of the bunch said I should give the panna cotta a try.  It’s a custard and is very common at most Italian restaurants.

Since that visit, I’ve made panna cotta for my family quite often.  There never has to be an occasion for it.  I don’t necessarily have to make an Italian meal in order to have it for dessert and it doesn’t always have to be a dessert.  I like to make it on a whim and whenever I’m invited to a pot luck.  At these pot lucks, it always seems to be the hit of the party and I’m asked by many for the recipe.

Here is my simple recipe for Panna Cotta….. I will also be making it for Three Kings Day since I have a few Italian friends visiting, and they won’t be around to make us dinner on Feb. 2nd if they get the toy baby. Rosca and panna cotta sound like a lovely combo anyway!  Like I said, it works for almost any occasion and people will love you for making such a yummy decadent treat.  Let me know how it goes! Click here to save some dough and get a great coupon. Or if you are in search of more milk recipes….click here!

Oh yeah, and how was the Panna Cotta in Italy you ask?

Delizioso!!!!!

Ingredients for panna cotta:

• 5 – tablespoons hot boiling water
• 2 – packets knox gelatin
• 1 – cup milk
• 3/4 – cup sugar
• 2 – vanilla beans (cut length wise)
• 1 -pint whipping cream
• 1 – cup 1/2 and 1/2

Directions:

1. Pour boiling hot water in a bowl, and sprinkle with knox gelatin. Mix to dissolve gelatin. Set to the side. 
2. In a small sauce pan over a medium flame add milk, sugar, and seeds from inside vanilla beans. Stir until sugar is dissolved. 
3. Add in whipping cream and 1/2 and 1/2 to sugar/milk mixture.
4. Let it combine for about 3 minutes, then remove from flame.
5. Pour the knox water mixture into milk mixture. Mix it to combine. 
6. Then pour the mixture through a sieve  to collect any bits of knox or pieces of vanilla bark. 
7. Pour the liquid into cups and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. 
8. Top with fresh berries and cookies of your choice. I used strawberries and brownie cookies.
9. Enjoy!