Presley's Pantry

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post between Latina Bloggers Connect and The National Peanut Board. However the recipe and all opinions are 100% my own.

I feel like I have been hanging by a thread lately. I’m not complaining… I’m just working hard everyday to meet deadlines and get to all my work in a timely manner. As my workload expands and the needs of my 4 year old son grow,  I find more than ever I need help getting through my day and deep into my night. A fast snack I like to eat: Peanut butter and apple. The peanut butter has 7 grams of energy boosting protein per serving, which helps me get through y day. Or I”l reach for a handful of peanuts to pop in my mouth as I run around. Peanuts or peanut butter really provide a lasting energy, and are so super affordable. I always keep a pouch of peanut butter in my purse or a little packet of peanuts, because I never know when I’m gonna need it especially with the holidays upon us.

Going off the subject a little…. My son has taken a serious interest in my pantry. I can’t tell you how many times a day he pulls out ingredients and makes suggestions of what we can make. He’ll pull out salt, flour, peanut butter, and sugar and ask if we could make a cake or cookies or strawberry pancakes. I love that he is becoming familiar with everything that goes into kitchen recipe making. Most of the time I have to turn down his request because I’m busy with something else. The other day I wanted to indulge his new found interest of the kitchen, and I suggested we make some calavera candy to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos. His cute little eyes lit up and he smiled and said “Do we use peanut butter in it?” I told him sure… we will use peanut butter in it!

Ingredients for Potato Peanut Butter Calavera Candy:

• 1/2 – cup mashed potato (about 1 potato)
• 2 1/2 – tablespoons half and half
• 1 – teaspoon vanilla
• a pinch of salt
• 10 – cups powdered sugar
• 1 – cup peanut butter (smooth)
• chopped peanut pieces

Directions:

1. Peel and chop a potato. Then boil the potato for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potato and mash. Do not add anything to the potato. Let cool completely. 
2. In a mixer add mashed potatoes, half and half, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Mix until everything is combined and it becomes a dough like texture. Not sticky to the touch. 
3. Powder a clean work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar. Working in quarters roll out your first batch of dough. I sprinkled the top of the dough with powdered sugar as well. 
4. Roll the potato candy out to 1/4 inch thickness. Then with a skull cookie cutter, cut out as many skulls as possible. Re-roll scraps and cut out more skulls. 
5. With a small pairing knife cut out the eyes and nose of the calavera / skull on half of the cutouts.
6. The other half should be placed on a wax paper lined baking sheet and generously spread with peanut butter. 
7. Then take all the calaveras / skulls with the cut out eyes and place them on top of the peanut butter layer. Press in little pieces of peanuts into the mouth area to form the skeleton teeth.
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Enjoy! 

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. However; OXO did provide me with a few cooking tools to aid me with this recipe. The opinions and recipe are 100% my own.  I seriously love OXO.

Holy Moly. This salad puts the WOW in factor, as my fiance found out this afternoon. I watched him dip his tortilla chip into his bowl without stopping for a breather over the course of 20 minutes. When he finally took his eyes off his bowl he said to me “SWOON.” I second that emotion. Easy to make and ready to be served after 30 minutes.

Ingredients for esquites recipe:

• 2 – tablespoons mayo
• 1 – teaspoon chopped garlic
• 4 – corn on the cob
• 1/2 – cup crema (Mexican cream)
• 2 – limes (juiced)
• 1/4 – cup cilantro leaves
• 1 – jalapeno (finely chopped)
• 1/4 – green onion chopped
• 5 – ounces cotija cheese (crumbled)
• 1/2 – teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/2 – cup black beans (small can, rinsed and drained)
• Tortilla chips (I prefer nacho cheese Doritos)

Tools Needed:

• OXO 9″ whisk
• OXO Thongs
• OXO Salad Dressing Shaker
• OXO Corn Peeler
• OXO 4″ Santoku Chopping Knife

Directions:

1. In a small bowl whisk mayo and garlic together. Brush mayo on corn, and place on a hot grill. Grill for 15 minutes. Turning the corn with thongs every five minutes.    
2. While corn is grilling, add any remaining mayo/garlic to the salad dressing shaker also add in crema, and lime juice. Set to the side while you chop cilantro, green onion, and jalapeno. Add chopped greens to salad dressing shaker. Shake well and set to the side till ready to use. 
3. Remove corn from the grill, and with the corn peeler shave the kernels off the corn and allow to fall into the bowl.  
4. Add cotija cheese, chili flakes, and black beans to the corn. Mix well to combine. Then pour salad dressing over the mixture. 
5. Serve salad warm with a nice helping of tortilla chips. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post between National Mango Board and Motherhood. However the opinions and recipe are 100% mine.

Hands down Mango is my most desired fruit. I could eat it all day if you let me. I didn’t grow up eating the tropical fruit, in fact I rarely remember eating fruit growing up at all, let alone something slightly exotic like Mango. Instead I grew up eating candy from Mexico that was shaped like a fruit and always a bit spicy. Not enough spice  to turn you away, but just enough to quench your craving and leave you wanting more. My favorite was the mango candy. Many moons later I had fresh mango sliced with a tinge of fresh lime juice splashed on top and a pinch of chile powder. A man was standing on the street selling chopped fruit and I picked mango since I knew for sure I loved the candy. It was absolute heaven, I think the fruit actually shut me up, I didn’t speak or say a word. I was too lost in the moment of savoring this delicious treat that I had to keep silent in order to taste it all with every ounce of my being. The rest is history and since then I am a serious mango consumer. I can not walk into a super market and pass the mango bin without packing a bag to take home.

The other day I was packing a lunch for my son and thought I would pack him a fruit leather. As I packed him his lunch I thought back to the candy I loved as a child with the mango, lime and chile…. I thought my son would enjoy it. The next day I made him this lovely mango leather and he ate it and asked for more.

Ingredients for spicy mango lime leather:

• 2- ripe mangos
• 1 – large ripe lime (juiced)
• 1 – tablespoon tajin

How to store mangos:

• Keep unripe mangos at room temperature.
• Mangos shouldn’t be refrigerated before they are ripe.
• To speed up ripening, place mangos in a paper bag at room temperature.
• Once ripe, mangos should be moved to the refrigerator, which will slow down the ripening process. Whole, ripe mangos may be stored for up to five days in the refrigerator.
• Mangos may be peeled, cubed and placed in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post; however, I did receive complimentary entry into the park.  All opinions are 100% my own. I Love being a part of the Disney family. 

Yes… I am a California girl, a native of Los Angeles, and a Disneyland devotee. There are several things in this life that excite me, and Disneyland and the holidays are definitely at the top of that list. When you combine those two things together the feeling becomes electrifying, like a bolt struck by lightning in Frankenstein’s neck.  With that being said, I was so thrilled to be invited to Mickey’s Halloween Party this past Friday night for the mark of the first of 13 Halloween parties celebrated Disney style. The park was decked out from head to toe in “spook-tac-ular” fashion.

I opened my trick or treating bag wide and marched down the candy trail, I had a little ghoul named Maxie following close behind me with an equally eager desire for candy . The magical kingdom sparkled in hues of purple and blue while music played in minor chords making the park feel eerie and ominous like a bad guy in the room kinda feeling.

I looked over my shoulder  to find Jack Skeleton inviting me into the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Talks of his gingerbread house in the center of the mansion ballroom was how he lured me in…revealing 13 different Jack Skeleton faces in each door.

I ran out of there spooked and straight into the arms of the Dia De Los Muertos exhibit where I was comforted by memories of loved ones lost but not forgotten.

Cadaver Dans Ghoul quartet filled my ears as they sang loudly on the rivers of America.

I could see a little red light floating above the castle when I realized it was Zero (Jack’s dog) he was letting the people know “Halloween Screams” firework spectacular was about to start. I watched showers of lights fill the sky in the dead of night as I munched on another treat.

What I ate while I was there is another story….go to Babble for a peek of the GORE- met apples and other treats!

Mickey’s Halloween Party, a separate-ticket event for trick-or-treating families, will expand to a spooky total of 13 special nights in Disneyland Park. Tickets for Mickey’s Halloween Party are on sale at the Disneyland Resort main gate and by phone at 714-781-4400.

Tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party purchased in advance are $59 each for selected nights, while tickets purchased on the event days are $67 each.  Tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and Halloween Night, Thursday, Oct. 31, are $74 each.

The dates: Friday, Sept. 27; Tuesday, Oct. 1; Friday, Oct. 4; Tuesday, Oct. 8; Friday, Oct. 11; Tuesday, Oct. 15; Friday, Oct. 18; Monday, Oct. 21; Wednesday, Oct. 23; Friday, Oct. 25; Monday, Oct. 28; Wednesday, Oct. 30; and Thursday, Oct. 31.

A photo of all the lovely Disney guests/ bloggers/ story tellers….. taken in Town Square. 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post; however, I did receive complimentary entry into the park.  All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for the invite Disneyland!

I am gearing up for Halloween, of course I am, it’s my favorite time of the year. I put together an edible gallery of things I’ve made in the past, and I used a few of my friends recipes too…. As you know…. inspiration! Check out my gallery on Babble.

I love enfrijoladas…. a simple dish made with beans. Try these enfrijoladas as an alternative to spicy enchiladas. They are super kid friendly, and my son loves them too. Find my easy recipe over Babble.

I think this is the best flan I’ve ever made. The fresh banana takes it to a new level of love!!!  I made this Mexican custard treat a few weeks ago and thought I died and went to flan heaven. It’s creamy sweet and the cajeta adds the perfect touch of sublime to the entire experience. Find my recipe on Babble.