With the stress of Thanksgiving occurring this week, let me take the worry away from cooking a dessert that everyone on your guest list will love.  In just a few minutes, you can present a fun and easy dessert that explodes in autumn cheer.  Still keeping the tradition of fall flavors, this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake dessert will capture the seasonal mood in a non-traditional presentation.

This year, we are skipping the pie and making individual dessert treats. I’m serving my favorite childhood cookies (and my son’s favorites too!), galletas Maria with a pumpkin mixture of cream cheese, topped creamy whipped topping, dulce de leche and pepitas. Don’t be surprised when your Thanksgiving guests of all ages, devour this special treat and beg to be served seconds… and thirds!

Pumpkin Cheesecakes in a Cup with Dulce de Leche Drizzle

Makes  4 -6

Ingredients:

• 20 Maria cookies, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons dulce de leche plus more for topping
• 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• whipped topping
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• pepita seeds

Instructions
In a food processor, combine cookies and butter.  Pulse until cookies are crushed and moistened and butter is evenly distributed.  Divide mixture among 4 cups.

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, mix heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  In a separate mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, dulce de leche, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon until mixture is smooth.  Fold in pumpkin puree and heavy cream.

Place pumpkin mixture on cookie crumb layer, distributing evenly.  Top with whipped topping, dulce de leche and a sprinkle of pepita seeds.

Marigolds, Cempazuchitl (cempoal-xochitl), meaning the flower of twenty petals in Náhuatl, are traditionally known as flor de muerto or the flower of the dead. From deep reds to bright yellows, the marigold’s blooms can reach up to 2-inches in diameter and a stem up to 3-feet tall. During the pre-Hispanic era, the Aztecs selected this robust flower to cover the altars and take part of burial offerings dedicated to their dead.

Now, this beautiful flower is one of the major protagonists during the celebration on November 1 and 2, All Souls Day and Day of the Dead.  Endless garlands are hung on altars as part of the holiday’s offerings to the deceased, denoting strength of sunlight.

Not only is this flower pleasant to look at, but a flavor enhancer to poultry, teas, candies and tortillas.  Celebrate Día de Los Muertos with your tortillero filled with these marigold tortillas.  They are the perfect accompaniment to the festivity’s mole, cochinita pibil or a simple queso fundido appetizer.  ¡Buen provecho!

Tortillas de Cempazuchitl | Marigold Tortillas

Makes 16, 6-inch tortillas

Ingredients:

• 2 cups corn flour
• 1 ¼ cups water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups fresh edible marigold petals

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine corn flour, water and salt.  Mix with hands until smooth.  If dough sticks to hands, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

Heat a comal or skillet over low-medium heat.

Divide dough into 16 separate equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.

Using a tortilla press, flatten each masa ball between to plastic sheets.  Open the press and evenly distribute marigold petals on the pressed tortilla.  Press the tortilla again gently enough to embed flower petals into the masa.

Place tortilla on hot comal and cook for approximately 1 minute on each side.

Keep tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in a tea towel.

Editor’s note: We continue with our 31 Days of Reading in Spanish. Check out the book review below and don’t forget to enter our weekly GIVEAWAY of $100 worth of books in Spanish!

BOOK DESCRIPTION/REVIEW

When it comes to story time, my 4-year-old son is the one in charge of the evening’s literary adventure of choice. But when I surprised him with Jorge Argueta’s Guacamole, his eyes lit up with delight when he saw the vivid and beautiful illustrations by Margarita Sada.

I was just as excited to read this book to my son as he was. Centered on two of my passions that I strive to instill in my son, cooking and poetry, this book was such a joy to experience with him.

The poem follows three playful siblings on their quest to prepare guacamole. Following the recipe’s instructions, each cooking step is brought to life with added song, dance and rhythmic repetition. The happy children are tiny enough to dance under the kitchen faucet as they rinse cilantro sprigs and ride a lime peel as they navigate the river of its own juice.

The story explains and describes the texture and taste of guacamole and its ingredients one by one with an added flair and vivid description. This is the perfect cooking poem for the entire family to enjoy.

     BOOK DETAILS

      Title: Guacamole

      Author: Jorge Argueta

Illustrator: Margarita Sada

      Publisher/Year:  Groundwood Books/2012

      Ages: 4-7 years

      ISBN: 978-155-498-133-5

      Price: $14.75 on Amazon.com

      Website: jorgeargueta.com

I love baking with kids. One of my favorite kitchen assistants is my niece Sophie. She asks 101 questions, makes ingredient suggestions, follows my directions attentively and she’s only four years old.

We always make time for baking because we have so much fun together. At her last visit, we decided to play pasteleria and make little panques with my new mini-bundt cake molds.

Although my niece loves chocolate, I decided to go with a vanilla recipe and teach her all about where vanilla comes from. Vanilla pods are fascinating to me and I knew she would be in awe when I show her that vanilla isn’t just an ice cream flavor.

Before we started baking, I pulled out a vanilla bean and asked her if she knew what it was. Her eyes widened and said “un gusano!” – a worm! I said “No, silly. It’s a vanilla bean.” “Es un frijolito largo, largo” – a long, long bean. Her eyes widened more.

We inspected it closely. With eyes closed, we sniffed the rich aroma of natural vanilla. I asked her to describe the texture of the bean and she said “wrinkly and slippery”. It’s oily, I said.

Cutting it open and seeing the tiny little seeds ooze out of the bean was the most amusing moment for both of us. The expression on her face was priceless. We discussed in what other dishes vanilla may be added. “Cakes! Churros! Ice cream floats!” she suggested. All correct!

Cooking with kids and focusing on one ingredient at a time is a great way to incorporate teaching and learning. Moments like these only come once in a while because our kids grow up so quickly. Cherish them to the fullest.

Below is our recipe for the Mini Bundt Cakes with Butter Rum Sauce. The rum sauce was my idea and is completely optional. Omit for kids. Adults will not get enough of it.

Mini Bundt Cakes with Butter Rum Sauce

Makes 18 mini-bundt cakes or one 9” bundt cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 vanilla bean, beans scraped out
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• Butter Rum Sauce (optional)
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup light rum
• ¼ cup milk
• Assorted berries for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Spray a mini bundt pan tray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

With an electric hand mixer, mix sugar and butter until smooth.  Add oil, eggs and vanilla bean paste.

Continue to mix with hand mixer and gradually add in flour mixture until well combined. Pour batter in prepared mini-bundt cake pan molds.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a bundt cake comes out clean. Cool in pan and invert on a wire rack.

Butter Rum Sauce

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine butter, milk, sugar and rum. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool.
With a small fork or toothpick, poke holes in each bundt cake and brush butter rum sauce over cakes. To serve, drizzle remaining sauce over cakes and garnish with fresh berries.

Anchoring Buena Vista Street in Disney’s California Adventure Park, you can experience the Golden age of Hollywood at Carthay Circle Restaurant. Modeled after 1920’s original Spanish Revival architecture, the building is based on the iconic central tower of Carthay Circle Theater.

As one steps inside, you are transported to the magic of Disney’s movie-making throughout the decades.  The interior is elegant, ornate warm and rich.  Artifacts and photographs of Disney’s premier of their first feature-length animated film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” line the hallways.  You can’t miss those beautiful, giant, black and white photographs of Shirley Temple and Walt Disney as you make your way upstairs to the dining area.

Although, the ambience of the restaurant is movie-premier elegant, Disney dining has figured out a way to make families and tourists feel comfortable in a warm, social and informal hospitable setting.  The lounge and restaurant are perfect getaways from the excitement of the park.

The restaurant accommodates up to 200 guests with a terrace and its beautiful views of Buena Visa Street that seats 56 guests.  Perfect for people watching and an excellent view of Disneyland’s fireworks show.

Yes, this replica of the famous movie-house is beautiful and radiant but the food in this case, is the star of the show.  Chef Andrew Sutton, the acclaimed executive chef at Napa Rose restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, also is executive chef of Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge. By his side, Gloria Tae, Sutton’s protégé at Napa Rose, and chef de cuisine at Carthay Circle Restaurant.  We could not have asked for a better culinary duo.

The menu, best described as “Modern Southern California Fresh” is comprised of wild and farmed sustainable fish and hand picked seasonal vegetables from local markets.  It’s modern, breezy, light and fresh. The dishes boast in diverse flavors with ingredients from local ranchers, artisans and farmers. Menu includes sushi-grade yellowtail grilled with jerk spice, topped with a tropical salsa of pineapple, mango, black beans and lime, and Sierra Golden trout roasted with couscous, lemon and oil.  The lunch selection includes an udon noodle bowl with red Thai curry broth, and an Angus burger with Tillamook cheddar cheese.

There is something for everyone!  Kids can choose from fun creations such as sloppy joes with house-made slaw, pasta and mini crispy tacos, or a beef filet or fish for dinner.

The lounge area offers a relaxing atmosphere for small bites.  Appetizers are paired perfectly with classic cocktails, California craft beers and world-class wines. Appetizers include hot shrimp with a chilled spicy tomato shooter to duck confit sliders with apricot conserve, watercress, crisp onions and Taleggio cheese.

One of the wonderful things about The Carthay Circle Restaurant is that each guest who orders an appetizer and entrée or an entrée and dessert will receive complimentary, center-stage viewing for the “World of Color” nighttime, water spectacular on Paradise Pier Bay. Lunch guests and guests who have dinner before 7 p.m. will receive tickets to the first “World of Color” show; guess who dine after 7 p.m. will receive tickets to the second show.

Don’t miss this extraordinary culinary journey next time you visit Disney’s California Adventure.  Hours are from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

For reservations: 714-781-DINE or email dine@disneyland.com with date, time and contact information.

To give you a sneak peek to what to expect, Chef Sutton has shared with us his recipe for Halibut Ceviche. This is the perfect dish for the warm summer months.  Enjoy!

Halibut Ceviche with Avocado, Tomatillo-Cilantro Essence, and Crisp Plantain Chips

Carthay Circle Restaurant

Disney California Adventure^® Par

Serves 4 to 6

Halibut Ceviche

• 1/2 pound sushi-grade halibut, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 pound yellowtail, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Generous pinch coarse salt

Tomatillo-Jalapeño Sauce

• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 jalapeño, thinly sliced with seeds
• 3 tomatillos, sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Coarse salt, to taste

Plantain Chips

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 green plaintain, peeled
• Juice of 1 lime
• Coarse salt, to taste

For Serving

• Halibut ceviche, drained
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Juice of 2 limes, divided
• Coarse salt, to taste
• 1 Haas avocado, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 julienned radishes, for garnish
• 1 thinly sliced red jalapeño, for garnish
• Micro-cilantro, for garnish

For halibut ceviche:

Mix together ingredients in a glass bowl, stirring to coat fish. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.

For tomatillo-jalapeño sauce:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add jalapeños and tomatillos, cover with water and simmer until tomatillo is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and drain.
2. Puree mixture with cucumber and cilantro in a blender. Strain through a fine strainer and season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For plantain chips:

1. Preheat 1 inch of oil in a deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat to 350˚F.
2. Slice plaintains into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.
3. Add to oil in batches and fry until golden, about 1 minute per side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Spritz with lime juice and season with salt.

To serve:

1. Drain ceviche and stir together with tomato, cucumber, half of chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice of 1 lime, and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. In another bowl, mix avocado, onion, remaining chopped cilantro, remaining lime juice, remaining olive oil, and salt.
3. To serve, spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomatillo-jalapeño sauce onto each plate. Top each with equal amounts of avocado salad, then ceviche. Garnish with radishes, jalapeño slices, and micro cilantro. Serve with crispy plantains and lime wedges.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Conagra Foods. All opinions are our own.

Trying to stick to a healthy meal plan with a busy routine is often hard to do.  When I’m on the go, I try to stick with sensible meals that are light and quick.  Sometimes, It’s extremely difficult to find a balanced meal that has both of those elements.  Our intense schedules limit us and this often leads to very bad nutritional choices.  Bad choices result in higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol and yes, weight gain.

To keep my life a little bit more balanced and to keep my schedule somewhat in order, I started to replace a restaurant meal with a frozen meal.  I save time, money, calories and just a bit of sanity.  I started doing this because a recent study shows that by replacing a restaurant or cafeteria meal with a single serving frozen meal, you can lower your blood pressure and lower your cholesterol in just 30 short days.   Surprised?  I certainly was.   Now I don’t know about you, but eating good food and improving your health is okay in my book.  As much as I love cooking and preparing my own meals, there are those days when having the convenience of a frozen meal ready in five minutes is perfectly ok.

My frozen meals of choice are the Healthy Choice Top Chef Cafe Steamers.  These recipes were developed by Bravo TV’s Top Chef Cheftestants and are less than 500 calories each.  Packaged in a special tray, they are placed in the microwave to steam, thaw and cook evenly.    I never get bored because their selection offers a wide variety; from Sesame Chicken to Meatballs and Sausage Marinara, there’s always something new and different to try.

Having these convenient options when life has you running is a great alternative for a busy and healthy lifestyle.   Give them a try and add a little bit of ease to your hectic schedule.

On my weekly visits to the grocery store, I always make sure to throw in a bag or two of frozen fruits and vegetables in my shopping cart.  No matter what curve balls our busy schedules throw at us during the week, I always end up incorporating frozen fruits or veggies in our weeknight meals.

Whether I throw in a handful of frozen peas and carrots to my Spanish rice or broccoli florets to my boiling fideo, it’s always a good idea to pump up your food with more nutritional ingredients, frozen or not.

One of the reasons why I like to always have frozen fruits and vegetables in my freezer is because I use the exact amount of what my family and I are going to eat.  There is no waste and no guilt of wasting food or “green guilt.”  Most vegetables’ journey from farm to freezer occurs within 24 hours, so their color, texture and freshness is preserved.

Frozen fruit is great for quick post-workout smoothies or as a simple snack for kids.  My son loves eating blueberries straight out of the freezer when we are out of raisins or fresh fruit. Personally, one of my favorite flavor combinations is strawberry, blueberry and vanilla yogurt.  I love throwing my frozen strawberries and blueberries in the blender, adding fat free vanilla yogurt and creating a healthy drink to enjoy at any time of the day.

Not only is it delicious, it’s quick, easy and can double up as a refreshing berry pop on hot days.  And of course, kids love them.  Add bananas, honey and your favorite nut for your own special twist on flavor.  Enjoy!

Vanilla Berry Smoothie (Makes 3 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 2/3 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions:

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

For frozen pops:

Add 2 more tablespoons of honey to the smoothie mixture and pour into popsicle molds.  Freeze overnight.

Disclosure: We have been compensated for sharing this post as part of a campaign with ConAgra Foods. All opinions are our own.

Pastel Azteca, also known as enchilada casserole is a dish that guarantees all-around joy. It’s very easy to prepare, hearty enough for big appetites, freezes well on the weekends and re-heats even more flavorful for weekday lunches or dinners.

Red enchilada sauce, bean sauce, mole sauce or tomato sauce can easily be the sauce of choice.  And if you prefer a meatier version, replace the chicken with picadillo or shredded beef.  Vegetarian?  Try the Tex-Mex version with mushrooms, black beans squash and corn.

We love salsa verde because it’s so tangy and compliments the creaminess of the queso fresco beautifully. To save time and simplify this recipe even more, I purchased a plump and juicy, roasted turkey breast.  Dinner was ready in 30 minutes.

This is a great pot-luck dish for office parties or family get-togethers because a little goes a long way and it’s a guarantee that it will be party’s favorite dish.

Omit the Serrano chile if you prefer a milder version.  Kids love it!

Pastel Azteca in Salsa Verde

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 8– 6” corn tortillas
• 1/3 cup Canola oil for frying, + 2 tablespoons for frying onions and garlic
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 lb. green tomatillos, husked
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 10 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Serrano chile, with seeds, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crumbled
• salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups, cooked and shredded chicken or turkey breast
• 2 cups Chihuahua cheese (or Mozzarella cheese), shredded
• ½ cup Queso Fresco

Directions:

In a medium skillet, heat oil. Fry tortillas on both sides until golden.   Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In the same skillet, remove all oil but 2 tablespoons (add more if necessary).  Cook chopped onion and garlic for approximately 4 minutes.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan filled 2/3 with water, boil tomatillos approximately 5-6 minutes.  Drain and place in blender.  Add ½ cup of chicken broth, onion, garlic, Serrano chiles, cilantro, oregano, salt and sugar.  Blend until nearly smooth.

In a large saucepan, place the green sauce, add remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 6 minutes.  Add salt if necessary.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place approximately 1/3 cup of green sauce at the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish.  Place a layer of 2 fried tortillas on top of the sauce, then sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella cheese and ½ cup shredded chicken (or turkey), top with another layer of 1/3 cup sauce, two tortillas, cheese and chicken.  Repeat layering ingredients and top ½ queso fresco.  You should have a total of 4 tortilla layers.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake approximately 10 minutes or until cheese has melted and sauce begins to bubble. Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes.

Slice and serve on plates, pour 2 tablespoons of green salsa over slice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Technology is constantly changing, and in turn, changing our lifestyles in everyway.  I try my hardest to keep a written shopping list to organize my weekly grocery trips but have now switched over to mobile apps to keep up with my tasks.  Can you imagine what technology will be like in just a few years?  New technologies will impact our routines in ways we’ve only seen in science fiction movies.

I recently came across this video (see below) featuring two women in their daily lives.  The video is centered on their grocery shopping experience, specifically in the frozen food isle.  There are so many misconceptions about various types of frozen foods that we are all so confused whether to purchase them or not. We don’t know where the ingredients come from, how it’s processed, how old it is and whether it’s healthy or not.

Since we lead busy lives, sometimes we don’t have time to cook dinner for our families.   Personally speaking, I do resort to my freezer for quick meals once in a while between afterschool activities, work trips and housework.  Simplifying my weekly grocery shopping trip with this type of technology would be one less thing to worry about.

This is a great topic of discussion and would love to invite you to join us Thursday, March 14 on Twitter.  We will be tweeting about fresh and healthy ingredients, home cooking and busting some frozen food myths.  Prizes will be given away!  Hope to see you there!

{photo by La.Catholique}

Our time is precious as busy working moms.  We have reports to submit, emails to return, homes to tidy up and mouths to feed.  By nature, we want to do it all in a day’s time but we need to slow down.

I absolutely love preparing home cooked meals for my family when I have the time.  When I don’t, I rather spend the time that I have during the day bonding, helping my son do his homework or go on a short walk around our neighborhood park.  Family comes first.

Since we cannot add more hours to our days, I have learned to make some adjustments when it comes to saving time in cooking family meals.

One of the easiest and most delicious foods to prepare can be found in the freezer isle of your grocery store.   Frozen meals.  Are you surprised?  Writing about food for these past few years, I’ve learned so much about where our food comes from and how food products are prepped for consumers.  It pleases me to see the different steps brands are taking in order to achieve excellence in their products.  Frozen food brands do not fall short.

One brand in particular, ConAgra Foods has a culinary advisory board made up of esteemed chefs.  Their mission is to continue to improve and elevate their frozen meals with the best ingredients and highest quality preparation, debunking many frozen meal myths that we’ve all come to believe.

Here are just a few of the most commonly held myths regarding frozen meals:

Myth:  Frozen meals don’t compare to a home cooked meal when it comes to preparation.

I have come to find out that they do!  The vegetables in Meals like Marie Callender’s for example, are blanched before freezing.  It’s a great way to preserve them fresh, keep their beautiful color and texture for you to enjoy.

I was also surprised to find out that Healthy Choice meals use apples instead of sugar for that tart-sweetness some of us love. They also use olive oil instead of butter and a splash of red wine for seasoning.  These are some substitutions I have made when preparing a home cooked meal!

Myth: Frozen foods are a no-no when it comes to watching your weight or health conscience.

Weight management doesn’t have to come down to bars and shakes.  Now, there are so many options for you!  Healthy Choice meals for example, are portioned out for you and provide the ideal meal that satisfies you until it’s time for your next meal.

Myth:  Frozen meals are bland and boring.

Not true.  I’m a big fan of Chinese food.  To add variety to my meals, P. F. Chang’s Home Menu Meals has exceptional meals that add zest to your menu plan.   Their Shanghai Style Beef with crisp vegetables is one of my favorites. Healthy Choice also has their Café Steamers.  These are culinary-inspired meals that contain perfectly steamed, tender veggies.

Next time you visit your grocery store, don’t skip the frozen food section. Stroll the freezers and get creative in your weekly menu planning.  The variety of meals you can serve when incorporating a frozen meal will ease that time in your kitchen that you can use to spend with your family.

Disclosure: We have been compensated for sharing this post as part of a campaign with ConAgra Foods. All opinions are our own.