Disneyland Resort has been celebrating la Navidad a lo grande with “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” throughout the holiday season with beautiful shows, music, activities and food that celebrates nuestra cultura. The grand finale is an observance of Día de Reyes from Friday, Jan. 3 to Monday, Jan. 6.

We were there for a media event to capture some of this Three Kings Day magic, happening at Paradise Pier Gardens in Disney’s California Adventure Park, and got the chance to meet with Chef José Ruiz and learn how they prepare the delicious pozole that has been a guest favorite during ¡Viva Navidad!, among the delicious menu of Latin fare that includes mole, tortas al pastor, sopes, street style tacos, conchas and much more.

If you get a chance to visit Disney’s California Adventure Park, make sure you stop by the Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta in Paradise Pier to grab your bowl of some very delicious and authentic pozole!

For more videos, pictures and information on Disney’s ¡Viva Navidad! celebration, check out Disneyland.com/Holidays and  our full coverage below:

How to Celebrate Three Kings Day/Día de Reyes at Disneyland Resort

Disney’s ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party Celebrates Latino Culture and Language

Sneek Peek at Disney’s ¡Viva Navidad! Street Fiesta

La Navidad is Coming to Disneyland Resort: Disney ¡Viva Navidad! 

Disneyland’s Latino-Style ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party: 5 Reasons Why It’s a Must-See

Gingerbread men are so much fun to make because the decorating possibilities are endless. Sure, you could always make a traditional gingerbread man, who is rather cute and irresistible with his plain sweet smile and buttons. But why not add a little personality with a range of facial expressions – curious, mischievous, deadpan, dour or dreamy.  Or, you could even go further …

I was thinking of how I wanted to decorate these sweet little things this year, when it hit me to make them into luchadores. My bicultural train of thought went something like this: gingerbread = marranitos = panadería = Mexico = lucha libre. Of course, who doesn’t love lucha libre?! I’m a HUGE fan of the masked Mexican wrestlers, especially those vintage folk heroes like Mil Máscaras, Blue Demon and El Santo. I like classic lucha and kitschy lucha, and the idea of two identities and two sides to everyone. And I knew my daughter would just love them, because she could, in her words, “Fight them!” Yeah, too much My Little Pony Equestria Girls for her.

Disclaimer here: I am no cookie artist, so that means anyone can make these. I’m not even that good at baking cookies. As a mom, you work at the things you want to be great or just good at. And you’re okay with being mediocre or even bad at some things. I’m okay with being an okay cookie-maker. I make up for it by being an absolute pro at cookie-eating.

This holiday season, I did use a little help in the kitchen from my old friend Betty. Yup, I bought a box of gingerbread cookie mix (take your pick, from Betty Crocker to King Arthur to Williams Sonoma mixes) and called it a day. We’re in the thick of the holidays, I’ve got a fussy, teething one-year-old who wakes up at all hours of the night, blah, blah. Best decision ever, and they turned out pretty delish. Still, there are plenty of great gingerbread cookie recipes online, and this soft gingerbread cookie recipe by Inspired by Familia looks yummylicious.

If you’re new to decorating with royal icing, it’s awesome (until your hand starts cramping and you have to clean up!). It’s the type that hardens after you decorate, so it’s perfect for using on plain cookies like gingerbread or sugar cookies. One of my favorite cookie decorating blogs is Sweetopia. Who knew cookies could look sooooo pretty? I especially love her 10 tips on how to decorate cookies with royal icing.  In the past, I’ve actually followed her tips closely and come out with Pinterest-worthy cookies. Below is her recipe for royal icing.

For ideas on how to decorate the luchador masks, go to Flickr or Google and just search for lucha libre mask and you’ll get an array of photos showing various masks and designs. Pick a few and practice freehanding the design on wax or parchment paper before actually piping onto the cookie.

My luchadores didn’t turn out perfect looking, but in our house, they were just the thing we needed to give our holidays a bit of Mexican flavor. Here are the two recipes you need to follow. Have fun!

Ingredients:

Soft Gingerbread Cookies (via Inspired by Familia)

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Royal Icing (via Sweetopia)

• ¾ cup of warm water
• 5 Tablespoons meringue powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2.25 lbs./1kg powdered sugar
• **Add one teaspoon of clear vanilla to this recipe if using a meringue powder with no vanilla flavor.

**You will also need several decorating piping bags and tips, available online or in most craft stores. You can also add candy or sprinkles to your gingerbread.

Directions:

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

-Preheat over to 375F

-Cream softened butter and add brown sugar, and beat until fluffy.

-Add egg and molasses.

-Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, clover and salt.

-Refrigerate the dough for an hour. Roll it out on a floured surface, and cut out into gingerbread men using a cookie cutter. Bake for 10 minutes, and then let cool before icing.

Royal Icing

-In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand for 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds. Add the powdered sugar, and using the paddle attachment mix on the lowest speed for a full 10 minutes, until icing turns thick and creamy.

-Cover the bowl with a dampened kitchen towel to prevent crusting and drying.

-Now you can tint smaller batches of the icing with food coloring, or thin it by adding small amounts of warm water until you reach the desired consistency.

 

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.

This post post was written in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Avocados from Mexico. All opinions are our own.

Now that summer is in full swing ice cream is a must-have dessert in my kitchen. I love trying new flavors and this summer I’ve been making my own frozen treats too. I decided I would attempt to make an avocado and coconut ice cream. I know that most people don’t think of the color green when they think of ice cream, but avocados are a fruit after all. The coconut was the “safe” choice since I already know it goes so well with desserts. The avocado was the adventurous side of this recipe.

Let me just say this recipe put the cream in ice cream. I loved the sweet and creamy results I got and was amazed that I didn’t need any dairy to achieve it. That’s the magic of avocados for you! My favorite part of this recipe is how simple it was to make. The pre-ice-cream prep time was less than 15 minutes. It’s a great activity to do with little ones!

Tip: If you don’t have an ice cream maker don’t worry! There are several ways to make ice cream without it. Click on this link for 5 different ways to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. This is a very fun activity for kids, as well as a great learning experience for all!

Ingredients For Avocado & Coconut Ice Cream

- Serves about 6

• 3 large Avocados from Mexico
• 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
• 2tbs of lemon juice
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1tbs of vanilla extract

Easy Avocado & Coconut Ice Cream Recipe

- Cut your avocados in half and take out the pit. Scoop out the pulp. You should have about 3 cups of the avocado pulp.

- Mix avocados and lemon juice with a spoon. Tip: the lemon juice is not for flavoring. The lemon juice keeps the avocado pulp from turning brown.

- Combine the  avocado pulp, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract .

- Blend all your ingredients in a blender or food processor.

- When all the ingredients have blended to a smooth, creamy looking texture you can add them to your ice cream making device.

- When your ice cream is done you can add shredded coconut or any of your favorite toppings. I would suggest fresh fruit as it goes well with the creaminess of the avocado coconut ice cream.

 For more avocados dishes visit the Avocados from Mexico community page where you can find recipes by other fans and upload your own as well.

This post post was written in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Maseca. All opinions are our own.

It’s amazing how a smell can bring back so many memories. The minute a bag of Maseca makes it’s way into my home my mind starts thinking of what to make. It definitely inspires me to cook a traditional meal that I usually only enjoy when I travel to Guatemala or El Salvador. I recently had the opportunity to try Maseca’s new Centroamerica flour mix. I decided to make a traditional pot of beans with bolitas de masa (dough balls). The moment I poured water and salt into the Maseca mix my mind began to travel back to the vacations in Central America that I took with my family as a child. The smell of fresh masa being kneaded by one of my aunts is forever engraved into my memory and immediately makes my mouth water.  All I wanted to do was find a comal, flatten out the dough ball, and enjoy a fresh tortilla. However, I waited for my pot of beans with bolitas de masa to cook.

The end result tastes like beans with a fresh tortilla in a bowl. You can serve it with your favorite toppings like Salvadorian sour cream and fresh cilantro criollo.

Ingredients

Beans

• 2 cups of black or pinto beans
• 1/4 cup of diced onion
• 3 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 1 chile (of choice)
• ½ gallon of water

Dough Balls

• 1 cup of Maseca flour
• 1tbs of olive oil
• ¼ tbs of salt
• ¾ cup of water

Toppings (optional)

• Sour cream (I used Salvadorean sour cream)
• Cilantro (I used cilantro criollo)

Cooking Directions

For Beans

-       Rinse 2 cups of back beans.

-       In a large pot combine 1/2 gallon of water, beans, and 3 cloves of peeled garlic. Bring to a boil.

-       Let the beans boil for about 45 minutes.  Cooking times may vary.

-       After 45 add onion, whole chile, and about 15 dough balls to your pot of beans. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

-       When your beans are fully cooked serve with fresh cilantro and sour cream.

Note: The beans and dough balls will absorb the water quickly. If beans look too dry add 1 cup of water.

For Dough Balls

- Combine Maseca flour , olive oil, salt and water into a small mixing bowl. Knead until smooth.

- Form small dough balls about the size of bouncy ball. Makes about 30.

For more delicious recipes made with Maseca visit the Maseca website.

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.

This week for our The Culture of Food  Weekly Round-up we searched the blogosphere for delicious meals that cover breakfast, lunch, a snack, dinner and even a simple dessert! Some of these dishes consist of a little twist on traditional recipes. Check them out below to find out what they are. 

Easy Egg Muffin {healthy to-go breakfast}

Mari of Inspired by Family Mag shared this very smart way to feed a family on the go. Instead of bitting into a typical muffin when running out the door, how about getting some protein and veggies in with these egg muffins! Check out the simple recipe here.

Marinated Mushroom and Jack Quesadilla

Who doesn’t love a good quesadilla? They’re so easy to make and tasty! This recipe for a marinated mushroom quesadilla was shared by Carla of Simply Food Love. It’s a simple way to give a traditional quesadilla a little twist.

Apricot Walnut Energy Bars

If you need a little extra something between lunch and dinner check out Fabiola’s recipe for an apricot walnut energy bar. These energy bars are easy to make and very nutritious. Fabiola blogs at Not Just Baked.

Pollo Guisado – Puerto Rican Braised Stewed Chicken

If you’re in the mood to change up your chicken recipe try Elena’s Puerto Rican pollo guisado. Elena shared this recipe on her blog The Posh Latin Cook.

Tejas de Chocolate

Time for dessert! Bocadillo Suculento shared this super easy recipe for a chocolate bar that includes berries and nuts. Check out the recipe here.

There is something very romantic about the sweet, comforting smell of burnt sugar and vanilla that permeates a kitchen while cooking flan.

The preparation process can be simple but takes a few tries to master the perfectly beautiful and distinct amber color of the caramel.  It took several disasters for me to feel comfortable enough with swirling sugar and water in slow motion without stirring, carefully but in rhythmic pace.  Sometimes causing me to gyrate my hips without even realizing it.  Sounds tricky doesn’t it?

Flan making tests my patience every time. A caramel burn is the most painful burn I’ve ever experienced.  My grandmother would say: “El caramelo es traicionero, dulce y delicioso pero puede causar un dolor que lo sientes hasta el alma.”    (Hot caramel is treacherous, sweet and delicious but can cause so much pain, that you can feel it in your soul).

The trick is to keep a watchful eye and use a light-colored stainless steel or enamel saucepan to be able distinguish when the caramel color has reached its point.  DON’T STIR!  I know it’s so tempting.  Cook over low to medium heat and watch for the golden color change and light syrupy texture.

Once you feel comfortable in making the caramel, you’ll be able to concentrate in making your own flan variety.
Below is a recipe for one of my favorite flans.  I love the combination of hints of citrus with the creamy sweetness of the milks.  The addition of orange peel and juice add a burst of flavor and texture to every bite.  Enjoy!

Orange Flan Ingredients

Serves 6

¾ cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

5 eggs

fresh juice from 2 large oranges (about 1/3 cup)

2 ½ tablespoons of very fine orange peel

1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1-12oz evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325° F.  Place four 3/4 – cup ramekins or flan/custard cups in 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

In a heavy, small skillet, stir sugar and 3 tablespoons water over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.  Boil but do not stir, hold skillet’s handle and slowly swirl pan to incorporate sugar and water.  About 5 minutes. Immediately pour syrup into custard cups; divide equally.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs then gradually whisk in juice, orange peel, condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla.  Divide mixture among ramekins.

Pour hot water into baking pan, half way up the sides of cups (bain marie).  Bake flans for 45 minutes or until sides of flans are set but centers are wobbly.  Remove baking pan from oven and let the flans cool in the baking pan with water.  Remove from water and refrigerate overnight.

Run a small knife around flans to loosen. To unmold, place a plate atop ramekin, hold plate firmly and invert.  Shake gently and allow flan to settle onto plate.

As much as I’d love to believe that my quesadillas rock (they do!), I know I have to move beyond that and also find a way to make dinner fun so that my daughter can be a part of the process. Cue in the cereal boxes!

Yes, cereal for dinner! Honestly, I never even thought of using the Kellogg’s cereal I grew up with as an ingredient in recipes. For me the phrase “Breakfast for dinner” just meant we’d be grabbing a bowl, adding cereal and milk and eating in front of the TV. But that’s not what this is about.

When I received Kellog’s Breakfast for Dinner Recipe Book I was happy to see many nutritious and creative options being offered.  All of the recipes include one of Kellog’s cereals in a mouth-watering recipe that can be served at dinner! Check out my family’s three favorite recipes below and download the book with 13 full recipes for free! Oh, and scroll all the way down to enter to win a year’s supply of Kellogg’s cereal to always have a box at hand for brinnertime!

For a printable version of the full Breakfast for Dinner recipe ebook click here!

The Giveaway!

To help you make these delicious recipes we are giving away a one-year supply of Kellog’s cereals — that’s equal to 26 boxes! Just leave us a comment letting us know which Kellogg’s breakfast for dinner recipe you’d like to try or your own favorite breakfast for dinner recipe. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We are proud to be part of the  Kellogg´s Champions of Great Starts bloggers and grateful to have Kellogg’s as a SpanglishBaby sponsor.

Continuing with the theme of my last post, today I want to talk about eating more veggies. Our culture seems to have a love/hate relationship with this food group: we know it’s good for us, but we are much more tempted to eat “tastier” veggie-less foods that are thrown on our faces day in and day out. Eating vegetables always ends up feeling like homework, and nobody likes doing homework, right?

What I have found out through many years of making my food and nutrition a priority, however, is that the more vegetables I eat, the more I crave them. I’m not saying that eating them becomes an addiction, the way eating sugar does; but they do seem to awaken some “wise” part of my mind, body, and appetite, which suddenly realizes these are the foods I need, and starts asking for more and more of them. Some call this “intuitive eating”.

So how do you start eating and enjoying more vegetables, when all you want is a huge slice of pizza or chocolate cake? I’m a big advocate of learning to eat fruits and veggies (and seeds, and nuts, and legumes, and everything that is good for you!), without even noticing it, so you have a positive attitude towards them and don’t stress out. In my last post I wrote about putting your salad in a sandwich. That has worked wonders for me, and for everyone that I’ve introduced to this habit. Another way I use to eat more veggies, is turning them into the perfect accompaniment to something I really like. Cabbage, for example, is not a vegetable I’m crazy about, but luckily for me, I do have one way in which I love eating this power veg, which I inherited from my Nicaraguan family and I’m immensely grateful for. If I’m given raw cabbage by itself, I get tired of it very quickly and it doesn’t satisfy me as a meal, not even as an appetizer. But put it next to fried plantains, beans, and cheese, like Nicaraguans do, and this salad becomes a total delight that I keep devouring and adding more of to my plate because I can’t get enough of it. The saltiness of the fried cheese, combined with the other fried foods makes one crave something fresh and watery to balance the dish out, and that’s where cabbage comes in to save the day! And granted, maybe the first half of the dish is not what the doctor prescribed, but it’s delicious and one ends up eating very little of it because the cabbage is so filling.

My favorite way of making this salad is to thinly slice a whole cabbage and a red onion, add some chopped tomato and grated carrots, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. And now that I’ve discovered Nakano‘s Seasoned Rice Vinegar, I can even skip the salt and pepper, and just splash this over the cabbage and get the perfect taste. My favorite combination of healthy, easy and appetizing!

Nicaraguan Feast (Serves 4)

Frijoles Fritos (Fried Beans)
2 cans red beans
1/2-1 cup water
2 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
Oil for frying
Salt

Rinse the beans under running water to remove the canned taste. Puree in a blender with the water (add as much water as you need). Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes over medium heat. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan (but not the oil), add the beans, and fry, stirring every now and then, until they have the consistency you desire.Season with salt.

Queso Frito (Fried Cheese)

A few slices cheese
Flour
Oil for frying

Heat a pan over medium/high heat, pass the cheese through flour, and deep fry for a few minutes, turning and frying on the other side to make sure it’s golden on both sides. You should choose a cheese with a simple taste, that won’t melt easily, such as queso fresco or halloumi. You can ask your cheese monger which cheese would be best

Tostones Fritos (Fried Plantains)

1 green plantain
Oil for frying
Salt

Peel the plantain, and cut in 2-inch slices. In a saucepan with hot oil, Pre-cook them in a saucepan with hot oil, but do not let them color. They should be partially cooked. Remove from the pan and drain with paper towels. Press every piece with the bottom of a glass or cup, making it almost flat, but being careful not to disintegrate them. Heat some more oil, and deep fry the plantain slices until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Ensalada de Col (Cabbage Slaw)

1 cabbage
1/2 red onion
1 carrot
1 tomato
2 tablespoons olive oil
A generous splash of Nakano’s Seasoned Rice Vinegar

Thinly slice the cabbage and onion. Peel and grate the carrot. Chop the tomato. Put everything in a bowl, add the olive oil and Nakano’s Seasoned Rice Vinegar.

Check out  Mizkan’s “Splash Recipe Club!” and sign up for a chance to win great prizes every month.  And visit Nakano on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest  for more inspiring and yummy recipes.

Disclosure: We give thanks to Mizkan for being a SpanglishBaby sponsor.