Halloween Spread for the Kiddos

What's Halloween without a table spread out with so many good things to eat? Boring! Before sending your little ones (or even your big ones) out to Trick or Treat, make sure they have a good meal to eat. All that wonderful delicious candy on an empty stomach is bound to keep you up all night with disgusting tummy troubles. So make sure they eat well. This way they won't be scarfing down so much candy. A simple spread of Nachos and Spicy Chicken Wings ought to do the trick. It's all finger foods and they won't feel like they have to sit down at a formal table before going out on a night of fun.

Of course, dinner could be a little more involved. How about some Chile Chili? Or an Eyeball Platter of Meatballs and Deviled Eggs? There's also La Llorona Punch and Spicy Popcorn.

Make dinner before the Trick or Treating into a party. It is a night of celebration and a time to have an enjoyable time with your family. Have a great time and PLEASE make sure kids aren't out by themselves. And be sure and check the candy before any is popped into their mouths. Sadly, there are some sickos out there. So let's take care of our kids. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Halloween Nachos

1 dozen tortillas, either corn or flour
1 stick melted butter
Garlic salt
3 cups refried beans
1 cup mild salsa
1 cup shredded cheese
Sliced pickled jalapeños (optional)

Using your favorite Halloween cookie cutters, cut shapes out of tortillas. Brush each cut-out with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Spread pieces on cookie sheet. Crisp tortillas pieces in a 350° oven for approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Arrange on a platter with refried beans, salsa, shredded cheese, and jalapeños for the kids to make their own great tasting nachos.

Chicken Wings

40 chicken wings or drummets
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 stick of butter
1 cup hot sauce (like Louisianna)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ garlic powder
Oil for frying wings

Mix flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt. Lightly dust wings with the flour mixture and place on a tray. (Reserve the left-over flour mixture.) Refrigerate tray of wings for 1 hour. Whisk eggs with 1 cup of milk. Remove wings from fridge. Heat oil, or vegetable shortening in a deep pot to 2 to 3 inches deep. Allow to get hot over medium high heat. Dip each wing into the egg mixture and then re-dust with the left-over flour mixture. Fry wings, 6 to 7 at a time, until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.Drain fried chicken wings over paper towels.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder. Simmer for 1 minute. Place drained wings into a large bowl. Drizzle with the hot sauce mixture. Toss lightly until thoroughly covered in sauce.If hot wings aren't what the kids want, do not drizzle with the hot sauce. Instead, mix BBQ sauce with a little honey and brush over drained wings. Delicious!

Chile Chili
(makes 4 generous helpings)

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon grated Mexican chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce
sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, minced onion, chopped jalapeños, optional

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain and discard fat. Add tomatoes, chili beans, chile powder, and chocolate. Cook on medium low heat for 1 hour. Serve Chile Chili in bread bowls.

Bread Bowls
1 can refrigerated French bread loaf dough

Preheat oven to 350°
Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Remove dough from can but do not unroll. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape each dough piece into a round ball with seam on bottom and round and smooth on top. Place dough balls on prepared cookie sheet seam side down. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Cut off about a quarter from the top and press bread down into "bowl" to shape.

Eyeball Appetizer Platter

Deviled Eggs:
6 hard-cooked eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
pinch of salt and pepper
6 pimento stuffed Spanish Olives cut in half
hot sauce

Peel eggs. Cut in half lengthwise. Slip yolks out and into bowl. Mash yolks and stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pastry bag (or zip lock bag with corner cut out). Squeeze yolk into egg halves. Light brush egg whites with hot sauce. Place 1/2 sliced olive in center of "eyeball" with pimento showing on top.

Meatballs:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup crushed crackers
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup (1 small) onion, minced
1 large egg
Asadero cheese pieces
Pimento stuffed olives sliced in half

Preheat oven to 400°
In large bowl, mix all ingredients except Asadero and olives. Shape into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place in ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully make a small slit on to of each meatball and insert Asadero piece. When cheese has melted slightly, top with olive half.

La Llorona Punch
1 package (.22 ounce) Berry Blue Kool Aid
1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled
1 (64 ounce) bottle white grape juice, chilled
8 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1 cup sugar, or to taste

In a large punch bowl, stir together kool aid, ginger ale, and white grape juice. Taste and stir in sugar as needed. Float ice scream scoops on top right before serving.

Chile/Pepita Popcorn
4 cups freshly popped popcorn
1 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pepitas (roasted and shelled pumpkin seeds)
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine chile powder, cumin, and salt. Toss hot popcorn with melted butter. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture. Stir in pepitas and raisins.
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Here's another Popcorn recipe you can make. Go to Mexican Chocolate Lore and More to read more about it.

Awards and A Challenge

Awards are always so fabulous to receive. It lets you know people are reading your blog and you're not making a complete fool of yourself. Blogging is meant to be fun and a way of sharing your passion with others who are like-minded. I have made many lovely friends while blogging and for the kindness shared and shown, I thank you. I love you guys.

AWARDS

From Ivy at Kopiaste, To Greek Hospitality. Thank you Ivy, I absolutely love your blog. Thank you my friend.

I pass this award on to:

Ramya from The Spice Rack. Ramya's blog is filled with all sorts of fascinating information about spices and foods we use everyday. Stop by her blog and learn a thing or two. I've been going there for some time now because I learn something new everytime I visit.
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From Reeni at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice. This award goes to baby blog - Mexican Chocolate Lore and More. Reeni is just the sweetest lady. And if you haven't been by her blog to vote for her entry in the Iron Cupcake Challenge...Do So NOW.

I pass this award onto:

Tina at Mommy’s Kitchen. I love Tina’s blog. Every recipe she posts is comfort food to me. She loves the down home cooking style and I really appreciate that.
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From Gloria at Cookbook Cuisine. This award also goes to baby blog. Gloria is a friend and mentor. I make an attempt to learn something new everytime I read her writing blog. I can hardly wait to meet her in person one day and get falling down drunk with her on Chocolate Margaritas and Cafe Kahlua.

This award goes to HappyCook fom My Kitchen Treasures. Happy cook has a very elegant and professional looking site that I enjoy visiting. Go check it out, you'll see what I mean.
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AND NOW, FOR SOME MORE FUN!!!

Gloria from Cookbook Cuisine passed this challenge on to me after getting it from Camille, at Croque-Camille, Follow along and join us on our phenomenal gathering of the feast.

OK, Gloria, we’re stranded on a desert (deserted) island. But what if we get stranded on a “desserted island”? HA! Five glorious foods to bring to my desserted island:

1. Mexican Chocolate: (or just plain chocolate as long as you can find the spices in the middle of nowhere). With Mexican Chocolate you can make a delicious mole depending on whether you can catch a wild bore or wild turkey; a thirst quenching drink by crushing the chocolate, mixing it with spring water, flavoring it with honey found in a hive on one of ridges just past the shore and heating it over a campfire; a decadent dessert of chocolate covered wild strawberries, also found on this island.

2. A giant bottle of Tequila. Together with your KAHLUA we won’t worry too much about being saved quickly.

3. Tortillas and marshmallows so that we can make dessert (for our desserted island) of chocolate and marshmallows quesadillas – again over a campfire. I’m assuming one of us will have a lighter. If not, then Gloria can rub two sticks together until she can get a spark.

4. Pinto Beans. We can make nachos with chile harvested off of chile plants we find growing in the wild along with the tortillas I’m bringing and cooked, mashed pinto beans.

5. More coffee because you can never have too much. And the way I drink it, Gloria would probably beat me with a stick if I decided to take hers.

You asked for burritos. Well, we can make mole burritos with the wild bore we capture, or we can make refried bean burritos, or we can make CHOCOLATE burritos – hey, why not??

So now, I’m going to tag:
Michele from Lightly Salted (http://www.lifelightlysalted.com/)
Ivy from Kopiaste to Greek Hospitality (http://kopiaste.blogspot.com/)
Arlene from the Food of Love (http://arlene-thefoodoflove.blogspot.com/)
Prudence from the Glass Slipper Cakery (http://glassslippercakery.blogspot.com/)
Maria from Kali Orexi (http://kalisasorexi.blogspot.com/)
Foodycat from Foodycat (http://foodycat.blogspot.com/)

Together we should get a grand assortment of foods for the feast. So whether you come to a desert island, deserted island or (my preference) a desserted island, come prepared to pig out and enjoy, maybe even get a little tipsy too.
Hasta Luego.
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Mexican Word of the Day: Sodas
My vieja complains a lot and so-das her sister!!

Dia de Los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos is a wonderful (though macabre) festive day celebrated November 1st (Dia de los Angelitos)- All Saints Day, and November 2nd- All Souls Day. Along the border, the celebration begins on October 31st: Halloween Day.

Paintings made famous for this day are attributed to Jose Guadalupe Posada. Go to this amazing website to read his biography and view some of his more famous paintings.Dia de los Muertos is a time to celebrate and remember relatives and friends who have passed on from this life. Some people even take the time to celebrate pets who have gone on to pet heaven.

The most common ways to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos is to create an "ofrenda," an altar dedicated to the deceased. The ofrenda can be set up on a fireplace mantle or a side table. It can be as complex or as humble as you wish it to be.

Often the altar is first covered with a brightly colored cloth, perhaps a zarape. Surrounding the zarape, attach "papel picado." Papel Picado is, very simply, cut tissue paper, called "papel de china" in Spanish, in a variety of colors and designs, made much the same way you would in making a snowflake.

The possibilities are endless. Some stores specializing in Mexican decor carry pre-cut papel picado for various occasions, even Halloween or Dia de los Muertos. Pictures of our long lost friends and family are also placed on the altar. Their favorite foods and beverages are set on the table as are the traditional "Pan de Muertos" (this delightful recipe was created by Meryl, at Inspired Bites) and sugar skulls.

Candles are lit and incense burns to help the departed find their way back home for that one special day to celebrate the circle of life (and death) with their loved ones. Complete the ofrenda with pots full of marigolds. These beautiful yellow-orange flowers are associated with the Day of the Dead. Some people sprinkle the flower petals from outside their door all the way to the ofrenda to help the departed find their way.

This glorious celebration had it's beginnings many years ago. Old world cultures have long since made their peace with the marriage of life and death and joyfully celebrate each. While the U.S. has fallen behind in the acceptance of the conjoining of both processes of the circle of life, the rising numbers of Mexican Americans determined to maintain roots in their culture have influenced the general population's acceptance of Dia de los Muertos. Finally, if feasible, make the journey to the cemetery. Say the rosary, or just talk to your lost loved one and enjoy that magic moment when life and death are on the same plane.

Make your own sugar skulls. It's so easy. Follow the traditional way of making Alfeñique or the simple way through a Wilton recipe I found online. Either way, you're bound to be a hit when you display these on your table for Halloween or Dia de Los Muertos.















Sugar Skulls (Alfeñique) - Traditional Recipe

2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white
1-tablespoon light corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla
1/3-cup cornstarch
Food coloring
1 fine paintbrush

Sift powdered sugar. Mix egg white, syrup, and vanilla in a dry clean bowl. Mix sugar into egg mixture gradually. Knead with fingers until mixture forms ball. Sprinkle cornstarch on table or board. Put mixture on board and shape into smooth manageable ball. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill until ready to use. Shape skulls by hand, or pack mixture into skull shaped pan. If using shaped pan, remove immediately and allow to dry for 24 hours. When dry and hardened, color with food coloring, using a fine paintbrush.This is a traditional recipe for Día de los Muertos Sugar Skulls.

If you would like a little simpler recipe, try the Wilton Sugar Mold recipe. I found an inexpensive skull mold pan at the Dollar store which I used as well.

2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons water

Making sure there are no lumps in the sugar, knead sugar and water together until it holds like wet sand. Dust mold(s) with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Pack into shaped skeleton mold(s) with palm of hand. Immediately remove from molds by inverting onto a sturdy cardboard sheet or back of cookie pan. Allow to set for 3 hours. Holding gently, scoop out bottom of skeleton mold. Place back on board or pan and allow to dry 24 hours. When completely dry, paint and decorate with fine paintbrush dipped in food coloring or with colored Royal Frosting.

My daughter and I made 30 sugar skulls for her to take to her Spanish class on Dia de los Muertos 2 years ago. The students were asking for more. Must have gone over well.


For the Capirotada Recipe, both Chocolate and Traditional, go to my chocolate blog. I'm sure you'll enjoy both recipes. Aprovecho.

Happy Almost Halloween Everyone

I realize I haven’t posted much in the last week. Life gave me lemons and I couldn’t find the sugar to make the lemonade. But I have now, and all is rosy again.

During this time, 3 beautiful foodie buddies have bestowed 3 beautiful blogging awards to this blog. I am very humbled and appreciative. I hereby promise to keep extra sugar on-hand to make any further lemonade life feels a need to present to me. I also promise to keep up with my passion of blogging, writing, cooking, baking and staying in contact with my cyber friends.






My first award comes from VG from My Household Capers. VG is an amazing woman whose blog I love to read not only to learn and share in her experiences in cooking but for those adorable quotes she puts on her blog. I love those. Sometimes it’s just the right words that will make your day. Thank you VG for your love and kindness.

This award will now be bestowed to the following people:
1. Joan from Foodalogue
2. Fabby from Muffins, Cupcakes y Mas
3. Prudence from the Glass Slipper Cakery


The second award comes from my good friend Arlene from The Food of Love. I fantasize about being Arlene, living in a log cabin in the middle of the woods. I see her life as one big romance novel. Picture this: Winter, snow, fireplace, spiked hot chocolate and holding hands with your true love. Not only is she an incredible cook, she’s probably writing her memoirs that we will all certainly rush to buy just to share in the illusion of having been there. I think the name of her blog says it all. Relish your life my dear friend. There are times when I wish I could trade place with you and live among nature. I thank you for this award.


This award will now go to:
1. Gloria from Cookbook Cuisine
2. Adam from Baking with Dynamite
3. Ben from What’s Cooking?


Leslie at Menu Maker Mom presented the third and final award. Leslie is such a hard working mom. Not only is she a great cook and friend, but also toils at preparing weekly menu suggestions that we can all use to save us a little bit of time. We all need that kind of help every once in a while. As much as we love our passion of being foodies, sometimes life gets in the way of planning ahead. We find ourselves getting ready to go grocery shopping and have no idea what to plan for the weekly meals for our hard working families. This is where Leslie comes in (to the rescue—Super Leslie!). Her recommendations are sensible and frugal. Can’t go wrong with that. Leslie you’re a sweetheart. We all thank you for your hard work and I thank you for this award.

This award goes to:
1. Lori from The Recipe Girl
2. Vanessa from 3 Rs Cakes and Cupcakes
3. Maria from Kali Orexi

Each of these 9 blogs has an excellence in their presentation, material, appearance and persona. I appreciate each and every one of them for all I’ve learned just by reading and visiting their blogs. They are caring, witty, loving, and knowledgeable experts in their own field of cooking and baking and valuable information they have to share with the rest of us foodies. Please visit each one and congratulate them for a job well done.


Hasta luego mis querido amigos. I’m preparing the Sugar Skulls (Alfeñique) for my Friday post. Halloween is coming…so is Dia de los Muertos. You can’t let this day go by without making your own sugar skulls. I will also share with you some great information about Jose Guadalupe Posada whose paintings centered around Dia de Los Muertos. Scary, very scary, but traditional.

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Mexican Word of the day: JUICY

Hey vato tell me if juicy the cops!

“Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches”

Foodbuzz Publisher Community

It’s here, it’s here! Foodbuzz, Inc. is unbelievably excited to announce the official launch of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community, which is comprised of more than 1,000 global food bloggers, our “Featured Publishers.” At launch, the Foodbuzz community successfully broke into the top ten rankings of internet destinations for food and dining, according to Quantcast, a global internet rating service.

In addition, the inaugural 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs event—which aims to showcase 24 Featured Publisher blog posts around the globe in a 24-hour period—kicked off on Sept. 20 and successfully displayed to online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity.”’24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs’ captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shares it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about—real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”Foodbuzz is proud to be the only online community with content created by food bloggers and rated by foodies, offering over 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly. Members can vote for their favorite pieces of content (recipes, photos, blog posts, videos, restaurant reviews) by “buzzing” them up to the top of the daily menu of submissions. “Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc.FoodbuzzWhile the site is logging over 14 million monthly page views and over three million unique monthly visits, the Foodbuzz blogger community is concurrently growing at a rate of 40 percent per month, driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs.“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm, and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Foodbuzz is like the stock of a great soup, allowing bloggers to contribute content and subsequently interact in a rapidly growing, online niche-specific community.” Keep buzzing,The Foodbuzz Team
It’s here, it’s here! Foodbuzz, Inc. is unbelievably excited to announce the official launch of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community, which is comprised of more than 1,000 global food bloggers, our “Featured Publishers.” At launch, the Foodbuzz community successfully broke into the top ten rankings of internet destinations for food and dining, according to Quantcast, a global internet rating service.Foodbuzz Publisher CommunityIn addition, the inaugural 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs event—which aims to showcase 24 Featured Publisher blog posts around the globe in a 24-hour period—kicked off on Sept. 20 and successfully displayed to online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity.”’24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs’ captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shares it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about—real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”Foodbuzz is proud to be the only online community with content created by food bloggers and rated by foodies, offering over 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly. Members can vote for their favorite pieces of content (recipes, photos, blog posts, videos, restaurant reviews) by “buzzing” them up to the top of the daily menu of submissions. “Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc.
While the site is logging over 14 million monthly page views and over three million unique monthly visits, the Foodbuzz blogger community is concurrently growing at a rate of 40 percent per month, driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs.“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm, and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Foodbuzz is like the stock of a great soup, allowing bloggers to contribute content and subsequently interact in a rapidly growing, online niche-specific community.”
KEEP BUZZING!

Pepitas -- Pumpkin Seeds

We’ve seen a lot of recipes lately with “pepitas”. But what are pepitas? Pepitas are pumpkin seeds. And some of the recipes that have been created with these delicious little morsels are fantastically tasty. But there is so much more to pepitas.

For example, did you know that pumpkin seeds, the pepita, have been around since the time of the Aztecs? Together with maize (corn) and beans, these three food products are known as the “Three Sisters” for being among the earliest plants domesticated in the Western Hemisphere.

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, which boosts the immune factors in the body. They also contain iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium that help lower cholesterol. Five to ten grams of pepitas can help with urinary problems and even assist in the prevention of prostate problems in men.

As with any food type containing natural oils, over consumption can contribute to weight gain. But my motto has always been all things in moderation. Moderation allows you to enjoy different foods and still maintain a healthy lifestyle.


Halloween is the perfect time to make your own pepitas. If you’ll look through your Mexican Foods isle in the supermarket, you’ll see that pepitas are sold and packaged as a snack item. They are sold roasted, plain, salted or with seasoning added, such as red chile powder. But if you’re carving up a jack o’lantern for the little ones, don’t waste the seeds. They are very easy to prepare and also good for you. Here is a simple recipe to follow in making your own seasoned pepitas. I’m also linking to Lori at Recipe Girl. She made some absolutely divine crackers topped with raw pepitas that roasted up rather nicely while the crackers were baking. She served these scrumptious crackers with some homemade Fresh Cranberry Jam. Man she's good! Please go to her site and you'll see what I mean.

Follow the Left-Over Queen's philosophy and make use of all foods. Waste at this point in our lives is nonsense. It’s like throwing money away. So, use every bit of what you have and enjoy.




If you like saltier or spicier pepitas, you might consider boiling them in salted water first before roasting them. This will help infuse the salt into the kernel. Just be sure and let them dry completely before roasting them. Also, if you aren’t planning on making a truck load of seeds, consider roasting them in an iron skillet on top of the stove instead of the oven.

One more thing. Did you know that many people eat their pepitas with the hull intact? Yep. They can be eaten this way. After all, the hull is what contains a lot of the nutrients and the fibrous texture helps with the digestive system. Personally, I prefer to shell them one at a time. This keeps me from eating far more than I should, and I just can’t fathom eating the hull…nutritious or not.


Pepitas

Ingredients:
Pumpkins seeds
Olive or canola oil
Salt
Chile powder, garlic powder or other seasoning

Directions
Scoop out seeds from pumpkin cavity. Rinse the seeds using a colander, drain. Allow the seeds to dry. Add 1 tablespoon of oil for each cup of seeds. Mix until all seeds are well coated. Add salt, garlic and chile powder.

Spread on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 35 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Stir occasionally.

Optional variations on flavoring your pepitas:

Savory: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Lemony: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon 'Mrs. Dash" or lemon pepper

Halloweeny: 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
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Mexican Word of the Day:"HERPES"
When me and my homegirl split a churro, "herpes" is always bigger!

La Llorona -- The Wailing Mist

“Legend of La Llorona”

“Ay, mis hijos! Donde estan mis hijos! Ay, mis hijos!” "Where are my children?"

Maria’s wailing and desperate cries could be heard up and down the river through the length of the town.

The beautiful Maria had married a handsome young Norteño traveling through her small village. She felt honored that he had given her his attention. Within two years she had given birth to two children. Her husband continued to travel, often leaving for months at a time while Maria cared for the children on her own as well as tend to the small farm she called home.

On one of his travels back to the village, the handsome Norteño told Maria that he was leaving her and never coming back. He told her that she had become too tired looking and unattractive from taking care of the children and that he needed someone young and beautiful and worthy of his attention. Having said this, he mounted his horse and rode away into the night.

Maria became so distraught that she turned and looked at her two young ones with so much disdain and blamed them for being left alone by their father. In her agony, she grabbed them and dragged them to the river where she pushed them into the water. The river currents were so strong that it wasn’t long before the children were pulled under the surface and drowned. Seeing their tiny heads disappear below the water, Maria immediately realized what she had done, but it was too late. The children were gone. She fell on her knees and pulled at her hair, screaming, “Ay mis hijos!”

The next morning, Maria was found dead along the riverbank. No one could determine how she had died, other than because of the sorrow and grieving at the loss of her children. She was buried that same day.

That evening, families walking by the river could hear a faint crying. As they came closer to the water, the crying became a wailing, and words could be heard, “Ay mis hijos! Donde estan mis hijos!” A faint white mist appeared to float above the riverbank, close to where Maria’s body had been found. It resembled the long white dress in which she had been buried.

To this day, mothers and grandmothers warn their children not to be out at night because La Llorona is still looking for her children and she might snatch them up, believing them to be her own.

Legend? You won't catch me walking by the river at night. If you listen on a quite, gloomy night, you can still her cries. Watch-out! Don't get caught!

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In honor of La Llorona, here are two drinks to imbibe this month. This is a time when two worlds cross over into one another. A time when legends become reality and reality becomes....lost.

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Murky Water

1/4 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
1/4 oz Peach Schnapps
1/4 oz Coconut Rum
1/4 oz pineapple Rum
1/4 oz Grenadine syrup
1/4 oz Apple-juice or Pineapple juice

Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a shot glass, and serve.

La Llorona Punch

1 package (.22 ounce) Berry Blue Kool-Aid
1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled
1 (64 ounce) bottle white grape juice, chilled
8 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1 cup sugar, or to taste

In a large punch bowl, stir together kool aid, ginger ale, and white grape juice. Taste and stir in sugar as needed. Float ice scream scoops on top right before serving.

**La Llorona is portrayed by my daughter, Lily.
**La Llorona by the punch bowl is portayed by ..BARBIE!

Award and Spotlight

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Nikky from Nik Snacks presented this award to my blog. I love Nikki. She is such a creative foodie. She cooks, she works, she's on TV, she writes, she does anything and everything. I have absolutely no doubt that Nikki will have her own show one day. She's ambitious and she's going places. It's a wonder she ever has anytime to sit back and put her feet up after a long day. Congratulations on being such a great blogger, foodie and friend, Nikki. We all love you. Please visit Nikki at her blog and try and keep up with her. She goes a mile a minute, smiling all the while.

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S P O T L I G H T
Arlene from The Food of Love hit the spotlight on one of my recipes a few days ago. I was floored! The recipe, Caldo de Albondigas, is a simple soup that my mother used to prepare for my brothers and me when we were little, during the fall and winter months. Well, Arlene liked it enough to showcase it on her blog - thank you sweetie. This recipe is very special to me. Arlene is a retired school administrator who lives in a log cabin. I am so jealous. The whole idea of living alongside nature is so romantic that I'm sure we all wish we could trade places with Arlene every once in a while. Visit Arlene at her blog and say hello and check out her wonderful recipes.

Piñata Time!

Pinatas!

What’s a party or Fiesta without a Piñata? BORING! So what’s a Piñata you ask? Read on.

Piñatas

They're everywhere, at most Hispanic celebrations anywhere. From birthdays to Christmas you will see these colorful, candy and toy filled creations hanging from a rope ready to be broken open to reveal the delightful surprises waiting to be shared by everyone.
The word piñata comes from the Italian word "pignatta", meaning "fragile pot". Originally, piñatas came from China. Marco Polo is credited with introducing the idea to Europe in the 14th century. When the custom reached Spain, the piñata was used on the first Sunday of Lent. The fiesta was called "Dance of the Piñata". A clay pot, an olla, was decorated with colorful papers, ribbons, and tinsel.

The Aztecs used a form of the piñata to celebrate the birthday of the Aztec god of war. Pots were decorated with fancy feathers and filled with "tiny treasures". The pots were then hung and broken with a stick to allow these treasures to fall at the feet of the gods' image as an offering. With the coming of the 16th century, Spanish missionaries used the piñata to attract converts to their ceremonies. The clay pot was called a cantero, which represented Satan. At the time, the most usual design of the piñata was a round center, where the clay pot was hidden by the decorative papers, with seven points, like a star, each with dangling steamers. These points represented the seven deadly sins: greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath, and lust. Therefore, the piñata reflected catequismo, meaning religious instruction or catechism.

The blindfolded participant represented a force defying evil: Fe, meaning faith. The stick used to break the piñata-symbolized virtue. Once the piñata was broken, the candies and fruits that fell out of the pot were the rewards for keeping their faith. Colorful piñatas can be found in all shapes and sizes. They can be purchased in Mexican markets or specialty stores. There's even a place in El Paso that will ship a piñata to you. But, you can also make one yourself and design it to your hearts content.

How To Make a Piñata

Materials Needed for Star Piñata:
1. 1 balloon - as large as you want your piñata.
2. Old newspapers, torn into strips, and full sheet newspapers to make into cones.
3. Paste mix: 1 cup of flour and ½ cup water (more or less on the water to create the consistency desired).
4. 6 feet of strong string or yarn.5. Various colors of crepe paper streamers to decorate the piñata.6. 1 small bottle of glue.
7. Masking tape.

Instructions:
A. Inflate the balloon and make a knot to keep in the air.
B. Tie the 6 foot string to the knot. You will use the string to hang up the balloon to allow it to dry .
C. Make your flour and water paste.
D. Dip the strips of newspaper into the paste and cover the balloon with two layers.
E. Let this dry for 24 hours.
F. Make 5 newspaper cones. Attached to the piñata with masking tape.
G. If you would like to re-enforce your piñata a little more, paste another layer of newspaper strips all over, including the cones and allow to dry another 24 hours.
H. When piñata is completely dry, pull on the string at top to loosen the balloon. Make a small slit in the balloon to deflate. When all the air is out of the balloon, pull the balloon out. Now you're ready to decorate the piñata.
I. Cut colored crepe paper strips into 10 inch pieces. On one side of the strip (the long side), cut a fringe the length of the strip.
J. Using your bottle of glue, apply a thin line of glue to the crepe paper strip (the side without the fringe), and apply to the piñata. Experiment. Use your imagination.
K. Allow the piñata to dry another 24 hours. Attach a piece of wire in back to dangle piñata on a rope. Also, make an opening in the back carefully with a craft utility knife to fill piñata with candies. Then simply tape the opening closed again.

Remember: A piñata is an instrument of fun. Always keep smaller children far away from the spot where the piñata is being hit. Accidents have been known to occur in the midst of the excitement. A simple piñata can be made from a brown paper grocery bag, or even a box. The point is to have fun making it, with or without your children, and then have fun taking turns trying to break it apart. Enjoy.

For something a little extra crazy, check out Talking Piñatas. They come in hit-activated and motion-activated styles. AND, the most important thing is, they're made in El Paso, my home town!

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Don't forget to check out my Chocolate Blog.
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Mexican word of the day: BUTTER and LETTUCE
I wanna marry my ruca butter parents won't lettuce.