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November 23, 2011

The Muppets!

Last year I made my boys sit down with me and watch The Muppet Show. I was determined to make them like it. They did not. So I went to YouTube.I was thrilled when they fell in love with The Muppets doing “BohemianRhapsody.” But still no Muppet Show.

Now, I can happily say my kids are Muppet converts all the way. We saw a screening of The Muppets at the El Capitan and they absolutely loved it. It was silly and fun and full of corny jokes.

The Muppets opens with Walter, a puppet living in a Small town USA and just realizing that he’s different. He too loves the Muppets and tags along with his best friends Gary (Jason Segal) and Mary (Amy Adams) to Los Angeles. There he gets a tour of Muppet Studios and he uncovers a plot that forces him to find Kermit and help him get the gang back together.

What was great about the movie is that it is good hearted to the core. It’s not trying to be hip and cool. It’s sweet and funny and perfect for kids and their nostalgic grown up parents.

We’re definitely watching the Muppet Show this holiday weekend. In the meantime, I’m going to have them watch my second favorite Muppet video, which is Kermit and Bret McKenzie singing “Life’s a Happy Song.” And this video, the last trailer to be released for the movie that opens today.

November 23, 2011

Nothing Says Home Like Flan

Milk, sugar, and vanilla: Three of my favorite things in the world. As a child I wasn’t allowed to have sugar (too gordita!) so of course I thought about it all the time. My mom didn’t make a lot of desserts growing up, but she did make one that combined my three favorite things. Her flan is to die for. It’s milky, sweet, and so rich.

For years I tried to make it myself, but I couldn’t recreate it. It wasn’t dense enough. It wasn’t rich enough. It wasn’t hers. Growing up I hated cooking and would spend my time in the kitchen reading a book until it was time to cut vegetables or grate cheese, not paying attention to what she put into her amazing dishes.

When I asked her how she made her flan she said “It’s just condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla.” How many eggs? How much condensed milk? Her answer was different every time.

Finally, I got her to look through her recipes (which were just a list of ingredients, no quantities) and write down how she made it. I was blown away by how simple it is; and how bad it is for you! Now I realize why I never could recreate it. I was trying to make a lower fat version. Well, there’s no low fat happening here.

I save her flan for very special occasions. Because I don’t want my boys wondering how I make any of the foods they love, I have them help me when I cook. I want my kids to have that memory of one taste that makes them think of home.

Here is my mom’s recipe for flan, which is easy and decadent. And below is a slightly lower fat, lower sugar Pumpkin Flan recipe that I made for my son’s kindergarten Thanksgiving celebration. It has whole milk, but you can easily substitute low fat milk. And best of all, it’s naturally gluten-free.

Flan de mi Mama en Tucson

1 cup sugar

2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14-ounce cans)

1 can evaporated milk (12-ounces

5 eggs

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 and have a 9-inch cake pan ready. Slowly melt 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is completely melted and golden.

Quickly pour into cake pan and using pot holders, swirl the pan around until the caramel is covering the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides (doesn’t have to be perfect).

In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Place pan in a larger pan. Slowly add hot water to the larger pan so the water comes up 1 inch on the side of the cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the custard is set, which is when a knife comes outclean.

Cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. When it comes time to serve, run a knife along the edge of the panto release the flan. Place a serving plate over the top and flip the flan over very carefully and let the syrup run over the top of the flan. Serve in slices with raspberries just on its own.

Pumpkin Flan

1 cup sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14-ounces)

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

6 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 and have a 9-inch cake pan ready. Slowly melt 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is completely melted and golden.

Quickly pour into cake pan and using pot holders, swirl the pan around until the caramel is covering the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides (doesn’t have to be perfect).

In a large bowl, combine condensed milk, milk, pumpkin, eggs, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Place pan in a larger pan. Slowly add hot water to the larger pan so the water comes up 1 inch on the side of the cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the custard is set, which is when a knife comes out clean.

Cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. When it comes time to serve, run a knife along the edge of the pan to release the flan. Place a serving plate over the top and flip the flan over very carefully and let the syrup run over the top of the flan.

Want more milk recipes? El Maestrodel Vaso Medio Lleno has them linked on his Facebook page. Or visit the Master of the Glass Half Full onTwitter.

Disclosure: This is post is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor’s Board and Latina Mom Bloggers.

November 22, 2011

PlayStation Family

My boys love playing video games, but I don’t always love that they often stand stationary (or like my little one; lay down). So I’m always looking for games that will get them moving.

I was recently given a PlayStation3 with the Move games “Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest” and “Sports Champions.” My boys were running around like crazy people playing the game and my 7-year-old was sweating after playing for 10 minutes.

There are so many cool features on the PS3 and Move is one of them. The Move is a wireless controller that has incredible accuracy when you’replaying a game. I know because I played a lot of games last weekend.

I’m one of several bloggers chosen to be part of Playstation Family.We were invited to Foster City to visit Sony’s PlayStation headquarters and learn more about the company and products from Sony CEO of Computer Entertainment Jack Tretton. We learned about the amazing capabilities of the PS3 and also the soon to be released Vita.

My kids will be thrilled with the PlayStation Vita, a handheld gaming device that’s coming out in February. But what I’m interested in is the PlayStation Network where you stream television shows, movies, sports,and music. There are HBO shows and movies from Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Walt Disney, and Paramount along with NFL Sunday Ticket.

But is it safe to use? The PlayStation Network was hacked in April and the hacker obtained the personal information of 77 million users.

“It clearly opened our eyes,” Tretton said. They learned a valuable lesson and security is the best it’s ever been, he said. Users needed to decide if the content was worth the risk, he said. And it appears that it is. There are now 90 million registered accounts in the PlayStation Network, 13 million more than before the attack.

The selection of movies does look really good and so does the music program with 10 million streaming songs. I’m excited to create a new running mix for half marathon training.

Not only did we learn a lot, but we got to socialize. Some amazing bloggers are part of the Family including my MomsLA cofounders Elise Derby and Sarah Auerswald, and MomsLA contributor Lori Cunningham of The Well Connected Mom.

It was a fun and exhausting 24 hours. I’ll be very interested to learn what our next PlayStation Family adventure is going to be.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but I was given a PS3, games, and transportation and hotel were provided.

November 9, 2011

Master of the Glass Half Full Twitter Party

I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to read the awesome bits of wisdom that The Master of the Glass Half Full shares on Twitter, but here is a small sample:

If you’re short, cheer up. When you stumble andfall it’ll be less painful. Your daily glass of #positivismo

Your husband is not losing his hair; he’s growing hisintelligence.

If you feel you’re getting old, cheer up. Oldage is a much better option than dying.

You’re not looking at other men; you’re just confirming howhandsome yours is.

If you have insomnia, use it to your advantage. You have an extra three hours a day. – (This one speaks directly to me as I write this post at 1 a.m.)

Soon you will be able to chat with the Maestro himself.As one of the Positivity Ambassadors for the California Milk Processor’s Board,I’m pleased to invite you to The Master of the Glass Half Full Twitter party. Join me, LatinaMom Bloggers, my fellow Positivity Ambassadors, Toma Leche, and The Master of the Glass Half Full himself for the party on November 16^th from 9-10:30 PM ET (6-7:30 PM PT).

We’ll be sharing tips on how to live a morepositive life and sharing our favorite milk-based recipes. Plus we’ll tell yousome creative ways to incorporate milk into your family’s diet and share thehealth benefits of milk. If that’s not enough, there’s a chance to win somegreat prizes. It’s going to be a fun and informative—hope to see you on Twitter!

WHEN: Wednesday, November 16th, 2011, at 6-7:30 pm PTor 9-10:30 pm EST

WHERE: Twitter hashtag #Positivismo

WHO TO FOLLOW: Special Guest: @maestropositivo a.k.a. El Maestro del VasoMedio Lleno (The Master of the Glass Half Full). Panelists: @SassyScorpYM, @Eva_Smith,@michellerivera5, @daytrippingmom, @unknownmami, @shesnachomama, @darielacruz,@nibblesnfeasts, @yvonneinla, @spousesprite, @presleyspantry,@vidacoco, @colombianaenCA, @mamanoticias Moderators: @LatinaMomBlogs, @JollyMom, @Eva_Smith

*PRIZES:

Oster Classic Beehive Blender with a Six Month’s Supply of Milk
Two (2) Six Month’s Supply of Milk
Tree of Life Yoga Kit with a Six Month’s Supply of Milk
NOOKColor & skin with a Six Month’s Supply of Milk

RSVP: To be eligibleto win prizes, you must RSVP at LatinaMomBloggers.com.Click HERE to RSVP.

OFFICIAL RULES: Please makesure to read the Official Rulesat Latina Mom Bloggers.

* Sixmonth’s supply of milk is calculated at 5 gallons per month for six months at$4 per gallon equaling $120 to be paid in the form of a gift card.

*Twitter,NOOKColor, VividView, Oster and Tree of Life Yoga are the trademarks of theirrespective owners, and they are not affiliated with California Milk ProcessorBoard.

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaignwith the California Milk Processor’s Board and LatinaMom Bloggers

October 31, 2011

Halloween: No Tricks, Just Treats at Magnolia Bakery

My 7-year-old son loves baked goods almost as much as I do. But he’s picky, too. When I try a new recipe and it doesn’t quite work, he has no problem telling me it’s not good.

So I knew he would be brutally honest about the cupcakes, pies, cookies, and bars that we were to sample at Magnolia Bakery last week. The bakery threw a Halloween party and my little Indiana Jones was eager to try everything.

And he did try everything. Pumpkin whoopie pies (which I thought were fantastic), cupcakes, pumpkin brownies, butter cookies, and apple pie. After he downed his second mini cupcake he looked at me and said, “This is good. You should give this place a good review.”

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I have to admit everything we tried was very good especially the apple pie. The crust was beautiful and delicious. I don’t love the cupcakes, but my kids thought they were amazing, even my 6-year-old who is not a fan of baked goods.

My husband is a fan of baked goods, but he can’t have them as much as he’d like. He has Celiac Disease and can’t have wheat flour so cupcakes are often times out of the question. Luckily, we were at Magnolia on a Tuesday and one of the cupcakes of the day was a flourless chocolate cupcake with a vanilla meringue buttercream. They packed it in a box and we took it home as a surprise.

He was thrilled and so were the boys. Dressing up in costumes and having pie and cupcakes is second only to dressing up in costume and being given candy. Happy Halloween!

October 28, 2011

Ford’s Car of Tomorrow

The first new car I bought was a Ford Ranger pick-up truck with a bench seat. It was about 15 years ago and I was living in Southern Illinois working at my first newspaper job when the clunker of a car I had driven from Tucson to the Midwest suddenly died.

My brother sells cars and he told me there were 2 trucks in my price range. They were both manuals with a bench seat, but one had air conditioning and one a radio. It was summer and ridiculously hot so air conditioning won out.

My Ford Ranger was simple, reliable, and the best car I ever had and I think of it fondly. So when Ford invited me out to Orlando to learn about Ford’s vision for new car technology I could not pass it up. I’ve gone from being a single girl in a pickup to a mom in a high tech hybrid SUV. I wanted to know what kind of safety features I can look forward to seeing when my kids start driving.

From the look of it, there will be a lot and they will be amazing.

A group of journalists and bloggers were invited to Orlando, Florida by Ford to learn about new technology and hear Bill Ford, Jr. speak at the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems.

First we heard about Ford’s Driving Skills for Life program that I wrote about for MomsLA. Then we heard about some of the new safety systems that Ford is working on along with other car companies.

The Intelligent Vehicle Technology is amazing. Ford is working with other car companies to make it possible for vehicles to talk to one another to avoid accidents. I was able to ride along during a demonstration. The video below talks about how the technology works and the last part was the very scary real life scenario. That gasp at the end was me.

The goal is to have all cars talking to each other and talking to intersections to avoid collisions and ease traffic congestion. But what was really interesting to me was the potential for apps for the car that can monitor your health and wellness. Like the car-to-car crash avoidance systems, these are meant to be a way to identify and alert the driver to issues before they become a problem. Ford is working with medical device manufacturers to figure out ways to check blood sugar levels and give allergy alerts for people with asthma or allergies. I don’t necessarily think it’s a good idea for car companies (or insurance companies) to know that much about you, but they say that privacy is important and the systems won’t keep your information.

We also heard Bill Ford, Jr. speak, but I’ll have more video on that later.

Disclosure: I was not paid for this post but my family and I were given airline tickets, and hotel stay to attend the event plus Disney world tickets. That said, the opinions in this post are my own. You can find more from me at MomsLA.com where I am editor and cofounder.

October 27, 2011

Berry and Cherry Smoothie Recipe with Milk and Yogurt

Every once in a while I pull out pictures of my 2 boys as babies. There’s the older one with a bowl of rice and spinach on his head and a big smile on his face. And there’s the younger boy with pureed carrots and peas mashed into his cheeks. See, I tell them, you were so happy when you ate whatever I gave you.

They were the best eaters until one day they weren’t. So I do whatever I can to get healthy food into them. I put peas on their pizza, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on their broccoli, and even put chocolate in their milk.

My younger son drinks milk every day, all the time, but the older one only wants it if it’s doctored in some way. His favorite of course is chocolate milk. I add a tiny bit of chocolate and he drinks it up.

Milk and Chocolate Milk in souvenir Hogsmeade mugs

But the way I love to give him milk is in a smoothie. There’s so much nutrition in their morning smoothie that I don’t have to worry when they go the rest of the day without eating much of anything. There’s no added sugar, just really good ingredients.

He gets protein and calcium from milk and greek yogurt. He gets fiber, antioxidants, and Vitamin C from blackberries, raspberries, and dark sweet cherries. And lastly, he gets potassium from banana or mango. Serve the smoothie with a bowl of oatmeal and you have a power breakfast that kids will love.

We experiment smoothie recipes all the time, but this one is our family favorite. The cherries make it especially delicious.

Mixed Berry with Dark Sweet Cherry Smoothie
2 cups frozen fruit (Trader Joe’s Mixed Berry and Cherry Mix)
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 banana
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mango or orange juice (optional to taste)
Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

There’s still time to vote for your favorite picture in the Master of the Glass Half Full Photo Contest on Facebook. Follow the Maestro on Facebook or Twitter.

This is a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor’s Board and Latina Mom Bloggers.

October 17, 2011

Our America With Lisa Ling

In preparation for lunch with Lisa Ling, a group of us were given access to three episodes of Our America with Lisa Ling. There was one called “Modern Polygamy,” the next “Amateur Porn,” which airs tonight, and the third was about veterans with post traumatic stress syndrome called “Invisible Wounds of War.”

Not surprisingly for me, I watched the polygamy episode of the documentary-style show first. I find that lifestyle fascinating, not just because these men have multiple wives, but I find religious fundamentalists so interesting. How can they believe in something so completely?

And how can a mother let a young girl get into a marriage with an older man who has another wife? I was ready to be outraged. I’ve read “Under the Banner of Heaven,” by Jon Krakauer about two brothers who kill their sister in law and her baby in the name of God and “Escape” by Carolyn Jessop about a woman who escapes her polygamist husband. And I watched every episode of “Big Love” on HBO.

But what was so intriguing about the episode was that I wasn’t outraged. The town that they profiled, Centennial Park, Utah, wasn’t scary and oppressive and it wasn’t a town ruled by men. The women there appear to have a choice and a voice. In fact, according to the show, the women there choose their husbands not the other way around.

Some of the community leaders have even partnered with a Gay rights activist to help them keep the government out of their bedrooms.

Before the show, I had a very definite opinion on polygamy. Now, while I don’t approve of that lifestyle, I can see another point of view.

And that’s what I love about “Our America” on OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. Ling and her team do such a great job of telling intimate, well documented stories. She said that they spend weeks with the subjects they chronicle on the show and she gets to know them. And the audience gets to know them as well.

The show isn’t loud and it’s not yelling at you, Ling said. “It’s not sensational.” Ling’s goal is to take the audience along on a journey and then at the end the hope is that they leave with more understanding and maybe more compassion.

I didn’t feel the same level of compassion to the subjects of the “Amateur Porn” episode that airs tonight. It seemed like a bunch of people making really bad decisions that you know won’t end well. But it was definitely compelling to watch. The second season of “Lisa Ling’s Our America” starts tonight. I would highly recommend checking it out.

October 16, 2011

The New Muppet Movie Trailer

It’s no secret that I love the Muppets. I love the Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, and I can’t wait until November 23 when Jason Segel’s “The Muppets” comes out. If it’s even half as good as the original, “The Muppet Movie,” I’ll be happy.

Here’s the latest trailer and it’s fantastic!

October 5, 2011

Big Voice…Dare to Dream Documentary

A friend told me about this amazing documentary that his sister is producing. It’s about a Santa Monica High School Choir Director, Jeffe Huls, and his students. The clip is really well done and I hope to see more. The project is still in need of funding though and is halfway to its goal.

For more information visit the fundraising page on Kickstarter or the blog Fair and Unbalanced.