Thursday, December 30, 2010

Could you use a BRA MAKEOVER?

Check out my review of Intimacy bra-fitters (with locations around the US) at San Diego Momfia and enter to win a $25 Gift Certificate to help you obtain the perfect bra. Yes, it does exist!

You can check out Intimacy and schedule a FREE fitting at a location near you by visiting their website, http://www.myintimacy.com/

Your breasts deserve a Happy New Year too!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

"La Cookie-racha" Nacho Mama's MEXCELLENT Christmas Cookies!

Even though I admit to being a terrible baker-here is yet another recipe for a delicious baked dessert! (The other, my "empanadas" can be seen HERE). I've been fooling around with the oven for at least a week trying to come up with a signature holiday cookie and I finally stumbled on the perfect combo of ingredients last night!

Try these and I think you 'll agree that while Nacho Mama may be a terrible baker, I am an awesome FAKER! These are super easy-as long as you live somewhere with access to Mexican foods. I made these cookies with regular sugar-cookie dough and they were good, but after reading this post over at The Crafty Chica's blog, I tried it with gingerbread-cookie dough-EUREKA!

Before I divulge the secret recipe, I'd like to say a word about "tube food." I grew up on my mom's and grandmoms' delicious homemade cooking and never tasted "tube food" (you know, the doughy processed stuff sold in tubes in the supermarket) until I started dating my a-dorable gringo husband.  Once he showed me how to open the tubes by smacking them against the kitchen counter? It was love. I know there is very little in these tubes that resemble actual food, but I must say that as an occasional indulgence, they can be luverly.

So here they are, NACHO MAMA'S MEXCELLENT CHRISTMAS COOKIES!*

You will need:

1 tube of Gingerbread Cookie Dough
1 wheel of Mexican Chocolate (Ibarra or similar)
2-3 large pieces of Dulce de Leche Candy (smiling yet? I am!)

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Using a microplane or fine cheese grater, grate about 1/2 the chocolate wheel onto a plate
3. Cut your Dulce de Leche candy into yummy bite-sized pieces, try to save some for the cookies
4. Slice the dough tube into 1/2-inch coins, then slice those into four "pie-shaped"pieces
5. Roll each dough pie-shape into a ball, and roll the ball around in the Mexican chocolate until completely covered.

6. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 according to dough package instructions.
7. Once done, remove from oven and, while still warm, press a piece of Dulce de Leche into the center of each cookie.

8. Call your family to enjoy the cookies while they are still warm and show your gratitude to your husband (for introducing you to tube food and keeping the kids out of your hair so you could bake) by not slapping his hand away.
These are AWESOME. And so easy! The combo of the gingerbread and the Mexican chocolate give it a yummy kick against the smooth, creamy Dulce de Leche.

I hope you'll give my Mexcellent Christmas Cookies a try-I have a feeling the gingerbread dough is going to be available in your supermarket for a limited time :)

*thanks to my facebook friends Maureen, Katy, Maria, Stacie, Halisia and my mom for helping to come up with the name!

ALSO-If you're looking for an easy, last-minute craft, check out my post over at Rock On Mommies (I'm also hosting an awesome GIVEAWAY there-don't miss it!)

Hope you all enjoy this season-and don't stress out too much!

Wishing you happy holidays with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Stress-free Holidays? Almost...

I recently had one of those "lightbulb moments" about holiday stress. You can read about it over at Rock On Mommies! (sorry to make you click to another site-hope that doesn't stress you out!)

Do you freak out every holiday season trying to make everything perfect?
Yeah, me too. Now all I have to do is change my definition of "perfect."

Wishing you HAPPY HOLIDAYS with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama

Sunday, December 12, 2010

2nd Annual Holiday Craft "Bar-zaar" THIS SATURDAY

Hello all!

Tis the season for craft fairs galore! Trinkets, doo-dads and handcrafted whatsits of every kind abound. But what if you want to buy handcrafted gifts you and your loved ones will actually use? What if you want a yummy cocktail while you shop? In fact-who decided that craft fairs have to be relegated to church halls, school gymnasiums and the VFW? Can't we shop for cool handmade stuff at, say, a swanky cocktail lounge? YES WE CAN!
This coming Saturday (12/18) at North Park's illustrious Bar Pink, my crafty colleagues and I will be selling our awesomely useful wares from 5-9PM. Grab your girlfriends and guyfriends for a Crafty Cocktail Hour that is not your Grandma's craft fair!

And for those of you who can't make it,later this month I'll be featuring an easy and useful craft (maybe TWO!) you can whip up at the last minute when you realize you forgot to get something for your sister-in-law.

Happy CRAFTY Holidays!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Nacho Mama's Day Out-with TATER TOTS!

It's not often this mama gets a day out. So when I saw on twitter that my online friends Theresa and Beth were going to be lunching in Hillcrest? I just had to weasel solicit an invitation for myself. After all, the ladies were going to be in Nacho Mama's 'hood. And? They were going to be vlogging about the launch of their AWESOME new site SDMomfia. And? They were going to be joined by Aaron from He Said, She Said. AND?  It was going to be at R GANG EATERY!!! Which I have been dying to try since it opened but haven't because, as I said above, it's not often I get a day out. (Whew! That's a lot of links for one paragraph, no?)

OK, so I totally horned in on their awesome mommy lunch. But it was worth it.

First of all, even though we all live in the same town, and all write for Theresa's site Rock On Mommies, I've never met the ladies in person. We tweet each other all day long, but there is a singular thrill that comes from meeting the face behind the twitter-handle that is difficult to convey unless you've actually experienced it. Let's just say that the web is waaay to small to contain the ferocious divinity that is Theresa and Beth. Now with Aaron I had some idea what to expect, having seen his hilarious webisodes. He did not disappoint and yes boys, he is even cuter and sweeter in person!

Speaking of cute-our menu was personally selected for us by R Gang's a-dorable chef, Rich Sweeney. Who was recently on a show called "Top Chef" - perhaps you've heard of it? He is also mas chulo in person. How lucky am I? 

So there we were, enjoying the gorgeous Hillcrest afternoon and gabbing away with Theresa's webcam capturing it all. They brought us cocktails. In honor of Nacho Daddy (who's real name is Todd) I'd ordered the Hot Toddy. It was absolutely delightful-like I was drinking in the warm Hillcrest sun.
Aaron ordered the Gingerbread Martini-which had a little Gingerbread Man drowning in it! If you want to save him, you have to drink really fast.
The cocktails made us even more talkative. Until the food came. Then the silence was deafening. Where to begin? First there were Tater Tots:

Then a spinach salad with duck and duck confit Tater Tots (even now I have to pause for a moment of silence):
Then? A scallop Po' Boy with some of the tastiest fries I have ever had.
(For my fellow weight-watchers, I figured I took in about 35 points with this one meal alone! But, that's what our new Points Allowance is for! And I had the other half of the sandwich for dinner. It was so worth it-for the company and the food!) 

Other food highlights at our table included Mac & Cheese and also Chicken & Waffles. Back when Nacho Daddy and I lived in New York, we'd get chicken and waffles in Harlem, and R Gang's might be better than we had back in the day (gasp!)

And the BEST thing we had? It's on the wall in the photo behind us.
Chef Rich Sweeney, Theresa, Me and Beth (Aaron took the photo)
No one asked me to write this review. But I had such a fab-you-luss time that I just had to share it with all of you. If you live in America's Finest City, or are visiting (perhaps for the holidays?) I hope you'll stop by R Gang Eatery. Be sure and check the chalkboard for new menu items, since Chef Rich likes to mix things up. You moms will be glad to know that it's SO kid-friendly. And you weight-watchers will be glad to know you have some place to spend those extra points!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama