The Great Taco Experiment-RESULTS! #30TacoTrucks30Days #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner

Hello dear ones!

btw-If you haven't seen the "Soy Yo" video just stop reading this and go watch it HERE

How are we all holding up? We're in the election home stretch and, as promised, I'm here to share the results of my Great Taco  Experiment! Yes, I did it, I ate a meal at a taco truck every day for 30 consecutive days. Those of you who follow me on Instagram and Twitter got to come along for the ride, but for brevity's sake, here's a quick slide show of the entire experience:

So what were my takeaways (pun intended) from this little project? Here's 10 things I learned.

1. I had no idea how many people (by which I mean anyone) would view my eating tacos as a political act targeted against them personally instead of targeted at the narrative that is being churned out by a particular political figure. Really? I'm just eating tacos and poking fun at a demagogue's racist rhetoric. I thought that was something we could all get behind, right? Wrong.

2. Turns out people don't like even the suggestion that they might be racist by association. Even if by "suggestion" you mean "eating tacos". I quickly realized how naive I had been going into this. I mean, if people are this offended by my eating tacos and posting it on social media, then they must really agree with this guy, no?

3. You know what really helps when you realize people you've known for years and years may be racist and may harbor racist feelings about you specifically? Eating more tacos.  I'm totally not kidding, it really helped.

4. Tacos trucks  provide delicious, actually rather nutritious food to the masses at unbelievably low prices. The best fish taco in town (at Kiko's Place) will run you an entire $1.75. And two tacos make more than a meal.

5. Taco trucks are a meeting place for every social and economic class to gather over their love of tacos, learn about each other and create a sense of community. Not once did I hear anyone getting into a political argument or putting down their fellow man while standing around a taco truck. Which is not something I can say about my local post office, frozen yogurt store or home improvement mega-store.

6. Free soup while you wait. DELICIOUS. HOMEMADE. FREE. SOUP.

7. There are nowhere near enough taco trucks in San Diego, let alone the USA. In fact the only downside to my taco truck odyssey was the amount of time I had to spend looking for taco trucks.

8. Taco tucks provide valuable income for surrounding businesses. A great taco truck is a boon to anyone's brick-and-mortar biz, no matter what it is.

9. Taco Trucks are as American as Apple Pie and Marshmallow Fluff. Especially in the West, also known as "used to be Mexico".

10. While not all the taco trucks I visited were operated by immigrants (some were Latino Americans born in the USA), many were. Like most immigrants from anywhere in any field, they worked tirelessly to provide quality service, even during a week-long extreme heatwave in which hundreds of other businesses closed. Workers who had the day off of course didn't want to spend the hot day cooking at home, so guess where they went?

Then there was this day:

This is the taco that had me sobbing in the parking lot.

If there's one main takeaway from this whole experience, it was this: FOOD IS POWERFUL. As a necessity of life, it has the power to bring us together and it's absence means the end of all civilization. Nothing evokes memories, good or bad, as effectively as food. As I mowed my way through 38 tacos, I remembered the first time I had a fish taco (made for me by a childhood friend's dad who was a fisherman). I remembered my high school years when I ate the "California Taco"- like the "California Burrito", which made it's debut during my adolescence, it contained carne asada and french fries. No wonder I gained two pounds.

I was completely caught off guard, however, by the taco in the photo above. It was at a taco truck I'd driven by countless times during the last couple of years, but had never visited. When I finally pulled into the parking lot I was astonished to discover that Tacos El Ranchero (at the Telegraph Canyon Road on-ramp to the 805) served, pretty much exclusively, exactly the dishes I grew up eating and almost never find in restaurants. Tacos made from cabeza (yep, head) and lengua (tongue) were never my favorite as a kid (though my late dad adored them), so I chose tripa (tripe).

I took the tiny taco (only about 4 inches wide) to my car and couldn't resist sneaking a bite. Immediately, tears flooded my eyes and before I knew it, I was sobbing into my tripa right there in the parking lot at Tacos El Ranchero. I couldn't figure out why at first, but eventually the memories of childhood barbecues started surfacing. All my cousins (I have 18 first cousins alone) and aunts and uncles singing and talking loudly and running and even fighting while my grandfather happily grilled tripa on the barbecue he'd built himself in the backyard. When my grandfather got too old to stand over the grill, my Uncle Chuy took over tripa duty-and his recipe was even better. Like my dad, both my grandfather and my Uncle Chuy are long gone. I never realized until that moment in the parking lot just how deeply I missed them, that I never thought I'd ever taste tripa again, and how grateful I am to have grown up in this country, at this time, in this family, eating this food.

My grandfather (standing) and my dad (the kid in the foreground)  at Thanksgiving-
the only holiday where we didn't eat tacos.

They would have gotten such a kick out of this whole taco truck thing. My dad and his brother were the first members of the family to attend college-for their generation just finishing high school was a huge accomplishment. My grandfather was a cowboy and in many ways a very traditional, macho, Latino man, but he was also the biggest champion of diversity I've ever known. All three men faced a great deal of discrimination during their lives, but they never let it stop them from pursuing their dreams and setting an example for the rest of us.

My Uncle Chuy (center, with saxophone) in his ground-breaking, multi-racial band, The Mixtures.
He later became a professor at San Diego State University.

When you encounter folks with an "us against them" view of their fellow citizens, for whatever reason, I hope you'll respond as my dad, grandfather and uncle always did, with patience and compassion and the offer of a taco.

Wishing you love with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama

The Great Taco Experiment! #30TacoTrucks30Days #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner

Wow, has it really been that long?

How is everyone? Tired of the election cycle yet? Yeah, me too. And despite my last post, I've never been a person who goes all political on social media. I try not to push the candidate I'm voting for down anyone's throats and I really respect the people in my life who have different political views than mine.

This time, though, it's been a little...different. Though I have friends and family that span the political spectrum, one thing is very clear: no one I know personally, not one single person, no matter what their party affiliation, is planning to vote for the GOP candidate. 

Most of my Republican friends* have even reached out to me and others about the rhetoric coming from the GOP candidate, assuring us that they absolutely do not support the vitriol and hate speech we've all seen on the 24-hour news cycle. They are standing up to their own party and holding them accountable, because they feel it's for the good of their party. And you know what? That actually helps. 

*This is where I interject that I, personally, do not belong to any political party. I like to really research everyone's position before casting my vote, regardless of which party my vote represents. It's time-consuming but it helps me sleep at night.

Anyhoo-as most of you are aware, this happened a couple of days ago:

Like many of you, my first thoughts were:

1. "Dominant Culture? WTF is that supposed to mean?"

and 

2. "Great. Now I want tacos."

and

3. "OMG, every corner? How can I make sure this happens?"

As many of you know, I live in San Diego. Which means I am acutely aware, perhaps more than most, of what this glorious, Trump-free, taco-filled future would look and feel like for all of us. And it is FREAKING DELICIOUS.

Upon further reflection, I realized how long it had been since I had actually purchased a taco from a taco truck. Waaay too long! And what if, heaven forbid, the unthinkable happens and THEY ALL DISAPPEAR? I would have been complicit, and I'd never be able to forgive myself. Also, to be honest, the "Latinos For Trump" guy's remarks really, really offended and hurt me. So I decided to deal with those feelings the best way I know how, by:

1. Poking fun.

and

2. Eating. Tacos.

I'd like to do what I can to keep a cheery attitude while also keeping the local taco truck industry humming. I decided to try and eat at least one meal a day, for 30 days, from a local taco truck. My friend Jen suggested the hashtag #30TacoTrucks30Days - and the Great Taco Experiment was launched!

Day 2: VERY convenient location!

Follow me on Instagram or Twitter (@shesnachomama on both) to see all the amazing tacos (and more) I will be eating! 

And stay tuned here on the blog to see what a month of Taco Truck Cuisine does to my waistline. Kind of like "Supersize Me" only more delicious, less dangerous (I think?) to my health and with better makeup. That's right, I will be posting RESULTS of The Great Taco Experiment on October 2! Until then...

Have you ever enjoyed taco truck tacos? They taste like freedom.

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

If you are reading this anywhere but on www.nachomamasblog.com, then this content has been stolen. Please do not support thieving cochinos and click away!

News Fatigue? This looks like a job for SALSA KIDS! #salsakids #thesalsacure

Oh, dear. I know, I'm experiencing it, too.

News Fatigue.

Me after watching cable news.

It's gotten pretty ugly out there, hasn't it? I don't care how positive a person you are, enough exposure to this stuff can get you so riled up, bummed out and let down that it can start to seem like there's nothing any of us can do to make this world a better place. 

I feel you. 

These are the times when I need to be reminded that one light heart outshines a thousand dark ones. When I need to see, really see, that it's infinitely more powerful to inspire someone's joy than it is to light a fire under their anger. 

THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR....SALSA KIDS!

That's right. I'm pulling out the big guns here, people. Just try and keep a straight face and a still booty while these children blow you away with the unbridled, fantastic tripping of the light that is...

SALSA KIDS!

Behold!

Feast your eyes..and your SOUL!

The cuteness! The footwork! THE FIRE!

Come on! What are you, made of stone?!

SALSA KIDS! Bringing people together all over the world.

SALSA KIDS! There's no one they can't help. 

Don't believe me? Oh, ye of little faith. Don't you see? 

SALSA KIDS aren't just here to help you and me.

SALSA KIDS even help...SALSA GROWNUPS!

Feel free to replay as often as necessary. You feel better now, right?

Me after SALSA KIDS!

I'm pretty sure that when the Divine Gloria Estefan said, "The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" she was talking about SALSA KIDS!

SALSA KIDS! Here to recharge our batteries so we can all live to fight News Fatigue another day.

Thanks, SALSA KIDS!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,

Nacho Mama

If you are reading this anywhere but on www.nachomamasblog.com, then this content has been stolen. Please do not support thieving cochinos and click away!

GIVEAWAY! Celebrate the launch of MiHylands.com with these great health products

Hola everyone!

I have a wonderful giveaway I am very excited tell you about!

My family has regularly used Hyland's natural health care products for many, many years. So when the company contacted me to let me review and GIVEAWAY some products to celebrate the launch of their new SPANISH website, www.MiHylands.com, I didn't hesitate to accept.

Some of my favorite Hyland's products are included in this basket!

I've used Calm's Forte for YEARS, it's particularly helpful for those times when you just can't settle down to sleep. 

If you follow my Youtube channel, you know I was VERY sick during winter and spring! My doctor recommended taking trace minerals to help my body recover from all that ick. Hyland's Bioplasma was just the ticket-I feel so much better!

My tween has been experiencing painful growing pains that have been interrupting her sleep. She says that the Hyland's Leg Cramps tablets were super effective and fast acting.

GIVEAWAY TIME! Here's your chance to score some wonderful Hyland's products to try.

GIVEAWAY includes:

Calm's Forte: 100 CT

Nerve Tonic: 100 CT

Arnica 30X: 50CT

Muscle Therapy Gel: 3oz

Bioplasma: 500CT

Bioplasma Sport: 12pk

Leg Cramps: 50CT

Restful Legs: 50CT

Leg Cramps PM

RETAIL VALUE: $92.61

To win, submit your entries via Rafflecopter below. And don't forget to visit Mi Hylands on Facebook at Facebook.com/mihylands for more great product info! Winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter on June 29. Continental US only, thanks!

Wishing you BUENA SUERTE with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I was given these products for review and conducting this giveaway. The above is my honest opinion and reflects my personal experience, not that of any company. Always consult professional guidance in using these or any health products, see product packaging for specific benefit claims.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Everything's still great, but it's been a hard day.

Warning-this might be a bit of a bummer, I'll try to salvage it by the end, but I can't make any promises.

Let me start by saying that everything is still great, but February 8th is always a hard day for me. It's the day my dad died. Usually I manage to pretend February 8th isn't happening; maybe I might be a little more irritable than usual, but I get through it. This year I couldn't run from February 8th. Today it's officially been 10 years since my dad died from prostate cancer at the absurdly young age of 57.

Side note: my husband says he has no memory of me looking like this.

This is me (obviously) with my dad and my daughter on the steps of the tiny house Dad was born in, in the Colonia barrio of Oxnard, Ca. He was the baby of the family and, as a toddler, would sit under the shade of an overturned orange crate while his parents worked in the farm fields that still surround Oxnard. The farm workers were constantly sprayed with harmful chemicals meant to protect the crops. When this photo was taken, Dad had already outlived the doctors' prognosis by 18 months. I remember walking along what had been his street and hearing how virtually every family that lived there during his youth had been touched by cancer.

I miss him so much and am still surprised at how angry I am to have lost him. Every now and then my son, who is five and looks exactly like my dad, will do something so adorable and I'll think, "Wait til Dad sees this!" Then I remember he's gone and never got a chance to meet either of his grandsons. 

Dad's the little guy in the foreground.

I have no regrets about leaving anything unsaid, we were very close. I also know that Todd and I both did everything we could possibly do to help my dad and my mom. When I think back on those awful last days and the 2 years of hell that followed his death, I'm still not sure how we did it. 

I do have some regret when I think about the whole experience, though. I was so much younger and so naive about health in general in those days. Also, we simply did not have the access to information that we have today. If I knew then what I know now about wellness and nutrition, I could have done so much more for Dad. Maybe he wouldn't have lived any longer, but he might have enjoyed that time so much more than he got to. He might not have suffered as much as he had. 

And if I had had access to blogging and the wonderful network of friends that I've made through social media? It would have been so much easier to bear.

I know I really can't allow myself to go down that road and I know we did more than our best. All I can do now is my very best to keep my own kids from ever having the same experience. Then maybe try and help others and their kids, too.

So now that it's been 10 years, naturally I'm re-evaluating everything. Trying to work out how I might do the most good with what I know and what I've experienced. It's going to a take a while to figure out, I think. 

I started pondering it this morning as I went on a walk to Balboa Park. When I was a kid my dad used to take me there on the days he was "in charge" of me. We'd get sandwiches from the deli across the street and eat them in the park. After lunch, he'd chase me around the lawn and push me on the swings.

Balboa Park was beautiful this morning. 

I could really feel like my dad was with me as I walked alongside the towering eucalyptus trees. I silently asked my dad to prove he was there by showing me a flowering cactus. I don't know what made me pick that. There are TONS of cacti, all varieties, around here, but they don't usually bloom til mid-April. I saw scores of unadorned cactus on my walk. 

When I got to the playground I swung on the swingset for a while til I became frightened of how high I was swinging.  I jumped off the swing, sticking a perfect Marylou Retton landing, and suddenly realized that I would never have fit in that swing a few years ago, much less have been able to leap from it.

That cheered me up. 

I gave up on my cactus hunt and decided to walk home via 5th Avenue, which is mostly commercial with no gardens. Then I spotted this in the parking lot of a dentist's office.

As I got closer I could see this.

And this.

And yes, I stood there on 5th Avenue, right in front of the dentist's office, with tears and snot running down my face for about 5 minutes. Hell, it was before 8am on a Sunday and no one gets their teeth worked on then. I wouldn't have lost it so if it hadn't been for the fact that this particular cactus is a nopal. My dad's parents always grew nopales in their backyard. My grandfather would can them and my grandmother would cook with them.  All that plus the fact that I love to eat them, means nopales are very special to me.

I'm not sure what it means, but I'm sure it means something. Whatever it means, I'm grateful.

(If you're reading this anywhere but on NachoMamasBlog.com, then this content has been STOLEN. What kind of a jerk would steal a personal post like this?)

Wishing you ALL love with extra cheese,

Nacho Mama

VIDEO: CORN TORTILLAS! Erh. Mah. Gerd.

I still can't believe it. 

CORN TORTILLAS!!!!!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

Clock that mug! #gratitude

The key to a great shoot? Having the BEST people in charge!

Hello darling ones!

I'm juuuussssst starting to come out from under all the craziness of getting our first videos for our NEW INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW shot. It was hectic, hotter than BLAZES (especially with the lights) but SO MUCH FUN. Here are a few sneak peeks behind the scenes, taken by our producer Andrea:

Co-host Kevin and I de-brief before changing out of our chanclas for the shoot.

The only bad thing about having Andrea take photos behind the scenes is that she isn't in ANY of them!

Here we are, dressed and *slightly* nervous before shooting the first segment EVAH!

One thing that helped ease our nerves? THE RIGHT MUG. No, I don't mean my makeup (though I hope you'll note that for you, people of the internet, I am giving full drag). I mean our gorgeous coffee mugs, which make an appearance in every in-studio segment. When we arrived for our 9am call time on Saturday, I told Kevin, "Don't worry, I got the mugs!" Now, we hadn't discussed getting mugs at all but Kevin immediately replied, without a trace of irony, "Oh, I'm so glad! I was kicking myself that I didn't pick up any nice mugs for the show!"  

You see why I love him? You'll love him, too-mark my words.

The mugs in question have special meaning to me, they were beautifully crafted by my friend and sistah bloguera, artist and author Kathy Cano-Murillo (@CraftyChica). Just when I was thinking it might be a fun surprise to get some mugs for the show, Kathy posted on facebook that she'd just put some new mugs up for sale in her etsy shop! Kismet! I immediately bought two.

If When you watch the show (no, not divulging the name yet) you'll notice that I am drinking out of this divine Virgen de Guadalupe mug:

She's blonde-I love it!

And Kevin has this darling cupcake mug that says "Peace, Love & Cafecito":

Want a Crafty Chica mug for your cafecito? Come on! We're ALL getting them. But really tho, if you want one, you'd better go to Crafty Chica's etsy shop NOW, there are only a couple left! 

Since the shoot went smoothly and stayed on schedule, I even got to attend my little niece's first birthday party!

Seriously, how lucky am I?

After all that excitement, I pretty much just wanted to sit around eating Artcic Zero and watching the RuPaul's Drag Race marathon that led up to the crowning on Monday night. The fact that my favorite reina, Bianca Del Rio won? Just the icing on the cupcake mug! I was SO #TeamBianca!

source

And THEN? At my weigh in, I'd lost almost another POUND! Even with all the madness this weekend. Calm down!

All in all, it was a FABULOUS weekend. I can't wait to share the new show with you but for now, first item on the agenda is getting back to the PODCAST. Second item is getting exercise more than two days a week. Because I'm not kidding myself, I know losing that pound was a gift from the Virgen de Guadalupe.

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

A Mexcellent Playlist for Your CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION!!

Lighting a vela for YOUR Cinco party!

Hola everyone!

As a Mexcellent-American and a native of Southern California, this day is always a little funny for me. Even though Cinco de Mayo is a holiday we NEVER celebrated in my family when I was a kid, I really love that this country takes a day to celebrate Mexican culture, crafts, food and more! HOWEVER...even here in America's Finest City ("I can see Mexico from my house!") Cinco de Mayo celebrations often take a few, um, liberties. 

Yes, I'm talking about the music.

Can I be this lady when I grow up? #Video

Hi Everyone!

Whew, it's been a busy month! I know I've been negligent of the podcast lately, but it's not without a good reason. I've been having major issues with the internet/phone provider at the studio and don't yet have an adequate setup at home. I *could* do one using my mobile phone (and at one point almost got desperate enough to do so-I have so much to say about Biggest Loser!) but the sound quality is...not awesome. My husband's podcast, Mouth to Mouth, has been suffering too-so we both have a lot of incentive to work something out asap.

Before I go any further, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Latina Magazine! Last year they named me a "Top 10 Mommy Blogger" and THIS year? They've named me a "Blogger You Must Know in 2014"-I'm featured on the website and on the last page of the February issue. WOW!!! Best of all, I'm in the companies of blogger friends I've adored for ages like: Eva(Tech/Food/Life), Kathy(Crafty Chica), Nicole (Presley's Pantry) & more.


Today my husband and I watched this video of an 88-year-old grandmother. I said, "That's going to be ME someday!" Todd said, "You see? You can be like this lady or you can be a cranky old cuss. We have a choice." As fas as I'm concerned, the choice is clear.


Take that, Prancercise!


Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

THEATRE REVIEW: A Weekend With Pablo Picasso at San Diego REP

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW AT www.sdrep.org

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I was given tickets to this event for review purposes. The above is my honest opinion-honest!

REVIEW: "In The Heights" at San Diego REP

For more info and tickets, please visit: www.sdrep.org

 
Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I was gifted tickets to this event for review purposes. The above is my honest opinion-honest!

PODCAST Episode 46: We're BACK! And we have a HUGE GIVEAWAY!

Listen to internet radio with NachoMamasPodcast on Blog Talk Radio

Click the player to listen NOW!

Did you miss me? I missed YOU! Today we'll be catching up on all things Weight Watchers, Rupaul's Drag Race and what I've been up to since making goal 6 weeks ago. PLUS: to say THANK YOU for supporting the podcast and me all this time, I've got a VERY SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!

VIDEO REVIEW! "Federal Jazz Project" at SD Rep

Richard Montoya in Federal Jazz Project-photo by Darren Scott

Federal Jazz Project runs at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza til this Cinco de Mayo! Purchase your tickets HERE.

Please remember to SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL THEATERS!!!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I received tickets to this event for review purposes. The above is my honest opinion-honest!

THANK YOU, LATINA MAGAZINE! #Gratitude

Hi everyone! Hope you've been having a great spring-I've been so busy that I'm muy behind on EVERYTHING, especially the blog & podcast. No worries, though, I have big plans in store!

In the meantime, I wanted to be sure and share something really special that happened over a week ago. I woke to find my twitter feed exploding with messages of congratulations! It seems Latina magainze had named me among their Top 10 Mommy Bloggers-COMO??!!!

image via wikipedia

I am so humbled to have been included among such wonderful bloggers, many of whom I have had the pleasure to meet "IRL". It was truly a wonderful surprise and a great honor. Please check out the entire list and the blogs of all the other wonderful mamis HERE.

THANK YOU LATINA! 

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Mamacita, Donde Esta the Mayan Apocolypse?

I know that I should be the sleeping...(image via Wikipedia)

So....yeah. We're all still here. But the picture in this video is totally how I imagine the Mayan Apocolypse would have looked if it had happened. So now that we can all relax, let's CHA-CHA with Augie Rios! 

Wishing you love (and Feliz Navidad) with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Johnson and Johnson #Giveaway! #ETYY

Hi Everyone!

Yes, it's time for another awesome Johnson and Johnson giveaway! I have so enjoyed trying all of these products. My faves so far have definitely been the Aveeno line-especially the baby products, but the face cream and hair products and definitely staying on my future shopping lists!

LOVE these!!!

Once again, Johnson and Johnson will be giving away $100 worth of AWESOME J&J products to one of YOU! Check the widget for entry details, winner will be selected at random on 11/8/12.
 Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclaimer: In compliance with FTC guidelines, please be aware that my review and giveaway of/about Johnson and Johnson products, was made possible by the Latina & Latino Lifestyle Bloggers Collective (http://www.llbloggers.com), and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. The above is my honest opinion-honest! 

The Milk Truck Stops By At Bedtime #VIDEO #Positivisimo #CUTE

One of my favorite things about being a "Positivity Ambassador" for Milk (aside from using it to win arguments with my friends, "What do you mean I have a bad attitude? I'm a Positivity Ambassador!") is that my kids and I have had a great time reading the adorable bedtime stories in English and Spanish that are available to download for free at www.otroscuentos.com. I try to teach my kids Spanish but, I must admit, I'm pretty lazy about it. So I'm always tickled when my toddler asks for his bedtime "lechemilk"!

#CRAFT Tutorial: Day of the Dead Apron!

Hola!!

I've been in a super good mood lately because FALL is finally here! For me, that means cooking and CRAFTING for Halloween, Day of the Dead and beyond!


Crafty Chica products on sale at Michael's stores nationwide

All summer I've been dreaming about buying a "Day of the Dead" apron to do all my cooking in. They are pretty easy to find here in San Diego (not to mention online) but hijole, are they pricey! They start at $40 (at least the cute ones do) and that is waaaay out of my budget.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! #Latism

Hi everyone!

Today is Mexican Independence Day (please tell me you knew it wasn't Cinco de Mayo), and this is also Hispanic Heritage Month!

I am so proud to live in a country that celebrates our diversity and I love learning from the cultures and traditions of my neighbors. I thought this video was the perfect way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Los Lobos at the White House!

Stay tuned for a muy fun HHM craft project and giveaway, you're gonna love it!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIDA KAHLO! #VIDEO

Today is the birthday of the great Mexican Painter Frida Kahlo. I've known her art ever since I was a young kid, at the San Diego Museum of Art, and later in the GREAT exhibition "Mexico: Splendors of Thiry Centuries" which my parents took me to see in 1990 in Los Angeles. I don't know anyone of Mexican descent who has not been touched by the haunting imagery of this iconic artist. In addition to many, many books featuring her work, I own a magnificent color reproduction of her journals, which are rich with color and drama, and a beautiful calavera portait of Frida (painted by my very talented friend, Cynthia Martinez) hangs above the family table in my kitchen.

Happy Birthday, Frida!

Something that's on my "bucket list" is a visit to Frida's "Blue House" in Mexico. I would love to be able to visit this unique museum with my children someday!