Gettin' Back on the Exercise Train with MILK!

It's that time of year again! Time to tackle those fitness and weightloss goals. I did pretty well last year and am pretty close to my goal weight-but I need to step up my game. Those of you who've been reading the blog lately know that I've even set up a little Dietbet. I've got to lose about 6 pounds by February 10th or I'm gonna lose $15 bucks!

Can these bicep curls help YOU keep those resolutions?

Fortunately for me, the folks over at El Vaso Medio Lleno are sharing a fun series of videos featuring exercises that you can do with (what else?) a gallon jug of MILK! Give them a try-you'll be surprised how challenging they actually are!

"The Best Fudge in the World" #Positivisimo #Recipe

Hello everyone!

Can you believe it's almost time for THANKSGIVING? What?!!

the little boy in the foreground is my dad

If you're like me, you don't like to show up to a holiday shindig empty handed. But, if you're also like me? You're a terrible baker. So I'd like to share a quick and easy fudge recipe that's sure to please your holiday hostess!

Bedtime Ritual for One Night of the Year #Positivisimo #Spon

As I mentioned last week, bedtime rituals are a pretty big deal in our house. There are baths, stories, a glass of milk-maybe even lullabies. But there is one night of the year where it all goes out the window, HALLOWEEN!

Halloween, 1976

My mom would always make sure we'd had a GOOD, nutritious dinner and a tall glass of milk before we hit the streets. She used to say it was to "coat our stomachs", but I think it was her secret weapon to help us get to sleep after all that candy! She usually made our costumes, like the one in the photo above-I was Witchiepoo from H.R.Puffenstuff. Yes, I am that old-lol!

Even now, Halloween is the one night of the year that we skip our regular routine. There's still a good dinner and a glass of milk to prepare small tummies for the candy onslaught. There's still a story, but it's a spooky one, like "La Llorona" or something involving the Cucuy. It's fun to shake up the routine for just one night out of the year-especially since, we moms know, it's always going to end the same way.

Before seatbelt laws-passed out in the backseat on Mom's Pinto

Do YOU shake up your bedtime routine for Halloween?

Remember, The Master of The Glass Half Full has a bunch of adorable bedtime stories available for you to download for FREE at www.otroscuentos.com.

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

 This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor Board and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

 

"Shape Up For Summer" Block Party! #Positivisimo

Happy Summer everyone! Hope you've been having a beautiful time in this glorious warm weather and getting in lots of fun activity. My Zumba classes are going very well-so well that I decided to invite some of my students to join me and my family for a very special "block party!"

YUMMY!

 I've been sharing with them how I've been selected as a "Positivity Ambassador" for Milk and wanted to serve them some delicious milk-based recipes. It was a great excuse to get my cooking on!
The recipes were such a hit that I wanted to share them with all of you, too.

Let's all Shape Up for Summer with Milk! #Positivisimo

Hello everyone! Hard to believe that summer is already upon us. Many of us have long forgotten those New Years' resolutions to get in shape, right? Wrong! My main New Year's resolution was to reach my goal weight in 2012 and I'm happy to share that it going very well. I've been exercising more and more since the start of the year. As some of you know, I've even recently become a certified Zumba instructor! My diet has been very good but I must admit that I have been seriously slacking in one area-my goal to get at least 2 servings of lean dairy per day. So I was absolutely delighted to be asked, once again, to serve as a Positivity Ambassador for the California Milk Processor Board's Shape Up for Summer campaign!

When bad recipes go good: Nacho "Sugar" Mama's Candy! #POSITIVISIMO

'Tis the season for baking and making all kinds of tempting treats! Almost all of my favorite holiday treats are based on one vital ingredient-MILK!  There's my mother's flan (the recipe is top secret and she won't even share it with me, let alone the internet), Tres Leches cake and fudge. Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas in our house without Mexican Hot Chocolate! 

But this year I wanted to try something different.

Last year, I developed a YUMMY Christmas Cookie recipe that calls for Dulce de Leche candy. For those of you who don't know, Dulce de Leche is a milk-based confection popular in Latin America. It's not the easiest thing in the world to make, and the "shortcut" method involves boiling cans of sweetened condensed milk for hours on end. This method is not only time consuming, but very dangerous-sometimes the cans explode!

But I had lots of leftover condensed milk from the fudge I made last week and thought I'd try to find an easier way. So I did an online search and found several "recipes" for making Dulce de Leche in the slow cooker. EASY! Following the directions to the letter, I submerged my cans of sweetened condensed milk in water in my slow cooker, set the temperature to LOW and let it cook for 8 hours.

Then I let the cans come to room temperature (again, to avoid explosion). And when I opened them up I had.....two cans of room temperature condensed milk. It was a COMPLETE FAIL! Not one to accept failure, I poured the milk into a pan on my stove and stirred it until it turned a yummy caramel color.

Then I poured it into a pan that I, thankfully, lined with foil and let it cool. And when it cooled I had something that *looked* and smelled exactly like Dulce de Leche BUT was as hard as a rock! It was nevertheless delicious, and very similar to "Sugar Daddy" lollipops-which I happen to love.

So-I broke it into pieces and packed it up for my friends with labels reading "Nacho 'Sugar' Mama's Candy"!

See? When you're cooking with milk the glass is always half full!!

If you need some help seeing the glass half full this holiday season, be sure and

follow the Master of The Glass Half Full on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElMaestroDelVasoMedioLleno?ref=ts

And on Twitter: www.twitter.com/maestropositivo

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

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

Another possible benefit of Milk...a better, fitter body? #Positivisimo

BEFORE: One year ago!

Many of you know I have been on and off of Weight Watchers  for yeeeeeeeears. As I look at my progress over this last year in particular, I can see that my success is directly linked to my meeting the plan's daily "good health guidelines".  These guidelines include water servings, fruits and vegetables, etc. But the one I always seemed to have trouble meeting was the requirement of 2-3 daily servings of dairy. WHY? I don't know, I just got lazy about it I guess.

Every year I participate in a fashion show to benefit TACA (Talk About Curing Autism). The photo above was taken right before I went onstage in last year's show, in December 2010. 

I hadn't looked at this photo in a while, but recently pulled it up because this Saturday is this year's TACA fashion show. I was very pleased to see how much healthier and fitter I look now. I KNOW it's because I've been faithfully following the good health guidelines-especially my daily milk!

I have not missed my servings of dairy (usually skim milk on my cereal and some greek yogurt) for even ONE day since October 1st! I don't know *exactly* what the milk is doing, I just know I started having more stamina and could work out harder and for longer stretches of time once I started getting those daily servings in. Is it the milk? I can't say for sure, but I know it can only be helping!

I could NEVER have done this before I started drinking my milk!

The results so far? Well, here's me in an outfit I'll be wearing in this year's show:

I'm so pleased with how much better I look and feel now than I did a year ago. I know it makes ME want to stick to my daily 2-3 servings of milk-especially through the holidays! I couldn't have done it without the Master of the Glass Half Full and his magical white elixir-MILK!

May we all experience the healthiest holiday season ever!

Follow the Master on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElMaestroDelVasoMedioLleno?ref=ts

And on Twitter: www.twitter.com/maestropositivo

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

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

Thankful for Milk Because...it can Soothe the Savage Mami! #Positivisimo

We all know that some warm milk seems to have a magical calming effect on our kids, yes? But I recently discovered that milk works it's wonders on Mamis too!


Like many of you, I have been running around like crazy, shopping, cooking and making crafts like these...

Now, while I LOVE shopping and cooking and crafting, somehow doing it all with the added pressure of company and kids who are not in school (and are instead in my hair)-I find myself going just a teensy bit loca.


The last couple of days it has been pouring rain and my kids have some serious cabin fever. I finally got my toddler to settle down last night with some warm milk-whew! But this morning when I looked around at my MESSY house and started to think about everything I need to do before Thanksgiving? Let's just say I was cranky enough to give my 2yo a run for his money!


I managed to stop myself *just* before I had a screaming tantrum and realized that if warm milk could work on my son, maybe it could work for me too! When I was a kid my Mama Lola used to make me a nice hot mug of cafe con leche in the afternoon. So I got out my largest "Latte Love" mug and whipped up some ccl. Then I went OUTSIDE to calmly sip my yummy, soothing beverage and enjoy the silence and fall foliage.

I feel better already!

It worked WONDERS! I was ready to take on cookies, napkin rings and turkey hands to beat the band!


But first? I think I'll whip up some Mexican Hot Chocolate for the whole family. :)

If YOU need a little holiday relaxation and inspiration, be sure to follow the Master of the Glass Half Full!
On Twitter: www.twitter.com/maestropositivo
On FaceBook: www.facebook.com/ElMaestroDelVasoMedioLleno


Wishing you love with extra cheese!
Nacho Mama


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

Twitter Party for #POSITIVISIMO Nov. 19 6pm PT Awesome #PRIZES!

You KNOW how I love a good Twitter party! This one is going to be super fun, featuring the hilarious "Master of the Glass Half Full" along with ME and some awesome bloggers you'll want to follow if you don't already. And we haven't even gotten to the PRIZES! 

Join Latina Mom Bloggers, the Positivity Ambassadors, Toma Leche and The Master of the Glass Half Full for a Twitter Party on November 16^th from 9-10:30 PM ET (6-7:30 PM PT). 

Not only will we be sharing our best tips on living a more positive life, but we’ll also be sharing our favorite milk-based recipes along with creative ways to incorporate milk into our family’s diet. Not to mention we’ll also discuss the great benefits of milk. Of course, there will be lots of prizes too. It’s going to be a fun party—hope to see you there!

PARTY DETAILS:

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

WHERE: Twitter hashtag #Positivismo

WHOM TO FOLLOW:

Special Guest: @maestropositivo a.k.a. El Maestro del Vaso Medio 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

And now the best part-what you can WIN!

*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

 I have a NOOKColor myself and absolutely LOVE. IT. My kids ask me to read to them from my NOOKColor every night-really!

 IMPORTANT!!! Please follow the rules or you won't be eligible for the fabulous prizes!

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

OFFICIAL RULES: Please make sure to read the Official Rules at Latina Mom Bloggers.

* Six month’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 their respective owners, and they are not affiliated with California Milk Processor Board. 

·       Follow the Master of the Glass Half Full on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ElMaestroDelVasoMedioLleno)

·       Follow The Master of the Glass Half Full on Twitter (http://twitter.com/maestropositivo)

·       Once again, YOU MUST RSVP at Latina Mom Bloggers to win! (http://latinamombloggers.com/?p=1069)

·       Link to Official Rules at Latina Mom Bloggers (http://latinamombloggers.com/?p=558)

Hope to see you in the Twitterverse on November 19th and GOOD LUCK! 

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

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

Why our glass (of milk) is always half full #Positivisimo

I may have mentioned before that when I was a kid? I HATED milk!!! I can't even tell you why because I honestly don't ever remember even trying it. So sad. I would only drink chocolate milk or cafe con leche. Today I still love cafe con leche but chocolate milk is too sweet for me-I prefer PLAIN milk now! Go figure! Turns out what The Master says is really true: Saying Yes is Easier Than Saying No.

When my kids came along, I decided to wait and see what their attitude about milk would be. As it turns out-they both LOVE plain milk! And husband's favorite dessert is a bowl of cereal with milk. So in my house we probably go through 2.5 gallons a week. I buy 2% for the grownups and give the kids whole milk. That's just the milk we drink. If I cook something with milk? Then we're talking 3 gallons a week, people.

In my fridge this morning...

I'm extremely relieved that my children were not so closed minded about milk as I was when I was a little kid. The best part is that they are both very strong and healthy and have good eating habits (unlike their mami) that I hope they'll have for the rest of their lives. 

All this talk about milk has made me decide to cook up some macaroni and cheese for dinner tonight! I guess it's going to be a 3 gallon week after all.

Nacho Mama's Mac and Cheese-with ground beef and spinach and MILK!

Don't forget to enter YOUR kids in the "Little Masters" Facebook Photo contest! Prizes include a stainless

steel refrigerator, professional blender, bicycle and more! Entering is easy—just follow the

instructions to upload a picture of your “Little Master”. Enter HERE.

And you can follow The Master yourself on:

Facebook 

Twitter 

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor’s Board and

Latina Mom Bloggers.

REAL HELP FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS: The Real California Milk Contest #CASealAppeal

Did you know that California is the U.S.'s largest producer of milk, yogurt, nonfat dry milk, butter and ICE CREAM? I wish I had drunk more milk as a kid and I'm proud to say that, nowadays, we go through A LOT of milk and yogurt in our house-not to mention cheese! But I didn't know until recently that our dairy consumption was helping to support 1620 California dairy families AND California schools.

As a California school parent I have seen my local schools struggle to keep programs that kids badly need like PE, art and language. I was delighted to learn that Real California Milk has launched the Real Seal Appeal program to help California schools with up to $2 million in cash, prizes and books.
How can you help?

It's sooooooo simple. From October 1 until December 31, 2011, all you have to do is collect the "Real California Milk" and "Real California Cheese" seals from the dairy products you already buy and turn them in to your  kid's (or grandkid's or niece's or neighbor's..) teacher. Each seal acts as a sweepstakes entry-the more seals you collect, the more chances your local school has to win!


Here's what your Southern California classroom could win:


Grand Prize: 3 winning schools will receive $20,000 plus a Wii FitTM game for
every child in classroom (up to 50)
• 2nd Place: 3 winning schools will receive $10,000 plus a Wii FitTM game for every
child in classroom (up to 50)
• 3rd Place: 3 winning schools will receive $5,000 plus a Wii FitTM game for every
child in classroom (up to 50)
• Runner Ups: 2,595 winning schools will receive $500 prizes

Participating elementary schools are in Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange,
Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and
Ventura counties


But wait-there's more!


For every 25 seals your kid's teacher collects? She gets a FREE BOOK for her classroom from Scholastic, who has partnered with Real California Milk. For details, please click here.

So remember to peel those seals! And be sure and check into RealCaliforniaMilk.com to learn more about dairy in California and please like them on facebook and follow them on twitter @RealCalifMilk and tweet them with the hashtag @CASealAppeal. Who knew taking care of yourself could help so many kids?

Wishing you love with extra, EXTRA cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.