Merry Everything | #WordlessWednesday

Dos Mujeres, Una Cocina | Two Women, One Kitchen

Her way is always better. She won’t say it, but I know that’s what my mother thinks every afternoon when she walks into my kitchen. And it’s implied in very subtle ways. The way my mother rearranges the tupperware in my cabinets or the food in the fridge. The way she scrunches her nose as she watches me cook. Or the way she scrutinizes my purchases, frowning at their prices. “It’s not that you cook good, you just buy expensive ingredients,” she’ll say.

My kitchen is the size of a small cell. Room enough for only two: one to cook, one to watch but always one of us in the other's way. 

When I was a girl my mother used to call me into the kitchen while she cooked, commanding me to pay attention. Even though the kitchen was big enough for the both of us, I'd still get in her way; usually handing her the wrong items and asking too many questions. After a few ay Dios mío's and coño's my cooking lesson was over and my mother would exile me to the living room.

Many years later, my mother and I are titans, both vying for power in la cocina. I look forward to cooking holiday meals, creating my own traditions. My kitchen has become a place of solace, a place to stand and clear my head while cooking for others.  But in a galley kitchen like mine, it's too easy for my mother and I to clash. While I cook my mother will tiptoe to lean over me and criticize my technique, “That’s not the way I do it.” 

My mother wields the pilón; I pump the mini chopper. My mother blends peppers red and green, cloves of garlic, bulbs of onions, recao, cilantro and olive oil to make a large batch of sofrito. It is the base of her every meal.  I cook with sofrito so rarely that when I need it, I buy the ingredients, chop everything up and sauté it into my meal.

I shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's; I buy organic. My mother shops where she has coupons, scouring the neighborhood for the best prices. She goes one place for milk, another for eggs, somewhere for meats and so on. My mother will never pay full price for anything if she knows she can get it on sale.

My mother cooks her specialty dishes with ease, never having to consult a book, eyeballing ingredients. I rely on Food Network, printed-out recipes and measuring spoons. My mother trusts her culinary instinct. Mine are still being cultivated.

I am the occasional cook, making elaborate meals for a holiday or celebration. My mother cooks every day; it’s a part of who she is. I realized this the day I invited my parents over for Christmas dinner. I was going to cook the signature Puerto Rican meal: pernil, arrroz con gandules, potato salad.  My mother said she would bring pasteles.

The thought reminds me of childhood; watching my mother at the kitchen table late on Saturday night. A large pot at the center, sheets of wax paper in front of her, a ball of white twine. Wrapping each pastel in parchment paper like a present; humming to herself or the phone nestled between her shoulder and ear, talking with my madrina  It is an all day/ all night affair, an offering. And the culinary commitment secures my mother’s place as the master. I am still the apprentice.

My mother's pasteles are perfection. The masa is firm, filled with flavorful meat and neatly wrapped with care. And when cooked, it slipped out of its wrapping in one piece.

I do not want anyone else’s recipe other than hers. I cannot wait for the day for her to come over and share her pasteles recipe and technique with me. No matter how big or how small my kitchen is - there will always be room for my mother to stand beside me.  

A Thanksgiving cheers with my mother | 2013

This is a revised version of my essay Clash of Las Cocinas originally published on Being Latino, December 2010. 

Gifts for Everyone at Best Buy | #bbyHoliday13

Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. 

Last week The Husband and I started our holiday shopping. And the first place we hit was Best Buy - always our go to store when we have to buy gifts for The Boy. The Boy is really into movies and video games (especially Disney Infinity). Since The Boy's birthday is in January we do all of his shopping at once and set a few gifts aside for his birthday.

    

We picked up Disney Planes. We took The Boy to see it when it came out and he really enjoyed it and has some of the planes. We know it will make a great stocking stuffer! And I don't know how you do your holiday shopping but we always manage to pick up a little something for us too. The Husband picked up The World's End. Before walking away from the DVD section, I pointed out the Downton Abby (seasons 1 - 3) box set - in case The Husband wanted any ideas on what to get me. 

The Boy has really loved playing Disney Infinity and he's also a huge Toy Story fan. So we picked up the Toy Story Play Set and Woody figure. There are still a few more things we'll pick up before Christmas, but these were the items we really wanted him to have. The Husband also enjoys playing Disney Infinity and has his eye on a few figures for himself. (Think I'll surprise him…sssshhhhh!)

Need more ideas for Gifts for the Kids?

• Digital Barbie Makeover Kit
• Let your child transform an Apple iPad into a makeup mirror with this Barbie digital makeover kit, which includes a vanity frame and utilizes a downloadable app to let your little beautician apply virtual eye shadow, lipstick and more.
• Fisher Price Little People Apptivity Barnyard
• Compatible with select Apple® iPad® models, this Fisher-Price Little People Apptivity barnyard features 6 play pieces that interact with your device in a variety of ways to capture your child's imagination and attention.  

How about ideas for Gifts for Everyone else on your list?

• Fitbit
• Misfit Shine
• Jawbone Up
• Logitech Headphones & Speakers

Our go to gifts for friends, family and the kids in our lives:  

• Games/Gaming: Best Buy has the latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the hottest game releases and everything else you need for a great gaming experience.
• Music/Movies/Musical Instruments: Best Buy offers terrific deals on the best entertainment stocking stuffers. We always check out Best Buy on new movie Tuesday - it's a great way to save on new releases!

No matter what your budget, you can find the perfect gift at Best Buy. For more gift ideas check out the Best Buy Gift Center.

And now for an exclusive savings offer starting Dec. 1, 2013 through  Jan. 15, 2014

• Exclusive Savings Offer 1: 15% off Health & Fitness and Fisher Price & Mattel Toys. To redeem online enter bloggers15off at checkout click HERE.
• Exclusive Savings Offer 2: 10% off Headphones and Portable speakers (some exclusions apply). To redeem online enter bloggers10off at checkout click HERE.

Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

A Very Furry Christmas at #SesamePlace

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. All opinions are my own.

A Very Furry Christmas to Transform Sesame Place into a

One-of-a-Kind Holiday Winter Wonderland

Get into the holiday spirit this season with everyone’s favorite furry friends

Starting November 23 through December 31 (select dates) Sesame Place  will be transformed into a one-of-a-kind holiday winter wonderland where visitors can enjoy cheerful Christmas music, twinkling lights and spectacular seasonal entertainment.

Last year we visited Sesame Place for A Very Furry Christmas and The Boy had a BLAST! The holidays are so much more fun now that The Boy is starting to understand. And I can't wait to visit this year and continue our Very Furry Christmas tradition!  

This year, the park is enhancing their holiday festivities by adding a second trackless Furry Express train as well as adding new features to the Gingerbread Cookie Factory tour where guests can experience how Twiddlebugs bake their famous chocolate gingerbread cookies. 

  

General admission tickets for A Very Furry Christmas are on sale now for $24.99, which includes a free second day throughout the event. 2014 Season Pass Members can enjoy unlimited admittance to A Very Furry Christmas.  For a complete operating schedule and list of events, please visit sesameplace.com.

Related posts: 

• Ways to Save Money at Sesame Place
• Navigating Sesame Place When You Have a Kid with Autism 

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. All opinions are my own.

A Simple Act of Kindness Can Go a Long Way #26ActsOfKindness

I remember after September 11th how fragile New Yorkers were. When I returned to work, strangers said "good morning" and held the elevator door open.  

It's been more than a week since the Sandy Hook tragedy. And we are once again a nation in mourning. Our hearts heavy, are eyes watery and our minds still in disbelief. And in these times of unimaginable sorrow, we are reminded how precious life is and of how much we take for granted. 

Tis the season of goodwill toward men (women and children). And to honor the 26 lives lost, people everywhere are participating in random acts of kindness.

I try to be a kind person. I try to be considerate of others. I give up my seat on the train for pregnant women, parents holding babies and the elderly or disabled. I hold doors open for strangers. I say bless you when a stranger next to me sneezes, offer them a tissue if I have one. I smile and say 'good morning' to people I don't even know - because even a smile can make a difference in someone's day. I let people go ahead of me at the checkout line.

It's days before Christmas. And I haven't purchased a single gift for anyone other than The Boy. There just hasn't been any time to do so. And it's hard for me to buy gifts for those that mean the most because my gratitude is so great, it surpasses my limited budget.

I remember my mother saying to me once. "It doesn't matter what I give at Christmas, I give all year long." As a child I didn't understand what that meant. Now I do. My mother is the kind of person who gives all year round. She gives her time so generously and expects absolutely nothing in return. She gives of herself quietly, wanting no recognition, praise or even gratitude.I admire her most for that.

My mother never wants a gift for anything. But the other day, I called her up and thanked her. I really thanked for all of the help she has given me over the last few years. I told her much I appreciated everything she does for me. And I told her how grateful I was for everything. I think my words of appreciation were better than any gift.

But I also greatly appreciate the kindness of strangers. Having a son with autism - it's come to be something I have had to depend on. Random acts of kindness mean so much to me. And I try to pay it forward whenever I can.

I love the idea of Random Acts of Kindness. But the idea of posting about my acts of kindness and what I'm doing seems artificial for me. It's like how I feel about charity. When I give to something, I don't want to be recognized for it. I do it because I want to, not for any accolades.

I want to go into 2013 being a kinder person. But I don't need to talk about my kind acts, I just want to do them.  

I hope you do too.

Captain America Mask & Shield is Great for Pretend Play #HasbroHoliday

I remember when The Boy was initially going through the evaluation process. The doctor handed The Boy a toy car. Instead of "driving" the car and/or making "vroom vroom" sounds, The Boy, held the toy car close to his eyes and started spinning its wheels. And the doctor said, "I see he has no pretend play skills."

It's pretty hard to imagine a kid with no pretend play skills. It's the kind of thing many parents take for granted. Pretend play needed to be taught to him. And four years later, it is still something we work on.  (Though I am happy to report that The Boy has a collection of cars that he "drives" all over the apartment.)

But lately, The Boy has taken an interest in Super Heroes. And since The Husband is a huge comic book/super hero fan - I love that they have that shared interest. 

We were really excited to receive a this cool Captain America Hero Mask ($8.99 - 5 years & up) & Captain America Triple Blast Shield ($19.99 - 5 years & up) from Hasbro.

The Boy really loved putting on the mask and looking at himself in the mirror. The cool part about the mask is that it adjusts to fit adults - so Mom & Dad can get in on the fun too. He ran around the apartment with his mask and shield pretending to be Captain America. The Husband set up some action figures on a book case and The Boy was able to use the Triple Blast Shield to knock them down. He really got a kick out of that. And it was great to see how far he's come with his pretend play skills. 

For more information be sure to visit www.hasbro.com. They have super cool holiday gifts for kids of all ages. 

I am also really excited to host a great giveaway*. 

One of you could win this Captain America Mask & Triple Blast Shield too. And I'm making this super easy. All you need to is leave a comment below telling me: 

Which Marvel hero toys and action figures are 

YOUR kids requesting this holiday season?

* Giveaway is open to U.S. residents
* Must be 18 years & older to enter
* Giveaway ends Friday, December 14, 2012 11:59pm EST
* Winner will be chosen randomly via random.org & I will email the winner by Sat 12/16 

This is part of a product review campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Hasbro; complimentary products were provided.  However, all opinions expressed are my own.

8 Great Gifts under $25 for Kids with Autism by HASBRO

While at LATISM, I had the opportunity to meet several brands - one of them being HASBRO.  I got to check out some of their toys and I instantly fell in love with the Play-Doh Diggin' Riggs Buster The Power Crane. (I knew that was a must have for The Boy. With Christmas and his 7th birthday coming up - it'll be a wonderful surprise for him.) However I was surprised to discover that many of the toys we have in our home were part of the HASBRO family.

When it comes to toys, we just can't buy anything - we need to make sure that The Boy can benefit from it. Play skills don't come naturally to many children with autism - it really needs to be taught. 

But there is no need to break the bank when buying gifts. So I'd thought I'd share some of our favorite HASBRO toys all under $25.00.

Playskool Sesame Street Bert & Ernie Figures - $5.99 
18 months - 4 years old
There are other great figures (Elmo, Big Bird, Grover, Cookie Monster etc.) but right now The Boy really loves his Bert & Ernie. They are the perfect size for small hands and great for imaginative play. We love recreating our favorite scenes and making up new dialogue. 

Memory Disney Princess Edition - $8.99 
Memory Game Match and Motor Speedway Disney Pixar Cars 2 Edition - $8.99
For 1 or more players - 3 years and up
We have been playing Memory games with The Boy since Early Intervention. We started off slowly, with 2 or 3 sets and as he got better - we increased the number of possible matches. It has helped with both concentration and turn taking skills.  

Don't Break the Ice - $8.99
2 to 4 players - 3 years and up
This is The Boy's favorite game! It's fantastic for fine motor skills - holding the mallet and setting up the game - and great for turn taking/socialization. The Boy loves when all the ice cubes fall - he doesn't care that it means he lost the game, he's just having fun. I have to admit, I really like playing this game too.  

Scatterpillar Scramble - $19.99 
2 to 4 players - 4 years and up (choking hazard - not for children under 3 years old)
The Boy's former Occupational Therapist used to play this game during her sessions. Holding the tongs helped his pincer grasp and eye/hand coordination.

Play-Doh Diggin' Riggs Buster The Power Crane - $21.99
3 years and up
Because what kid doesn't love Play-Doh? And for kids with autism and sensory processing disorder, Play-Doh is always the perfect gift. When I saw this at LATISM I knew that it had to be on The Boy's holiday list for sure. He loves Play-Doh and cranes - this is really the best of both worlds. Play-Doh addresses sensory needs, fine motor skills, strengthens hand muscles and encourages imaginative play.  When in doubt - anything Play-Doh is great gift.  

Gator Golf - $22.99 
1 to 2 players - 3 years and up
The Husband loves playing Gator Golf with The Boy. Gator Golf is not only fun for everyone but it also helps strengthen hand muscles and core, increases concentration and helps coordination.   

SIT’N SPIN - $24.99
18 months to 5.5 years old
I regret that I jumped on the SIT'N SPIN band wagon too late. I should have purchased this as soon as The Boy was diagnosed. It's a great toy for sensory seekers! Not only does the SIT'N SPIN encourage balance and coordination but it also strengthens core and hand muscles. 

Remember: when buying toys for kids with autism - try not to focus on the age. Think of where the child is developmentally. For example, even though The Boy will be 7 in January - there are many toys in that age category that are too advanced. So I look at toys that are within the 3 - 5 year old range.
    
*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Family Day Fun! A Very #FurryChristmas at Sesame Place

Yesterday was the grand opening day of A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place! 

And we were invited to join in on the one-of-a-kind family-friendly celebration with our favorite furry friends.

Growing up, I never got the chance to go to Sesame Place so I get really happy to do things like this with The Boy. And once we convinced him that it was too cold for splashing water fun and showed him all the water attractions were closed - he had a blast.

The last time we went to Sesame Place  The Boy refused to get near any of the characters, even though he loves so many of them. This time was different, he sought them out - walked up to them and got lots of sensory furry hugs.

The Boy asked for specific rides, waited patiently on lines (the park was manageable enough that we didn't need the disability pass) and used lots of language through out the day. He was really happy being part of the holiday fun.   

Check out some of our pics: 

Christmas Tree at the Entrance

 Pictures cannot do this tree justice. It's just beautiful.

 

Picture with Santa

Don't ask how many photos it took to get this one right. But we got it.

Hold on to your cookies Norrin

This is the money shot of the day - The Husband captured a great moment.

The View from Snuffle's Slides

I was worried about whether it would be crowded, but it was quite manageable. We didn't even request a disability pass. And The Boy did a great job waiting on the lines.

Grover

With the water attractions closed, we got to see the parade. One of my favorite parts of the parade was when it started to snow. It really added to the festivities.

 

Spectacular lights

We left before it got really dark  but even at dusk - the park looked like a Winter Wonderland at lit up.

Father & Son

We'll be back soon! 

More pics to be posted later in the week

***

A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place is open select dates November 17th – December 31st. The fun starts with 3 special Christmas shows, dry rides (weather permitting), awesome music and twinkling lights all around. Sesame street glows with festivities and come to life at night with our illuminated Neighborhood Street Party Parade. And the fun continues with a special Christmas menu, super holiday shopping and, of course, a visit with Santa.


Disclosure: I was invited as a member of the media and provided with complimentary admission to the park. All opinions are my own.   

Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

 Salud! 

The mad dash this morning!  

It's  great to see The Boy's excitement of Christmas morning... 

An attempt to take a family pic...oh well, next time!

So long as I get my Christmas kiss - I'm good!  

What's a Sunday like in your City?   
Unknown Mami wants to know!  
Go on over to Sundays In My City. 

Must Have Coffee [Friday Fragments]

I know it's Saturday morning.  Very early Saturday morning - 5:54 am, to be exact.  I haven't even had a sip of coffee.  BUT, I have put a 10 lb pernil in the oven and started a batch of cocoquito.  


Coquito is a Puerto Rican version of egg nog - only much much better.  It's creamy and  coconutty and can have quite a kick.  But it's a pain to make and I'm not even chopping a real coconut.  In the end, it's worth it. 


I suppose I should have taken a picture of these but I can only do so much before my first cup of coffee.


And don't you know - I finally just went to pour myself a cup of coffee and realized I'm out of cream...

* 

On mornings when I wake up at 6 am and The Boy's room looks like this (because The Boy was up and playing at 5)

12/2011

I wonder why I bought more Legos, more books, more trains for Christmas.  

Especially when The Boy's birthday is next month.

And even though it's the eve before the Christmas Eve - it still doesn't really feel like Christmas. 

The tree is up, The Boy's presents are waiting to be wrapped.  (Yes, still waiting.  I know.)

I have my pernil in the fridge oven seasoned with garlic and salt, oil and vinegar, a few pinches of oregano and pepper. 

I have opened the cans of evaporated milk, condensed milk, coconut milk and creme of coconut stacked on my counter.  It's already waiting to be blended together with Bacardi & sprinkled with cinnamon.

And I even saw The Boy perform at his very first Christmas recital.  He sang!  The Boy actually sang.  With three other classes!  In front of other grades and parents and teachers in an auditorium!  He clapped when he was supposed and did everything the other kids were doing.

I hate when I underestimate him.  I was so nervous it would be a repeat of this day.  And it wasn't!  The Boy did good.  (He only cried when I left...and that made me feel guilty and sort of crappy.)

And for 5 whole minutes, I was like every other mom in the room.  Not a special needs mom, just a mom - watching their child perform.

At the end, when all crazy proud parents swarmed in the children to take pictures, The Boy actually smiled and wasn't phased in the least. 

Holiday 12/2011

But still...it still doesn't feel like Christmas.     

Maybe it's because it's been in the 50s for the last few days.  And I'm still stomping the streets in ballet flats and a light jacket.  I think I've worn a hat once - maybe twice - so far.

It's colder this morning - Christmas biting cold.  And I'm not thrilled about going outside to buy cream but I just can't go through the motions of this crazy day without it.  

Play along! Don't know how?  

Check out Mrs. 4444

at Half Past Kissin Time 

for more Friday Fragments.