I am American, but I am also Mexican - balancing both is complicated. My name, Ces'Ari, embodies this complexity. I suppose it predisposes me to an interesting life.
I was always too chubby to wear white pants. They have to be the least forgiving pants of all! White tends to make people look more plump than what they actually are, but I was determined to have a pair months ago!
I bought white jeans when I was vacationing with family in Laughlin and they did not fit. I can proudly say today not only do they fit, but they are loose! Staying motivated to continue being healthy should not be difficult if I remind myself of how far I have come with this picture. Stay motivated ladies and gentlemen!
Being Latina is complicated when trying to lose weight and dress right.
Pants: Rue 21, Top: Old Navy, Undershirt: Abercrombie & Fitch, Shoes: TOMS' wedges, Necklace: Forever 21, Blazer: Random off-brand purchase
These days, I just can't get enough of Bruno Mars. I don't think he is necessarily a looker, but he has a beautiful voice and pinache that most men don't- unless you are talking about my husband. Every time I listen to his music, I wonder if he is Latino. His voice is similar to Latino singers that I grew up listening to like Ralfie Pagan and Joe Bataan. After finally taking time out to research, it turns out that he is half Puerto Rican from his dad's side. My gay-dar may be totally off, but my Latino-dar is still right on track!
Click here to read my article on Bruno Mars' Latino background.
Being Latina is complicated, we are a heterogeneous group of people. Sometimes it is almost impossible to recognize your own fellow Latino!
I love the idea of homemade things. They tend to be more than just an object, instead they convey emotion. Rightfully so, because they require more energy to produce. So why go the extra step to make goodies? They are a cost effective way to say "I love you"! Also, I believe that candy making has become a lost art. I'm not going to call myself the greatest cook or baker, but I am decent and know that I will continue to improve with time. In other words, if I can make it so can you!
I used the following recipes to make peanut brittle and English Toffee featured in the pictures below. The only thing that the recipes call for that you may have to go out and buy is a candy thermometer.
Hint: *You may want to pull your candy from the heat once it browns. I found that my candy thermometer did not hit the desired heat specified by the recipes. I pulled them out of the heat based on instinct and they came out perfectly! If I would have left them longer, they most likely would have burned.*
English Toffee Ingredients
4 sticks of Melted Butter
2 cups of Granulated Sugar
3 ounces, fluid Water
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract ( Can use immitation Vanilla flavor)
3 cups of tempered Dark or Milk Chocolate For Coating, Melted ( I used milk and dark chocolate chips)
English Toffee Preparation Instructions
*Necessary Equipment: Candy Thermometer*
Mix butter, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until candy thermometer registers 298 degrees.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined. (You can tell that this needs to be done as soon as the mixture turns to the color that you desire and is near the 298 mark.)
Pour the mixture onto a silicone baking mat or good parchment paper on top of a pan or heat resistant surface.(I used Costco's parchment paper and it worked great on top of a cookie sheet!) Use a heatproof rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread quickly (by quick I mean instantly) before the toffee sets. Spread thin.
Allow toffee to cool completely! Coat surface with half of the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with topping.
When chocolate has totally set, carefully flip over (it's okay if it falls apart a bit) and coat other side with the rest of the chocolate. Sprinkle on topping.
Allow to set, then break into bite-size pieces.
Store in an airtight container. (I used Bell mason jars.)
In a metal saucepan (that is shallow enough for your candy thermometer to sit in), over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves. Next, stir in peanuts. Set your candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until the color reaches the desired shade of brown.
Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.
P.S. Do not fret over how much sugar, butter, chocolate and nuts you will purchase....it all goes a long way! Plus, once you taste it, you will not regret your decision to buy it.
P.S.S. You can go to town decorating your candy mason jars. Take a look at what I made for this past Christmas!
Being Latina is complicated during the holidays and special events (especially with my huge family), but you still have to show them some love!
