Posts by Contributor:
How to Make Aguas Frescas with the Kids
July 29th, 2010
Not knowing what to do with so many cucumbers and having run out of friends to pass them onto, my mom and daughter experimented with making aguas frescas with cucumber. It was wonderfully light and refreshing.
After having such a satisfying experience with that recipe, my daughter decided to try making it with mango and the result was equally delicious. It was a little sweeter and thicker but satisfying nonetheless.
Aguas Frescas de Mango
Ingredients:
one mango, peeled and diced
simple syrup
ice
water
Directions: Peel and dice mango. Puree the mango in a blender. Add simple syrup to your taste preference. Pour into a pitcher filled half way with ice. Add water and additional simple syrup to your taste preference.
Simple Syrup Ingredients:
one cup white sugar
one cup water
Directions: Pour both ingredients into a pot and boil for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
Aguas Frescas de cucumber and lime
Ingredients:
two small cucumbers
one lime
simple syrup
water
ice
Directions: Peel and cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the core of the cucumber halves. Loosely chop the remaining cucumber into small chunks. Puree the cucumbers in a blender. Strain the puree. Pour the strained puree and simple syrup into a pitcher filled half full with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the pitcher and mix. Add additional water and simple syrup to your taste preference.
I hope you enjoy the recipes and maybe it will give you an activity to do with the ninos.
Here are some additional great ones too:
Pineapple and ginger agua fresca
Watermelon and ginger agua fresca
Do you have a favorite agua fresca?
Tessa Lemos Del Pino is a Chicana who grew up in the Pacific Northwest. She is a lawyer by training, executive administrator by profession, and organizer by habit. You can read more of her writing on the Tiki Tiki and at Risk A Day. She lives in Nashville, TN.
Doing Little Havana a Lo Cubano
July 1st, 2010
Maria de los Angeles and Irish TV celebrity Daithi O Se in Little Havana, the heart of Cuban Miami.
By Maria de los Angeles
What does a redheaded Cuban-American, an Irish film crew and one hot TV celebrity make on a sweltering day in Little Havana? No, it’s not some kind of Celtic porn with pork and potatoes, it’s a segment for an upcoming series on Ireland’s TG4 network!
Route 1 will air in Ireland this October, with celebrity host Dáithí Ó Sé leading a travel show about driving all the way from Maine to Key West on U.S. 1. Production company Dearg Films made up the crew.
How the heck did I get involved in this? Well, Ciaran Gallagher, co-producer, sent me a very funny email last April. It started like this: “I hope you don’t mind this cheeky unsolicited email, but I was hoping I could pick your brain about all things Miami.” Ciaran found me via my blog and the work I do at Miami Beach 411.
Fast forward and I found myself meeting a crew of four self-proclaimed “Irish pasty guys” and one hot papi chulo from the Emerald Isle for a four-hour shoot in Little Havana. With the mic firmly adjusted to my bra — having the sound guy poke around under my dress was the most action I’ve gotten in weeks — Daithi and I improvised in front of the camera.
The goal here was to give the Irish audience a quirky and entertaining look at Little Havana: “drop their talk about the potato crop and make them spill their Guinness in astonishment,” as hilarious Ciaran put it in his original cheeky email. So, in the weeks prior to the shoot, I contacted a few businesses and came up with a loose schedule.
Here’s what we did, focusing mainly on the heart of Little Havana between 16th and 11th avenue:
1. Stopped at Maximo Gomez Park (Domino Park), where we talked about the importance of the park as a community hub and noted the signs that say “no cursing, no sweat shirts, no flip flops and no guns,” among other rules.
2. Filmed in front of the Tower Theater, where I explained its architectural and cultural importance.
3. Had Daithi sample a colada, a cortadito and a pastelito de guayaba (coffee and guava pastry) at El Exquisito, my favorite family-owned Cuban restaurant. I discussed the ventanita (little storefront window where coffee is served) as the space for political talk and local gossip.
4. Smoked cigars at Cuba Tobacco Cigar Company, a family-owned business that started on the island circa 1896 and has been making cigars in Miami for over 40 years. Unfortunately — or perhaps fortunately — I had to squeeze in a Monica Lewinksy joke.
5. Filmed at the Bay of Pigs Memorial on 11th Avenue, where I fielded some hardcore questions about Cuba and the exile experience.
I’m not sure if I turned Daithi — voted Ireland’s sexiest TV man — into a real Cubanaso, but he did tell me he learned a lot during the experience. And if any of my Cubanita vibes rubbed off on him, I’m sure he’s all the more sexier for it.
For the Florida segment, not only did Route 1 hang out with yours truly, they also visited with the Dolphins Cheerleaders (blah!) but made up for that with an exclusive interview of Burt Reynolds in Jupiter and the State Attorney of the Conch Republic in Key West.
This isn’t the first time Daithi and the friendly crew worked together. Previously, they shot two similar series, one covering Route 66 and the other Highway 61. They also made a documentary about country music legends.
Route 1 will air in October on Irish TV, some of which is broadcast in Gaelic. I’ve been promised access to clips so stay tuned! There are few more photos on Flickr.
Dichos Talk: Mango Bajito
June 28th, 2010
By Martha Gonzalez
I grew up listening to dichos like “Si el río suena, piedras lleva” and “Ahí esta pintada.”
Every culture has them, but Latinos especially, could carry an entire conversation just using dichos.
My husband’s Cuban-American family, who has graciously welcomed me into their clan, provide a great source of Cuban dichos. My Colombian roots and my hubby’s Cuban heritage tend to mesh really well, but sometimes I wish I had a camera to save those moments when he’s either totally confused by the Colombian flare or I’m in La La Land over the many flavors within our cultures. It’s surprising we communicate as well as we do.
The other day, I was with my sister-in-law when she said to one of her boys: “Estas cogiendo mango bajito, get off the computer now.”
I was totally baffled by her expression: Mango bajito? Really? Since when are fruit and computers even remotely related?
Now, Cubans, just as many other Latinos LOVE their fruit. Mangoes are an institution in Miami, almost as important as the sacred guayaba. Proof of this: the three mango trees in our backyard. They are cherished, envied and fought over during the season. In my family, we never cared about mangoes so much until now.
My mom has not fallen behind at all. She talks about her daughter’s mangoes to other family members and even to strangers at the supermarket because, after all, she doesn’t have to buy mangoes anymore. We receive requests from my friends in Texas and family in Virginia to the tone of “Guardame mangos.”
So, “Mango bajito?” I asked my sister-in-law.
“Yeah, you’ve never heard that?”she said, immediately recognizing that this would be a Cuban-teachable moment to the colombianita in the house.
I pursued the opportunity. “Explain,” I said.
“Well, it’s simple, like something that comes by opportunity or getting something for free.” (Or, “easy pickings.”)
Wow, neat I thought. Needless to say, my daughters will hear “mango bajito” from their Mami soon enough. It’s been added and checked into my Latino dichos dictionary.
Now if only I could define the true meaning of el Sereno…
Martha Gonzalez, the mother two Colombo-Cuban-American daughters, lives in el “corre corre” in Miami.
ed. note: Some say “mangos bajito” means something wholly different. Mira. Descarados.
A Dance With My Father
June 17th, 2010
Loly and her father at her Quinces
By Loly Perez-Hinojosa,
My father, Luis, was a tough, hard working, wise and spiritual man with a great heart, soul and spirit. Every once in a while, he did blow his Cuban temper, but it was always with good intentions. He always wanted the best for all of us. His priority was always “la Familia.”
My father was my rock, and he made me the woman that I am today. He taught me to have respect for myself and others. He was so knowledgeable, expressive, and talkative — boy could he talk. He loved to have company over. He’d say: “Mariana, haz café para la visita.” And, the topic always ended in Cuba, what we left behind and the wonderful moments they all had shared.
A lover of nature and plants, our backyard was his little kingdom filled with fruit trees and all the traditional herbs of our island: tilo, mazanilla, yerba buena, ruda and many others. He smoked his “Cachimba” (his pipe) while watering and arranging his plants. And before the cachimba, it was cigars!
Not one day goes by that I don’t think of Papi. The smallest of things remind me of him, his Cuban sarcasm, jokes and “dicharachos,” which to date I still quote.
I miss my father, who passed away in 2007, but I know well that he still is watching over me and guiding me through life’s hurdles and keeping me safe.
Happy Father’s Day from the Tiki Tiki to all the men in our lives.
Giveaway: Le Baby Hair Gel for Your Baby’s Pelo
June 11th, 2010
Congratulations to the winner of the Le Baby Hair Gel:
Pam Pensiero says:
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By Lisa Renata
When I was little and lived in Mexico, I remember that most of the boys (including all my younger tios) used to wear their hair all slicked back. They would get this effect with some sort of glossy gel. Though they all thought they looked good, I never really liked the look.
Then as I got older, the style was to use a gel or hairspray that shaped and molded your hair anyway you chose (you know, the kind that will break your fingers if you try to run them through the hair. Yeah, that kind) .
I didn’t start using anything on my hair until I was in high school. Hairspray was the thing, back then. A-lot-of-hairspray! (Remember the big hair of the 80′s and early 90′s?) Still, I didn’t wear much of it. And then my senior year I cut my hair short — really short and to keep it in place I tried different kinds of hair gels and hated every single one of them. In the end, I opted for a light-weight moose.
So needless to say, whenever I think of hair gel, I think either greasy or hard. And, neither interests me.
When I was asked to try a new hair gel for babies and kids, Le Baby, I hesitated at first. Then I checked out their site to see what they were all about: They claimed that their gel was hypoallergenic (okay); no harsh chemicals, parabens, sulfates, nor tested on animals (this is good); fragrance free (also good, I’m too sensitive to smells. And really, who wants to smell a stinky chiquitins hair? Not me.); great for sensitive skin including those with eczema (got my attention- both my son and I have eczema.); never leaves hair stiff or sticky (hum, we’ll try it!).
Dejenme les cuento, I was impressed with Le Baby gel and my son loved it. In his words, “It’s my favorite mami.” Not that he had anything else to compare it too. But really, it does what it claims.
I tried it both on my 4-year-old chiquito and my 2-year-old chiquita. For the most part, it kept their hair in place, even after gymnastics class. And their hair never felt hard, nor looked slick. Yay! No bad flashbacks for me.
Another important thing is that my son didn’t have any skin reaction. Oh, so very important. And you know that little claim about being fragrance free? Well, every time I would sniff in the scent of my chiquitines hair (What! Don’t tell me you never do that?) I would smell a nice gentle fruity scent. Nice.
What I am the happiest about is that now my chiquito has something to claim his own. You see, the chiquita de la casa has hair accessories galore. Que para las tresas, que para las colas de caballo, y mucho mas.
He, on the other hand, only has a spray bottle of water and a brush. But not any more.
Win Win Win
You can win Le Baby hair gel for your bebe — or for you — by leaving a comment on this post and telling us about your pelo or your baby’s pelo. Let’s talk risos, pelo bueno, pelo loco, pelo chino…all types of Latina hair! Tell us funny hair stories, scary hair stories, sad hair stories.
The contest runs through midnight Tuesday, June 15. One winner will be chosen using Random.org and the product will be shipped by the contest sponsor, Le Baby, or its representative. Winner has 72 hours to respond to the Tiki Tiki’s e-mail notification, or another winner will be chosen.
Disclaimer: The reviewer received a free Le Baby hair gel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the product. Product retails for $9.95.
Lisa Renata is a US-born Latina who experienced Mexican culture first-hand when she lived there as a child. During any crazy week you can find her interpreting and testing for the school district ESL program, working on her blog Sabor a Cajeta, sewing or enjoying some calm time with her two kids and husband – and with a camera always in her hands.
Trilingual Parrot, Monolingual Son
June 4th, 2010
Jennifer Vides refuses to let a trilingual parrot show up her monolingual son.
The Green Chicken
By Jennifer Vides
I recently spent a few days at my parents’ home, where I was warmly greeted by my mom – a full-fledged white girl raised in Texas – and my dad, who was born and raised in El Salvador.
Their Amazon Yellow-Nape parrot – AKA “The Green Chicken” – was not as enthusiastic about my arrival (yes, I teased him when I was a child. Don’t judge). He’s been in my family since we acquired him in El Salvador in 1973, so yes that makes him around 37, and older than my brother, I should point out.
The Green Chicken literally grew up with us. He traveled with us from El Salvador to Puerto Rico to Costa Rica and to Miami. He continued on to Brazil, then Canada, back to Miami and finally to Houston.
As a result, he is trilingual: He speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese. And with every word he uttered during my visit, it was like he was taunting me with his language skills.
Why?
My kid only speaks English.
This is a sore point for me. My older sister and I speak Spanish and English fluently and French badly. My younger brother and sister add Portuguese to the list since they also lived in Brazil. (I need to say my younger sister also speaks German and French, or she’ll get mad at me.)
I suppose I could cut myself a break and say that hey, my sibs and I learned Spanish because we grew up in Latin America, so we didn’t have a choice. And I could say that my kid only has occasion to use his Spanish when he’s speaking to me. Yeah I could say that but it would be a total cop-out. I mean: I live in L.A.
The truth is: my sibs and I had a choice. Well, my parents did. They chose to put us in bilingual schools. And I don’t mean the schools where the U.S. Embassy kids go when they are in Latin America, where Spanish is taught one period a day in much the same way it’s taught in U.S. public schools.
No, my parents sent us to schools where the population was mostly not American. We HAD to speak Spanish. At home, we were more-than-encouraged to learn Spanish. And with every move, we learned a new kind of Spanish, since in every Latin American country the Spanish is different.
I swore I’d be the same way; that no matter what, my son would learn Spanish. I mean, think of the advantages, right?
Turns out? It’s not that easy. I married an American of Polish & Irish descent who wholeheartedly supported and encouraged my desire to teach our son Spanish. But the kid refuses – mostly because it was, by necessity, an English-speaking household. He’ll learn words I push on him. But fundamentally he isn’t interested in learning.
So here I sit, sick with the realization that The Green Chicken could be stealing my kid’s jobs of the future. (I kid, I kid.)
But in all seriousness, I’m re-motivated to make sure my kid speaks Spanish.
I’m not letting that Green Chicken show up my kid.
Jennifer Vides is a PR practitioner, writer, blogger, tweeter, and mom to the funniest kid on Earth. The daughter of a Salvadoran father and Texan mother, Jennifer was raised in El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Miami, and has worked in Miami, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. These experiences have made her a culturally-confused Latina who can’t roll her Rs but who speaks Salvadoran, Puertorican, Costarican, Cuban, Mexican and..well you get the drill.
This essay is reposted from her blog Mami, Deconstructed.
Tiki Tiki con Marta
May 17th, 2010Kikita (la hija de Marta) here and I have a happy announcement:
Mami will be turning…*ahem*… 21 on Friday, May 21st, 2010.
We will be in Miami for this momentous occasion and I’ve decided there is only one thing we can do. We must have a Big, Fat, Cuban Birthday party and EVERYONE is invited!
Where is the party, you ask?
Habana Vieja Restaurant
Come and enjoy some “Tiki Tiki time” with Marta as we celebrate her coming of age.
(Her actual age is “not important right now.”)
Please don’t feel obligated to bring gifts, the best gift is your presence.
Also, I can’t buy your dinner, but I’ll be happy to take a picture of you with Marta, so bring your camera! (And if you don’t HAVE a camera, I’ll have one and can email you the picture.)
If you have any more questions about this momentous occasion, you can email me, Kikita.
I’d be happy to give you my cell phone number so you can find us once you arrive. Just email me and ask. :-)
So, here’s the re-cap:
When: Friday, May 21st, 2010
6:30pm
Where: Habana Vieja Restaurant
3622 Coral Way
Miami, FL 33145
(305) 448-6660
RSVP to: Kikita
For those of you who won’t be able to make it, but are hoping to catch Marta at Cuba Nostalgia, we will be at the Babablú Blog booth for most of Saturday, May 22, 2010.
We can’t wait to see you!
Cross posted at MBFCF.
Vlogiando: I’m a Latina NASCAR Fan
April 14th, 2010Ed. Note: Please click the headline to see the video
By Yolanda Mason
I still remember like it was yesterday when my now husband faxed me a copy of the tickets for our first date: It was the last NASCAR Winston Cup race at Homestead!
At that time, I had no idea what I was getting into… NASCAR and golf are the two events my husband enjoys and I have learned to like them because, after all, marriage is a team, right?
I still enjoy watching the confused faces on my family, friends and acquaintances when I tell them I am a NASCAR fan. They look at me like I am talking about aliens. Y ni hablar when we try to watch a race while visiting Puerto Rico!
Nowadays, I know about a few stats and rules, met a few drivers, have visited a few tracks and am comfortable talking “NASCAR” although my hope is to be able to do so with many more Latinos.
I guess my husband is right, I’m getting a little country, after all.
Yoly Mason is a Latina blogger. You can find her most of the time working at her couponing blog Cuponeando or vlogging on her personal blog YNR Live, which she does with her Southerner husband.
Vlogiando: What Are You?
April 13th, 2010
(Ed. Note: click the headline link to see the video)
Lizzie Bermudez has long been asked “What are you?”
The Northern California-based TV reporter and mom offers an answer dependent on her mood. The question does get old.
But, the truth is, she’s a wonderful mix — Mexican and Filipino. Mexipino!
Listen as Lizzie describes “what” she is.
Lizzie Bermudez is a television reporter who recently launched lizziebtv.com. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two daughters.
Questioning Latino Terms of Endearment
April 7th, 2010
I love being a Latina. I love our culture and all that comes with it. But, there is this thing in the Latino culture where your parents, or other relatives, will often say “terms of endearment” that if said in the English language would be down-right insulting and offensive.
When they say “Esta gordita!” they don’t really mean “She’s fat!” – though that’s the translation. Same goes for “negrita” which translates to “dark-skinned girl.”
They’re all meant to be loving terms. Es un poco raro, I know.
The blog, SpanglishBaby, has a wonderful “Ask an Expert” series and recently a reader asked, “Will my daughter be hurt by “negative” Spanish terms of endearment?” The woman was unhappy about the grandpa telling her child a sibling was prettier because he smiled more. He called the unsmiling 22-month-old an “uraña.” The expert, Lori Langer de Ramirez, wrote:
“In English it is not customary to call people by nicknames that call out their salient physical features – unless you are doing so in a teasing way – or worse – as a means of hurting someone’s feelings. In the Spanish-speaking world, however, it is common to hear these words being used as terms of endearment.”
Now, I’m no stranger to such “loving” comments, but since I became a mother, to even think of someone telling my daughter that a sibling is prettier, just makes my skin crawl. Especially at such a young age, before a child can interpret the meaning behind the statement or even decipher the tone!
While I had never really given any of this much thought, I can certainly relate to the question. Growing up, I experienced this myself and have many times been called “gorda” and “negrita.” You somehow get used to it, I guess. I’m not sure at which point I realized that it wasn’t intended to be harmful or derogatory. I’m sure my Mami reassured me many times by saying, “Es de cariño.”
We have a funny way of showing nuestro amor.
Did growing up hearing those comments affect me? I have no clue, honestly. My level of confidence – or lack of it – may partly be because of these terms or perhaps because of many other things that have happened in my life. No se.
The truth is that no harm is meant when your familia says such things. It’s always in a playful manner and said “with love.” Growing up around it, and in the Latino culture, you know that to be true. But, now that I have a daughter and enough negative images out there to compete with, I’m certainly more aware of how hearing such things could cause some harm.
I’m normally not one to be overly cautious of how I say things. My husband, his family, my family, and our friends, all pretty much joke in the same manner and don’t hold back. It’s just known that you have to take the jokes to survive in our circle. In fact, if we don’t make fun of you, we probably don’t like you. This probably seems backwards, but the fact is that energy is spent on those we care for.
I think with our daughter, though, there will be a very distinct line between jokes and jokes that involve self-image. In today’s society, and with the multiple cultures she’s growing up in, it’s something my husband and I have to really consider.
Langer de Ramirez, the SpanglishBaby expert, added in her response:
“…the terms will provide you with an excellent ‘teachable moment’ for discussing cross-cultural communication, which is one of the 21st century skills…”
We love to talk with our 4-year-old about cultural differences and how she should understand and even embrace many of them. It’s something we strive to teach our daughter.
You can already hear our baby girl say, “Did you know I’m from three countries? Puerto Rico from my mom, Trinidad from my dad, and the United States, where I was born.” I think we’re on the right track.
Did you grow up hearing cariñitos, “terms of endearment” that were more hurtful than loving? Is this only a crazy Latino thing?
Melanie Edwards is a ModernMami™. As a working mother, she provides an honest depiction of the everyday humor and drama in the life of today’s wife, mother and woman from a Latina perspective. She blogs regularly about the special concerns faced by working mothers. Melanie, originally from Puerto Rico, has been married seven years and has a 4-year-old daughter. You also can find Melanie on Twitter.
