Clásico Coffee Flan

At my house, there always is a jar of instant café in the freezer, which I use especially for making heavenly Coffee Flan.

It is easy. Just dissolve café granules into the flan’s liquid ingredients, making it a most glorious café con leche color, going darker or lighter depending on mood and just whom will be consuming it. Mine rarely is the same color twice.

Just for you, the folks at Nescafé have offered up a real easy and delicious Flan de Café recipe.

Note: After the recipes, read about a Nescafé Clásico coffee gift basket giveaway and the chance to win dinner and a private dance lesson with Javier “Poty” Castillo, director of choreography for the dance show, Mira Quien Baila. Poty, Spain’s most popular choreographer, is touring the U.S. with Nescafé’s  ”Celebra Nuestro Ritmo” campaign, inspiring dance, fun and good health.

First, the Flan de Café recipe!

Clásico Café (Coffee) Flan

Estimated Times:
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 mins
Cooling Time: 4 hrs refrigerating

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 can (14 oz.) Nestlé La Lechera Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 5 large eggs
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Nescafé  Clásico Instant Coffee Granules
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Fresh fruit (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Heat sugar in small, heavy-duty saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes or until dissolved and caramel-colored. Quickly pour onto bottom of 9-inch deep pie dish; swirl around bottom and side to coat.

Place sweetened condensed milk, eggs, evaporated milk and coffee granules in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

Pour into prepared dish; cover with foil. Place dish in large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with water to about 1-inch depth.

Bake for 55- to 65-minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove flan from water. Cool on wire rack.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, run small spatula around edge of pan. Invert serving plate over dish. Turn over; shake gently to release.

Serve topped with whipped cream and fruit.

Mas Clásico Coffee Recipes

Clásico Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting.

Clásico and Dulce de Leche drink. (Rum optional)

Mexican Coffee Ice Cream with Abuelita Chocolate Sauce.

Dulce de Leche Shake

Cola de Mono: Traditional Chilean Holiday Drink (Recipe calls for Chilean aguardiente, white rum, brandy or vodka. Wepa!)

The Clásico Giveaway

Details: One Tiki Tiki reader will win a basket of Nescafé Clásico , four Celebra tu Ritmo coffee mugs and an autographed photo of Poty.

How to win:

• Tell us how you like your coffee?
• Or, tell us your favorite recipe that uses coffee in the ingredients. (Hellooooo, Coffee Flan!)
• Or, tell us how much you love the idea of drinking something called Cola de Mono!

But wait, there is more.

If you head over to the Nescafé  Latino Facebook Page, you can enter a Sweepstakes (***Not associated with this Giveaway) to enter for the chance to win tickets to show in New York, plus dinner and a dance lesson with Poty.

Nescafe Latino Facebook Fans will be able to see 24 Latin dance lessons offered by Poty. Sweepstakes ends Nov. 8.

Also, if you live in Houston, Dallas or Los Angeles you can attend ‘Celebra Nuestro Ritmo’ Café Day events, which feature live dance performances, music, gifts and Nescafé Clásico café. Events are also supported by the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC).

Dates:
Houston, TX on September 30; Dallas, TX on October 1; Los Angeles, CA on October 8.

For campaign details read the official Nestle press release.

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Un poquito mas:

1. A Match Made in Heaven = Flan + Cake
2. Mango Paletas! Mexican Popsicles Recipe
3. Tres Leches Cake, an Easy Recipe

Helping you Celebrate Your Curves.

Giveaway closed: Jackie Won. Thanks to all who left comments!

By Barbara Gomez Trujillo

Ya! Enough is enough!

Spring is here, your New Year’s resolutions are slowly but surely dwindling, and although that big sweater is disguising the truth, before you know it there will be no hiding it! The time is now…vamos mi gente — lets get moving and focus on YOU!

I, your personal guide and amiga am here to help you get or stay on track to the fabulous you, you know is in there.

It is our responsibility to nurture the precious gift that has been given to us and it is our responsibility to set the foundation for our families. We must lead by example. So put down the pastelitos and bring on the fruit. Mueva las caderas and dance to Ricky or Marc, or your favorite Latin music — whether it is salsa, merengue or raggaeton. Dance and get that heart pumping…now! Dance is fun exercise.

Make today your day. Start slow and remain steady. You may not “feel” like it or don’t have “time.” Not acceptable. Remove those words from your head. Act like a robot, exercise on automatic at first and eventually you will grow to love and want to do it, I assure you. Believe me, I have been there and that is why I want and can help. Join me ahora….VAMOS!

Fitness tips to get you inspired

1. If you are not hungry don’t eat! Drink a glass of water first. Most of the time you hit the fridge or pantry because you are bored. Stay out of the kitchen especially if you just ate. Grab a book, send me a Tweet @BarbaraPorAtras, or drop me a note. But get your head out of the pantry.
2. At home don’t carry everything upstairs at one time. Purposely leave something behind. If unloading the groceries do it one bag at a time. If you purchased a gallon of water or milk go up the stairs first – holding it with both hands in front of you and then put it away. Point being: to move more than you normally do.
3. Make a meal plan before you hit the grocery store. Picture the store you are going to and write your list according to the aisle. This will keep you from buying what is not good for you. You’ll save your body and your wallet! Avoid the junk!
4. Use your home as your gym to implement fitness workouts throughout the day. Chair squats, push-ups, even get those Goya cans to do arm lifts….use what you have. Before I even brush my teeth in the morning when I wake up I hit the floor and do 20 push-ups followed by a 30-second plank ending with a 1 to 2 minute Yoga child pose meditation. It gets me ready for anything and everything.
5. Dissect your pantry and be honest. Out with the bad in with the good! You may cry but you must do it!
6. I post free workout videos and ideas on my site, so come on over.

And finally, if you need a primer on nutrition guidelines and ideas, check out my nutrition tips page at B and B Fit.

Latin fitness: Love your curves

Win Barbara’s book

To enter for a chance to win a copy of  my book “….Barbara por Atras” A Latin Woman’s Guide to Fitness” tell us about your fitness routine, or what keeps you from being motivated to exercise?

Details:

• Giveaway runs through noon CST Sunday, March 20.
• One winner will be chosen at random and notified via e-mail.
• The winner has 72-hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Barbara Trujillo Gomez spent too many years trying to have an ultra-thin, no-curves body so often seen in magazines and television, she realized that she failed to appreciate her numerous fitness achievements and her Latin shape. You can read more about Barbara, a Cuban-American personal trainer and life coach from New Jersey, at her site, B and B Fit.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Baila! Latin Music USA (Giveaway)
2. What The Farm Maiden Stirred (Giveaway)
3. The Red Umbrella – a giveaway.

You know those moments when your heart busts with this big, giant pride for your culture? When you want to grab the person next to you and say “See? See? How cool is this?”

When you don’t want that moment to be over?

It sounds a little dramatic of me, but I did have that moment in October 2009 when I watched Latin Music USA, a PBS documentary that tracked 50 years of Latin music right here in the United States. It taught me about a rich and full history of which I was unaware (Fania All-Stars, for one) and it highlighted the music and the Latino musicians I know and love — the people who have created the soundtrack for generations, from Celia to Ricky to Pitbull. It explored the beginnings of Latin jazz, tracing the evolution of music and song through mambo, salsa, reggaeton, Chicano rock, Tejano and Latin pop. And it showed the fusions with — and influences on — jazz, country, rock, reggae y mucho mas.

It showed how interwoven Latinos are in the American culture, and how we have been for generations.

A good point from the NY Daily News review.

Our public discussion, on matters from music to immigration policy, far too often treats Latinos as kind of a separate subculture existing inside the “real America.”
It’s true that Latinos, like all groups, do have their own subculture. Many, in fact. But more to the point, they are also deeply woven into the larger country, from our food to judicial policy.

You also can watch the intro to the series on the PBS site for a taste.

Series Features Well-Known Latino Musicians

The series features artists such as Willie Colón and Marc Anthony, Carlos Santana, Los Lobos, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Ricky Martin, Juanes and Pitbull. Plus Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón and Lin-Manuel Miranda from the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights.

Plus, the footage of recording sessions and concerts and the history lesson provided is amazing. Helping to tell the story was Leila Cobo from Estudio Billboard and V-me and Desmond Child, a Cuban-American singer/songwriter who wrote Living la Vida Loca, produced Ricky Martin’s upcoming CD Música + Alma + Sexo, and also wrote a gazillion songs you already know, sung by people like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and Kiss.

The series first aired on PBS stations and on Spanish-language channel Vme, a Tiki Tiki sponsor, and the organization giving away copies of Latin Music USA to two Tiki Tiki readers.

It is a Latin music lover’s must-have DVD.

The Giveaway:

• Two readers will each receive a free copy of Latin Music USA.
• To enter leave a comment telling us about your favorite Spanish song ever, or your favorite Latin music artist.
• Contest runs through midnight CST Saturday March 12.
• Winners will be selected at random and notified via email.
• Winners have 72 hours to respond, or the item will be given to another entrant chosen at random.

And because no conversation about Latin music and especially, salsa  is complete without talking about dancing, and dancing shoes, check out this little collection of shoes I would wear to go salsa dancing — if worrying about falling over was not a worry.

Azúcar!

Shoes with Salsa

If I was going salsa dancing tonight, these are the zapatos I would pick from.

Pumps by Christian Louboutin
Evening Shoes by Stuart Weitzman

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Latin Music USA.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Latin Music USA
2. Free Latin Music Downloads y a Vampy Laugh
3. Estudio Billboard: The Hottest Latin Music Stars

Listen as Maria Reads The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred

My 7-year-old found, sitting on the kitchen table, the new book,The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred. It had just arrived in the mail.

A little haltingly, she read “The Cas-uh-eh-lah…”

“Cazuela, pot,’’ I said. “It’s a new book. Can you read it to me?’’

And she did, with the English words and the Spanish words bouncing off her tongue. Me stopping her a few times to correct her pronunciation of the Spanish. Simple words like tambor and campesino, but words we don’t get to use much. (Maybe because I prefer the words maraca and guajiro, but anyway.)

At the end of the book, she spent time sounding out the glossary of Spanish words.

My bilingual heart filled with pride and joy at her ability to read the Spanish words, and I rejoiced that she would still enjoy a book much simpler than the 500-page fantasy books she’s been reading. (I am not kidding.)

“You know the book we love Before You Were Here, Mi Amor? Well, the same woman wrote this book,’’ I told her.

“I can tell,’’ she said. “I think it is the pictures.’’

I told Maria there is a different illustrator on The Cazuela, but I believe what she also recognized is the lyrical and simple beauty of Samantha R. Vamos’ books. They sing. Really. They do.

I had the pleasure of recording a free download Mp3 of Before You Were Here and it still is available over at Cody’s Cuentos blog, by the way.

Now, the Cazuela is Vamos’ second book and a take on the classic The House that Jack Built. But instead of a casa, this time they’re making arroz con leche. And everyone is helping: the vaca, the cabra, the pato, and they’re using crema and mantequilla and leche that they got at the mercado.

It all builds to a festive gathering, illustrated by the talented Rafael Lopez in a desert palette punctuated with gloriously vivid colors. Lopez designed the brand new U.S. postal stamps featuring Latin music legends on sale now.

The book is delightful, made even more so by the inclusion of a recipe for traditional arroz con leche (rice pudding), which now my girl wants to make.

Vamos, who is not of Latin background, somehow manages to capture the energy and joy of our culture. As the owner of her two books, I feel they’re necessary additions in homes like mine, especially — where we are trying to instill pride and teach customs that are not of the majority, where we are hungry to showcase the color and customs of our culture.

And, seriously, no matter what your family background, The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred is simply delicious. Watch the book trailer video for a taste.

For more about the book visit the publisher’s site, or Vamos’ site.

THE GIVEAWAY

To enter to win a signed copy of The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred, leave a comment here about your favorite Spanish childhood story, or tell us why you want this book.

You also can learn more about the book, its author and illustrator at the four other sites listed below during this week’s Virtual Book Tour for The Cazuela. If you leave a comment on the other sites, you up your winning chances. Ex: five blogs, five comments, five chances.

Monday, February 28th – The Latin Baby Book Club
Wednesday, March 2nd – La Bloga
Thursday, March 3rd – Mama Latina Tips
Friday, March 4th – Spanglish Baby

Contest ends Sunday, March 6. The winners will be chosen at random and notified via email.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Giveaway: Bilingual, Spanish Alphabet Learning Cards
2. Giveaway: Bilingual Children’s Books
3. Free bilingual children’s audio book

Contest closed.

Disclosure: Aviesta, a discounted designer fashion shopping site launching in February, is a Tiki Tiki sponsor.

Ah, handbags, shoes, jewelry. I like talking about fashion as much as I like talking about food.

But, to be honest, eating has been much more satisfying than shopping lately because, well, I am in a rut and have been since I turned 40. (And that was three years ago!)

The problem: I am no 25-year-old, but I am no vieja either. I like some spice, but don’t want to look too Kardashian. I want good quality, but not at $100 a blouse. And, Nashville has good music but semi-good shopping.

And so, I often live in yoga pants and sweaters.

Doy pena, really.

So, when I found out about Aviesta, a new online shopping site that will offer discounted high fashion with Latin flair, I said a big giant “Hola! I am yours.”

Aviesta is our latest sponsor, which means we get affiliate sales credits when readers use our code. But, the bonus is Tiki Tiki readers who desire fashion-at-a-discount benefit. (The extra bonus is that Latin designers will be regularly featured on Aviesta, a California-based start-up.)

Here is how Aviesta works

• Aviesta offers private sales to members only.
• The fashion is discounted by up to 70% retail.
• Members can sign up for the Spanish or English version of the site.
• Members will receive weekly videos on Mondays featuring a fashion stylist Antonio Vega describing the items that will go on sale the following day, Tuesday.
• Sales last for 36 hours.
• Members can purchase goods using credit cards, cash or through installments.
• Members get a $10 credit upon purchase for every friend they refer to Aviesta.
• You get additional discounts for sharing, referrals and shopping.
• If you use the Tiki Tiki invite — and I hope you do — we get an affiliate credit for shiny new clothes.
• You can register with Aviesta today to get your own affiliate code, which gives you the same benefits we get here at the Tiki Tiki.

Aviesta goes live February 1. If you sign up prior to the opening, you get VIP member status, which gives you behind-the-rope sorts of benefits. All the info will come to you in an email.

Aviesta currently only ships to the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

The Tiki Tiki affiliate invitation link is here.

So, drum roll. Here are the amazing designers participating in the first two weeks of sales:

Jewelry
Amrita Singh
Charlene K

Handbags
Carla Mancini
Miss Gussto

Clothing
CO2 Cashmere

Giveaway:

One Tiki Tiki reader will be randomly selected to win a $25 credit to shop Aviesta.

Answer this two-part question in the comments section:

What is your favorite fashion item and who is the designer?

For additional credit
Like Aviesta on Facebook
Follow Aviesta on Twitter
Subscribe to Aviesta on YouTube

Note: You must tell us in separate comments if you did any of the bonus points exercises (For example, if you followed them on Twitter and liked them on Facebook, that is two additional comments, beyond your original answer to the question. Si?) Combined answers will only be counted as one.

Giveaway ends at midnight CST Friday, January 28. The winner will be selected at random.

I’ll let you know how my wardobe improves in a few weeks.

Good luck, everybody!

Congratulations to Yvonne! You’re the winner! Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone to entered.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Giveaway: Bilingual Children’s Books
2. Promoting Your Assets. (Spanx Giveaway!)
3. Giveaway: Mabel’s Labels

I’ve been busy cooking up Christmas gifts in my kitchen. Cookies? No. I like to give gifts with a little more flair (and lots of leche condensada).

I usually make Creme de Vie, which is a Cuban egg nog. (Best receta cubana de Crema de Vie recipe here. Oh si!).

Or Dulce de Leche (Of course! Easy Dulce de Leche in a Crock Pot recipe here).

The cool thing about making either or both of those is that they’re both very easy to make and I just add a bit of creative packaging to add to the Wow(!) Factor.

And because it’s Christmas and I’m a giver, here are some free downloads of my own personal designs so you can amaze your friends and family.

Dulce de Leche and Crema de Vie are perfect gifts for the party hostess, a neighbor, the nice lady from church, the babysitter, the friend who has it all, the foodie — you name it. Everyone loves homemade dulce de leche and crema de vie. These labels make the gift extra personal.

1. Crema de Vie ~ Feliz Navidad! Labels in Red. MMDCrema de Vie Labels RED

2. Crema de Vie ~ Feliz Navidad! Labels in Green. MMD Crema de vie labels GREEN

3. Creme de Vie ~ Merry Christmas! Labels in Red. MMD Creme de Vie MERRY Labels RED

4. Creme de Vie ~ Merry Christmas! Labels in Green. MMD Creme de Vie MERRY Labels GREEN

5. Creme de Vie ~ Merry Christmas! Tags. MMD Creme de Vie Tags RED.pdf

6. Dulce de Leche Label in Red. MMD Dulce de Leche Labels RED

7. Dulce de Leche Label in Green. MMD Dulce de Leche Labels GREEN

I found these cute little jars at Pier I Imports. And I created the labels about 2 inches round and printed them on photo paper. I used my Fiskars 2 inch punch and stuck the new “sticker” I had just created onto the top of the Dulce de Leche jar. You can also most certainly trim them out with scissors. Aren’t they adorable? Just wait for those inevitable “oohs and aahs.” Plus the gift inside is SWEET!

There it is. I’ve given you all I have to give for today. I do have a few more tricks up my sleeves. I’m designing my own Christmas gift tags. Yes, of course I’ll share. (I’m cool that way.)

Dulce de Leche and Crema de Vie are perfect gifts for the party hostess, a neighbor, the nice lady from church, the babysitter, the friend who has it all, the foodie — you name it. Everyone loves homemade dulce de leche and crema de vie.

Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad! Go create something! If you decide to use my labels, please take photos and share on our Tiki Tiki Facebook page.

And, careful with the crema de vie!

Besos,

Marta

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Un poquito mas:

1. Dulce de Leche – How Sweet It Is
2. Betty Crocker Kitchens – Dulce de Leche, por favor
3. Que Rica Vida – Dulce de Leche Crepes

It’s that social-Cuban-connector part of me that always smiles when I see the return address on an envelope with the name of an old friend.

For my part, I’ve been sending out photo greetings for the past 30+ years. (Yes, I’m that old.) It’s become an important part of our Christmas tradition.

I like to think that people are happy to see our smiling faces and are maybe curious to see what my family (of which I’m extremely proud!) looks like.

So, here, for your viewing pleasure are the Darby Family Christmas Photo Greetings from the past few years.

In 2007, we had attended a family wedding and I thought we’d get a great shot of the six of us together all dressed up. My favorite ended up being the one where Eric grabbed the camera and extended his arm. Go figure!

Darby Christmas Card 2007

[Creative Note: The photo frame and wreath "sticker" are from Designer Digitals - I apologize for not remembering the name of the kit. The typeface I used for our names is appropriately called "Santa's Sleigh."]

In 2008, we had had a Toga Party for my son, Adam’s birthday and I was particularly fond of how this photo captured us in all our uber-geek glory.

Darbys in togas. 2008

Again, I created the design myself with the help of Designer Digitals.

Last year, we had our photo taken by the photographer from the Orange County Register who was photographing our family for my Coming to America story. I used Shutterfly to design the card. All I had to do was upload to their site and follow directions. I received the card just a few days later with envelopes all shiny and ready to mail.

We say "Merry Christmas." 2009

This past year, Adam has moved to Northern California and was only in town for a few days. Our next door neighbor happens to be a professional photographer and I was delighted that he was willing to work with me when I insisted we haul one of our red leather chairs out into the street. (I had a vision. Details here.)

Merry Christmas from the Darbys!

For this one I just added a strip of digital paper to the top and wrote Merry Christmas in Scriptina and our names in Helvetica. I printed them two to a page on photo paper using my color printer. They needed to be trimmed, but I was quite pleased with how they turned out.

Now it’s your turn. We’d like to invite you to share your holiday greetings with us. Please send us a copy of your photo cards (vintage or current day) to info at TikiTiki blog dot com. If you give us permission, we’d love to publish them for all the world to see.

GIVEAWAY! If you’re looking for a great place to get your holiday cards done, the generous folks at Snapfish.com have offered a $50 gift certificate to one lucky Tiki Tiki reader. Actually, they have a wide variety of photo gifts, like books and mugs, as well as greeting cards and various photo print sizes to choose from.

In order to enter the drawing for the $50 gift certificate to Snapfish, please answer one or all of the following questions:

• Do you send out photo greetings?
• Do you typically send out photos of just the kids or of the entire family?
• Do you ever dress up in crazy ways?
• Don’t we look fabulous in our red leather chair in the middle of the street? (Actually, this is a trick question. You don’t really get any extra points for answering, I just want to make sure you’re paying attention, but that’s not important right now.)

Leave your answers in the comment section of this post. Just to sweeten the pot, if you leave a comment AND send us your card (via email) it will count as an extra entry. We’ll choose the gift certificate winner on Thursday, December 10, 2010 at 11 am Pacific Time.

We just learned that our blog friend, Dariela has quite a few great designs at Snapfish. Take a look:

In the meantime, send us your photo greetings!

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

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Un poquito mas:

1. The Red Umbrella – a giveaway.
2. Chicana Christmas: La Virgen, Las Posadas y Los Tamales
3. Giveaway: Le Baby Hair Gel for Your Baby’s Pelo

Contest closed: The winner is Boni! Have a great time at the game.

True story. I walked in the front door just as someone was beginning to leave a message for my husband, who was in the shower and could not hear the phone. I didn’t answer it, but rather peaked into the bathroom and said:

“Hey, some guy named Bud is leaving a message on the machine for you.”

“Bud Selig?”

“Maybe…”

“That’s the Commissioner of Baseball!”

Whoops. See, when the commissioner of baseball calls your sports reporter husband, you must answer the phone.

A decade or so years have passed since then, but my husband still uses this story as an example of how little I know about professional sports. He’s tried to teach me clever quips to say to men to make them think I know more, stuff about no huddles or something, but I can’t keep them straight. When we watch football together, I spend way too much time saying “Wow! Those guys are huge!”

He says it isn’t a big deal to him that I understand what he does, what he writes about, but I do know this: If I showed an ounce more of interest the man would be very, very impressed and happy.

So, if you love a sports maniac — and a football fan, in particular, the Tiki Tiki is giving you a chance to make them very happy next weekend: Win a pair of tickets to the NY Giants vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game to be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 28 in New York City. (A value of more than $200 if you look for tickets online right now.)

Here is why you should enter: Impress someone you love and help spread the word about fighting hunger.

Comida Kraft, Kraft Foods Hispanic division, has created Haz Equipo contra el Hambre (Huddle to Fight Hunger) to raise awareness about hunger, with the goal of donating 20 million meals, or mas, to Feeding America, a hunger relief organization. The campaign wrap-up is Jan. 9 during the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl featuring college football teams. The campaign has enlisted athletes and celebrities such as Robert Garza, Joe Montana and Erin Andrews to spread the word and they’re giving away football tickets across the country as a thank you and promo.

Why the focus on hunger? 49.1 million Americans don’t know where their next meal is coming from, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.

Here is what you have to do to win:

• Comment below professing your love of football, or with your favorite sports goof, or your Thanksgiving weekend football story to enter for your chance to win. (Show my husband I am not the only one!)
• Go to Kraft Foods will donate a meal to Feeding America when you click to Comida Kraft and join. When you do, Kraft donates a meal to your local food bank. (Not required, but good karma, si?)

This giveaway will run until Friday, November 26, 2010, 12pm ET. The winner will be notified via email and on Twitter Friday afternoon. Once the contact has been made, the winner will receive his/her tickets via e-mail. The party responsible for distributing the tickets to the winner is Kraft Foods.

Disclosure: Comida Kraft provided Tiki Tiki Blog with the tickets to host this giveaway at no cost. The Tiki Tiki did not receive payment or gifts for this post.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Giveaway: Mabel’s Labels
2. The Red Umbrella – a giveaway.
3. Promoting Your Assets. (Spanx Giveaway!)

Brilliant Bra by Assets

Contest Closed! The Winner is Yoly. She gets to hide her rollitos with Assets. Thanks all who contributed. Your stories were tremenda!

Click the headline to see the video about back fat. Oh yes. Back fat.

A few days before my 25th High School reunion this summer, I walked into that lingerie store that promises to make us all look like Gisele Bundchen and simply stated: “I need a strapless bra with the biggest band possible.’’

The mission: To minimize the part of my body that is taunting me in middle age — my back.

Not my backside. That’s old news. But, my back fat.

Masa! Rollito! Grasa! Ay, madre!

It has been taunting me for the last couple of years — and whether I am at my thinnest, or at my current stage of “I need to lose 5 pounds,” it is there.

And that is the bear of it, lo que me jode mas, that even at my thinnest, it is there. It looks like dough rising. Wuh.

And while it is easy to avoid seeing the big nalgas if you’re looking in the bathroom mirror, there is No Escaping The Back Fat. It is right there, you can see it as you turn to check your hair, as you make sure you stuck your belt through all the loops, as you tuck in your blouse. It sneaks into your peripheral vision and proceeds to annoy you, like a splinter you just can’t dig out. (Or is that just me?)

I felt good at my high school reunion, thanks in part to hours of water aerobics, a natural Tennessee tan, that gigantic-banded (and expensive) strapless bra, and a staple of my dress-up life: La Faja.

I don’t go anywhere fab without tucking myself into Assets Unbelieveable Underwear. I’ve used Assets, a Spanx brand, since they launched at Target.

I am shameless about this fact, and when I was complimented at the reunion, I gave credit where credit is due: “Swimming and Spanx, thank-you-very-much.” (Again, I was wearing the less-expensive Assets, but “Spanx” is like universal code for shapewear…and I like to rhyme.)

And you know what? Most of my classmates with whom I shared the giggle about controlling the jiggle showed me, or admitted, that they too were jiggle-free that evening thanks to their Spanx. (A couple of us even ended up in the bathroom at the same time and showed each other our Spanx, as in “Which one are you wearing?’’ Hey! Don’t judge me. Better than holding each other’s hair back over the toilet, right?)

So, when I met the people from Spanx at the Blogher Conference in NYC this summer, it was like meeting rock stars who sung the anthems of your youth…Spanx is singing the songs of my middle age.

During our chat, they told me about the brand new Brilliant Bra — a Back Fat minimizer! — and I got all crazy with joy. And, like a groupie who stands in line for three days for concert tickets, I begged for a sample and nearly cried with joy when the bra arrived in the mail.

Listen, I am gushing here. But they haven’t paid me for this rave and I have all those reporter ethics going on which keep me from saying anything nice about anyone unless it’s true. So believe me when I tell you that I Love This Bra.

It’s comfortable, makes my 43-year-old “personal assets’’ look perky fab and it smooths my back, allowing me one less body image thing to obsess over. I have since bought two more. There is no elastic in the back, so it doesn’t pinch la espalda. Hurrah.

So, because I know that unless you are stick figure you too have back fat, and because Latinas love shapewear (come on, admit it!), I convinced Spanx to give away a Brilliant Bra and a pair of Unbelieveable Underwear Super Control to one Tiki Tiki Reader. (The bra retails for $32 and the underwear for $18.)

The Rules:
- Write a comment on this post telling us your shapewear story. It can be your own cuento, or memories of girdles past. You also can make me feel better by telling me about your own back fat.

Some ways to get Extra Credit by choosing one or any option and posting a separate comment for any that you do, so we can count it:

• Tweet about it with the hashtag #nomasbackfat.
• Share it on your personal Facebook Page so your friends will drop by, share a story and register to win.
• “Like’’ Spanx, created by the genius that is Sara Blakely, at their Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment or suggestion. Tell them The Tiki Tiki Blog sent you! (You’ll learn about deals and new products via their Page.)

Contest Ends at midnight CST Sunday, Oct. 31. You must have a U.S. mailing address.

The winner will be selected at random and will have 72 hours to respond via email, or a new winner will be selected.

OK, good luck and share the cuentos!

The Brilliant Bra conceals the hooks for a smooth look.

Caracas, Venezuela

Disclosure: This post is a fan-based rave and I was not financially compensated for writing it. Spanx, Inc. provided a sample bra for review. The opinions expressed are mine and true. The back fat is real too.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Giveaway: Bilingual Children’s Books
2. Viva Greetings: Bilingual Fabulousness Giveaway
3. Giveaway: Le Baby Hair Gel for Your Baby’s Pelo

Click the headline link to see the video.

During our first parent-teacher conference with Maria’s new teacher last year, she told us she looked in our folder to see what my husband and I do for a living.

She said something like “I saw you both are writers and everything became clear.’’
Our daughter is a great reader and her ease and proficiency with language and concepts is a bit astounding.

Am I bragging? Just a little, OK?

Maybe this proficiency is genetic, who knows. Or maybe it is just environmental. How could you not be pretty good at words when your parents speak to you in rhyme and riddles and have read to you daily even before you could hold your head up?

So, it is with joy I accepted books of poetry and joy from Lee & Low, an awesome family-owned publisher of children’s books. The selection is culturally significant. diversity-filled, and fun.

Maria and I especially enjoy books written in Spanish and English, when the words are mixed in together in a sort of Spanglish, which is the way we speak at home. And, we really have enjoyed reading these poems together and rolling the word and images around our mouths and brains.

I am always extra grateful to share books with my child that capture the spirit and imagery of our rich Latino culture and history.

Lee & Low has allowed me to read a couple of poems to you from Confetti, Poems for Children by the wonderful Pat Mora and illustrator Enrique O. Sanchez. My apologies to the authors for the lack of sharpness in the video, but I hope their beautiful words make up for it.

There are three books in the giveaway package: a copy of Confetti; a signed copy of the rich and colorful Poems to Dream Together by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrated by Paula S. Barragán; and ¡Olé! Flamenco by George Ancona, which explores the history and technique of this traditional dance.

The Giveaway runs though 11 p.m. CST Friday, Oct. 1. The winner must have a U.S. shipping address.

To enter:
Check out the selection at Lee & Low and then let’s habla habla about about reading to your children, or the poems you remember, or why you like having bilingual books at home.

For extra credit after you leave a comment:

• Subscribe to the Tiki Tiki via email or rss.
• Follow Tiki Tiki on Twitter and tweet this giveaway link.
• Follow Lee & Low on Twitter.
• “Like’’ Lee & Low on Facebook.

Remember to tell us about your extra credit in separate comments.

And finally, here’s an inspiring interview with, and a reading by,  Alarcón, whose book is based on his own dreams life as he grew up in Mexico and California.

Like it? Share it. Help us grow! Gracias for subscribing!

Un poquito mas:

1. Viva Greetings: Bilingual Fabulousness Giveaway
2. Giveaway: Bilingual North American Map Puzzle
3. Giveaway: Bilingual, Spanish Alphabet Learning Cards