Monday, April 30, 2012

How to get YOUR own Banana Bun in the Oven

BUN IN THE OVEN!


21 weeks- Baby is the size of a Banana!

the average banana is 10.5 inches long

I already shared with you that I have my own "bun in the oven," since I'm officially 21 weeks pregnant.

The baby is now the size of a BANANA! Weighing approximately 12.70 ounces and measuring about 10.51 inches long from crown to heel.

Speaking of Bananas, I had a few ripe ones in the kitchen and my hubby, being the green guy (and gringo) that he is, suggested we should recycle them in some way. DING! Light bulb moment... Banana Bread!
simple ingredients!

I followed the FOOD NETWORK RECIPE BY TYLER FLORENCE and yum... yum! 



It is one of the easiest recipes I've ever done. All you need is sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, flour, butter, eggs and of course...ripe bananas.

My baby actually got to "reap" the benefits of the my banana bread, because by this stage of pregnancy, the fetus is able to taste the food I eat as well..

Now you can have your OWN "bun in the oven" but instead of waiting 9 months, you can cuddle with a loaf of deliciousness in only 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 Happy baking! 

For the recipe click on the "Food Network" link above... 



what are your favorite recipes??


Monday, April 23, 2012

MY READING LIST: BLOOM "finding beauty in the unexpected"

"I just want to go back,"  I cried. "I want to go back and be pregnant again so bad. I want it to be yesterday morning when I was happy."
 "I know you do," my sister said, "but you can't go back, Kelle.

 -EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK "Bloom: finding beauty in the unexpected"  a Memoir by Kelle Hampton.


I absolutely devoured this book in just a few days. First of all, it was written by a fellow blogger Kelle Hampton, who is obviously an extremely talented writer and manages to express her thoughts in poetic yet poignant ways.

"Bloom" is her memoir which chronicles her struggle to cope, accept, and embrace her newborn daughter who was unexpectedly born with Down Syndrome.

Hampton struggles to bond with her precious baby, but learns to "find beauty in the unexpected."
Her book is inspiring and provides great insight on how to create a life full of miracles and blessings, even in the moments you think the world is crashing down on you.

Readers can definitely apply her wisdom to any "unexpected" life events that may cross their path.

Here is a link to her incredible blog apply called "enjoying the small things" Kelle Hampton Blog

Here is a link to buy the book! Get Bloom!





Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Falling in LOVE ... Its a Bumpy ride...



I had a great time during my one week stay in Miami. Met up with old friends and 
colleagues, met new friends, made great networking contacts. But eventually it 
was time to get on a plane and go back home, Los Angeles.

As I boarded the plane and made myself comfortable in my seat, I was happy to know  I   would soon see my husband and my daughter, both of whom I missed dearly.
  
The plane took off and I started reading my book. All was well, until about two 
hours into my five hour flight, major turbulence started shaking the plane so 
much that the "fasten your seat belts" sign turned on and the flight attendants 
stopped serving refreshments and scattered with their carts back to either end 
of the plane. 
That's when I started thinking... Falling in Love is like turbulence on a bumpy
plane ... As the aircraft moves and shakes you wish you were home and not in 
this uncomfortable situation that you can't get out of. Heck, even if you had 
boarded the plane with a parachute there is no way in hell the crew would let you jump off, although you wish more than anything that you could.

View from my seat
So you're stuck, no where to go. You just have to sit there and accept the fact 
that yes, the plane may go down. That your eulogy at your funeral may say things 
like,"if only she had boarded an earlier flight"....and your mind starts going 
to weird places. Like, "why did I put myself in this situation?" "Why can't I just 
be happy at home and never fly, never travel?" Then you start thinking of how 
much you love your life and those in it and how you hope the bumps will cease 
and your plane will land safely. When it does, you feel grateful . So grateful 
for not letting fear stop you from wanting to do it all over again.



bumpy ride home!
 You even start getting excited about planning your next vacation to an exotic place or
 simply the next city to visit a relative. That ride is much like falling in love . When 
you first start that bumpy journey, it is scary, so scary you feel you may not make it.
But you hold on, grasp the armchair as if your life depended on it, and hope that the bumps
will stop. When they do, you realize you are thankful for being a little brave, taking a leap of   faith and boarding, knowing you will face the symbolic uncertainties that come with
opening your heart. When you land into "Love" you take a deep breath and realize the ride,
scary and bumpy as it was, was well worth it, because the destination you reached is beautiful and   magical but you couldn't have gotten there by taking a casual safe stroll down the 
sidewalk. 
To get there, you need to board a big scary plane that carries risks and imperfections, 
turbulence that shakes your body and soul to its core... only then can your soul travel
through those cloudy high skies, and reach that place of pure, unfiltered Love! 
Ahhhh... and what a site it is!
-Love you Jeff!


Friday, April 13, 2012

ANDY GARCIA'S "GREATER GLORY"

scene from "from Greater Glory"



As part of the Hispanicize Film Festival Andy Garcia's new film "FOR GREATER GLORY" was screened. The movie  out in theatres June 1st, takes us to Mexico in the 1920's during the Cristeros War (1926-1929), which was touched off by a rebellion against the Mexican government's attempt to secularize the country and ban the practicing of Catholicism.


We had a special treat as Andy Garcia himself appeared after the screening to do Q & A session with those of us in the audience. (FYI: he was one of my first Hollywood crushes!) Some people congratulated him for bringing the little talked about Cristeros story to life. Many Mexicans lost their life during the battle, defending their rights of freedom of religion, in essence, their freedom of expression.

Eva Longoria plays his wife, and other actors like Nestor Carbonell and Eduardo Verastegui are also in the film.

Andy Garcia geeting swarmed by reporters after screening. 
"For Greater Glory" is rated R and will be out in theraters on Jun 1st.
See clip here:

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Star Making Roles at Hispanicize


STAR MAKING ROLES was a Wednesday panel that included Steven Bauer (Scarface), Gina Rodriguez (Filly Brown), and Tim McNeal (VP ABC Talent Development & Diversity).


GINA RODRIGUEZ
If you haven't quite heard of Gina Rodriguez you will very, very soon. She was Sundance's official "It Girl" at this years prestigious annual Film Festival, where her movie "Filly Brown" premiered. 

Rodriguez reminds me of a younger Michelle Rodriguez. A young starlet with edge, beauty and talent. In "Filly Brown" the actress, who started her entertainment career as a Salsa dancer will also show off her rapping skills as the role required her to belt out some tunes. 

Hey, I'm with Manny Ribera from "Scarface" !!

STEVEN BAUER
Steven Bauer who shot to fame for his star making role in "Scarface" alongside Al Pacino, shared the story of how he started his career. He landed in Miami in the 70's as part of the Cuban exile community and his real name is Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson, but his father encouraged him to change his name so people could pronounce it. "Bauer", Steven said at the panel had a nice ring to it. The self-proclaimed bad boy has also been seen in hits like "Primal Fear", "Traffic" and "Breaking Bad".
Lady in White Moderator and CEO of Latin Heat Bel Hernandez 

TIM MCNEAL
His title, pretty much says it all: Vice President of Talent Development and Diversity at ABC, 'nuff said. His job is basically to seek out diverse talent, reel them in, and have them sign development deals with ABC/Disney. Gina Rodriguez currently has such deal at ABC, and trust me it's well deserved.

Hearing all of their stories was very inspiring, because whether you want to be an actress, agent, or lawyer, or pediatrician-the message was the same: GO FOR IT! Follow your heart, follow your passion, don't give up- and create your own "Star Making Role" whatever that may mean for you!

Check out the tout video of them giving it shout out below. (must be viewed on a computer)



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Kiki Melendez brings Latino Hollywood to Miami...

Kiki Melendez on her Big Premiere Night.

Latino Hollywood Comes to Miami for Inaugural National Latino Film Showcase of Hispanicize 2012. Opening the showcase was comedian Kiki Melendez's new film "The Journey of a Female Comic-La Trayectoria De Una Comediante" .




I really admire Kiki. I met her almost 15 years ago when I was producing a promotional sales video for L.A.'s now defunct "Groove Radio", where she was one of the hosts.

Kiki Hug
Ever since I met her, she's always been non-stop. Producing comedy shows like "Hot Tamales Live" featuring Eva Longoria. Hosting her own show "Kiki desde Hollywood" where she interviewed the likes of Aaron Spelling and asked him where were all the Latinos in Melrose Place? And nurturing new talent for  future projects like Cuban comedian Conrado Bonco (keep your eye out for him!).

She's a go-getter, she has what Latinos call "cojones", what Jewish may call "chutzpah" and what gringos call "balls." She knows what she wants, but doesn't expect anything to be handed to her on a silver platter.
These are the things we can see in her Docucomedy  "The Journey of a Female Comic-La Trayectoria De Una Comediante"  (which she also directed and produced). We also see the small town in the Dominican Republic where she is originally from, and learn to appreciate her journey to Hollywood.

The life of a Latina female entertainer in America does not come with any guarantees or any easy paths. In Kiki Melendez' story, she has gone through plenty of disappointments, rejections and heartbreaks, Featured Cast:  Maria Conchita Alonzo, Marc Anthony, John Travolta, Esai Morales, Lupe Ontiveros, Nadine Velasquez, Jacob Vargas.

Kiki is a trailblazer that hasn't gotten enough credit from Hollywood but she's a force of nature that the glitzy town can't ignore for long.

(check out her 15 second video below moments after the Premiere of her movie)

Actors Workshop from Novelas to Film!


The first panel I assisted at Hispanicize was "Actors Workshop from Novelas to Film". For those of you who don't know what a "Novela" is, its the Latin version of a Soap Opera. Its what mainstream media often uses to mock us in funny skits on shows like SNL, The Soup, or recently the Will Ferrell Comedy "Casa de Mi Padre".

Yes Novelas are over the top, yes they're admittedly cheesy with their damsel in distress meets heroic leading man riding in to save her on a horse. But they reflect the passion, color and romanticism of our culture.
Its what our abuelitas, and mothers were brought up watching and by association, most 2nd generation Latinos.

Did you know that Oscar Nominated Salma Hayek started her career in Mexican Telenovelas? Ditto for Oscar Nominee Demian Bichir! So, acting in Novelas is a good platform for new talent exercising they're acting muscles.

Speakers at this workshop included Mexican telenovela actors that have made or are making the transition from Telenovelas to Films, such as Celines Torribio, Sonya Smith and Gabriel Porras.

One of the most common things they hear at auditions by casting directors: "you're not Latin enough", "you're accent is to thick", "you don't look Latin", "do you speak English?".

These words may be discouraging to them, but most actors have the drive that can smash down any nay-sayyers. Imagine if Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz and Sofia Vergara had "listened" to these types of criticism's early in their career? Modern Family would be anything but.

So, jes guatch out Hollywood... we are noth going a ninguna parte!

Watch 15 sec. tout interview with Talent Manager Paulo Andres on the state of Latinos in Hollywood:
(if you can't watch video you must log on to a computer to watch)

Monday, April 9, 2012

Miami... Video Dairys...

(*If you don't see a video player you must log on to a computer, some devices don't video player)

Landing in Miami



Strolling out to dinner...

ROAMING....MIAMI !!! say Hello to my little Hispanicize adventure

Miami is the furthest point from my hometown, the city I love the city I roam: Los Angeles. But this week I will be "roaming" the gateway to Latin America for the third annual HISPANICIZE  2012: the Annual Event for Latino Trendsetters and Newsmakers.


This year they launch theHISPANICIZE NATIONAL LATINO FILM SHOWCASE National Latino Film showcase which will feature film screenings, entertainment panel discussions, celebrity appearances (including Andy Garcia, Steven Bauer, Yul Vazquez), and black carpet events. It culminates with the mega mansion screening of the cult film Scarface on Friday April 13th (no bad luck here, as long as Al Pacino doesn't show up with an uzzi).


The event itself has been nicknamed the Latino SXSW because it is a congretation of innovators, trendsetters, brands ($$), bloggers (uuhm... hi! how often do YOU read naiberoamsla ?), and filmmakers.

Emilio Estefan, Cesar Milan, Maria Elena Salinas and Nely Galan will be receiving the Latinovator award.

Don't mean to be a "tease" but  keep'on readin my blog throughout the week because I will be posting daily updates and interviews from the JW Marriot Marquis Hotel in beautiful balmy Miami...

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Hot Chocolate Cake and Celebrity Hot Spots

Matches!!


These are some matches i've collected from my favorite L.A. Restaurants... Morton's Steakhouse is also on my list but they don't give away matches.

 
My husband and I went here for Easter dinner, but I ate so fast I forgot to take pictures of the 12oz medium-rare filet  mignon he ordered or the Salmon with crab meat on top dish I ordered.

But...with dessert also coming, it gave me an opportunity to take a few snapshots of the splendid sugar laden sweets. We ordered their specialty "Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake"
Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake!
cake "before" 

cake "after"

Everything was delicious! If you're ever in Los Angeles, you want to stop at  Morton's Beverly Hills. It is also a popular celebrity spot, and the restaurant's walls are lined with pictures of all the famous people that have dined there. The waitress even took OUR picture... not to put up on the wall though, just as a keepsake! 

Monday, April 2, 2012

"THE END OF NORMAL" -My book of the week


"He's dead, Stepahnie. He's dead!" "What?" I responded. "What? What do you mean?"

"My soul predictably cycles through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance and then loops back around again, but children don't follow this route; they don't "process feelings"- THE END OF NORMAL- Stepahnie Madoff Mack

Get an inside glimpse in the lives of the family members most affected by the Bernie Madoff scandal. Bernie's son Mark committed suicide and his young widow is left to take care of their two young toddlers alone. This is her memoir. I loved this book, it was well written and a fast read!

BUY IT!

pictures included in book