¡Hola!
The last couple of years I've written a little bit about Cinco De Mayo but I just felt like skipping it this year. I celebrate my culture every day so I don't need to make a big to-do on one day of the year (or so the beer companies tell me). When I was young I used to plan my outfit 3 weeks ahead of time and look forward to jumping into all the hoopla taking place. Now I'd rather be somewhere less crowded and peaceful. Maybe next year I'll go to Mexico where they don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I'm such a chistosa, or so my mother tells me, which leads me to the next subject: Mother's Day! See the winner of our first annual "Sing Your Mama's Praises" contest and the heartfelt entries we received. We have two scrumptious recipes which your mother or the mother of your children would enjoy for Brunch. Hint, hint... don't make her cook! And if you still haven't gotten her a gift yet check out our Picante Pickz for Mother's Day >>Felicidades, Darlene |
| Six Flags of Texas
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As summer approaches the theme parks start cranking out their ads to get you to buy season passes. Six Flags, Inc., the world's largest regional theme park company with 21 parks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, is one of them. No, this isn't a cheap plug for them but I thought it was interesting how this company, which opened its first park in 1961 named Six Flags Over Texas, got its name.
The six flags refer to the six national flags that have flown over Texas. This is a great trivia question by the way -- I've scored more than one or two drinks with this historical tidbit. The six flags of Texas history has been shaped by being part of six independent countries: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and United States of America. Texas became the 28th state of the Union on December 29, 1845, its national flag became the state flag. Yes, for ten years Texas was it's own country, proudly flying its red, white and blue flag with one star. Which is why it is commonly known as the The Lone Star State.
It is often stated that Texas is the only state
flag that can fly at equal height with the American flag because it was
its own sovereignty at one time. This is actually not true, all state
flags may fly at an equal but not higher level then the American flag. The average citizen never ponders this because I would venture to say its predominately only Texans who actually fly their state flag at home.
I was going to write a brief synopsis of the last 500 years of Texas history and quickly realized I was not up to the task. I can tell you it involved a lost Frenchman, a great real estate deal, a few wars, a revolution, a dictatorship, an assassination, annexation, and of course the Alamo. It seems that Texas was the meeting point where explorers from every compass point converged and not always with pleasantries.
I thought an interesting tidbit was the The Law of April 6, 1830 which was intended to prohibit
or limit immigration from foreigners in Texas. It was designed to stop
the overwhelming problem of the flood of illegal immigrants from the United States into Texas which was then Mexico. Muy Interesante.
See Flag History >
All things Texas >
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| Life Lessons from Mama
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 Thanks to all of you who entered our First Annual "Sing Your Mama's Praises" Mother's Day contest and congratulations to Mary Ann's mama, Biney Ruiz of San Jose, CA for her winning entry! Below are exerpts from our winning entry and 5 finalists who shared the life lessons they learned from their mamas. See full entries here >>
*WINNER* Lesson from Mary Ann's Mama · As much as she's sacrificed, my mom has
always helped people, especially those who are less fortunate. . . .
This leads to one of the most important 'big' lessons from my mom -
which is trust in God and to have faith. See full entry >>
Lesson from Celeste's Mama · She taught me about the power of prayer, forgiveness and how to love unconditionally and to help others in need. She taught me that even a few people can make a difference if they make an effort together and rally support for their cause. See full entry >>
Lesson from Glen's Mama · ...to persevere whatever challenges I encounter and to accept each person I meet as an individual and not to stereotype and discriminate against groups of people despite the misdeeds of a few. See full entry >>
Lesson from Sara's Mama · In one of our long talks, she said "you should always remember to respect the rights of others". See full entry >>
Lesson from Stacey's Mama · My mom taught me that "stuff is just stuff". My family went through hurricane Katrina and our home went under 23 feet of water, we lost everything we owned. See full entry >>
Lesson from Teresa's Mama · My mom taught me to never let life get me down. She taught me to find joy and happiness in everyday and everything I do. She taught me that life matters and our family matters and our community matters. See full entry >>
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| Picante Pickz for Mother's Day
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CasaQ has picked out some great gifts for your mom. Choose from books, music, flowers, jewelry, religious gifts and more!
Click Here>
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Mushroom Manchego Crépes
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INGREDIENTS:
2 cps Cacique® Manchego Cheese - shredded
2 Eggs
3/4 cp Milk
2 tblsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion - sliced
1 cp Bisquit Mix
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking
dish and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium
heat. Add onions and cook until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add
mushrooms and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Season with
salt and pepper and set aside. Whisk together biscuit mix, milk and
eggs. Heat a 7-or-8-inch over medium-low heat. Pour a scant quarter cup
of batter into pan and swirl pan so bottom is evenly coated. Cook until
the edges of the crépe are bubbly and look dry and the bottom is
golden. Loosen edges with a spatula, then flip over and cook for an
additional 20-30 seconds. Slide crépe out of pan onto a clean counter
or cutting board.
Place
about 2 tablespoons of mushroom onion mixture into center of each
crépe, sprinkle with cheese, and roll up. Place in prepared baking
dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 10 minutes, until
cheese on top is melted. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Servings: 6-8 Recipe courtesy of Cacique USA
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Submit Your Favorite Recipe
If
you would like to submit your favorite recipe for future inclusion in
our Chit-Chit newsletter or online contact us at info@casaq.com. Must
be original recipes. |
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Mango Sangria
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As the days warm up Sangria is always a crowd pleaser for every get together. Try this mango version for a new twist.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cp Honey OR 1/2 cp Brown Sugar
1 cp Mango Juice
1 cp Orange Juice
1 Bottle Savignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or white wine
2 cps Seasonal Fruit cubed or sliced (such as Mango, Peaches, Melons, Strawberries)
Ice
Mint for Garnish
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and chill. Add fruit shortly before serving.
To serve, place some ice in a large wine glass or tumbler, pour in Sangria and some of the pieces of fruit. Garnish with mint.
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