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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
          September 2009
Hola!
Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off with ALMA awards airing this Friday hosted by Eva Longoria Parker and George Lopez, honorees Salma Hayek and Oscar De La Hoya, as well as a bevy of popular Latino artists including Rita Moreno who will award Ricardo Montalban a posthumous Lifetime Achievement award.

CasaQ has been asked to include its Querida collection in their official celebrity gift baskets given to presenters and performers such as Shakira, David Archuleta, Nelly Furtado, Sean Kingston, Pitbull, Benjamin Bratt, Eva La Rue, Sofia Vergara and Selena Gomez amongst other celebrity guests. Karen Wood, President and Founder of Backstage Creations, was quoted as saying "CasaQ ornaments are a perfect match for the NCLR ALMA Awards® because they are beautiful designs that represent the soul of the Latino culture." See complete press release > 

So this month is dedicated to the ALMA awards which made it really easy for me to "borrow" their viewing party ideas and lots of great recipes. Two of my favorites are included here with lots more to download. You also have an opportunity to win the official ALMA awards celebrity gift basket valued at $1300!

Cheers!
Darlene
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In This Issue
Rita Moreno - Latina Legend >
Alama Awards Viewing Party >
Win a ALMA Awards Swag Bag worth $1300! >
Alma-rita Cocktail Recipe >>
Chipotle Tacos >
Rita Moreno ~ Latina Legend
bannerI love musicals! Probably because I love music and dancing. Some of my favorite scenes off the top of my head are Dick Van Dyke's Step in Time from Mary Poppins, Gene Kelly's Singing in the Rain, Donald O'Connor's Make 'em Laugh, (Heaven help him if he had to do more than one take) and Nicholas Brothers in Stormy Weather. And if I have to pick one Fred Astaire number I'm gonna go with his routine with the very sexy Cyd Charisse in Bandwagon (Sorry, Ginger). But of course one of my all time favorites is from West Side Story with Rita Moreno and the cast dancing to America.

For this fantastic performance in her role as Anita, Ms. Moreno won an Oscar. Moreno went on to be one of a handful of artists who have earned all of the most prestigious honors in entertainment -
The Oscar, The Emmy, The Tony and The Grammy. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995.

bannerBorn Rosita Dolores Alverío on December 11, 1931  in Humacao, Puerto Rico, to Rosa María, a seamstress, and Paco Alverío, a farmer. She moved to New York as a 5 year old child taking on the surname of her stepfather and made her Broadway debut at thirteen. Four years later, after signing an MGM contract with Louis B. Mayer, she launched a film career that has since spanned more than thirty features, including roles in Singing in the Rain, The King and I, Carnal Knowledge, The Four Seasons, and her Oscar-winning performance as Anita in West Side Story. In London and throughout the U.S., her theater work in such productions as The Rose Tattoo, The Odd Couple, Sunset Boulevard, Master Class, and The Ritz, for which she won a Tony, have won rave reviews. Her enthusiastic work with children, including Emmy-winning appearances on The Muppet Show and Grammy-recognized work on The Electric Company Album, have highlighted her musicality and belief in the importance of art in education. She received three ALMA Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.

You must be reminded that she started her career in the 40's which has lasted and thrived through decades of civil unrest and discrimination in our nation. In addition to her entertainment career, Ms. Moreno is a regular lecturer to civic and charitable organizations and universities, and has served on the National Endowment for the Arts and as commissioner on the Presidents' White House Fellowships and member of the Presidents' Committee on the Arts and Humanities. In 2004, Ms. Moreno was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a civilian. Having transcended barriers of discriminatory practices in the entertainment industry and set a precedent for Latino actors to be recognized for talent rather than ethnicity.

bannerOff stage she has a successful marriage of 44 years. Wed on June 18, 1965 to Dr. Leonard Gordon, who is also her manager, they have one daughter, Fernanda Luisa (Gordon) Fisher and 2 grandsons Justin Gordon Fisher, who is 10 years old; and Cameron David Fisher, who is 8. Recently her grandson Justin won his first Soccer trophy which she proudly placed next to her own "gold man" as he calls it. Rita and her husband, now a retired physician, moved from Los Angeles to Berkeley, CA, because they "fell in love with the area," but most importantly to be near their two grandsons.

She is someone to be admired for her many successes on and off the stage. ¡Bravo!

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ALMA Awards Viewing Party ~ September 18
Gather family and friends to celebrate the ALMAs' 11th anniversary and kick off Hispanic Heritage Month by organizing your own viewing party. The 2009 NCLR ALMA Awards are next Friday, September 18, 8/7 c on ABC. Hosted by Eva Longoria Parker and George Lopez, the ALMA awards will have amazing performers and a star-studded red carpet! 
Win an ALMA Awards Celebrity Gift Basket
Wanna snag the same gift bag that stars attending the ALMA Awards will take home this year? 
Just leave a comment on the Celebrity Limelight blog before 11:59:59 PM (ET) on October 11, 2009, and you could be the proud owner of gifts like: a $150 bracelet from fine jewelry company Sabido & Basteris; a $250 Croton watch; four deluxe salon hair care products from Avlon Industries, Inc.; lightweight carry-on luggage by Landor & Hawa; shoes from Tagur Footwear; $300 designer eyewear from Marchon; Arm & Hammer products; conversation starters from Table Topics; an exclusive hand-painted glass ornament by CasaQ and Palomita's "LOVE" tee, created by ALMA Awards hostess Eva herself! That's $1300 worth of sweet swag!     Enter Now >
Alma-Rita
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This refreshing cocktail is perfect additon to your night of glamour during the Alma Awards.

INGREDIENTS:
1 oz. Tequila*
1 oz. Orange Liqueur*
3 oz. Tropicana Pure Valencia with Mango Juice
Fresh mango slices
Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:
Rim your margarita glass with sugar. Add some ice to the glass, and shake the tequila, orange liqueur, and Tropicana Pure Valencia Juice in a martini shaker. Pour drink over the ice, and garnish with a slice of mango. Alternatively, you can blend the ice and drink mixture together for a frozen ALMArita!

*Liquor is optional. Simply replace the tequila and orange liqueur with a sparkling citrus beverage, such as Sierra Mist, then mix and enjoy!


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Chipotle Tacos

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INGREDIENTS:
 2 ½ pounds bone-in pork butt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies
12 small corn tortillas
2 15 oz. ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chopped green onions
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, diced
Lime wedges
Salsa of your choosing

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pork on baking sheet, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast pork until brown and very tender, about two hours.* Once out of the oven, set the pork aside and allow to cool, and then shred. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender. Add shredded pork, cilantro, and chopped chipotle chilies with their sauce to the skillet and stir until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in oven for ten minutes. Meanwhile, stir beans in saucepan over medium-low heat until heated, then mash the beans so that they are still chunky but also creamy. Remove from heat.

To assemble tacos, first spread the mashed beans on each tortilla, top with the pork mixture, then sprinkle with green onions and avocados. Serve with salsa and a lime wedge. *Make sure meat is fully cooked before shredding.

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ALMA Award Recipes
Check out this great list of recipes courtesy of the ALMA awards. Click on a title to download a recipe.
BEBIDAS
ALMArita · The Envelope Please · The People En Espanol Sunset · Sangria

COMIDA
Chipotle Tacos · Pan Roasted Corn Salad · Shrimp Ceviche · Tomatillo  

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