Bacon-Infused Whiskey

I'm going to admit something: we are bacon freaks. As in, we love bacon and will try anything that has bacon as an ingredient. A few months back we had seen an ad for a bacon vodka  and it got us thinking about how hard it could be to make an infused liquor like that at home. Christmas rolls around and we decide to give infusion a try as a gift for the whiskeylover in our lives. A quick search yielded plenty of recipes and, while all seemed similar, I went with this recipe because I liked its thoroughness. Getting everything together was easy, filtering out the fat was just plain tedious. We filtered ours three times and each time took between 45-60 minutes. The end result was pretty spectacular as the whiskey really picked up the bacon flavor and the bacon soaked up the whiskey flavor. I think you can get drunk off of eating the bacon bits alone.

Bacon-Infused Whiskey
Source: Adapted from Matthew Walrath on What Is Bacon

1.75 liter bottle of whiskey (we used Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey)
16 oz bacon
Large jar
Coffee filters

Cut up bacon into 3-inch strips. Over medium heat, cook all the bacon until slightly crispy. Yes, cook all of it.

Place cooked bacon and all of the bacon fat in the large jar. Pour in whiskey, seal jar, and store at room temperature. For the next 48 hours, shake the jar every 4 to 6 hours.

After 48 hours, place the jar in the refrigerator for a few hours. This is key as it helps the fat solidify so that it is easier to remove once you start filtering. Spoon out whatever fat you can (there was at least an inch worth of fat accumulated on top of the whiskey for me) and, using coffee filters, begin filtering out the leftover fat into another container.

Filter at least two times or until you get a semi-clear liquid. Pour whiskey into a new container or back into its original bottle. The bacon can be saved to garnish drinks or for baking (recipe coming soon!).

Serve and enjoy! Our whiskey lover served it with orange juice and said it was like breakfast in a cup.

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Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours: I hope you have a great holiday celebrating with those you love and stuffing your face with those foods you love.

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Late for the Holidays: Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

I started my Christmas shopping last Friday. This is a first for me. I am usually very on top of things and done with all of my holiday shopping the first week of December. Considering the first week of December coincided with the end of the semester and the finishing of some of my programs at my internship site, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I am this behind. The worst part is that I am so stumped when it comes to what to get people. Last year I made this Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix and handed it out to the teachers at Cati's school and I'm doing the same this year. Except, I'm thinking I will be handing these out to family and friends with a note attached that says "IOU a more thought out, personalized gift."

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
Source: Slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Yields 20 servings

3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1½ cups cocoa powder
1½ cups chopped milk chocolate chips (or any other variety of chocolate)
¼ teaspoon salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Working in two batches, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the chocolate is finely ground. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To make hot cocoa, put 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk. Top with whipped cream or miniature marshmallows.
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2011/2012

And that's it. It's 2012 and 2011 is officially a thing of the past. I'm sure it's going to take me a few days to get used to writing that out. I can honestly say 2011 was a good year; a lot happened and a lot didn't happen. There were new beginnings, new memories, and, of course, there were sad things and losses in life and friendships. I didn't meet my goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks, but I did realize that I could handle going back to school. That right there was a huge boost to my ego. In 2011 we celebrated four years of marriage and Cati's first birthday. We saw an explosion of growth and imagination in Cati and realized that despite feeling so blessed and fulfilled, we wanted more. Talk about greedy, but God must have thought wanting more was OK and he sent us Baby D. All things considered, life really couldn't have been better in 2011.

The new year brings with it so many hopes. As with anything new and unknown, the expectations are high and the hope is for things to somehow work themselves out. This will be a huge year for our family. Cati will turn two, Baby D will be born, and Alex will begin the interviewing process for fellowship. The date for the next big move is inching closer and it's exciting to think of the possibilities.

Nearing the end of the year was filled with mixed emotions for me. 2012 is the year of Baby D's birth, something I wanted to both keep at a distance and draw nearer. There's excitement and fear, happiness and apprehension all bottled up in the birth of one little person. So many questions, with the biggest and most pressing being "how much will things change?" As the due date nears, I find myself looking at Cati and feeling overwhelmed with guilt. She is so precious and perfect and wonderful; will a sibling take that away from her? I know it won't but emotions get the better of me and I wonder if it is really, truly possible to feel so madly in love with two separate beings. So while I want this pregnancy to slow down, I also want Baby D to be here so I can finally know what and how to feel.

So with all that, I welcome you 2012. I welcome whatever ride you are going to send me on. All I want is to survive and to be able to love as fully and devotedly as I did in 2011. A little more patience would also be a good thing. And for you, dear readers, I wish you the best in 2012. May it bring you health, happiness, and enough new beginnings and memories to make 2012 worthwhile.

Christmas 2011

I can't believe I'm posting about our Christmas. I especially can't believe that I am posting about our Christmas on the last day of the year. When did the holidays come and go? This year was nice and it was fun seeing how much more Cati actually understood. Last year she didn't get the decorations, traditions, or gifts. This year she was better able to understand things even though the meaning was still something she didn't quite get. One thing she definitely understood were gifts! As soon as she found out a gift was for her, she would open it. Her favorite things to say were "Cati regalo" ("Cati gift") and "regalo mas" ("more gifts").

My new favorite picture: candy cane face

From us, Cati got a few books and some clothes. I've been in major declutter mode so I didn't want to get her any toys that would take up a lot of space or toys that had a lot of parts. She got a few toys from others in the family, but those have all been hidden and I'll be taking them out once the new baby gets here so Cati has something new and entertaining to play with.

Other than that, gift giving this year was all about giving meaningful (aka functional) gifts. We spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my in-laws' house so the weekend was very extended-family-filled. Thankfully Alex managed to get both days off so we were able to get some quality family time in there.

My favorite part of the Christmas weekend was honestly us three (five including Perla and Baby D) being together and doing our own small family traditions of reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas," making cookies for Santa, having a special waffle breakfast, and opening gifts in Christmas pajamas. With Alex's work schedule, these are the moments I live for. I would easily do without all the gifts, decorations, food, celebrating with extended family, if we could just get more time with Alex.

Merry Christmas!

May today be filled with love, blessings, and lots of delicious food! Merry and Happy Christmas from my family to yours...

Winter Wonderland

Ok, not really because it is beyond hot here in Miami but "Winter Wonderland" is my favorite holiday song and we are definitely in the holiday spirit around here. We bought our Christmas tree last week and Cati had so much fun helping us pick it out. How tiny does she look in this picture?

Minus the outside, our house is all decorated. Cati has been surprisingly good with everything and doesn't really touch or play with any of the decorations. She loves to turn on the Christmas tree lights so our tree is lit as long as she is home. She has also become quite obsessed with our snowman. This snowman is out year-round but she seems to have only realized it. The day we put up the tree, she spent the entire time dancing with and carrying the snowman around the house. The snowman has gotten more action in the past two weeks than he has gotten in the entire year we have owned him.

This past weekend we took Cati to see Santa and the little booger freaked out on us. She was completely fine the entire time we were there and would even exclaim "Santa!" but the minute it was our turn in line, she had a meltdown. She refused to go near Santa. We ended up doing a family picture and, even with Alex holding her, she was still freaking out. She liked Santa just enough for him to give her a candy cane and then she was out of there.

I suckered one of my good friends into coming over and taking a picture of us for the holiday card. With Alex's schedule being so hectic I knew it would be almost impossible to set up a professional portrait session. We ended up taking a picture in front of our tree and I love the way it came out. I won't share the card just yet since I only put them in the mail yesterday but I will share the family picture I used and two other pictures I just love.

I can't believe Christmas is next weekend! I'm looking forward to celebrating it with Cati and I am super duper thankful Alex managed to get the weekend off. I know this isn't something I can expect every year so I'm thankful that he'll have it off in a year where Cati actually has some understanding of the holiday.

Holiday Cards & Shutterfly GIVEAWAY!

Hello November 7, 2011. When did November get here? Where did the year go? I know there are still two months left of the year, but I feel like they are going to fly right by us, which is why I am starting to think about our holiday cards now. Or rather, I am stressing out about our holiday cards because I need to organize a photo session with a husband/daddy who won’t have another day off until the middle of December. This year, we have a toddler who may or may not smile and who definitely will not let us put the Santa hat on her. This year we also have a pregnant mommy who is finding it increasingly difficult to feel pretty. If we manage to get a good picture of us I will be impressed (and relieved)!

Last year was easy because it featured pictures of Cati. This is still, hands-down, my favorite holiday card and my favorite photo session from Cati’s first year of life. I love the smiles and rolls and how cooperative she was. Looking back, I think it was great that I had the pictures I needed to fit into the card I liked the best from Shutterfly's selection.

From Shutterfly

To help us out this year again is Shutterfly with their great holiday card selection. Even better though is the fact that Shutterfly wants to be a part of your holiday celebrations too! Shutterfly is offering 25 cards to three lucky readers of my blog! 

1. Leave a comment with your email address or a way to contact you on this post by Friday, November 11, 2011. 
2. The winners will be chosen at random and announced on Saturday, November 12, 2011

If you need help with card selection, here are a few of my favorites. Note: My favorites only include one picture per card because I am anticipating only having one good family picture. 

 Wonderful Time card.

 Classic Wreath Frame card.

 Whimsical Wishing Tree card.

 Watercolor Ornament card.

 

Red Revamped card.

 Vintage Joyeux Noel card. Tie for second choice.

 Classic Plaid Wishes card. Tie for second choice.

 Retro Merry Wishes card. This one is my top choice!

For more on Shutterfly's holiday selection, you can check out their Christmas cards, greeting cards, holiday gifts, holiday cards, photo books, and Christmas photo cards.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway and good luck!

Twenty Eleven

I meant to post this on Saturday but, of course, life got in the way. Twenty ten is done with. Over. Finished. The book on twenty ten has been written and published while the book on twenty eleven is in its infancy. What will this year hold for us? What do we resolve to accomplish? The year has just begun and with it is the renewal of hopes and dreams for the future. Nothing gives you better focus or perspective than a fresh start.

I spent New Year's in what some may consider the loneliest fashion. Alex had to work so I got to ring in the new year by myself. Well, technically not by myself since I "will never be alone again now that we have Cati" (Alex's words after I complained for the 23rd about him working). The point is I spent the night reading a book, drinking wine, and eating tacos (random note: it seems I always eat tacos when I'm sad and lonely; thanks for pointing that out Jeselyn!). I avoided the TV because the thought of seeing couples kiss at the stroke of midnight kind depressed me (hello, my name is Mrs. Over Dramatic). Instead, I read my book, drank my wine, ate my tacos, and waited for Alex to call so I could call it a night. The next day I woke up and marveled at the fact that it was twenty eleven and that in twenty ten my life change in the most dramatic way possible.

Then I freaked out. Holy crap it's twenty eleven. The year of my baby's birth is over. One of the most important years of my life is a thing of the past destined to become more and more faded as time continues to truck on forward. Twenty ten was such a huge year for me, will my memory do it justice? Is twenty eleven itself destined to be just another notch in the belt of time?

I'm greedy so I want twenty eleven to be just as good. My hopes, dreams, and aspirations say it will be, but who knows. Right now I will indulge in the positive and happy thoughts and simply resolve to enjoy the adventure that will be twenty eleven.

Twenty Ten

I have been searching my brain the past few days for the moments that will forever define 2010 for me. I thought I would have a long list of varied memories but I don't. All my memories involve Cati one way or another. The birth of Cati is the singular event that has defined 2010. Every other memory is rooted in that event and without that event those memories would simply be wishes for the future.

2010 started off with me pregnant with Catarina and it is ending with having been a mother for 10.5 months. In between I have cried, laughed, prayed, and been thankful for the blessings given to me and our little family. I have seen my daughter go from this entity that moved around inside me to this little stranger of a person that is completely separate from me. In the past 10.5 months Cati has gone from a helpless blob of an infant to an active baby. She walks, talks, laughs, gets angry, throws tantrums, drinks bottles, eats food, and does tricks (clapping! waving! oh my!). The simplicity in which she lives and enjoys life is inspiring. She doesn't need much other than a loving person to take care of her basic needs and a bunny or remote control for entertainment. It's truly amazing how a little love goes a long way with a developing human being. So in 2010 Cati grew to the point of interacting, walking, and having one tooth.

2010 was the year I got my first writing gig. Writing for Examiner has been great and I hope it will not only help me improve my writing style but also help me move up in the world of writing. Motherhood has also inspired my writing here on the blog as the blog came to be a place where I not only shared recipes but also my motherhood journey. These were the ten most popular posts this past year:

1. TWD Devil's Food White Out Cake (My pick!)
2. Twix Cookies
3. Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes
4. Mollie's Project Empowering Motherhood answers
5. Confessions of a New Mom
6. A Little Baby Talk
7. Chocolate Strawberry Bliss Cupcakes
8. Andes Mint Cookies
9. Costume Frenzy
10. Goat Cheese & Apple Chicken

What impresses me the most about the above list is how varied the topics are and how it includes a little bit of everything. One of the posts is even from 2008!

2010 was the year of heartbreak as things became extremely rocky with my mother. I haven't spoken to her since February 27th. I'm sad but not regretful. More than anything I'm just disappointed with my mother and the reactions to certain events that lead us to this point.

2010 was the year of renewed friendships. Maybe not so much renewed, but reviewed. I got to see certain friends in a new light and reconnect with them on a whole new level. I started seeing friends differently because I was different. Certain friends I thought I had nothing in common with are the ones I had the most in common with so it's been a surprising and delightful journey.

2010 was a rocky year for so many. This year I was thankful Alex was a resident because his hospital went through a nightmare-ish money ordeal where so many lost their jobs and internal structures had to be reorganized. Then my father-in-law got laid off and that shook us hard. He was the beacon of stability for everyone and with him being affected by the economy I really understood and felt that no one was safe. Sure, the belts were tightened but it always seemed like the economy affected others and that we were somehow safe and immune. It was eye opening but also reassuring because despite all the individual loss we were all experiencing a universal loss; everyone was affected by the economy, not just a select few, but everyone. The loss was harder for some but we all experienced loss that connected us to one another.

I said earlier this week that I lost 2010 somewhere in between being pregnant, having a baby, raising a baby, and falling in love a million times over. I can only hope to lose myself like that in 2011 as I undertake new adventures, new beginnings, and the chance to fall in love each and every day.

Cati's First Christmas

Cati's first Christmas was a complete success. She got lots of gifts and she enjoyed herself thoroughly. She's still too little to understand Christmas or the fact that there's a special meaning behind all the gifts, but we adults tattooed every Christmas moment on our hearts. Everyone, especially Alex and me, were very thankful to have a healthy and happy baby; she is the best Christmas present ever.

 

We spent Christmas Eve at my in-laws and had a very traditional Cuban "Noche Buena" meal of lechon (roasted pork), platanos maduro (sweet plaintain), yuca, congri (rice and beans), and flan. We opened up all the adult gifts so that we could open the gifts together and so that my in-laws didn't have to lug all the gifts to our house the next day. Cati started off the day in the prettiest red dress that Abuelo Luis got her but she got too hot and stuffy in it so we changed her to a comfy jumpsuit.

Christmas Day we all had breakfast together (cereal for baby, cinnamon rolls for mami and papi) and then opened up the gifts under our tree. Alex helped Cati open the gifts because she didn't quite get what she was supposed to do with the wrapped gifts. She would just hold the gifts like they were a toy she didn't understand. The only gift she helped unwrap (unpack, really) was her Mickey Mouse plane. We did good with that gift because Cati LOVED it. She likes to sit on it and press all the buttons and she likes to grip the handle and move it back and forth.

I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen roasting a turkey and getting food ready for our big Christmas Day lunch. Later on in the day Alex's family and my sister and her boyfriend came over. We literally feasted and then Cati got to open her Christmas presents from Alex's family and my sister.

Cati scored big time this year. She got a few new toys, lots of clothes, and money to pay for the music class she'll be starting at the end of January. We scored as well and got lots of great things (me: red shoes! Alex: a G-Shock!) but the real fun was in seeing what Cati got.

The Christmas holiday was proof of how much Cati is loved. It's not how many gifts she got or what she got but the fact that so many people thought of her when they were doing their holiday shopping. I know times are tough for so many so it means a lot to have people thinking about our little girl at this special time of year. The love for her and our little family is so overwhelming. Having Cati has really helped me appreciate my friends and family more.

Here are my favorite holiday memories from this year:

• Cati wearing reindeer ears for the first time. It's a family tradition to wear reindeer ears at Alex's parent's house when opening the gifts and this year Cati had her own special ears.

• Cati preferring to play with the remote control and picture coasters over her Christmas toys. She got some great toys and at the end of the day she still wanted to play with the things she normally plays with, such as the remote control and picture coasters.
  
• Everyone singing Old MacDonald along with the Fisher Price See n Say toy. Cati's grandparents gave her this toy and I think they enjoyed the toy more than she did. At one point they all started singing the song to get her more into the game.
• My mother-in-law's brain farts. She forgot the ham at her house and went back to get it, she also forgot her phone at our house and had to come back for it, but best of all, she boasted about how the one thing she did remember was my sister's gift. As we were opening the gifts it turns out she brought someone else's gift.

• My sister thinking I was going to announce a pregnancy. Before we dug into our own personal feast on our plates I thanked everyone for joining our Christmas celebration. My sister got confused (or excited?) when I said we were getting together to celebrate: she thought I meant a pregnancy while I meant the birth of baby Jesus. 
  
• Cati helping Alex open her Mickey Plane. I just love these two together but I especially love how she tried to help him pull the box off the plane.  

• Making cookies for Santa and his helper (aka Alex) not eating them. On the 23rd Alex asked me when and if I was going to make cookies for Santa. I made the cookies and told him they were off limits until Santa had his fill. I set out a few cookies and a letter to Santa with the intention of Alex helping the jolly old man by eating the cookies at some point overnight. It didn't happen and, instead, Alex had cookies for breakfast. 
  
• Cati sitting on the plane, pressing all the buttons, pure joy on her face, and me realizing there is no off button on the toy. How can a toy NOT have an off button? The noises are cute but they do get annoying. I'm in for a lot of trouble. 

• Alex's last minute letter to Cati. He really wanted to write Cati a letter for her first Christmas. He did it Christmas morning just as we were about to open the gifts. I told him if Cati was older she wouldn't wait for him to write the letter. I don't think she'd be able to contain herself on Christmas morning. 
  
• How cute Cati looked in her Santa PJs. This kid is just too cute for words. 

• Cati standing at the door and waving goodbye to Alex as he left for work. Most beautiful and heartbreaking moment. Alex had to work today so we saw him out and he got one last glimpse of his little wife and daughter before heading out.
• Us eating scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast together. Post-Christmas day celebration and everyone got a big, hearty breakfast.
• Alex watching Cati all day while I cooked. I don't even remember the last time I cooked as much as I did. I spent all of the morning and part of the afternoon putting together our Christmas Day feast while Alex played with and watched Cati. 

• Being beyond pooped. Cati was so tired from the Christmas Day celebration that she was asleep by 7pm and we almost went to sleep at 7pm as well.
• Cati drinking her bottle while we ate on the 24th. Everyone feasted together and Cati got to be with us while we ate big people food. Her bottle eating was a performance for all because of how she positions herself in the stroller to eat.

Traditions were a big thing for me this year. This would be our first Christmas with Cati and I wanted to make sure to get some traditions started this year. I look forward to seeing these little traditions grow each year:

• Reading A Christmas Carol throughout the month of December.
• Reading A Night Before Christmas on the 24th.
• Watching It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.
• Making cookies for Santa together.
• Eating breakfast together in our Christmas PJs.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the holiday:

Baby steps

Cati is screwed when it comes to her hair. 
All of us woke up with serious bedhead.

Silly grandpa

Love. Love. Love.

"What is chipotle, papi?"

Swoon. 

Somebody liked her shirt!

Abuela Sr. is totally smitten.

My brother-in-law is such a great sport. 

Cati liked mami's red shoes. 

And papi's watch.

Aren't I a proud momma?

There's nothing better than big, sloppy kisses. 

Alex trying to help Cati open her gifts. 

That was our holiday celebration. I hope yours was just as good!