Love in a bottle of Berry's Vinaigrette

Monday left me drained yesterday with too much to do, so today I have a full pantry, but no energy to spend too much time cooking. I open the fridge and a quick and delicious dish came to mind. 

Today's menu:  Grilled Chicken and Spinach salad with strawberries, avocado and berry's vinaigrette. 

Perfect, but I'm too lazy to go to the store to buy the vinaigrette, so I will have to make it myself. Here is the recipe that I did for a delicious, quick and healthy berry's vinaigrette. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries (I actually thawed out a cup of frozen berry's mix from Trader Joes) 

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 tbsp Trader Joe's Organic Mustard (the recipe called for Dijon Mustard, but I used regular organic)

1 tsp local honey

1 tbsp minced garlic (or one big clove minced) 

Salt and pepper to taste (I don't use much salt on anything, and this was not a problem since the recipe already has so many strong flavors. 

Now, le'ts make magic happen: 

The making is super easy. Basically, throw everything on a blender and using the "pulse" button mix it all. 

DELICIOUSNESS! 

To make my salad, I just threw some spinach, chopped pecans, avocado, strawberries, raisins and the berry's vinaigrette, and it was perfect! 

"Fall in love all over again everyday!"

Can you workout? Be Thankful!

For about the past few years, I have decided to be healthier. I'm not exactly striving to be skinny, but healthy! Once in a while I have found myself guided away from the goal, other times I have lost hope feeling like I'm running against a wall, but other times when I see results or feel better, I feel like it is paying off little by little. 

Slowly I have been going out of my comfort zone to try new workouts that are more challenging, but since I feel like I'm going to die in the middle of the class, it is not something that I look forward to a lot of times. 

I have been looking for things to inspire me. Pictures of hot chicks, the feeling of loose pants or the good endorphin after a workout is just not doing the trick anymore. Thankfully, I came across the story of a guy who was eager to live a healthier life and never gave up. Today, he has achieved what doctors told him that could never be possible. All this, because he was eager to live a normal healthy life like the one many of us have and not take care of. A real inspiration! 

Watch it and be thankful to have the health to accomplish a workout... and don't give up to achieve the next goal! 

Late night tour in Europe... scary!

Having problems getting to the internet lately, sorry about that. The following is what I wrote yesterday:

Okay, so I am on the 7th day pf the trip. Sorry, no much time for writing. I am mostly walking endless miles to find another amazing thing or walking to find my way back to the hostel. I thought I was getting better with the whole map situation, but obviously I am not! In fact, I give up sometimes and burst out the iPhone for internet. 

My last days in Barcelona were great. Went to Park Gundel and realized that there is not a better tour guide, than a local. I saw a sweet old man at the super packed place and he offered to walk with me the last part of the park telling me lots of information about the area and my new favorite arquitect, Gandi. I also made it to beautiful views from Barcelona at the Museum of Musica Catalana before making it to the beach. 

Barcelona's beach quickly became one of my favorites because despite the drunk americans embarrasing our country around the beach, and the italian who interrupted my experience to stalk me and offer to take me home to cook for me, it was an amazing experience! With a beer in hand, sitting on my improvised towel (a.k.a my jacket) and listening to great music, I was zoning into the view of the water.

Later that night, I took advantage of the local help again and basically had dinner at a hole in the wall sharing my oversize and under-priced tapas. I arrived alone and hated it, but thankfully I quickly made friends with a couple. Just in time, or else the Cava (sparkly spanish wine) glasses were still gonna be coming to me to keep me company since the food was so amazing and I was not willing to give that up just because I was alone. Ooohh no! 

Traveling alone has been a great experience. For the last days I have done everything for and by myself. It's rewarding when you realize you have the power over every decision based on what you are up for. The downside are the weird guys that see you alone and what you have to do to stay safe. One time I even had to tell a dude that my husband was on his way. Another time I tried to avoid a dude by entering the first store up ahead, and it happened to be a sex shop with stripper shows on the back. Welcome to Europe! That's my luck! 

On Tuesday morning, I left Barcelona's beautiful airport... With new Spaniard boots and 4 new blisters due to a jog I had to do around the city at 6AM trying to figure out how Spain's "Detour" system works. Apparently they paint a yellow line guiding you to the new route... Great, but how do you know on which side did the long line started? Did anyone think of that? 

Anyways, an hour later I arrived to another world, Granada. The airport was probably the size of the Best Buy by my house in Charlotte. At the door, there was JUST ONE big bus that departs every 30 minutes only to take people to the main Granada area. I honestly felt like I was in Mexico through out the drive. 

In Granda I met up with a friend of a friend from back in Charlotte. He was amazing showing me around and giving me tips. I had the best time with him and his friend... or maybe it was the weird drinks we were having. At some point, the guy put 10 different things in our drink. Either way, it was fun! Great thing about Granada is that you order a drink, and they automatically give you a tapa (small plate of food)  with it.

Sweetness! Also, Spanish breakfast is super cheap and good! 

My main goal in Granada was to take a tour inside the Alhambra, which is a national monument now, but Queen Elizabeth lived there and that's where Colon came to ask for money to go discovery America. So much history behind it.

I got the amazing tour the last day, but the night before I got a VIP tour and it wasn't exactly throught the palace, but through a mountain in the middle of the forest behind La Alhambra!!! It was soooo dark and all we had were a few lights. We were going uphill, and the warnings were: "Once we start going up, you cannot come back down! It will be hard and really dark. You will have to use your hands and be on your knees climbing rocks uphill, but it's worth it at the end!"... well, that was a great selling point, so I did it! ha,ha,ha. Scared off my butt, but it was one of the best experiences of my trip so far! The view in the dark from the top of that mountain was incredible. We even got to go through a tunnel underground from one side to another. I was just praying that this locals guiding us were not killers and that some kind of animal wouldn't show up to join us. 

Now... riding on a train for 3 hours to get to Sevilla, land of the Flamenco and Bullfighting! :)

My first days in Europe...

My trip so far?.. INCREDIBLE! 

Let me tell you about it as I patiently try to type on this weird keyboard at the hostel's computer which, by the way, is in Catalan. uugghh! I am bilingual and have attempted to speak French and heard Italian before... even know how to say a few words in Mandarin... but Catalan?? What in the world is Catalan? ...That is a whole other story.

I am currently in Barcelona after spending a couple of days in Madrid. I was so nervous before departing, but once I got on the plane, it hit me and I realized I was about to have one of the best experiences in my life. One that I would talk about for the rest of my life. I know I will be back to Europe, but this is the first time and I am doing it alone, so it's definitely a milestone. 

My arrival to Madrid was not bad at all. For over an hour, all I saw was Madrid's underground on the train. Once I was walking up the stairs to a random street in Madrid, it hit me. That was it!

In Madrid, I did things I never imagined I would. Since I stayd at a hostel, I was sharing a tiny room, with two bunk beds with 3 other strangers. I had the bottom bed, and for the first night, I had no idea who the other roommates were. Next day, I arrive and found out it was two guys. I saw a flowery towel on the other bad and figured it was a girl. Well, on the second night, I find out it was in fact another guy. Great. Now I can say I slept with 3 stranger guys from Portugal and Morocco in the same bedroom in Madrid. Sounds dirty... but it's literally the true. Not mentioning that in fact, one of them slept on top of me. Oh damn! My husband will have a heart attack. 

Also, one day walking down the street a few blocks from Madrid's beautiful Postal Office, I passed a hair salon. I saw the prices and they were way cheaper than in the US. I needed my roots done, so I figured I could do it there... once I was sitting at the hair stylist's chair, words just slipped out of my mouth, "I am done being blonde. I want dark red hair. Much darker." I couldn't believe what I was up to, but I was super excited and ready. I did it. Madrid made get my hair the darkest I have ever had it, and I love it!!

In Madrid I met tons of people. The first night I decided to go out on a bar crawl from the hostel and made it to my bed at 6.30AM. So fun! Met mexicans that live in Africa, Mexicans that live in Madrid, Mexicans that live in Paris. Mexicans that live in Mexico... met tons of Mexicans. WTH? We really are everywhere!! I also met people from different parts of the world. Great experience! Only downside is that when we got back to hostel, there were tons of cops, who wouldn't tell us what was going on. Different country. Different cop attitudes. Earlier, two friends I met almost got arrested during our tour for riding Don Quixote's horse and Sancho Panza's dunky. LOL! That was hillarious... I almost took a picture, but figured it was better to sleep in that hostel room with three guys, than in a jail cell in a foreign country.  

Went to all the touristy and basic places to go to and got lost as much as possible. Thankfully I speak the language to ask around for directions. One of my highlights was going to the Bernabeu Stadium. I think soccer is hot, so that was great! 

Leaving the Museo de Prado, I became part of a big manifestation in the main streets of Madrid. I kind of blew at first, but then I looked at it from a better side and joined them. Thanks to strike, I was able to walk in the streets without worrying about cars, and even got great shots from some buildings since I could do it from the middle of the road. Thanks guys!!

Flew to Barcelona on Saturday morning, and there I am doing another brave thing. I hate flying, and even my doctor gives me medicine for the anxiety. This time, I didn't care and took the flight without the medicine. I didn't care and was ready for it. I did great, but unfortunately the lady next to me didn't, as she threw up as soon as we arrived. Great. No appetite after that.

The hostel in Barcelona is super nice. I share with all women this time... but unfortunately one of them thinks it's a hotel and asks for silence after 11PM...mmmm?? lady, did you miss the letter S in the middle of the HO and TEL? I think you did. LOL! 

I have seen incredible architectures in Barcelona. I was not expecting it. One of them was La Sagrada Familia and the Barcelona Cathedral. I was super excited seeing live paintings from my favorite painter Piccasso and not so excited getting super lost in Barcelona with a horrible map. It's like a maze here! 

In Barcelona, little did I know... they HATE! HATE! HATE! anything that has to do with Madrid, Spain and Spanish. Thanks for the warning to anyone who didn't tell me ahead of time. I was lucky to not get smacked when I asked the score for Real Madrid's score, or get beat down when I asked why everything was either in Catalan or French if we were in Spain. I quickly learned, hours within arriving to Barcelona. Catalan is their first language and they learn Spanish in school as a second language. Some might not even know how to write it correctly. Road signs, maps, names of streets are in Catalan. I can understand it when I see it, but definitely not when I hear it. Barcelona was the independence from the rest of Spain. They even have a flag that is everyone and represents that. It's a hardcore subject here in town. I heard there will be a big manifestation tomorrow and they will shut down the trail for a few hours. We will see how that goes, and hopefully I won't  get stuck in another strike like I did in Madrid. 

I have been drinking cava outside the church with hundreds of other people, eating tapas, listening to catalan and walking A LOT in Barcelona and look forward doing it one more time tomorrow before heading out to Granada on Wednesday. HAPPY!!

Alright, that's a good summary of the trip so far. Some stories cannot be told online, jajaja. 

By the way, are guys required to be hot in order to be cops in Madrid?? Upps! Shout out to my husband, hehe!

Speak Spanish?

I always laugh when people apply for a job that states that you need to be "bilingual", but they don't really master the language. "I took Spanish in high school, so I think I can do it"... WRONG!! ha,ha,ha
In college, a high school friend always would call or text me asking how to say certain things in Spanish. I started to wonder why she had so much interest in learning the language all of the sudden. Who knows? Maybe she was visiting in Mexico and needed some assistance! ...in reality, she applied and got a job at a bank claimed that she was "bilingual". She took 2 years of basic Spanish and dated a Hispanic guy for two months; how experienced in the language can you really be to have a job that depends on communicating in Spanish??


To be honest, I don't think that being "bilingual" is all you need to be in order to work in an environment where connecting with the Spanish-speaking market is essential. Bilingual and bi-cultural is really what you need to be. Speak the language, but understand, appreciate and experience the culture. That will save you from embarrassments and misunderstandings. 


Want an example of what can go wrong? 
...you could be responsible for this:

New York Daily News Uses Cuban Flag On Puerto Rican Day Parade Ad

Source: HuffingtonPost.com

Latina in the US

After I stopped working at the radio station in Atlanta and hosting the show "Amores y Recuerdos", I couldn't think of anything to write constantly about. I know about sports, but not enough to write a blog about it. I like to cook, but I do it once in a blue moon and most things are not super complicated, just an achievement to me since a few months ago I couldn't even step in the kitchen other than to reach the microwave, cereal or hummus and crackers.

Today, it finally hit me. I am living something that is normal only to a few. I am a Mexican living in the United States. There are millions of us in the United Stastes... DEFINITELY! Being Mexican is something that is with me ALL the time while in the Untied States. I face situations where my culture, interests, language and background affect my everyday life in the United States. So, today I have decided to blog about my life as a Latina in the United States.

CARTA - 10 Agosto, 2011

Ay Danny! estoy perdidamente enamorado de una mujer unica. Es tan hermosa, tan noble, con un corazon enorme y tan trabajadora!!

Es la mujer perfecta para mi, tal como la imagine... pero tambien es la esposa de mi mejor amigo. Bueno, realmente nunca se casaron, pero viven juntos y tienen dos hijos.

Ya le confese mi amor a ella, y ella siente lo mismo pero tiene miedo. La verdad ya no me iimporta lo que piense mi amigo, pero ella no quiere herirlo.
Que complicado es el amor... Me muero cada vez que la veo con mi amigo o cuando pienso que esta con el. Es horrible, pero por ahora me conformare con solo verla.

CARTA - 09 Agosto, 2011

Daniela - Voy a ir directo al punto. Estoy enamorada de mi ex.

Hace 5 años estube casada con Nicolas. Duramos solamente un año casados y las cosas no funcionaron. Yo me fui de la casa y nos divorsiamos. Ahora, cinco años despues, yo estoy viviendo con mi novio y con un hijo de el. No me he casado con mi novio porque deje de creer en el matrimonio... pero algo inesperado paso .

Por cosas de la vida me encontre a Nicolas, mi ex esposo, y quede realmente enamorada de el. Eso no es lo unico; el tambien sintio lo mismo por mi y ahora estamos saliendo a escondidas. Nos amamos y como dos locos. El problema es que el se volvio a casar y tambien tiene una hija recien nacida. No sabemos que hacer, pero cuando logramos vernos a escondidas, es realmente hermoso.

Mi ex esposo y yo le somos infieles a nuestra pareja actual... Que loco es el amor!

CARTA - Agosto 4, 2011

Dani - Estoy terriblemente enamorada y con el corazon roto...

Digamos que estoy, en espera. Estoy pacientemente esperando a que el hombre que amo se divorsie.

En el trabajo me enamore de un compañero. El dice sentir lo mismo por mi. Dice que me ama y quiere casarse conmigo.... pero primero tiene que divorciarse. El es casado y con dos hijos, los cuales son la razon por la que no se ha divorsiado. El piensa que estan muy chicos y jamas lo entenderian y quizas hasta los pierda. Llevo 2 años con el, pero siempre a escondidas...

Lo amo con todo mi corazon, pero esto me esta mantando.... ahora lo unico que quiero hacer es llorar.

CARTA - Agosto 2, 20111

Hay Dani - ¿por que es tan complicado esto del amor? No sabes cuantas cosas tengo en mi pecho de las que me arrepiento. Me arrepiento de tantas peleas que he tenido con mi novia. Me arrepiento de tanto tiempo que hemos desperdisiado peleando y discutiendo por tonterias. Jamas me habia sentido como me siento con ella, pero ahora, con tanta pelea que tenemos, con tantos problemas, ya no se si es amor o si estamos juntos por miedo a estar solos.

Hemos tenido experiencias tan increibles, pero tambien hemos tenido peleas tan fuertes, justo en esos momentos increibles, y me arrepiento tanto. Me da tanto coraje conmigo mismo. No nos hemos dejado porque decimos querernos. Pero sera eso, o sera que no queremos estar solos?

¿Por que es tan complicado y cruel el amor? Solo quiero ser feliz!

CARTA - 28 de Julio, 2011

Esta carta me dejo con el corazon roto... la recibi por telefono y podia escuchar la tristeza en la voz de este hombre...

Hay Daniela – Me ha pasado algo horrible. Todo el amor de mi esposa, se me fue de la noche a la mañana y todo sin una explicacion.

Eramos tan felices. Ella es lo mas hermoso que me ha sucedido, ella es mi todo. Ella igual me amaba, me cuidaba, le importaba y me lo demostraba. De repente, sus sentimientos cambiaron de la noche a la mañana. Se sentia mal y los doctors le dijeron que estaba comenzando a pasar por la menopause y de ahi en adelante, todo lo que eramos y todo lo que me amaba, se termino. Todo cambio de repente. Ella ya no queria estar conmigo intimamente, ni que la tocara; decia que ya no me queria. De repente, ella se fue del estado. Se fue y se llevo a mi hija. No sabes cuanto la extraño. La amo, es el amor de mi vida y ella lo unico que hace es pedirme que me olvide de ella y siga con mi vida… pero olvidarla, jamas!

Le dedique la cancion de Jeannette, "Me Cuesta Tanto"... hermosa cancion.

CARTA - 27 de Julio, 2011

No hay desesperacion mas grande, que ver a alguien atrapado en una pesadilla...

Hola Dani – quisiera contarte mi historia, ya que para mi, el amor ya murio. Escuche la carta de ayer del muchacho que esta debastado, ya que su novia lo engaño y se fue. Bueno, pues yo he vivido en este dolor durante 22 años, pero porque esa persona se quedo.

Mi esposo me fue infiel y yo lo que queria era separarme. Ya no queria saber nada de el y queria que se fuera. Cuando eso paso, el me acosaba, me buscaba y basicamente me obligo a regresar con el. Yo no lo amo, no quiero estar a su lado. He encontrado en su cellular fotografias de mujeres desnudas que el conoce. Se que me engaña y que no me respeta. No quiero estar con el, pero no me deja ir. En Mexico ya lo he denunciado, pero hasta se reian de mi. Aqui, quice denunciarlo, pero tengo una orden de deportacion y los abogados no pueden hacer nada por mi asi. El unico consejo que me han podido dar es que esconda los cuchillos cuando el se enoje.

Ya no quiero vivir en este infierno. Me siento atrapada, acosada, abusada. El no me deja ir y me amenaza. Yo se que el amor quizas exista… pero para mi todo eso del romance murio hace mucho tiempo.

A esta amiga, le recorde que "Has Nacido Libre" de Camilo Sesto. Nadie debe quitarte esa dicho tan grande de la vida...

CARTA: 30 de Junio, 2011

Bien dicen que uno no sabe lo que tiene hasta que lo ve perdido. Ese fue el caso de este radioescucha. ¡Creanme que al leer su carta, se me puso chinita la piel!

Aqui se las comparto:

Hola Dani – Pues hoy queria escribirte la carta acerca de mi vida. Yo estube casado con una muchacha por 8 años. Tuvimos 2 hijos, nuestra casa que pagabamos, y viviamos muy bien, pero me empeze a dedicar a las cantinas, a los que segun eran mis amigos, mujeres, cocaina...

Trabajaba de domingo a jueves. Salia del trabajo y no llegaba a mi casa y me iba con mis supuestos "amigos". Aveces llegaba y a veces no, si no hasta el domingo solo a alistarme para ir a trabajar. Se me hizo una rutina. Descuide a mi esposa y a mis hijos. Gracias a las drogas, los perdi.

Nos separamos y ahora tengo mas de 2 años que no abrazo a mis hijos. Nos separamos cuando mi bebe solo tenia 6 meses, ahora tiene 4 años. Hace dos años deje las drogas pero hasta hoy me di cuenta de lo que perdi. Trato de hablar con mi esposa pero no me quiere ni ver. Extraño mucho a mis hijos. Le mando un beso y un abrazo enorme a mis hijos, Briant y Angel, los quiero mucho hijos, su papa Mario los extraña mucho…

La cancion perfecta que encontre para el fue "Mi Corazon Lloro" de King Clave.

Gracias a Mi Mejor Amigo!

A casi 10 dias del gran dia... apenas me doy cuenta de lo sucedido... WOW!
Cada mañana despierto y agradesco por una nueva oportunidad que me da mi Mejor Amigo de vivir.
Gracias por dejarme continuar este camino.
Gracias por levantarme con un corazon que palpitando avisa que quiere amar.
Gracias por abrirme los ojos como una ventana que permite que entre la luz de tu belleza.
Gracias por darme una oportunidad mas de hacer sonreir a los que amo, a los que cruzo en el camino y a los que hoy conocere.
Gracias por darme el reto de salir a ser mejor persona y reponer los daños causados.
Gracias por dejarme ver nuevamente a los que me hacen ser lo que soy.
Gracias por permitirme una vez mas ir a abrazar a mi familia y besar a mi alma gemela.
Gracias por el pase de un dia mas... una oportunidad mas... una sonrisa mas.

Estoy anciosa de ver a quien pones en mi camino hoy, en camino de quien me pones, y cual sera mi camino...

Que este sea un dia maravillos mas, en compañia de Ti... Mi Mejor Amigo :)

Comenzemos esta onda del "bloggeo"... no soy muy fanatica al twitter... nisiquiera tengo uno, pero me parece algo interesante esto del blog.

Creo que mi generacion no tendra memorias si algun dia se llega a morir el systema y quedamos sin internet, teconologia, y nada de nada!! La ultima vez que imprimi fotografias fue para un projecto especial que tengo en mente, pero de ahi en adelante, las fotos de eventos importantes en mi vida y en la de mi familia, estan guardadas en la memoria de una computadora... que terrible seria perder muchas de ellas.

Hace unas semanas mi jefe nos envio una postcard desde Holanda... tenia años que no recivia una postal!! Mi generacion no se manda cartas, tarjetas, postales o nada de eso. Nos mandamos textos, e-mails, o simplemente un mensaje por facebook.

Que romanatico seria que mi novio me escribiera una carta. Que la escribiera con su puño y letra. Que la firmara con su nombre en una caligrafia muy personalizada y que la doblara pensando en la cara que voy a poner cuando la lea. Eso seria realmente maravilloso!!!! ...solo que su generacion, como la mia, no tiene memorias...