Little Things

It's crazy how a person's life can change in a matter of seconds. I have a strong feeling inside of me that tells me that God is in control. I may not understand why, but the loving bond that has spurred inside my family has filled me with hope. I swear I have the best family in the world. To any teenage girl out there, I promise it gets better. I can't imagine how Christmas this year will be like without my grandfather (nagging about how I'm too young to wear high heels), but whatever God has in store for me and my family, I know that we will be together. Nevertheless, I know my grandfather would like for us to smile through the season. Christmas is right around the corner!  

{Reading Divergent by Veronica Roth on a beautiful Sunday afternoon while being hugged by the wind and kissed by the sun}

{After finishing Divergent, I felt completely lost. Luckily, the next day my super mom surprised me with the next book of the trilogy, Insurgent}

{First batch of Christmas cookies for the season: Butter Lemon Cookies}

{Baking Chilenas de Dulce de Leche (Alfajores) as a Christmas gift for my family. They appear to have been drizzled by snow.}

{Improvised desert: a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sliced frozen strawberries, slivered almonds, and chocolate chips}

Little Things

The reason I started this blog was to create a safe haven for any teenage girl that can relate with the ups and downs, beauty and ugliness of adolescence. Many things have changed my perspective since my first post, but thankfully my hopes and aspirations have not changed. As the year has gone by, I have come closer to the realization that under any circumstance, as it was with the miracle of my uncle being cured from cancer, God never leaves my side. Even if I am so fed up with hormonal periods or sophomore year stress, setting my eyes on God gets me through the day with a thankful heart and a peaceful smile. As Thanksgiving approaches, and Christmas gets closer, the time to reflect on one's life is completely essential. 

{My mom spoiled me with one of my favorite seasonal treat: Hershey's white chocolate with mint candy cane}

{Honduran pride: the gorgeous Basilica de Suyapa} 

{Delicious breakfast before a typical Monday at school: Yoplait vanilla greek yogurt with kiwi, chamomille tea, and a slice of toast with peanut butter and jelly on the side} 

{Friday night out's hair-do: a classic half braid}

Little Things

The long-awaited sixteenth birthday I've been mentioning in previous posts finally came. To celebrate my sweet sixteen, I opened the doors of my residence up in the mountain of El Hatillo to my closest friends and families. We enjoyed a wonderful Saturday starlit evening of all of my favorite things. To begin, an exquisite pina colada made by my wonderful mother. To nibble on, chips and salsa, plantain chips and creamy onion dip, and my rich and fudgey brownies. As a main dish, we had a variety of tacos and gringas (chicken, beef, or pork), topped with pico de gallo, guacamole, and spicy sauces. To end the night, we lit up 16 candles on a pastel-colored, ballet slipper inspired vanilla cake with dulce de leche filling. Nothing gets better than this.

{Sweet sixteen cake: vanilla cake with dulce de leche filling, vanilla frosting, and fondant ballet slippers, of course}

{Sunday treat: original flavored frozen yogurt topped with strawberries and blueberries}

Last week was overwhelming and tiring. Lately, that's what sophomore year seems to be going. However, I value every little time I have to spare to do all of my favorite things, like going on movie -dinner dates and shopping sprees with my mom. After watching the hottest man alive, Channing Tatum, on White House Down, we encountered this lovely yet tiny ring and I completeley fell inlove with it. We ended our night with a dinner at our favorite gourmet burger place and split an enormously indulgent burger with a side of crispy and sodium-infused fries.

{Gold-pink tiny infinity ring}

{Last Saturday's craving: In and Out's Bourbon Chicken Burger.}

Vanilla Caramel Flan

This is by far one of the best flans I have ever tasted. This is a no-brainer if you wanna impress someone with a classic, simple dessert. I made this once for a Father's Day lunch and it was gone in literally 5 minutes. Everyone went back for second slices, and my father, the celebrated man of that day, went back for a third slice. Tonight for dinner, with one of my brother's friend as our guest, we made a Chicken Spinach Lasagna, a side salad, and this delicious flan for dessert. The "Mmm's" around the table were endless, and once again, 6 of us ate the whole thing. I promise you'll be surprised by the flan's moist, decadent texture and its rich, sweet taste.

Vanilla Caramel Flan
Baking Time: Approximately 1 to 1 and a half hours at 350 degrees

Ingredients: 

• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of sugar

Directions:

1. Blend together in an electric blender the evaporated milk, the sweetened condensed milk, the eggs, and the vanilla. 
2. Separately, in a sauce pan on medium-high heat, melt the cup of sugar until it dissolves completely and makes a caramel. BE CAREFUL. It can easily burn.
3. In an oven safe pan, add the caramel and make sure it spreads all through the bottom of the pan. BE CAREFUL, it will be very hot. 
4. Then, add the rest of the mixture (eggs, milks, and vanilla) on top of the caramel. 
5. Place the pan with the batter on another container half-full with water (This is called bain-marie in French or baño maria in Spanish).
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
7. Remove from heat and let cool before removing the flan from the pan. Once you have removed the flan from the pan, place it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.