Fiesta 2015 Rain or Shine!

This was the crowd during the last two acts of the night…incredible! Despite the cold!

This was Fiesta’s “lucky” 13th year. Every year as we (the organizers) approach the event, we always keep our fingers crossed about the weather and every year with the exception of one, the weather was beautiful, sunny and warm. This year, the outlook started out that way…we kept looking at the forecast and it showed mild temperatures but sunny. Perfect, you could say! Then closer to the event, it showed cloudy and a chance of showers. Then it started raining…

Two Fiesta patrons in rain gear on their way to the Coca Cola Music Stage.

When you have an outdoor festival, you have to expect the weather will catch up with you at some point. So for Fiesta’s 13th year, it did. We thought the rain would stop by noon – that’s when Fiesta “officially” opens, so we were hopeful. Then the forecast changed to 1 p.m. – and if you were there, you know that didn’t happen. I think we were just on the wrong side of the road when it came to the rain. Thankfully, it wasn’t a downpour. And thankfully, people came out and simply put on hats, rain ponchos or just didn’t care about getting wet. Incredibly, as the day went on, and the drizzle came and went, people kept coming and enjoying the villages and especially the music. All in all, I would have to say this was one of our best years!

Veronica Richey with BB&T Bank threw on a rain poncho and got to work at her booth at Fiesta wearing a Costa Rica hat!

This year’s Fiesta showed us that people love this event and want to be here no matter what. It also proved to be one of the most diverse crowds I believe we have ever had. This absolutely thrilled us. This event matters to the Hispanic community and also to the community at large and this was proven with the numbers we saw all day long. About 10,000 people made it to Fiesta this year!

Personally, I had the best time once I stopped worrying about my soggy hair. Thank goodness for hair pins! As I walked through the park and strolled down the Cultural Village with my camera, I grew a little concerned for the Cultural Village. Each year these wonderful members of our Hispanic community bring their own personal artifacts and treasures to share with the Fiesta patrons. The tents helped keep things dry and the rain didn’t seem to affect those who were there. They just adjusted and pulled the crowds in to share their country stories.

Los Millos booth at the Food Village – this was early in the day as the food vendors began preparing food for the day. This is where I got the delicious empanadas from Jairo and Lucero Vargas!

So, right after my friends and Latino News owners, Jairo and Lucero Vargas treated me to empanadas at the Colombian food vendor – Los Millos, I walked through the village and visited my friend Miguel Vilchez who pulled the Peru booth together. He gave me a red Peruvian hat to wear to take care of my hair later that day – even though he said my hair looked fine – he’s such a gentleman! Across from Peru was the Mexico booth. Maria and Luis had pulled together two booths of beautiful Mexican art and pottery. It was so colorful! They gave me a Jarrito jug as a gift which is simply beautiful and then poured me a tequila shot and we took selfies. Next I went to take photos of the Cuba booth where they gave me some Cuban coffee…OMGEEEE! That was so wonderful and after the tequila, it REALLY warmed me up. When I tell you how awesome the Cultural Village is, you need to believe me! Because of the weather, we all huddled closer together under each tent as we made our way through the village and vendors stationed throughout. It was such a great feeling of friendship and belonging. It’s the type of feeling I want everyone to experience at Fiesta.

And here I was worried about the rain…

Me and Miguel at the Peru booth.

Jarrito jars at the Mexico booth. This is the type of clay jar that Maria and Luis gave to me at Fiesta. So beautiful!!!

Some of the beautiful items displayed at the Mexico booth!

Cuba booth! The Cuban coffee was safely tucked away behind the table…

Believe it or not…this little cup of Cuban coffee did wonders for the chill I was experiencing at Fiesta! Packed a punch!

With Maria and Luis at the Mexico booth toasting to a wonderful event with a tequila shot! Salud!

A few items from the Peru booth – Miguel gave me the red hat to wear as he packed up his booth to leave…sure did help hide my soggy hair!

Puerto Rico booth!

Happy One Year Blogaversary Southern Senora!

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One year ago today I launched Southern Senora – a Hispanic lifestyle blog in Birmingham, Alabama!

Today marks one year since I launched my Hispanic lifestyle blog, Southern Senora! What a wonderful ride it has been so far!

I remember wondering if blogging was something I should attempt. So, I began doing some research and working through the ins and outs of blogging. I attended a blog conference by the incredible Javacia Bowser, founder of See Jane Write, and met some wonderful women bloggers that day. I’ll share more on that in another post. Then one day shortly after the conference, I was at an event when I ran into my friend and blogger, Chanda Temple. She asked if I had launched my blog yet and I said, “not yet,” and she said…”just do it!” And so I did…and I decided on September 15th, 2014. That seemed like the perfect date since it’s the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month and this is a Hispanic lifestyle blog, after all! One thing I know about myself…if I set a goal, I’m going to accomplish it some how, some way! And so it began…

I’ve met so many terrific people along the way…people who have been encouraging and who tell me they love what I’m writing about. Some have even suggested things for me to write because they wanted to know more about Hispanic culture. I love when that happens too! One exciting invitation occurred recently. Wade Kwon, long-time Birmingham writer, blogger and communications consultant, contacted me and asked if I would like to participate in his 30-day Wade on Birmingham series called the Future of Birmingham. He launched this series this month in celebration of the 10th anniversary of his blog – Wade on Birmingham. A few years ago, I probably would have declined thinking this wasn’t something I could do, but this invitation excited me and gave me a wonderful opportunity to share my voice from a Hispanic perspective. Thanks much, Wade…or I should probably say, Gracias!

My essay has been included in Wade’s ebook, “The Future of Birmingham.” You can read it (pages 19-21) by downloading the ebook for free at http://itswa.de/futureofbham – I hope you enjoy it and all the other essays included.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my one year blogaversary than to share this news. Like I said…it’s been a wonderful ride so far!

The Footprints We Leave Behind…Remembering My Cousin Chila

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With my cousin Chila at the Zuniga Family reunion in Denver, Colorado – July 2013

My cousin, Orcilia “Chila” Zuniga Forbes, passed away on Friday, August 28, 2015. Here are some of my memories of this remarkable woman.

My cousin Chila passed away two weeks ago. It came as a shock to our family and we still can’t believe it most days. She was truly remarkable. Quite a number of stories have been published about her over the past two weeks, discussing her education, career, non-profit work and accomplishments. I’m sure more will be shared over time and I look forward to hearing them. She leaves quite a legacy and quite a few footprints…

Cousin Chila at the 2013 Zuniga Family Reunion – wearing her running shoes…

One story I particularly love tells of how Chila was always so “neatly coifed, perfectly made up, stylishly and professionally dressed, stockings, running shoes. Yes, running shoes.” The story goes on to say that she was always quite literally “on the move.” Those shoes probably helped in some small way, but I know there was more her success than the shoes.

I’ve been considering all the footprints Chila left behind with those running shoes. At 77 years of age – that is just too young. I remember her as the picture of health…calm, collected, striking in appearance and always having marvelous experiences with her sister – Wiro – and brother-in-law, Chuck. It was always a joy to spend time with her at family reunions – she was so interesting and I loved the conversations we had together.

Chila - the oldest of 8 children of Lorenzo and Anita Zuniga - here with her brother Lorenzo Jr. (Boy), sisters Boogie and Wiro (Hortencia) and sister-in-law, Maria Varela.

Chila – the oldest of 8 children of Lorenzo and Anita Zuniga – here with her brother Lorenzo Jr. (Boy), sisters Boogie (Ophelia) and Wiro (Hortencia) and sister-in-law, Maria Varela.

One very inspiring conversation we had goes back to 2002 when I went to Portland, Oregon for a conference. This was the year after my dad died. A few days before I flew out, my mother reminded me I had a cousin in Portland. I quickly typed an email to Chila and hoped for a reply. To my delight, Chila immediately contacted me and outlined times she was available to meet and offered to include me in plans she already had in the works if I was available. I was thrilled! Spending time with a Zuniga cousin was so important to me since my dad had died. I needed that connection to my Mexican family.

Chila and her husband Richard picked me up at my hotel. I had never met Richard so this was an added bonus. I loved watching Chila and Richard together during that trip. They were like two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. They seemed so happy together.

Chila said she was taking me to a wine dinner that night and we would be sitting with the winemaker who was a friend of hers. What a treat! Richard dropped us off downtown and would return to pick us up afterward. We were early so we decided to walk around the block and found a bench where we sat and talked. The conversation quickly turned to my dad. He has passed away June 1, 2001 and Chila began telling me a story I had never heard before. She said after my dad – her Tio Chito – left Carlsbad, New Mexico and got out of the Air Force, he went to Catholic University in Washington DC. This part I knew, of course. What she said next has stayed with me all this time. She told me “your dad was the reason I went to college.” She added that until the time my dad left Carlsbad, they (she and her siblings) didn’t know they could also leave or get an education. Chila definitely took this encouragement to heart, first getting a nursing degree followed by two masters degrees and a doctorate. Landing at both the University of New Mexico and Oregon State University, I can only image the footprints she left in both places. She didn’t keep this story about my dad to herself either. She shared it with so many people and even spoke about this encouragement in a video I found called Destination Success (in Spanish). Such a treasure to find this video and hear her words!

Chila and Boogie sing with the Mariachi at our Zuniga family reunion dinner in 2013. This is one of my favorite photos from that reunion…

Last year, I was doing some research on Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos and I bookmarked a website that spoke of “footprints” and the passing of a loved one. The author writes, “the Mexican definition of soul, is the footprint we leave behind for others to connect to, in that we are present, still after death, in how others remember us. Even the person who passed away can change and grow within the stories we hold of them.”

I know I was lead to rediscover this bookmark last week. I had already been going through pictures from past Zuniga family reunions when I found one of Chila from 2013. She was neatly coifed (as the story goes) from her head down to her running shoes. That photo made me stop in my tracks and smile. Chila left 77 years of footprints and they have taught me quite a few things. They have propelled me closer to my Zuniga family roots beginning with that story about my father. They have encouraged me to see what changes I can make to do more to help others. They have inspired me to continue to educate myself and encourage others to seek education….just like my dad encouraged his niece so many years ago.

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same. – Unknown

Chila and her sister Wiro sing with the mariachi at our family reunion – Denver, CO – 2015.

With Chila, her brother Nino (Orlando), son-in-law Hal and daughter Eryn – at our family reunion in Albuquerque, NM 2011.

La Familia Zuniga at our 2003 family reunion in Albuquerque, NM…

While singing with her sister Wiro with the mariachi, Chila stops to give me a smile… Wiro’s husband Chuck stands by to take photos – Zuniga Reunion 2013.

Me with Chila at our reunion in 2003.

Chila chats with my little sister, Kanista at our family reunion in 2003. Cousin Chuck is on the laptop.

Chila with her little brother, Ricardo Zuniga.

Chila with her little brother, Ricardo (Googs) Zuniga. (2003)

My mother, Barbara Zuniga with her niece, Chila. Zuniga family reunion 2013 in Denver, CO.

Chila with her brothers and sisters…from left to right – Googs (Ricardo), Wiro (Hortencia), Boogie (Ophelia), Chila (Orcelia), Lala (Oralia) and Boy (Lorenzo, Jr.) – missing from this picture – Eddie and Nino (Orlando).- Family Reunion 2003 – Albuquerque, NM

Fiesta Night with Los Barons – Part 2

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Students from Samford University Latin American Studies take to Regions Field for the parade of Latin American flags at Fiesta Night with Los Barons on August 27.

It was a beautiful afternoon…the weather was great, sun shining and a slight breeze found its way through the park every so often. I thought I was arriving at the park early to help Fiesta’s event manager extraordinaire, Denise Koch, put Fiesta flyers in all the cup holders at Regions Park. I should have known better. Denise had been hard at work since early that morning on Fiesta Night with Los Barons and had everything under control. I “did” manage to wrestle a small stack of the flyers away from her and finish up one section so she could take a break.

These Fiesta flyers were placed in every cup holder at Regions Field.

Fiesta and the Birmingham Barons partnered for a second year to bring a Latin flair to the ballpark this past August. Our thanks go out to the wonderful people at the Birmingham Barons, in particular, John Cook, Director of Sales, and Don Leo, Corporate Sales Manager, with the Corporate Partnerships Department, for all they did to make our time there so enjoyable.

Mike Suco, one of Fiesta’s founding board members poses with his son Mikey, and Barons Staff Members John Cook and Don Leo.

Once again, we had students from Samford University’s Latin American Studies participate in the parade of Latin American flags. We even had a few sponsors get into the act which thrilled us! Our sponsors from BB&T and Regions Bank both grabbed flags and made their way around the infield with the students and Fiesta board members. It was such a beautiful sight!

Students from Samford University Latin American Studies take to Regions Field for the parade of Latin American flags at Fiesta Night with Los Barons on August 27.

Next, Don Leo introduced Fiesta and a short video of last year’s event was shown on the big screen. The video was produced by board member Orlando Rosa with La Jefa Radio Station. Ever the perfectionist, Orlando mentioned later that he wasn’t completely happy with the video but the rest of us LOVED it! It definitely got the crowd going and gave them a taste of what to expect on October 3rd!

Fiesta board member, Orlando Rosa helps Don Leo of The Barons open up the game festivities in Spanish!

Mike Suco, one of Fiesta’s founding board members was on hand with his son Mikey, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Mike didn’t miss a beat and never lingered on the pitcher’s mound. He threw out the perfect pitch so fast we almost missed it! Reminded me of the early days of Fiesta when Mike would just get things done! It thrilled us to have Mike and his family with us that night to celebrate and reminisce about Fiesta, especially for some of the newer board members and sponsors who had never met him but heard a few of us talk about him with such admiration over the years.

Mike Suco, throws out the ceremonial first pitch as his son watches beside him.

As always, we had the opportunity to talk to interested people attending the Barons game about Fiesta and encourage them to get advance tickets to the event. Ronald McDonald came by to represent our Title Sponsor, McDonalds, and had pictures made with kids young and old. I always love it when adults want their picture made with Ronald! I had mine made with him last year!

One of the many photos Ronald McDonald took with Barons Baseball game attendees.

Don’t forget…Fiesta is Saturday, October 3rd from noon to 8 p.m. in downtown Linn Park! Meanwhile, here are a few more pics from our night with Los Barons!

Mike Suco and his son pose with the baseball before the ceremonial first pitch is thrown.

We had to get our photo with Ronald too! Left to right – Ronald, me, Vanesa Vargas and Freddy Rubio.

Orlando pulled double duty at the game with a live remote, along with his wife and co-worker, Maria – better known on air as La Chikis!

Parting shot of the Regions Field Birmingham sign as I was walking to my car after the game. This is such a beautiful facility. If you’ve never been, you have to check it out!

The parade of Latin American flags begins and is lead by the Stars and Stripes of the USA! That’s Fiesta Board member, Vanesa Vargas with the Fiesta sign in front!

Fiesta Night with Los Barons – Part 1

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Regions Field and the Birmingham Barons partnered with Fiesta to have Fiesta Night with Los Barons last year. We are gearing up for another fun event this week!

Last year, Fiesta was fortunate to partner with the Birmingham Barons for a night of baseball with a Latin flair! Fiesta Night with Los Barons was the perfect prelude to Fiesta 2014 and was so much fun to pull together and attend!

Ronald McDonald posed for pictures with fans and The Home Depot mascot made an appearance too!

Fiesta board members and volunteers arrived early that evening to fill the drink cups with flyers about that year’s event. Later, they staffed a table to pre-sell tickets to Fiesta and answer any questions about the festival. Our presenting sponsor, McDonalds was on hand to participate in that night and brought along Ronald McDonald who joked with the crowd and posed for pictures with everyone.

Samford Students participated in the Parade of Latino Country Flags before the beginning of the game.

Before the first pitch was thrown out, we arranged to have students from Samford University walk onto the field in a parade of flags representing about 15 Latino countries. So colorful! The students were later on hand for a check presentation photo when Fiesta awarded $5,000 to Samford University for Hispanic student scholarships. Carlos Aleman, Professor of History accepted the check along with students from the newly formed Samford University Latino Student Organization. It was so exciting to see the students and have them participate! And I have to say that just a few short months later, the Fiesta board asked Carlos to become a board member and he graciously accepted! We are fortunate to have him on board with us!

McDonald’s Owner and Fiesta Title Sponsor, Santiago Negre did the honors by throwing out the first pitch at the game.

After the parade of flags, it was time for the first pitch. Fiesta asked Santiago Negre, local McDonalds store owner and Title Sponsor of Fiesta, to do the honors. Santiago and his brother, Russell, have been wonderful to Fiesta and they are back this year (2015) as Title Sponsor once again! We are so fortunate to have them in Birmingham, not only for their Fiesta sponsorship but also for all the wonderful things they are doing for our community and city and always with such enthusiasm.

Santiago joked about his form and how he would throw the baseball as he went to the mound and then proceeded to throw out the most perfect pitch! It was great to be on the field when this was happening and feel the excitement around us. Santiago definitely made us proud with that pitch and we certainly let him know! The traditional race of the mascots was interesting too. From what I hear, the Hot Dog always wins and the Taco is left in the dusk. Well, this year we had Ronald McDonald running a little interference for the Taco and it won!!! That was quite a thrill for us, believe it or not!

Later we all grabbed a beverage – it was Thirsty Thursday after all – and enjoyed the game. The weather was beautiful that night and the crowd was great. Hopefully, we were able to reach some people who didn’t know about Fiesta and encourage them to attend last year.

If you are in town this week, come on out to Fiesta Night with Los Barons THIS Thursday, August 27 – Regions Field at 6 p.m. Fiesta tickets will be on sale and you won’t want to miss the Parade of Flags again. We also have a special guest who will be throwing out the first pitch! More on all this in my next post – Part 2 of Fiesta Night with Los Barons! Hope to see you there!

Fiesta Board and Volunteer Shirts for 2014 – the color definitely made us all stand out in crowds!

Carlos and the students get ready to show off the flags of Latin countries.

Photo opp with Santiago Negre and Fiesta Board Chair – Matt Ennis!

Fiesta Board Members are ready to have a blast at Fiesta Night with Los Barons! From left to right: Vanessa Vargas, Cristina Almanza, Teresa Zuniga Odom, Chris Miller, Matt Ennis and Orlando Rosa. (Missing from the photo: Ashlee Jones and Freddy Rubio)

Fiesta Event Manager, Denise Koch (far right), gives last minute instructions as the gates open.

Recent Day of the Dead “Stuff” Purchases…and it’s only August!

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It’s only August but I’ve already scored some cool Day of the Dead items!

I’m always on the lookout for interesting items to add to my growing Dia de los Muertos collection and I’ve found that when you least expect to find them…there they are!

For the first item, I was in the Von Maur Department Store at the Galleria and noticed they had already put their Halloween items out. I admit…I walked by thinking it’s the beginning of August and WAY too early for Halloween decorations to be out. But then I rounded a corner and spotted the Lolita wine glasses. In particular, the sugar skull Lolita wine glass REALLY caught my eye! Now, I have a soft spot for these quirky wine glasses. They have different fun designs reflecting holidays and events and at the bottom they include a cute drink recipe. A lot of Hallmark stores carry them, which is where I first learned about them but they ARE a bit pricey. I’ve managed to find quite a few at thrift stores in the area for a $1-$2 vs. the retail prices of $25-$30! Love it when that happens… However, in this case I paid full retail price because had to have this wine glass! I can’t wait to use it during my Day of the Dead celebration this year!

Next, I was at the Karen’s Hallmark Store in Vestavia Hills two weeks ago buying cards and I stopped to check out the Hallmark Christmas ornaments. I have an extensive collection of Christmas ornaments that date all the way back to 1973 when Hallmark first came out with their ornaments! I was checking to see which ones I might buy this year when I spotted something unusual…a Day of the Dead Sugar Skull CAT ornament! It wasn’t in the usual Christmas packaging but it was definitely an ornament and once again I decided I needed to have it. In doing a little research online, I discovered that in addition to the Cat design, there is also a Sugar Skull ornament this year and there was one in 2014. Why didn’t I see this last year? Naturally, there are 2014 ornaments available online but at double the price. Well, that ain’t gonna happen…maybe I’ll get lucky and find one at the thrift store…

This weekend I scored two items! My husby and I are helping our newly married daughter and her husband move to Atlanta this weekend and next. After unloading a U-Haul and two SUVs, we headed to Bed, Bath and Beyond to pick up some storage/organizing items. That’s where I spotted a Tervis 20 oz. water bottle with Sugar Skulls and flowers all over it! I LOVE IT and quickly put it in our buggy! I mean, everyone I know has a Tervis water bottles and now I’ve joined the ranks. Of course, I think mine is the most awesome!

Today, I was at the new Sprouts Farmers Market in Hoover picking up some fruits and veggies. I was walking out with my purchases when I spotted a Sugar Skull bag by Blue Q on a turn-style at the entrance. Well, I quickly put my items in the car and headed back into the store to check them out! There were two bags and a small cosmetic type bag made of recycled materials among the items on the rack. I decided on the Sugar Skull bag in blue with a zipper because the bottom of the bag was sturdier than the pink bag that I also liked. Who knows…if I’m back in Sprouts next week I might break down and get pink one too! They are just that cute!

At this rate, and with another week left in August, I may luck up on a few more Day of the Dead items! Whatever the case, I will definitely make use of them all beginning with the Tervis water bottle tomorrow on my way to work. I also love that I found these items at places I never thought would carry DOD. Go figure!

One side of the Lolita glass has a male sugar skull face on it and the other side has a female face. LOVE these wine glasses!

Each Lolita wine glass has a drink recipe on the bottom of the glass. This one looks interesting…!!!

Even the base of the Lolita wine glasses are decorative!

Tales of HICA Tamale Sales, Partnerships and Missing Fingerprints

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This is a promo photo I took before HICA Exec Director Isabel Rubio and I appeared on Fox 6 News in Birmingham to talk about the tamale sale.

To pick up from my last post and how the HICA tamale sale got started…here are a few memories and stories from the early years.

As the HICA tamale sale began to grow, the search for community partners began. We needed kitchen space where we could make more tamales since we had outgrown the kitchen at Grace Episcopal Church. Word was out about tamales so demand began to grow! In 2005, HICA partnered with The Culinard and we were able to use their facilities to make tamales. We had a successful year despite scorching a rather large pot of pepper tamales! That just about broke my heart because I LOVE pepper tamales!!!

The next year – 2006 – we got really aggressive with our media. I got a call from the Birmingham News one day asking if a reporter could come by my house and watch me make tamales. It was a great opportunity to get the word out about the sale so of course, I said yes! I immediately called my mom and we pulled together all the ingredients and got everything ready. Now when you make tamales, you usually make a “ton” because they are so labor intensive. In fact, in many families tamales are made in an assembly line fashion – as many as 60 dozen at a time! So mom and I got to work to get things in order for the demonstration.

This is a print of one of the articles that appeared in the Birmingham News about the tamale sale. The picture is of me in my kitchen loading tamales my mom and I made into my tamale pot to cook. Photo was taken by Bev Taylor of The Birmingham News. My husband framed this article for me as a Christmas present and it hangs in my kitchen.

Kellie Hewitt-Taylor of The Birmingham News was supposed to come to my house to interview me and take photos. Instead she interviewed me over the phone due to a family emergency and sent photographer Bev Taylor to come by and take pictures. Kellie said the story would run in the Wednesday Hoover Neighborhood section of the news. Isabel Rubio, HICA’s executive director, and I were excited about getting this exposure figuring it would help boost sales a bit from the previous year. Well, be careful what you wish for…

I picked up the Wednesday paper and found a small black and white photo of myself filling my tamale pot with tamales on page 2 or 3. I thought – “this is nice! I’m sure this will help sales…” When I got to work, a co-worker called and said, “Hey! I saw your picture in the newspaper today!” I knew she didn’t live in Hoover so I was a little puzzled as she went on and on about the great color photo of me. I was thinking – wait…the picture was in black and white! Now I was REALLY confused!

Turns out the story now only hit the Hoover neighborhood section that day, it hit ALL of the neighborhood section in Birmingham! WHOA! Our sales that year jumped to over 6K and we weren’t prepared for that. But it gave us an opportunity to partner with some local Mexican restaurants to help fill the gaps in addition to what our volunteers were making.

Freddy Rubio works the tamale numbers on tamale pick up day to make sure HICA stays up to speed with the orders and the restaurants partnering with us to provide tamales.

For tamale pick up day that year I just remember the tamales coming into the HICA office in a steady stream. All of us there volunteering that day spent a lot of time wrapping these piping hot tamales with Saran wrap and foil and labeling them by type. I swear to you…I think my fingerprints burned off that day! At the end of that day we were exhausted but thrilled at the success of the sale. I know I was SO ready for a margarita!!! Surprisingly, I also wanted a tamale!

Pork tamales wait their turn to get saran wrapped and foil wrapped for pick up.

The HICA tamale sale PRE-SALE has been extended until August 31st. So, if you are in the Birmingham area, you can place your order online until that date. Place your order today and when you come to HICA to pick up your order on December 18, let me know if you read about the tamale sale on my blog!

Orders wait to be picked up. This is also a great time for HICA to tell their story to the community so we provide our latest newsletter and brochures of information about programs the tamale sale supports.

A volunteer helps wrap the piping hot tamales with saran wrap – these are tamales that have come straight from one of the partner restaurants. The aroma that day of delivery was heavenly to say the least!!!

This was also the first year HICA rented freezers to store tamales for pick up day. In this picture, volunteers load the freezers with freshly wrapped tamales awaiting pick up.

Tamales…Deliciousness in a Corn Husk!

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Tamales…so much deliciousness in a corn husk! (NOTE: You don’t eat the corn husk!)

These little tasty meals have become synonymous with a local nonprofit I’ve been involved with for over 10 years by the name of HICA…as in “OH! You’re on the HICA Board?! I love your tamales sale!”

HICA’s tamale sale is back this year after a little “siesta” last year. If you live in the Birmingham, Alabama area, you can pre-order right now until August 1st through the HICA website. After that, the next window to order will be November 22 through December 11 through the website. You can choose from three types of tamales: pork with red sauce, chicken with green sauce and (my favorite!) pepper & cheese tamales. The cost is $30 per dozen or $18 for 1/2 a dozen. (Remember…this is a fundraiser!) Tamale pick up will be at the HICA office on December 18th.

Not having the tamale sale last year was a big decision for the board and fund development committee. HICA had just purchased a building – a new home – in Homewood, AL, and there was so much happening to get the building settled and also pulling together our 15th anniversary event – or quinceañera – with the Birmingham Barons last June. We just didn’t see how we could pull it off successfully with so much going on so, after much discussion we decided to cancel the sale in October and notified our tamale supporters of this decision. We know people were disappointed but they understood and we promised to bring the sale back this year. Personally, I’m so glad it’s back because pulling this fundraiser together is a true labor of love for those of us who’ve been involved over the years and have seen it grow.

HICA Volunteers making tamales one year in partnership with the Culinard.

HICA started the tamale sale 13 years ago around the Christmas holiday time as a fundraiser for the organization. That very first year, supporters, board members and Hispanic community members got together in a volunteer’s kitchen and made hundreds of tamales into the wee hours of the morning to sell to the community at large.

The idea was to bring a little bit of Mexican culture and food to Birmingham. In addition, tamales are a tradition around Christmas time to Mexican families. Many people who have been exposed to the HICA tamale sale over the years have embraced tamales as their own tradition now too!

I have so many stories to tell about the tamale sale which I will do throughout this year leading up to the tamale pick up date on December 18. I’ll also share a few tamale recipes along the way. But for now, you have 8 days to pre-purchase your tamales! Go ahead…you know you want to!

HICA has been grateful to the Piggy Wiggly in Homewood for many years for supplying grocery bags to contain the tamale orders.

Here are a few fun facts about tamales from the HICA Website in case you need a little more encouragement to try them:

Tamales date back to the time of the Aztecs
Tamales can be sweet with fillings such as cinnamon and raisin or fruit.
There are around 1,000 types of tamales available all around Mexico. Every region has its own variety of tamales.
In Mexico, tamales are often eaten during festivities, such as La Candelaria Day (Feb 2), Mexican Independence Day, Day of the Dead, Las Posadas and Christmas.
A Mexican tamale called the Zacahuil is three feet long and weighs about 150 pounds.
Tamales are not only part of Mexican culture, they are also part of Latin American culture.

What Are You Doing on October 3rd?

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Two little girls dressed in native dress, twirl to the music of the main stage…

Looking for something fun to do on October 3rd?

I know…I know…you can’t think past this Saturday, must less a Saturday in October, right?! Well, pull out your calendar NOW and write in BIG BOLD Letters….Fiesta! in Linn Park!

This will be Fiesta’s 13th year and we have a brand new “village” to add! I can’t tell you about it just yet but I guarantee you will love it!

Flamenco dancing on the Coca-Cola Main Stage at Fiesta 2014.

As always, we will feature our ever popular Cultural Village so our guests can learn and experience the cultures of the many Hispanic/Latino countries. In addition, we’ll have the Family Village, Health & Wellness Village, Community Village, Sports Village, Food Village, Dance Stage and Main Stage.

A look at the crowd around the Coca-Cola Main Stage at last years Fiesta!

McDonalds is returning as Fiesta’s Presenting Sponsor for a 2nd year and once again bringing their Fiesta Tour to the event. I was talking with local McDonald’s owner, Santiago Negre a few weeks ago and he told me the entire tour has been revamped and will be even more outstanding than last year! We really are so very grateful to Santiago and his brother, Russell, for bringing this wonderful addition to Birmingham for a second year in a row. It’s really quite a treat to see the tour and all the Hispanic music icons featured. The Negre brothers have really made their presence felt in our community and continue to do great things to impact lives.

You can stay up to date with all things Fiesta by liking our Faceboo k page, following us on Twitter, and following us on Instagram. Of course, you can also check our website at any time too. Tickets will be on sale soon! Go ahead and join the Facebook Event we’ve created and share with your friends. The more the merrier at Fiesta!

OK…now that you know the date…go put Fiesta on your calendar…RIGHT NOW! Hope to see you there!

The Hispanic Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama presented the flags of the Latin American countries at the opening of Fiesta last year.

Sparkling Sangria on the 4th of July!

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All the ingredients gathered in the Boondocks Gang kitchen and ready to go!

Several times a year, my husband and I get together with a long-time group of friends. We call ourselves “The Boondocks Gang.” This name came about many years ago when we were having dinner at a little place in Guntersville called Boondocks. We thought we needed a name and that just seemed perfect for us.

This year we decided to gather for the Fourth of July. We always have a theme – of course, this year’s theme was a no-brainer! We had plenty of patriotic hats and red, white and blue USA beads. Sometimes we even have a signature cocktail thanks to my sweet friend Karen, who loves throwing things together and creating the perfect drink.

I had tried a fabulous white wine sangria at Melt Restaurant in Avondale a few weeks ago and have been thinking about it ever since. So, I suggested we make a sparkling sangria for our signature drink this time. We (the girls) had just spent our usual first full day at the lake making our thrift store jaunt…funny how we’ve gotten into a certain routine with our trips! Always fun…we love looking for bargains and then coming back to the lake house and recalling our day over wine or other cocktails. This time we couldn’t wait to get started and got right into sangria making! I almost couldn’t get everyone to slow down enough to take the preparation photos!

A pretty shot of the oranges – waiting to be squeezed into the mixture.

Before I get into the recipe we used, I thought I would add a quick little history of Sangria. I was surprised to read that sangria was first introduced to the United States at the World Fair in 1964! Sangria has its roots in Spain. It is traditionally red but can also be made with white wine or “cava” which is the Spanish version of sparkling wine. There is also an interesting post called “Blood, Wine and War: The History of Sangria” that talks about when the Romans conquered Spain and were the first to plant the vineyards that produced the red varietal grapes that make the best wine. They called the drink Sangria which meant “blood” because of its red color. (The Spanish word for blood is “sangre.” ) The SangriaSecrets.com website also has some interesting recipes I may try too! Their Cranberry-Orange sangria sounds interesting…

Now back to present day…

Karen remembered a recipe from Columbia Restaurant and quickly looked it up on her phone. Honestly, what did we ever do without Google and our smart phones? We started with a full bottle of Cupcake Prosecco. Next we added Brandy, Grand Marnier and Rose’s Lemon Juice. Freshly squeezed oranges and a can of Sprite (lemon-lime soda) followed. Oh, and Karen never measured a thing…she’s just that good! We cut up limes, more oranges and added a maraschino cherry to each glass. Finally, we added ice to the pitcher and began pouring. I have to say the glasses looked beautiful! We all grabbed our glasses, gathered in front of the fireplace while my husband took several pictures of us posing with our sparkling 4th of July cocktails.

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I thought this would be a girls only drink but the guys were watching us make this refreshing beverage and wanted some too! So, on to making pitcher #2! Sorry, no picture of the guys drinking this fruity drink. They wouldn’t pose…

SALUD!

Cheers from the Boondocks Gang ladies!

One of our outtakes!

Salud!…from me and Karen!

Southern Señora

Sharing the Southern Hispanic lifestyle in Birmingham, Alabama!

Fiesta 2015 Rain or Shine!

Happy One Year Blogaversary Southern Senora!

The Footprints We Leave Behind…Remembering My Cousin Chila

Fiesta Night with Los Barons – Part 2

Recent Day of the Dead “Stuff” Purchases…and it’s only August!

Tales of HICA Tamale Sales, Partnerships and Missing Fingerprints

Tamales…Deliciousness in a Corn Husk!

Sparkling Sangria on the 4th of July!

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