All of my trips to Mexico consisted on how many things we could bring back to the states. Todos tenian encargos and we all wanted a nice stash of goods that would last us for a few months. We always brought back items we couldn’t easily get here. Whatever it took to bring candy, chips, pottery, home decor and even chorizo hidden in our shoes (true story). I know weird and gross, right? Don’t try to act like you didn’t hide a parrot or two under your armpit when crossing the border by car. LOL Anyway, Pinole was another thing we always brought back. “Pinole” is maiz that is toasted and ground very finely with cinnamon and some sugar.
One of my mom’s friends recently returned from Mexico and brought her back Pinole from Michoacan ( I don’t even want to think about where she put it to carry it back into the states. LOL jk ). We decided to use it as an opportunity to record a recipe of Atole de Pinole for our channel. It was soooo tasty but it brought back a memory I had forgotten about, and probably on purpose because it traumatized me. Believe it or not, Pinole can be deadly!!!!! OK OK I’m exaggerating.
My parents didn’t allow my siblings and I to eat too many sweets, so we never had any at home. I even had to secretly add sugar to my cereal because my mother only purchased the most healthy, need I say, flavorless cereals on earth! One day I was craving something sweet so bad, I was tempted to shove a spoonful of sugar down my throat. So, in my search for sweets, I opened up the pantry, and I noticed a little bag of Pinole. It appeared like an imajen from the heavens, shoved way in the back behind the can of Juanita Menudo. With a mischievious grin, I reached far back, pulled out the bag, and began to open it. I could hardly wait to eat it. Quickly, I began pouring the Pinole into my mouth from the bag. I did it quickly to conceal any evidence from my brother and my dad. I scurried to put the bag back and walked away to inconspicuously enjoy the mouthful of delicious Pinole in my backyard. The sweetness of the Pinole was heavenly. But I did not know that the consistency of the Pinole combined with moisture, was the equivalence of trying to whistle while eating a cracker multiplied by 100!!! All that goodness immediately turned into a nightmare. Why did I run off like a wild child with dry Pinole in my mouth? What was I thinking? It was unimaginable! I started to choke on the small granules of the pinole. I couldn’t breath and I wasn’t about to run to my dad to get a whooping! I would rather die a slow pinole death. The white light was quickly approaching… I think it was Je-sus (en español). I don’t think I was ready for heaven, because I miraculously scrambled for anything to cleanse my palette. Fortunately, I was standing by my mangera. I desperately grabbed la mangera, turned on the water, and hosed down my entire mouth and face. I was relieved as the pinole dissolved just in time to catch my breath. El Pinole casi me mato! I have never told anyone about what had happened that day, and since then, I have not tried Pinole in anyway. I have some that my mom left on my kitchen counter. Every time I pass by it, I’m temped to try eating it dry but then the memory of my near death experience stops me.
DI NO AL PINOLE! JK LOL
Atrancate!

My mother and Abuela have been raving about their experience at
Needless to say, my expectations were pretty high. So upon our arrival, I looked around and made some initial observations. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the store were the employees working on the floor. They were very professional and friendly. It seemed that they were always on the move making sure everything was in order and the store shelves were fully stocked. My mom headed straight for the fresh produce because she was anxious to share her own preferences regarding the wide selections of fresh fruits and vegetables. She was telling me that she loves that ALDI USA carries so many organic products and that they do not carry produce that contain artificial colors, MSG’s, or trans-fats. When Hilda Gabriela arrived, I was already full of enthusiasm to know more! I cannot believe the large selection at such low prices. For example, the mangos were priced .39 cents that day and they did not even have a limit on the amount you could purchase!!! Hilda Gabriela shared that it is made possible because ALDI USA works together with local growers and suppliers in order to provide the freshest and highest quality products with the lowest prices.
With the holidays quickly approaching, as well as the anticipation of having large family gatherings, I am always contemplating the need to buy large amounts of food. I just kept thinking about how as Latinos we prepare for the holiday season by cooking seasonal recipes such as tamales. Finding fresh ingredients is an essential part of that preparation. It was great to stroll through the aisles to find a wide variety of dried chiles. As if that was not enough, they had las ollas to cook the tamales in the Home Goods section of the store! Y despues de cocinar esos ricos tamales, we know the dreaded task of cleaning has to take place. It is a good thing ALDI carries our favorite cleaning items–everything from Fabuloso to earth friendly cleaning products.



















Every Autumn, my Abuelo would pull out a heavy brown jacket. It seemed like each year, he had a different heavy jacket. I have no idea where he would get them, but I thought they were so cool. He was so original in his attire (OG) that when he would wake up, he would walk outside on those brisk fall mornings with coffee in hand and his brown coat pulled over his shoulders. He would look at me, nod a good morning, and walked away to begin his day.
I remember watching the t.v. in the waiting room and the program stopped for breaking news. Couldn’t really hear what was going on but I could see that it wasn’t good and it was scary. All of sudden, a plane hits and a building goes down soon after. Every one in the waiting room gasped for air. Couldn’t figure out what was happening or where it was. But we had witnessed the inexpressible, the incomprehensible and the unthinkable. I got called in for my appointment, and walked away in confusion.
Oh, and that little girl I was making sure was ok on September 11, 2001, is growing to be one of the most talented, beautiful young lady I have ever known. (I can say that because she is my little miracle baby.)
Traveling is a passion of mine. I’ve done it since I was a little kid. I believe that is why I love summer so much… it was our family traveling season. The first adventure as a married woman was to venture with my newly wed husband on a trip to Michoacan, Mexico. He had never been out of the country at that point in his life and I wanted him to experience it for himself. He was a little skeptical about it but I think he was reassured by my past travel to Michoacan. We were 21 and we hit the road by bus, and taxi all over southern Mexico. We have been traveling together ever since.
As I write this blog, I occasionally look over my computer on this rainy day in Greece and can only feel gratitude in my heart to be here with my little family. Soon enough my children will be grown and making their own memories like I did as a child. But for now, I get to be part of theirs.
We stopped to get gas before getting on the freeway. With an evil grin I thought to myself, “I want to drive into Tijuana and IN Tijuana! There is no way they can say no!” I quickly recalled a story my Abuela had told countless number of times of my Tio Jose driving to Tijuana, BACKWARDS! Not sure how much truth there is to that, but if he could drive backwards, there was no way I wasn’t going to take this opportunity to make it my first drive into Tijuana. I knew better than to ask Abuela. She would say no porque era muy nerviosa (Still is.) Instinctively, I asked Abuelo. He was always ready to take risks. Abuelo and Abuela exchanged some words and minutes later Abuelo said, “Pues a manejar!” and I quickly sat on the drivers side and adjusted my mirrors (Evil laugh.).




