Field Trip Mom

 I made home made tamales from the heart. I often cook special meals without measuring and just feeling my way through taste. This makes me a terrible cooking teacher. In this post I will try to share my way of making tamales. My parents were indigenous and their way of cooking is through love and taste. No measuring is involved in indigenous kitchens, just love.  Masa for making Tamales  I buy my masa from the local Mexican Market. I use about 20 lbs to make enough tamales for my family and to give away. I make about 100 of them with this amount of masa. This means the masa is spread lighty on a corn husk that has been soaking in water.  The sauce is made with dried chiles found at any local store. They are boiled and then blended to make the sauce. California and Japoneses Chiles are the ones I use. Use one medium bag of  California Chiles and a handful of Japoneses Chiles. Japoneses chiles make it spicy. California chiles are mild. I add a small white onion, two

Happy Belated Merry Christmas!!!! I hope everyone is having a great time. As for me I took time out to spend with my family. (This means that I did not call, write, post or share very much through my Social Media outlets.) This Christmas I held on to hope that things would be great. I put fear aside and faith on top of my list. I focused on family and those around me. I have to say that I had a great Christmas. My brothers who rarely visit stopped by. My Christmas tree was put up just in time for the holidays. My kids received an abundance of love and gifts. The grandparents showered us with gifts and encouraging words. Things worked out just the way they were supposed to be. There was no family drama (relatives) just love understanding and kindness.   I feel extremely lucky to have family and friends with such kind hearts and a great holiday spirit. I know Christmas has past, but I hope the spirit continues on inside of your heart. Stay positive, love and encourage others and don’t

 

  Happy Saturday! Stay positive and go forward.     “The only reason we don’t have what we want in life is the reasons we create why we can’t have them.” ~Tony Robbins “I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.” ~ Tony Robbins

I still remember the first time I found OC Family Magazine. I felt as though I had found great wealth. You see being a stay-at-home meant I had a very limited budget. (Stay-at-home moms make their money work for them. Every dollar matters and is well planned for spending.) The first time I met OC Family, I was inside a Subway with a baby and a toddler. I was getting lunch for my son and I, wondering what I could do for fun, beside the park again?  The answer was waiting for me inside the OC Family Magazine. Coupons! Coupons to the Irvine Park Regional Train ride. Coupons to Jamba Juice. They were buy one get one free. It was like money found! They even had a family calendar of things to do around town!!!!! Field Trips on a calendar! I am proud to say I took a few more magazines with me and stuck them inside my neighbors mailboxes. I could not believe the magazine was free with coupons and field trip ideas. FREE!!! Of course I told others. Those coupons are valuable and the calendar i

I wish I could take my family on field trips everyday. While that seems very romantic and fun, it is not a reality. So planning ahead makes sense for my family. Which made me think about sharing some of the places that I have visited in the past and loved it. In particular order: Environmental Center - Newport Beach Family Programs There are several opportunities each month for families to enjoy nature programs at the ENC. Full moon hikes and Star Parties give families the chance to explore the Center after dark. Little Naturalists programs feature stories and hands-on fun for 2 - 5 year olds and their parents. Family hikes feature hands-on activities; crafts for children aged 5 and up and their families. For a current list of events, check out our Events page, or call the office at 949-645-8489 to be added to our Public Programs mailing list. Sherman Library & Gardens - Corona Del Mar Sherman Library & Gardens is a 2.2 acre Corona del Mar horticultural retreat. T

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday we drove to Los Angeles and visited the CA Science Center. It is an amazing thing to see the Endeavour Space Shuttle up close. The years of hard work by the NASA and others was very visible on the walls and throughout the exhibit. There is a short movie of the Endeavour at the end of the exhibit that I recommend you watch. But this is an exhibit you have to visit at least once. It will take your breathe away. I don't want to give too much away, so that you can see it through your own eyes. Let me know if you. Happy Field Tripping!

a Rafflecopter giveaway ** Having trouble entering the giveaway using Internet Explorer, download Mozilla Firefox for a better browsing experience** Great movie to watch with the whole family. It is a movie that reminds us all to be thankful for everyday, because things change in one instant. My whole family was entertained the entire time. We love it! Happy Holidays! Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Nemo ” dives back into homes this coming holiday in breathtaking Blu-ray™. The must-“sea,” must-own Oscar®-winning underwater adventure—featuring the unforgettable Marlin, his forgetful friend Dory and the lovable young Nemo —swims into living rooms for the first time ever in high-definition Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and Digital platforms on December 4, 2012. The film fully immerses viewers in the stunning underwater world of Finding Nemo ! From the creators of Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., Disney•Pixar’s critically acclaimed and heartwarming tale splashes off the screen with brilliant di

Dear Reader, I am very excited to bring you another giveaway. Due to the popular response on the past giveaways, I have decided to continue adding giveaways for the month of December. Make a note that most of the prizes will be coming from businesses around town that would like to offer a free product to my readers and myself. I do not get paid for posting the giveaways. My hope is to help you with the holidays and bring you some fun things to your doorstep. Thank you for your continued support. Happy Holidays, Alma

I wanted to say "Thank You" for all your support all year long. I am amazed how great you have been and how often you visit my blog. As you have seen my life has changed a little. I am now working a part-time job to help my family. I still pick-up the kids from school and have family dinners. I am grateful for everything this year, because all the changes have made me a better mom and better person. I do have to admit, it has been hard these past few months with all the new routines and schedules. But it has been great to feel the support of you and my family. I could not have made it this year without all of your continued support. May you always find peace and love where ever you go. Happy Holidays.  Alma  

Mattel and Disney introduce their newest toy that will melt your heart. Cars Micro Drifters are tiny and fast. Every child and adult will love collecting these toys. New from Mattel, Disney Pixar Cars Micro Drifters Motorized Super Speedway.  This action packed race track is great for children ages 4 and up.  Some assembly required and requires 3 "C" batteries.  Join Lightning McQueen in a race to the finish as the motorized starting line pushes the Micro Drifters up the ramp allowing for these speedy racers to drift around the corners and speed down the track to the finish line.  Multi Car, Side by Side Racing at its finest.  This speedway includes (1) Lightning McQueen Micro Drifter Car, other cars sold separately.    Each sold separately, (3) Micro Drifters cars come in a package priced around $6.99 each pack.  These cars are handsome and super fast.  Your kids will want to collect all of them.   The speedway retails for approximately $36.99 depending on th

  Just in Via USA Postal Service.... Is There Really a Santa Claus? Kids Will Truly Believe When Santa Writes Back WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is helping keep the enchantment of Santa Claus alive with its “Letters From Santa” program. “Letters From Santa” allows a parent, grandparent or any person in a child’s life to mail a letter to their child “From Santa,” postmarked from the North Pole. Here’s how “Letters From Santa” works: 1. Write a letter to your child from Santa Claus and sign it “From Santa.” 2. Insert the letter into an envelope addressed to your child with the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE. 3. Ensure a First-Class Mail stamp is affixed to the envelope. 4. Place the envelope into a larger envelope, with appropriate postage, and address the larger envelope to: NORTH POLE POSTMARK POSTMASTER 4141 POSTMARK DR ANCHORAGE AK 99530-9998 5. Your letter “From Santa” will be mailed back to your child, postmarked from the North Pole. “Le

Disney on Ice presents Dare to Dream coming to Southern California this holiday season.  The producers and Disney are offering this exclusive promotional offer listed at the bottom of this post to all who wish to attend this amazing show.  Disney on Ice has been a long time favorite of the Field Trip Mom family and today we are excited to share this amazing offer with you. Dare to Dream is an all new ice skating production starring Rapunzel, Tiana and Cinderella.  Recaptured movie inspiration is brought to life from the famous Disney movies Tangled, The Princess and the Frog and Cinderella bringing romance, humor and adventure to this skating spectacular.  Included in the cast are Rapunzels' wacky companions Flynn and Maximus.  See Prince Charming as he fits Cinderella with the glass slipper and much more. Coming to an arena near you: Los Angeles Staples Center - Dec 13th thru 16th Honda Center - Dec 19th thru 23rd Citizens Bank Arena - Dec 28th and 29th Long Beach A

Every year, more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  Type 1 Diabetes is defined by Wikipedia as: Diabetes mellitus type 1 (type 1 diabetes, T1DM, formerly insulin dependent or juvenile diabetes) is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose. The classical symptoms are polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst), polyphagia (increased hunger), and weight loss.   Eventually, type 1 diabetes is fatal unless treated with insulin. Injection is the most common method of administering insulin although other methods are insulin pumps and inhaled insulin. Other alternatives are Pancreatic transplants that have been used and also pancreatic islet cell transplantation. Transplantation is experimental yet growing. Most people who develop type 1 are otherwise healthy. Although the cause of type 1 diabe

    Coming December 11th, Blue Star Studios and 20th Century Fox are proud to release the latest installment of Ice Age, Ice Age Continental Drift on Blu Ray DVD.  Starring voice over work by Ray Romano, Dennis Leary, John Leguizamo and Co Stars Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Drake and Queen Latifah.  This movie is directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier.  Available in DVD, Blu-Ray DVD and Blu-Ray 3D DVD. Content provided by the publisher: History's greatest heroes return for the most outrageously funny and entertaining "Ice Age" adventure in two million years. When Scrat's acorn antics cause a cataclysmic crack-up, Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo) and Diego (Denis Leary) go where no herd has gone before - on a high-seas quest aboard a floating iceberg. But a menagerie of misfit pirates are determined to shiver their timbers and capsize their journey home. Join a boat-load of lovable new characters (voiced by Jennifer Lopez, Aziz Ansari and

Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner has never gotten easier with the help of Mrs. Knott's Chicken House at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park.  Field Trip Mom was one of the exclusive invitees to sample Mrs. Knott's Thanksgiving Feast and we are beyond excited to share our experience with our followers. We arrived promptly at 6 PM, where Alma was easily dropped off in front of Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant.  The boys and I quickly parked the car in the 3 hour free parking lot near Ghost Rider and TGI Friday's restaurant.  Parking was simple, take a ticket from the automated booth and we found ample parking very close to our destination.  There are many shopping opportunities in the main street of Knott's Berry Farm and with this 3 hour free parking, there is plenty of time to pick up all of your favorite treats and gifts for this holiday season.  The boys and I quickly found Alma at the chicken restaurant "take out" store where she was standing

Discovery Science Center Saturday, November 10, 2012 Join Discovery Science Center at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday November 10, 2012 from 10am to 2pm Participate in hands-on activities and challenges Witness flying pumpkins launched by giant trebuchets Enjoy food from your favorite gourmet food trucks Free Event Pumpkin Launch - The Discovery Science Center along with California State University Fullerton and The Engineering Computer Science Dept of CAL State Fullerton is partnering up to present this Free Science event. The event is being sponsored by Time Warner and Scholarshare.com. I attended last year and the event proved to be fun and educational. We learned hands on science. There were several stations on how to apply science in a fun way. One station was how much weight can an aluminum boat carry ( you made the boat). Another was a food coloring plus oil and water create a fun water decoration. It was free and the kids enjoyed learning about science in a