Blog Posts by MadeInSpanglish

Shine Latina sat down with child fitness and nutrition expert Nohelia Siddons to find out how to translate traditional holiday meals for younger palates.
Holiday food for babies
The holidays give children the opportunity of expanding their culinary horizons and indulging in the treats usually reserved for this special time of the year. Having kids partake in the traditional menus served can be a real joy, but it's important for parents to keep an eye on what they're eating, and prepare kid-friendly versions of the dishes found at the grownup table.

According to Venezuelan Nohelia Siddons, there's nothing healthier than preparing homemade baby food. "There are no preservatives added, the ingredients are not over processed, and the transition time from food preparation to the baby's mouth is much shorter," says the expert, who recommends commercially prepared baby food as a good option when away from home or travelling.

Baby-friendly holiday recipes

There's no reason why the babies in the family can't enjoy

Garnering respect and re-invented careers seems to be the common thread of an accomplished 2012 in the lives of many Latino celebrities

As the year comes to an end, we celebrate famous Latinos with cumpleaños in the month of December.

Before we ring in the New Year, let's take a look at the people and moments that made 2012 truly memorable for Latinos everywhere.

A woman with a vision for enhancing the lives of Latin girls creates a doll to represent their dreams and aspirations.

There's nothing like a child's excitement on Christmas Eve, pondering what gifts Santa Claus will leave DIVA Abrielleunder the tree for the next morning. For many young girls, the wish for a beautiful doll is usually included in their letters to Papá Noel. And for many parents, there is a growing concern regarding what dolls will mean to their child--will it encourage good character or place unhealthy expectations for an impossible appearance?

Former business professor Dr. Lisa Williams has created the "Positively Perfect" collection of dolls that not only look like the girl who will play with them, but also aims to inspire the little one to be more than just a pretty face. Following her line of self-described "chocolate-color babies, toddlers and girl dolls", this year Dr. Williams added to two Hispanic dolls: "Marvelous Maria" and "DIVA Abrielle".

"I wanted to provide

Jewish tradition meets Latin flavors in these fun, authentic recipes for Hanukkah. Lighting the menorah

For food writer and blogger Susan Schmidt, Hanukkah means lit menorahs, happy Yiddish songs and scrumptious potato latkes- but with a twist. Her menorahs adorn a traditional Latin home, the holiday tunes are carried in Spanish and spicy hot latkes are served with a schmeer of refried beans. That's how the creator of Challa-peño, a site following Schmidt's journey into writing a Mexican-Jewish cookbook, has been celebrating Hanukkah all her life: in a distinctively Jewish way, but with a decidedly Mexican flavor infusing the celebration.

Schmidt, whose Eastern European Jewish parents immigrated to Mexico in the 1920's, was born in Mexico City. As time passed, the family's Jewish heritage began to mix with their new country's Latin influences of cuisine and language. Today at the Schmidt's Los Angeles home, Hanukkah is a merge of two cuisines and two cultures. "We set up a table in front of a window, and

We take a look at the famous novios that stood out this year, by either keeping us guessing or putting their love on full display.

We may speak the same language and celebrate Christmas in the same month, but the traditions that define Latinos' fiestas de Navidad are as varied as our countries.