#CarnavalMiami2015 - Charity Cha Cha Cha

#spon

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!!!

The craziness of Carnaval has started to pick up steam in Miami. Mira el schedule.

Wow and Woah. Quite a list verdad? 

That's a lotta action going on, and as BB mentioned in the last post, it's organized by a staff of 4 and countless volunteers of the Little Havana Kiwanis. So there's the charity Cha Cha Cha, a lot of bailando for a cause they believe in. ALL these events are organized by the Little Havana Kiwanis to benefit the underpriviledged of the community.  Si, these are all fun, but they're fundraisers too. 

Babushka's very honored and proud to be one of the Carnaval Miami VIP Bloggers. 

Si, very honored to help this great organization and their cause and hope you join us in some of the activities.  If you can't come in person, please help us spread the wonderful events they have by tweeting #CarnavalMiami2015 and if you see #CarnavalMiaVIP you know it's one of the bloggers chosen for the varied categories, so a RT would be mucho appreciated. In another post Babushka will detail all the other wonderful reps of Carnaval Miami. For now, know that BB's tema is Cultura/Culture. Quee? JU SO FONII!!! No, they're not saying BB's cultured, just that she knows about the Culture of Calle Ocho, Little Havana.

Por supuesto, a big part of that is food, so you KNOW Babushka's not missing this one!

"Emceed by nationally acclaimed personality Chef Pepin, the cooking contest is judged by catering managers and local television personalities instructed to select the winning recipes based on the originality, presentation and flavor of the dish.

The contest presents cash awards to top three choices within the categories of General Public, High School and Vocational Education students."

Hope to see you at the event or Tweety, 

where Babushka will be sharing the delicias the judges are tasting.  

#CarnavalMiami2015

#CarnavalMiaVIP

#CarnavalCooks

BB2U

March Madness - A La BB!!

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!!!

When Babushka told Sweetie the name of this post, he thought I meant the basketball championships. Of course BB said, JU SO FONII!!! Ok si, it's only 2 years of marriage (on March 1), and he IS a guy, pero still...

March is when the traveling starts for Babushka, and even though January was a jumpin' Up North in The South, the vibes in Miami are totally different and pa'lante with the pace!! Arrived Wednesday, and went straight to Bloggin' Mamas headquarters to work on the final details for the #FamilyTravelChat Tweety Fiesta. Hoy,today,Friday, went down to Miami to stay in Little Havana with La Tata. There I found:

BB was sent that from Olay because "We are so glad to see such engaging and fun spirited people such as yourself participating in such a fabulous fiesta"  They were talking about the #MyCloseUp Tweety Fiesta +babushkas bebe and Babushka had attended the week before. Nice verdad??

Tonight is Viernes Culturales, where Calle Ocho closes the street on the last Friday of each month to showcase its shops,galleries,music,art and vendors. One Big Giant Block Party. Remember, the blocks in Little Havana are loooooonnnnggg so it's bigger than you think!

Viernes Culturales, Calle Ocho, Little Havana,Miami,Florida

Saturday the 28th is SoFabUOTR- the link and post. 

Ok Si, hasta here it's February, but it's an extra day this year, so technically we're in March.

Sunday hopefully La Tata and BB will be taking care of Dr. J 

while the rest of his family are enjoying 

Autism Awareness Night

When BB asked if La Princesa could handle the hockey game, +babushkas bebe said, 

"There's only one way to find out."

Gracias to +Ford Motor Company for making this possible.

Ahora, did you notice this Carnaval badge on the blogs sidebar? Guess who's an ambassador for Carnaval Miami?  ESO!!!  Babushka was chosen as "Culture" Ambassador. A more detailed post is soon to come about this great chain of Carnaval Miami events organized by the Little Havana Kiwanis  but suffice to say Sunday is the #CarnavalRun2015

AND THAT'S JUST MARCH 1 MY BEAUTIFULS!!!

Wow and Woah. ESO!!! y BUENISIMO!!!!

BB promises to continue March Madness, pero for now Babushka's gotta rest- and then get some more vitaminas,cafe y chocolates to help me make it through.

; )

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

Mixed on McDonald's- La Gallina Vieja's 1st Guest Post

Hola Hola Hola My Beautifuls!  Today Babushka is letting La Gallina Vieja write her first post- y por supuesto, it's a bit confrontational.I've known her my whole life so BB assures you her heart is in the right place, she's just more opinionated than Babushka.  Queee??  JU SO FONII!!!  Ok si, BB definitely has opinions, but LGV is more vocal about them.  Continuing.

MIXED ON MCDONALD'S  by La Gallina Vieja

While in Miami, I usually stay with my grandmother, La Tata in Little Havana.  Along with many other things, Little Havana had a neighborhood McDonald's that really was a neighborhood McDonald's.  The architecture was Spanish style shingles,they served Cuban style coffee, the menu was bilingual and the playground a nice diversion for children with no nearby park. FUERA! GONE! Totally demolished and rebuilt to match everyother cookie cutter McDonald's they're making across the nation.  Well, before I continue w/the tirade let me share the good times-because we all know there's good/bad in everything.

Grandsons w/their best "Ok Grandma,
we're smiling for this picture- now can we go play?"

Funslide, Face Painting and Frisbees 

not to mention a Funky Ronald-

Fun times yes, but fleeting and fragile.  In a community proud of its' Hispanic roots they've totally removed everything Spanish- except for the employees and the cafe con leche which is the only Spanish item left in this McDonald's.  The language isn't the only thing missing from our culture.  Latins have a very strong sense of community and that includes knowing what everyone else is doing- they've taken the prior configuration where you could see everyone and compartmentalized the place. Ciao Chismeria and socializing.  Another very essential part of our upbringing is being good hosts and sharing whatever we may have.  Anyone who's ever been to a Cuban's home knows the first thing asked is "Would you like anything to drink?"

So you KNOW this is so WRONG.

Also wrong- how can you put calorie count on the now all English menu, especially stressing how health and weight concious your brand is and then turn around and take away the playground?  And adding insult to injury you've now added a video game section, further immobilizing our youth and curtailing their physical and social skills.  Que? Our children don't get enough of that?  Is that what your ultimate goal is?  To have a world that looks all the same with drones who follow blandness because individuality is not welcomed? Easier to control huh?  Bueno, so sorry con escumi but not here.  We've already lost our individuality somewhere else,  and I for one don't take this lightly.  

White bread is fine for others, but in this neighborhood bring me my pan Cubano. 

 Obviously it's all about the buck for you Mickey D,

therefore I'll be going to a place where my culture is King.

Hasta la proxima- LGV

further info:  http://www.littlehavanainc.com/Mcdonalds.html

LGV  facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Gallina-Vieja/297314457051368

My Miami Vacation - Revel, Relive, Recover

Revel, Relive, Recover.  Yeap, that's my Miami vacation in a nutshell.

Numero Uno- Revel.  How can I not revel in my family's love and attention?  Rinquincaya and PicaPica were counting the days until I got there.  How precious is that?  Not only did I spend time with my two eldest children, their families, my grandmother, my comadre/cousin, my father, my aunt and uncle, and medio Miami, I got to catch up with my two bestest beasties BFGF  (Best Friend Girl Friend).  It's been years since we've chilled.  Even though chilled is not a word used too often in Miami- in any sense of the word.

Numero Dos- Relive.  Went to Miami with My Sweetie, so I was the designated driver.  Not because he was drinking, but because it was Miami and everyone there thinks they're the sons of Fangio.  This was where I learned to drive and it's amazing how fast I got back into the Miami madness mindset.  Sweetie learned very quickly to look at the sights instead of the road.

Oh- and what sights we saw!  In the course of 7 days I tried to relive the best of almost 40 years.  The first day there I took him to a beach.  Note I said A beach- not THE beach.  We did not go to South Beach where "the beautiful people" hang out.  You thought I'd purposely expose him to that land of dental floss wearing dainties who didn't have detailed body dimples/dunes acquired so lovingly from time and childbirth? JU SO FONII !!! >No, no, no.  We went to a "family" playita.  Babushka believes in keeping it real.  

I showed him Miami Lakes where I grew up, Kendall where I raised my trio, Flagler where my grandmother had lived,and Dadeland, where while in college he had lived.   Not only did we relive places, we had to relive plates.  As in food, lots of it- in every visita and in every corner.  Sweetie was mesmerized that every block had a bakery and a restaurant.  El es flaco, but loves to eat; he looked like a kid in a candy shop.  How precious is that?  

Pero 7 days of non stop food,fanaticism,and heat takes a toll.  Oh si, I was reliving Miami- for sure, for sure. This was too far South for us Southerners. Ok, ok- he's originally from Pennsylvania and I grew up in Miami, pero ya yo estaba fuera de practica- I was out of practice and he was out of sunscreen. Time to go home- back North to the South.

Numero 3- Recovery.    Having been through many tearful goodbyes -esta bien- it wasn't that many, but when you're a grandmother even one is excessive,  I bribed them with a goodbye goodie which I would leave on the table if they didn't cry.  They promised they wouldn't cry.  Por supuesto that made me want to cry double.

We left Miami at 7 a.m..  Of course we had to stop at a bakery to take home some pastelitos and Cuban bread.  We hoped the 6 loaves would make it home.  After all, it was a 9 hour trip...


Making it home in record time, si, ok, I was still driving Miami style, Sweetie started unloading the car while I made sure the air conditioner in the house was working and set to 60 degrees.  Oh yeah, you betcha.  I was going to make up for that Miami heat y el traqueteo.  I was going to rest.  Rest, relax, and recover  in cold and silence.

How precious is that?

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.