La Fonda Del Oso: Baked Apple Pancakes

When I was home for the holidays I wanted to show off my newly acquired culinary skills so I decided to make breakfast for the fam on a lazy Sunday morning.

On the menu I had huevos rancheros and for the picky eaters I knew I wanted to try out the baked apple pancakes with apple cider syrup recipe I found on Pinch of Yum.

Ingredients I used: 
1 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
1 apple
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs
2/3 cup skim milk
2/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons apple sauce
1 tablespoon sugar

Bring the apple cider, 1 cup of brown sugar and cinnamon sticks to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes until reduced.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine apples, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cinnamon and place on bottom of buttered pie plate.

Whisk the rest of the ingredients until combined and pour the mixture over the apples. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is browned. Loosen the edges of the pancake from pie plate, invert onto a serving platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serve with home made apple cider syrup and enjoy!

December Round Up

Hoping you all had an amazing holiday season surrounded by family, loved ones and friends. As for me, I was a busy bee this December, between traveling to Florida to put on my firm's largest event at the beginning of the month and traveling to Arizona for Christmas my December was one to remember :)

Wintertime in Florida is not too shabby and staying at a 5 star beach-front hotel for work is nothing to complain about. At the beginning of the month I spent a week working in Key Biscayne and also got the opportunity to catch up with my college roomie and amazing friend Ash and also got to hang out with Ces' brother for a few.

The view from my room

Heavenly macaroons

Christmas cheer at the Ritz-Carlton 

Key Biscayne sunset

With the lovely Ash and Orlis 

Gingerbread Ritz

Working on my winter tan

December 12th marks a very special day in the hearts of all Mexicans; this day is know as the day of our patron saint, the mother of Mexico, La Virgen de Guadalupe. This day symbolizes among many things hope for the undocumented immigrant community in the United States and each year there is a relay race in honor of La Virgen where devotees carry a torch from the Basilica in Mexico City to St, Patrick's Cathedral in New York City where it culminates with a mass celebrating her. You can find out more about the race called "La Antorcha Guadalupana" here and here.

December 12, 2012 - St. Patrick's Cathedral

India 2013 is officially happening!

Ces and I had our annual Christmas gift exchange. Anthropologie + J Crew + Banana Republic = happy girl. 

Chloe and I flew to Arizona for Christmas.

Where I baked cookies with my sisters. 

Took those cookies along with their old toys to give away to children living in poverty. 

Had a wonderful Christmas Eve celebration with my family. 

Shamed Chloe for ripping up her presents way to fast. 

Marveled at Arizona sunsets.

And had a reunion with my Arizona besties and their beautiful families.

I finished off 2012 with some shopping, a visit to a museum, a manicure and a couple good books. 

2012 was truly an amazing year. Ces and I embarked on a new milestone in our relationship, we moved into a cozy beautiful apartment in an amazing neighborhood, I traveled to 3 new countries and one new continent, myself my family and friends enjoyed great health and I contined making strides in my career. 

Here's to a 2013 full of love, prosperity and health! 

November Round Up

November round up in mid December? Oy it has been a rough and busy month! Between work events, Christmas shopping and decorating and resting from the former, something had to give and that something was keeping up with posts :(

November 2012 brought long hours at work but also amazing experiences:

One of the biggest highlights of the month, was our soccer team Roosevelt Island Tigers crowned Fall League Champions!

Colors of Autumn in Roosevelt Island: 

The Roosevelt Island skyline at dusk:

I also decided to start on an entryway revamp, while not complete, a mirror and an additional coat rack make a big difference. 

Before

After

I had the opportunity this year to invite my mom, Ces and my bestie KP to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the office. With the parade route changing this year to go down 6th Avenue, we could not ask for a better view than my 4th floor office. 

Ces and I also hosted our first Thanksgiving; dinner included mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette, herbed turkey breast with homemade cranberry sauce,  braised green beans, cheesy mashed potatoes, warm apple pie and lots of wine. 

Cranberry sauce in progress

We ended the night with a heated game of Monopoly.

We took advantage having my mom in town to get my favorite part of the holidays started....picking out the Christmas Tree. We bought our tree waaay to early in the season as Thanksgiving was early this year and by now its actually kind of dead, but since Ces and I are travelling for Christmas its not a huge deal that it won't be perfect by then.

Christmas tree shopping in NY is an experience especially when you have to
take the subway to take it home; however weirder things have happened on a
NYC subway. 

Our bright home

We also brought out our Nativity set gifted by my mom. The set has been in the family for years and was made by artisans in Mexico. 

Of course the front door had to get some holiday cheer as well.