I remember every year we would have a family "putting up the tree and decorating the house" party. My grandparents would come over on a Saturday and we would spend the afternoon and evening doing all things Christmas. 

My grandparents would bring over pan mexicano (mexican bread) and my mom would make Mexican hot chocolate. I never liked Mexican hot chocolate.

But now...it's the best hot chocolate I drink. And my kids agree.

Mexican hot chocolate isn't like the regular hot chocolate you might be used to. It's not as sweet and the ingredients are a bit simpler. This chocolate is actually the only hot chocolate that doesn't give the kids a stomach ache. 

So how do you make it?

First, gather your ingredients:

2 cups milk (serves 2)

Sauce pan

Mexican chocolate: I used Ibarra chocolate from Mexico, but there's also Abuelita which is a product of Nestle. You'll only need one tablet per 2 cups.

Knife

Cinnamon sticks

Molinillo or whisk or blender (A molinillo is a wooden instrument that creates the froth) 

Now what?

It's super easy really.

You're going to want to cut the chocolate into pieces. The tablets come in a circle, but you can cut them with a little bit of strength and your knife into triangles.

Heat the milk in a sauce pan. When the milk starts forming little bubbles, add in the triangles of chocolate. It should melt pretty quickly.

Have your molinillo* or whisk ready and start stirring until the chocolate is melted. 

Turn the heat low/off and keep whisking to make froth. The froth is key to making this taste amazing.

If you're a millennial like me, it will be faster to use a blender. You can pour the hot chocolate in a blender and blend on low for a minute.

Pour into your mug and top with a cinnamon stick. Some ingredients in the chocolate will settle to the bottom so use the cinnamon stick to stir.

Enjoy.

*how to use the molinillo: Put the barrel into the pan, and take the handle in between your palms and roll the handle back and forth. Let your hands roll from the top to the bottom of the handle, and then bring them back up. It's quite the tedious process, but will create some great froth.*

This is the best recipe I found with great directions, explanations and some recipe variations. I'm so glad I can share this drink with my family. <3

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I've been so encouraged by my friends and family as I launch this new business. I'm so grateful, because putting something out there is such an emotional rollercoaster.

I've been a wedding photographer for 9 years with the best partner I could ever ask for, my husband Michael. Hey boo! *waves* (he reads all my blog posts...or so I hope). I've loved building a business with him where we can hang out doing what we both love; documenting stories.

However, over the past year and a half I felt a complete shift in our personal life. As the political climate started to change, I started to realize I was living in this bubble. I felt shocked and sad as I saw micro-racist and sometimes straight up rasist comments being thrown around social media. The people saying these things would tell me I'm "One of the 'good Mexicans'" or "'You're not like them'".

But you know what, I AM Mexican, and I was tired of just nodding my head politely.

So I decided to find my voice through my camera. I'm great at reading people and documenting their stories, but I wasn't good at documenting my own. I really want to teach my children to be proud of their heritage, but in order to do that, I needed to know what it meant for me to be a Mexican-American first. I've been quiet, polite, and safe in my words for far too long, but I want to empower my kids in who they are.

I found a workshop led by two photographers from Canada who have been leading groups through San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for over a decade. This is the workshop if you're interested: San Miguel Photo Workshop. It was the best investment I've ever made in myself.

I had nothing else to do except take pictures and think. And think. And think. This was the first time I felt empowered by my camera. I felt like I had a talent and a responsibility. I needed to stop feeling frustrated and letting it harbor resentment, and actually be proactive.

*the pictures above were taken by other workshop attendees (obviously not me).

Just like I'm passionate about educating my children (I homeschool...but that's anther story), I'm equally passionate about educating others when it comes to Mexico, the United States' southern neighbor. In the US, Cinco de Mayo is a glorified "let's drink tequila" holiday, but the Mexican culture is much more than taco Tuesday, bottomless margaritas, and piñatas. I want to show the vibrancy, beauty, and HUMANITY, that is Mexico, one piece of art at a time.

Thanks for joining in this journey with me.

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I'm excitedly planning my next trip back in early 2018.

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