I realized that my Oaxaca experience was too long for just one blog post, especially if I wanted to dive a little deeper into the food history. SO here’s part two of my trip focusing on the food and drinks we enjoyed. And if you haven’t yet, be sure to read the first part of my Oaxaca travels where I talk about all that we did while we were there.

First off we need to start with coffee shops, because that’s how every day started for us.

Coffee:

One thing about my sister, cousin, and I, is that we are into good coffee. I had looked up a few cafes before even traveling there. Marito & Moglie was my favorite. They have really good breakfast dishes, and really good coffee. So good, I brought two bags home with me.

We also liked going to Cafe Brujula. We went there a few times for breakfast and mid-day coffee. It’s a chain, so there were several locations around Oaxaca that we stepped into.

There was one cafe, Muss Cafe, that we went to that had a great little workspace, and coffee. After ordering breakfast and waiting a while for it, I got more and more embarrassed that I went all the way to Mexico and ordered avocado toast. Haha. It was really good though.

Food:

Our first day in Mexico we had scheduled an embroidery workshop in the morning, so after getting ready, we went to a coffee shop next to where we were staying before we started walking to our destination. It turns out that we walked an hour in the wrong direction, and we about an hour late to the workshop. However, we were glad we had fueled up on caffeine before. Once the workshop was over, we were all super hungry. We ended up getting a recommendation to a restaurant a few steps from where we were called, Ancestral Cocina Tradicional. It was amazing, and our first real taste of Oaxacan food.

First of all the drinks were amazing. I can’t even describe what was in this drink, but it was a Dia de los Muertos special, and I’m disappointed I only got one. We ordered a cheese plate and a memela (reminded me of a sope, but thinner) appetizer to share. We didn’t want to fill up too much, so we could still enjoy a nice dinner.

After our late lunch appetizers, we roamed Oaxaca and found our way back to our hotel before heading out to Xoxocotlan a surrounding town to see beautifully adorned grave sites. We ended up getting back pretty late and finding a place to eat and have drinks. I was so tired, and my phone was dying that I failed to take pictures.

The next day was our all day tour. We grabbed a quick coffee to go, and headed to our meeting spot for transportation. We had a lunch break after visiting the mezcaleria at a very nice buffet. It was around lunch time so my cousin and I ordered a drink. It was VERY blue. It was also VERY boozy, so we were only able to finish about half. I tried a little bit of everything from the buffet, and you bet I went back for seconds. I tried arroz, pollo con mole, papas, flautas, beans and cheese, and a memela. It was all very good, and hit the spot before we continued our tour.

Again, after a full day of exploring, my phone was dying, and some of us in our party (not me or my cousin) were getting a little hangry, so we desperately looked for a place to eat. We had to have walked into like 5 different places, and they were either closed, or had a 45-60 minute wait. And we walked into place and got seated within 10 minutes. It was a miracle. I enjoyed a local beer, and a tlayuda. We were told that a tlayuda was a must try when in Oaxaca, and it was! It’s a is a large, thin, crunchy, partially fried or toasted tortilla covered with a spread of beans, lettuce or cabbage, avocado, meat, Oaxaca cheese, and salsa. We were so hungry that I didn’t even write down the name of the restaurant.

---

The next day was my favorite. We schedule a cooking class for the late afternoon, so in the morning we visited a cafe for a light breakfast (more on all the cafes we visited below) so we would have room for our huge meal later.

And I’m so glad we kept it light in the morning, because my favorite place to eat was at Sonia’s house, which was part of the cooking workshop. Her home was the perfect setting, for the class, and the food was incredible. I would take this class every single time I went to Oaxaca.

They offered us about 10 different types of mezcal. While it was all mezcal, we tried different infusions, from mint, to different fruits, and foods. We had some orange and snacks to cleanse the palette between shots. We even got to taste super fresh Oaxacan cheese that was made that morning in house. After our lesson on mezcal, we had our fill in appetizers, including tostadas, memelas, and tetelas. We learned how to make blue corn tortillas that were used to make tetelas. I mentioned memelas are like sopes, but tetelas are like a triangle stuffed quesadilla. These were filled with huitlacoche which is the fungus that grows on corn, like a mushroom. It might sound strange, but mix it with onions and it’s amazing.

We also had two different types of mole, made from food grown in their own home garden. I mean this was the best meal I had in Oaxaca. Just when I thought I couldn’t eat more, dessert was brought out with more mezcal. We had sorbet topped with a shot, as well as cafe de la olla, chocolate caliente, and a little pound cake. It was all amazing. When I come back, I’m for sure taking her workshop again.

On our last day in Oaxaca we went to Restaurante Catedral. We passed it so many times walking around the city, and had several people recommend it to us. Even though I felt like I had been eating and eating and eating, I didn’t want to waste my last meal. So we ordered a tamale appetizer with this amazing cheese sauce. And for my meal, I ordered a tlayuda. (I just couldn’t get enough tlayudas.)

Drinks:

Even though I enjoyed a cocktail with my meals, there were a few times when we were walking around and saw a fun place for a drink and went in for a beer. The beers in Mexico are so good. My favorite is Indio. Since we were in the land of mezcal, I wanted to try as many cocktails as possible. And they were all just so good!

And just like that, we left with our fill of good food and good drinks. When I come back to Oaxaca, I know where I’ll be going back. I feel like there’s still so much more to explore, eat, and drink. I hope my father will come back with me, I think he would like it.

What do you think? Do you want to come to Oaxaca with me??? Let’s explore some more!

My trip to Oaxaca, Mexico was amazing. Going over Dia de los Muertos was the perfect time to go. And going with my cousin and sister made it so fun. We had 4 full days in Mexico with two travel days going and coming back. Getting to Oaxaca takes about half a day. First we flew into Mexico City, which is about a 4 hour flight, and from there, flew to Oaxaca, which is a short flight, about an hour. (There are no direct flights to Oaxaca) We ended up arriving to our Airbnb at 11:00pm, so we all just crashed.

During our time we had our fill of good coffee, amazing food, and lots of mezcal. Pretty much how a trip to Oaxaca should be. There’s so much to share, that I decided to break up this post into two. In this first part, I’ll share about what we did, and in the second part I’ll share all about the food we ate.

Stay:

Since we were going during Dia de los Muertos weekend, finding a place to stay wasn’t easy. A lot of places were already full, or really expensive. We wanted to stay in the city so we could walk around during the day easily and not have to worry about taking a taxi in every day. We ended up staying at Parador Santo Domingo de Guzman. We had a little apartment with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. It was a great space, and they were so nice to work with. There was a pool area, but honestly it was a little too chilly to go for a swim. Plus we kept ourselves busy most of the time. I would definitely recommend staying here. I was able to get up each morning and go for a jog and take pictures. Right outside the apartments was a little mercado set up where people were selling candies, chocolates, and breads. It was only a few blocks from the center of the city so it was far enough from the festivities, but close enough to get to the main streets and restaurants.

Activities:

We wanted to make the most of our time in Mexico, but without feeling rushed or like we packed too much in, so we decided to plan one activity a day. On our first day we took an embroidery class that we found through Airbnb Experiences. It was fun, and really informative. We learned three different embroidery techniques along with the history of what the typical design prints symbolize. Taking a workshop like this helps me understand my culture, and makes me feel empowered and closer to my history. It’s also fun meeting other people and chatting about their cultures and reasons why they chose to visit Oaxaca and take the class.

That evening we decided to visit a surrounding town, Xoxocotlan to visit a big burial place where there were graves we decorated for Day of the Dead. It was so moving, and emotional walking through the cemetery, and sharing different families stories. I didn’t take too many pictures, and we didn’t’ stay very long, but here are a few from our trip to this town.

On our second day we did an ALL DAY tour to 5 popular Oaxacan places, which we booked on Viator. We started by visiting the widest tree in the world, located in Santa María del Tule. It was massive and really interesting hearing it’s history. The pictures really don’t do this giant tree justice, but trust me, it was huge. After that we traveled up the mountains to taste some mezcal. We visited a mezcaleria where we learned about the distilling process. We also got to taste several different types of Mezcal as well as different cream flavors that were infused with mezcal. Once we had our fill of drinks, we had lunch, which was smart so we could soak up the few shots we had.

From lunch we went to hear a weaver talk about the process of coloring yarn to weave with it. I thought the weaving demonstration was super interesting and was amazed at how the different yarn colors were made from natural organic everyday materials. It was fascinating watching the mixing of food, plant, and minerals to make such vibrant colors. And then watching how intricate designs are woven together to make rugs, and other home goods was mind blowing. It truly is an art and a skill that deserves to be preserved. It was so hard not to buy all the things. I really wanted to take a rug, and pillow home, but I couldn’t fit them in my carry-on. Next time.

Phew, I’m tired even writing this short summary of what we did during our tour day. We had two more locations to visit. We went to an archeological site in Milta, were we were able to step into a few pyramids to see their intricate designs and learned how they were built. It’s interesting to learn how different groups of people built their pyramids. To end our day trip we visited the fossilized water falls of Hierve del Agua. So many people urged us to visit Hierva del Agua so I was glad it was part of our tour. And it was stunning. These natural waterfalls had the most amazing view. We had the option to take a swim, but since it was at the end of the day and getting chilly, we decided not to. It was only at the end of our time there, that we stepped into one for a picture, and realized the water was so warm! It would’ve felt so good to take a dip, but oh well, maybe on my next visit. Throughout the day we drove all around Oaxaca Valley, and while it was a long day, it was definitely worth it because we were able to see and learn a lot in a short time. If we had stayed in Oaxaca longer, I might have stayed at each location for more time. We returned pretty late so we looked for place to eat, before ending the day.

Our third day activity was a cooking class. We had a slow morning, with a light breakfast and coffee because we knew that during the cooking class we would probably be eating a lot. And we were right. We started with appetizers, which is when I ate my first cricket! My sister ate one first, and I couldn’t let her show me up, so I choked one down too. It wasn’t bad…but I wouldn’t willingly eat another one…unless I already had a few shots in me. Speaking of shots, we learned even more about different mezcales from Oaxaca and tasted different infusions. I think that when I left I had probably tasted 10 different varieties of mezcal, and with the meal we drank beer from tiny bottles. After having good drinks, we started to learn how to make salsa with a metate, and how to make tortillas by hand. We also learned how to use a molcajete to make the mole. We ended up eating cheese that had been made that morning, and used it to make tostadas, memelas, and tetelas. We had two types of mole over pork and chicken as our meal, and finished with dessert, which was a little cake with chocolate caliente and cafe de olla. To say we were stuffed is an understatement…but I regret nothing. We all left full of amazing food, and mezcal. I’ll actually dive in a little deeper on this meal in the next blog post all about the food we ate during our time in Oaxaca.

During the meal, we met someone who was traveling alone, and she ended up telling us of a Luche Libre fight she was going to that evening, so on a whim, we decided to check it out too. It was more adventurous than I usually am, but my cousin urged us to check it out so we did. There were a total of 6 fighters that evening. And after fighting in pairs, they started fighting as teams, and by the end everyone was fighting with each other. It got a little crazy when they would end up by the audience. I’m so happy we all went because it was such a fun experience, that had us laughing the whole time. And yes, I enjoyed another beer, because I was on vacation so leave your judgement to yourself. Haha.

Our fourth day was a flex day. We didn’t plan anything specific so we could decide while we were there if we wanted to do something specific, or just chill in the city. We decided to walk around and take a short visit to a surrounding town, but our last day was pretty much devoted to buying souvenirs, and enjoying more food and drinks. We had to leave really early in the morning, so we didn’t stay out late and made sure we were packed up before going to bed.

I felt like we definitely made the most of our time in Oaxaca. I would love to go back to explore a little more and stay longer in some of the locations we visited during the tour. Hopefully in 2020 I’ll get to go back. Stay tuned to Part 2 of the Oaxaca trip where I’ll dive more into the places we went to eat and the food we enjoyed!

Today I’m sharing a pretty simple drink that’s perfect for the fall. This weekend is Dia de los Muertos, and cafe de olla is a common drink to include on an ofrenda or to drink along side pan de muerto. A few weeks ago I hosted a workshop with Jess from Xochimilli Sweets. She talked us through how she makes cafe de olla while we waited for our bread to bake. At first, I thought cafe de olla was complicated to make since it tasted so good, and was full of so many flavors, so I had been intimidated to try it for myself. But Jess talked us through all of the ingredients and it was so simple to do! Usually recipes call for one or two of these ingredients, but I love how she uses all of the them, and her recipe is the only I’ve seen that adds a little orange zest!

During the workshop we even mixed a little cafe de olla with a little chocolate caliente…and it was the best thing ever!

Gather the Ingredients

4 1/4 cups water

1-2 oz of piloncillo** (For me adding 1 is just the right amount of sweetness, since I don’t like things too sweet)

1 star anise

2 cloves

1 Mexican cinnamon stick*** (I personally will add two because I like cinnamon)

small piece of orange zest

4 tbsp coarsely ground coffee

Now what?

1. Put the piloncillo in a pot with the water & bring to a boil until dissolved

2. Once boiling, turn burner off and add in the rest of the ingredients.

3. Cover & let the coffee steep for 10 minutes.

4. Strain & enjoy!

---

**Piloncillo is a raw form of cane sugar that is commonly used in Mexican cooking, and can be used as substitute for any type of sweetener. It’s unprocessed and has no other additives, which is why it has a golden color.

***Mexican cinnamon (canela) or Ceylon cinnamon (Native to Sri Lanka) is used in a lot of sweet and savory Mexican dishes. I always have a bag of these cinnamon sticks in our home. The cinnamon in stick for will last longer.

This would be a great drink to try to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas as a little something different to have with dessert. Jess mentioned that she sometimes makes this in her french press and lets it steep overnight in the fridge for a cafe de olla cold brew. I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m sure it will be just as amazing! Let me know if you try it!

---

SIGN UP

Join the mailing list to be the first to know when there's a new collection launch, exclusive promotions, blog posts, and to get a behind-the-scenes look as Karina travels to capture work for new print offerings.

Thank you! I'm so glad to have you here!

Subscribe

Today you’re getting two for one! These two recipes are super easy, and they go together perfectly: Salsa Roja, and Migas. Migas are fried tortillas with scrambled eggs; and as I got older I started adding salsa to it, to give it a little kick.

Salsa is a something I have every day. Everyday! I used to buy salsa fresh from the store. I found one I LOVED, but then they stopped making it. No other one was the same…so when I went to Mexico a few months ago, I scheduled a class with Ruth to learn how to make salsa. We learned how to make 5 different kinds of salsas, and I’ve been working to perfect salsa roja for the family since her class.

The recipe for the salsa will last you about two weeks unless you share. It makes quite a big batch, about 45 oz. I usually make this once every week or two.

Gather Ingredients for salsa roja

Tomatoes (2 lbs, or about 8 medium tomatoes)

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

dried chipotle peppers

1 tbsp of salt or more to taste

Now what?

1. Wash tomatoes, peel onion and garlic.

2. Put tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a pan with med heat.

3. Let it all brown. Turning every few minutes to make sure it browns until skin of tomato starts peeling. This part is about 30 minutes.

4. Put tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender. Add about 8 oz of water.

5. Blend until it’s smooth.

6. Add chipotle & salt. I usually use 4 chipotle peppers. Start with two peppers, taste, and add more for more spice.

7. Blend until smooth.

8. Enjoy!

Gather ingredients for migas

One serving

2 Tortillas

2 eggs

1 tbsp oil

salsa

Now what?

1. Cut your tortillas into little squares.

2. Put oil in the pan, heat, add tortillas

3. Coat tortillas with oil and let tortillas brown.

4. When the tortillas are getting toasty, add eggs.

5. Scramble the eggs into the tortillas

6. At this point you can add the salsa in the pan and mix, or save the salsa for the topping.

7. Once eggs are cooked, it’s done! Enjoy! 

There you have it! A whole meal, all from scratch, and under $10! My mother used to make me migas pretty often when I was younger, and now it’s my comfort food. I hope you enjoy! Ask me a question or leave a comment below if you try it.

---

SIGN UP

Join the mailing list to be the first to know when there's a new collection launch, exclusive promotions, blog posts, and to get a behind-the-scenes look as Karina travels to capture work for new print offerings.

Thank you! I'm so glad to have you here!

Subscribe

I’ve come back so refreshed from the We All Grow Summit in Long Beach California. If you’ve been following along on my Instagram, you’ve seen a little behind the scenes from my time there, but I wanted to do a more in-depth write up about how I was impacted last weekend.

I had purchased tickets to this conference last year. I am part of the Changemaker’s Collective, and when they announced tickets were open, I purchased right away on impulse. I’m so glad I did because it sold out in like 3 hours. 3 HOURS! The closer it came to the trip I started to get anxious. I didn’t know anyone who was going…well only virtually, so I was a little nervous about going solo. However, my husband encouraged me that it would be a great experience, and I would regret not going. So I went.

Two cancelled flights, a packed flight, and a layover later I got to the Hotel Maya, where the conference was being held; just in time to register and get ready for the welcome party.

Business

The We All Grow Summit is a conference for Latina creators and entrepreneurs. It’s three days of great sessions by actors, financial advisors, lawyers, tech gurus, media experts, writers, and small business owners sharing their expertise in hopes of inspiring, helping, and empowering other women in their own businesses.

I specifically went to a session on Shopify, LinkedIn, Building an online business, and one with a Tedx speaker. I left all of them with a page or two of notes.

The Keynote sessions were equally as enlightening. One of the sponsors was Dove, and they presented on their desire to show more diversity and representation with their own #showus campaign. The other Keynote presented by Wells Fargo helping us prepare today for a stronger financial future, and their campaign #latinaworth

Each speaker we heard on stage was either leaving us with a message of hope, empowerment, encouragement, or inspiration.

Latina

I’m always desiring to grow my mindset when it comes to business, but this conference caught my eye for the fact that it’s a Latina conference. The theme for this year was “We Are CHANGEMAKERS” celebrating the power of Latinas as the driving force in this country. 

This is something I have never experienced before. It was the most amazing experience to be surrounded and uplifted by so many Latinas. This might not make sense to everyone, but to be surrounded by people who share the same cultural experiences, and to be understood without having to explain yourself is a powerful thing. I felt safe. I was able to laugh, dance, and share my story with others who share in that same story. The conference was bilingual. Some talks were in Spanish, some were in English, and some were both! It was beautiful.

Community

Lastly, the We All Grow Summit has a “mission of elevating the voices and stories of Latinas via the power of community.” Like I mentioned before, I went solo. I knew a handful of people through social media which I thought was great, however when I got to meet these friends in person, the whole relationship just grew deeper.

A shoutout to a few of my instagram friends who are now in real life friends:

Analily from Raising Español, Carolina a homeschooling mom and photographer, Paty, my wonderful roommate and fashion stylist/MUA, Yreina, a papel picado designer, and Renata, a hand lettering artist (just to name a few.)

I came away from this weekend with many more relationships that I know will only grow over time. Each day I sat at a different table and heard other people’s stories, and passions.

I hope to have the opportunity to go back next year, and hopefully inspire others to join me from Chicago. I seriously can’t recommend this conference enough. I know this will keep me pushing my own boundaries, because my dreams matter.

If you’re interested, they have a digital pass to all the sessions for sale. I’d love to chat about it, so ask me anything, or let me know you want to join me next year! Let’s make it happen!

---

SIGN UP

Join the mailing list to be the first to know when there's a new collection launch, exclusive promotions, blog posts, and to get a behind-the-scenes look as Karina travels to capture work for new print offerings. Plus I share a new downloadable calendar each month for your desktop & your phone as a thank you for following along. Don’t miss out!

Thank you! I'm so glad to have you here!

Subscribe