Hispanic Flair

Check out my New Blog "The Packaging Mama"

2011-11-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

"The Packaging Mama" Anything Mommyhood & Packaging Design. Believe it or not they both intersect and it is so much fun. Thanks for readying.

The Weekend: Labor Day 2011

2011-09-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Planning too much stuff ahead it is not one of my favorite things to do, but just targeted planning and not too much expectations can really be the secret recipe for a successful stress free weekend. Among other things to do this last summer days we included a trip to a beautiful non-profit farm called Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills that have livestock and an amazing vegetable garden to name a few. Our three and a half year old son loved it!... and its now on our favorite places to go.

Remembering "La Salsa Golf" (Mayo-Ketchup)

2011-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl it was a classic to go grab some "salchi-papas" (cut up hotdog-french fries) when going out to eat. Part of the tradition was also to dip this in salsa golf that is simply a mix of mayo and ketchup and let me know this tasted delish. When I saw this Goya ready to go Mayo-Ketchup sauce in the store I grabbed one and I can't wait to make a home version of my own salchi-papas.

Recipe of the Week: Emily's Key Lime Tarts

2011-08-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have been baking since I was a little girl. I think that's how I kept myself entertained at home when there was no iPhone, no internet. Man, I sound old, but that was just not too long ago.
Cupcakes and Cashmere is one of my favorite blogs and its very inspiring. Today Emily who writes it, posted a yummy recipe that will make your mouth melt and why not, try to make the recipe at home too. Here are some step to step images from her post.
Source: cupcakesandcashmere.com

Sunny skies

2011-08-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

We were very lucky that our street was not flooded and does not show any signs of a tropical storm (was here) just 2 days ago.

The calm before the storm

2011-08-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

I live in the NYC suburs and on Friday we went shopping to get some supplies to be ready for Hurricane Irene. This is how the skies looked in a sunny afternoon, around 80 degrees F.

Cute Measuring Spoons

2011-06-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have a love for spoons I have recently realized. Looking at them makes me happy. A while ago I saw this spoons in the Everything Italian cooking show Giada has on the Food Network and wondered where I could find them. Well finally I did at Anthropologie and I couldn't be happier!

ShopRite not fun

2011-05-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

I think the shopping experience has to do a lot with packaging. That's why I had to write a post on my experience with the new Shop Rite that has open in Scarsdale, NY.
When you enter the store a nice produce area greets you, a great priced fruit in season is one of the things one sees and is very interested in buying. As you walk along you are surprised there is a big area with ready to eat meals, and then as you exit to the left and come down a small hallway you enter the meat department etc. All this sounds just blah and not exciting and is one of the things that I felt while doing a small grocery trip. To make the story short, the layout is horrible. You have to walk a lot to get organic milk, fruit, toilet paper and pasta for example. I hope they do something about it. In the meantime I think I am going back to my local A&P again and not bother with the brown sense of color in the store as well as the confusing walks I do while shopping there. It feels like a maze.
Oh and about packaging, theirs is so cheap looking I just doubt about the quality, so I do not risk in buying their store brand.

Organic Styled - Baby Toys Packaging Design

2011-04-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Organic products were not that popular 9 years ago. Nor their granola packaging design style. How far we have come nowadays that organic products are easily found in many categories. Not surprisingly this package design style or lets call it similar has also make its ways to toys packaging.

Here are some images of a brand that has packaged traditional toys with an organic twist style. In my opinion, more refreshing, more natural, an eye catcher not to say the least. What do you think?

Spring, Pineapples and good weather

2011-04-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

To add to the great weather we are having today Monday in NY I wanted to make a statement buying some fresh and bright colored, full of texture vitamin packed food. Pineapples are so delicious when they are ripe and sweet. I think sometimes fruit just makes the perfect snack or dessert. Enjoy the mid 70's.

Super Agent Oso, Bright Colors and Popular Spanish Names

2011-03-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Its been a long while since I have written a post here, and believe me that I miss it a lot. As a Hispanic stay at home mom now and raising a bilingual children I more than appreciate any tiny bit of heritage either in language form or other to support what I am doing at home, and so this morning watching Super Agent Oso in the Disney Channel with my son I loved that one of the characters in today's episode was named "Santiago" which is a popular name right now for boys in Spanish. Have a peak at the show its designed with very bright colors that may make your day more shiny!

"Oscar" Inspired Pop Corn

2011-02-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

With a 2+ long hour show last night. It was a good excuse to make some pop corn on the stove to munch.
Here are a couple of pictures of one of my favorite low fat, energy and fiber loaded snacks.

Comforting Homemade Meals

2011-01-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more comforting than to have a home made meal. My husband eats out a lot, and even though he is lucky to give his taste buds a nice diversity of "sazones" worlwide he always misses a taste from home.
There is a Peruvian appetizer called "Causa" a mashed potato with chili based dish that is served cold and that can also be dressed up with shredded crab or just a simple mixed veggie with mayo salad in between. Well for today's lunch I decided to make something with a twist and I made this "Causa Balls" that were just a hit. You can use a similar recipe like this if you want to try. (note i did not use pepper or mayo etc, just plain potato, oil, salt, key lime and chili)
Here are a few pics of my "Pollo al horno Casero with Citrus" and Causa.
Enjoy!

Don't judge the package by its cover

2011-01-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

They say good things come in great packages, I and do so agree. When I buy a store brand product I appreciate that the company has put thought into the package design, like good photography, more than good enough design and good printing at least.

Last week when I was trying to find a specific brand of Italian Panettone and realized it was gone from my grocery store I just went and decided to try the only brand available. The box was very simple but yet conveyed and communicated all I was looking for. To my surprise this one came out delicious, moist, flavorful and with the perfect texture. Never again judge all packages by its cover.

Merry Christmas / Feliz Navidad

2010-12-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

I still yet have to bake some cookies and alfajores for Christmas day, but this little things at home keep me happy with the sparkle they bring. This acrylic stars are so elegant and really brighten any room or place you place them on,. My little plastic snowman I love since you can turn on his light bulb at night and reminds me of good snow days and not to say the least I love our Fraser pine tree that fills the apartment with a fresh smell. Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad!

Thomas and Friends - Birthday Cupcakes

2010-11-24T04:55:00.000-08:00

My son's birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to make something specially dear to his heart. Since he loves trains and I don't want to mess up the night before his special day preparing bad cupcakes, I thought why not go for a practice and make a batch ahead of time and know exactly how they are going to look and taste like.

I used a box of Duncan Hines cake mix and bought this Thomas rings online. I think this is a great way to make a Thomas cupcake without over doing it. Feliz Cumpleaños Oliver!

Hispanic Inspired Gifts - and some...do lots of Good!

2010-11-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

Its been a few weeks of a lot going on at home and coincidentally not much in my packaging world. I am glad that the holidays are around the corner and some cheer its going to be easy to find almost anywhere.

My family does the secret santa raffle on Thanksgiving dinner, that day you know who you have to give so I thought why not make a post of Hispanic inspired gifts!

If you would like to give and do good I have noticed that there are a lot of institutions and sites that employ crafts people from Latin America to help them out. Why not give something different to your loved ones this year?..If you are not that much into crafty stuff you can still give an American Hispanic flaired gift like the Feed bags that are stylish and very well designed. Happy shopping!

1. Crate & Barrel Lime - Dual Citrus Squeezer $16.95
2. Andean Hat Nativity Ornament - Peru $10
3. "Feed Guatemala Bags" aprox $39
4. Cafe Press "I love Heart Boyfriend T-Shirt" $23.99
5. Buena Noches Luna Book $6.99
6. Mexican Glassware $26.55
7. Crate & Barrel Lima Alpaca Throw $169
8. OPI Yucatán If U Want Nail Color $6
9. Chulucanas Lamp Peru $64

Store brand: Triple Berry - Bran- Muffins

2010-10-22T04:16:00.000-07:00

Not only I am comparing packages on the outside, this time I decided to bake some Triple Berry Bran Muffins from a box I bought at Trader's Joe. It was really easy to make and the results were very satisfying. Definitely the results reflected what the box design communicated, yummy, good, home style good tasking muffins with a touch of berries. Just the perfect treat for a fall afternoon.

Comparison: Store brand Baking Mixes vs Private Brand

2010-10-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

I think buying a cake mix from the store is pretty straight forward. You combine ingredients and then wait for the yummy results. When I go shopping packaging design is paramount to me. The design has to have the communication points I am looking for including trust, efficiency and promise deliverance. The question is: Do you trust more mainstream brands like Betty Crocker or Pillsbury? or would you go and try private brands like "Baker Josef" from Trader's Joe?...

Packaging: Infant Toys "Sassy" going simpler

2010-10-14T03:56:00.000-07:00

For some resason I had always think that white background packaging is cleaner and gets your concept understood faster. As I was mentioning before the trend is to go simple, less cluttered, I don't know why many products did not go this route a long time ago, but anyway, here is a sample of "Sassy"s infant toys with a packaging with that kind of profile.

Apple Picking in Congers, NY

2010-10-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

For some reason in my country my parents did not have the habit of taking us to fruit pick, and believe me, in Peru the fruit is out of this world, so delicious and tasty, needless to say we carry a variety of fruits not available in the US that I miss so much like the "granadilla" which is similar to passion fruit in shape and form but just sweet. So when autumm comes I get really excited and and love to visit at least one orchard and go apple picking. Did you go yet? I hope your parents did take you like I am taking my son.

Iconic New York City Packaging - Duane Reade packs

2010-10-07T05:41:00.000-07:00

I am definitely all for a simpler and cleaner package design. That does not mean that it should be plain, white and boring, on the contrary it could be a great challenge to make it even more creative and distinctive.
Look at this Duane Reade packs that used graphic icons inspired in New York City's landscapes and very little colors, yet the impact is big and the results awesome.

Retail Packaging: Chocolate Mexicano Taza

2010-10-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

In a recent trip to Manhattan I wanted to take a break from all the crazy walking and why not do it in a very nice and gourmet place like the Plaza Food Hall by Todd English at the Plaza Hotel in midtown?...As I was ordering an iced coffee I noticed this great packaging of a Cafe Mexicano. Don't you agree is so simple yet so good quality looking, homey, nicely designed and most of all I wanted to get a sample of all of them to take home. So appealing!

Yummy Sugar Cookies from Scratch

2010-09-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

When I am not analizing package designs at my supermarket I like to look for yummy things to bring back home, bake or prepare. As a buena Latina, I like to make this from scratch, (there is a believe that things just come out better!), so this time I tried a simple yet sweet and delicious recipe I found here.

See the results for yourself, enjoy!

Ben & Jerry's "tweaking" their labels

2010-09-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

From Associated Press
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's is dropping the phrase "all natural" from all labels after a request from a health advocacy group.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the company confirmed the move Monday.

The CSPI told the company last month it should not use "all natural" if products contain alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, hydrogenated oil or other ingredients that are not natural.

Ben & Jerry's, a unit of consumer products giant Unilever, said it's not changing any recipes. It's just removing the label from all products, whether they are among the majority that contain at least one of the ingredients CSPI listed or not.

The Food & Drug Administration has no formal definition for "natural." But it won't object to term as long as products do not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances....

For complete article: click here