Three King’s Day
Happy Three King’s Day! Feliz Día de los Tres Reyes Magos!
Today is the day for celebrating the three wise men’s visit to Jesus. In Puerto Rico, we celebrate this day just as if it were Christmas.
The night before (la vispera de reyes), children collect grass in a basket and put it under their beds. The grass is for the camels of the three kings.
Children also receive a gift the next morning and the grass in the basket is replaced with candy.
The baskets are traditionally made out of shoe boxes and decorated with bright color paper bows. I tried to find a picture, but no luck.
I plan to make one for baby girl next year, and keep the tradition going. I think she’ll have fun and it’s a great way for her to learn some of the customs I grew up with.
Three King’s Day also marks the end of the Christmas season and we normally wait until after this day has passed to take down our Christmas tree and decorations.
Do you have any special after-Christmas traditions?
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Posted in Puerto Rico on January 6th, 2008 by ModernMami | | 0 Comments
Feliz Navidad!
Today is Christmas Eve or Noche Buena.
For Puerto Ricans, this is the day of celebration.
It is the day when we cook our big dinner - pasteles, arroz con gandules, and pernil.
So off I go - but first, I just want to say…
Spanish graphics from www.MyOnda.com
Oh, and don’t forget about the coquito!
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Posted in Puerto Rico on December 24th, 2007 by ModernMami | | 0 Comments
NtycnBoricua, who?
I received an email from Oh, The Joys asking me just what the heck my screen name means.NtycnBoricua
She found my explanation interesting and suggested I post it on here. So, as the ever dutiful person that I tend to be, here goes nothing.
First, let’s break it down - Ntycn & Boricua
Ntycn stands for the word enticing
Boricua is another word for being Puerto Rican and can probably be best explained by Wikipedia
Boricua a word of origin from Boriken (or Boriquén, Borinquen, or Borinquén) used by the original Taino Indian population to refer to Puerto Rico before the coming of the Spanish, which translated as “The Valiant People of the Sacred House”. The word has come to identify any resident or descendent of Puerto Rico, who will use the term, “¡Yo soy Boricua!” (”I am Boricua”) to identify themselves.
My now-husband, then-boyfriend created the screen name for me about 6 or 7 years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s just kind of stuck.Well, there you go folks. That is the short and sweet explanation to solve the mystery. Enjoy.
Don’t forget it’s delurking week! Go ahead and show the love. You know you wanna 
technorati: puerto rico, boricua, NtycnBoricua, oh the joys, puerto rican
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Posted in Husband, Misc, ModernMami, NtycnBoricua, Puerto Rico on January 10th, 2007 by ModernMami | | 7 Comments
Puerto Rican Coquito & other fine Navidad traditions
Before I sign off for the holidays, I couldn’t leave without sharing the recipe for coquito (let’s call it a Puerto Rican version of eggnog - but better! lol).
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Coquito - from http://www.elboricua.com/coquito.html
30 ounces coconut milk
14 ounces condensed milk
1 cup Bacardi rum
½ cup water
pinch of salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
Mix all ingredients in the blender. Taste and [add] more rum if you like it stronger. You need to add the water because it will get thicker later in the fridge. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate well. Make ahead for richer flavor. Serve in small glassware.
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You can also read up on the traditions of a Puerto Rican Christmas and another great dish - pasteles.
My baby girl had her first pastel earlier this month when we had the all day cooking fest.
I’m not sure if she liked it, but she ate some of it, actually, most of it got on her clothes, but such is toddler feeding.
Anyway, FELIZ NAVIDAD!
technorati: coquito, navidad, pasteles, puerto rican eggnog, puerto rican christmas, feliz navidad
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Posted in Puerto Rico, Recipes on December 21st, 2006 by ModernMami | | 5 Comments
It’s True!
I was bored and decided to browse Blogthings. I took the Who’s Your Inner European quiz and guess what????!!! I am indeed of Spanish heritage! Now if you don’t know, I am Puerto Rican, which of course means I have Spanish blood, but if you don’t believe me, see for yourself! lol 
| Your Inner European is Spanish! |
 Energetic and lively. You bring the party with you! |
technorati: Spanish, european, blogthings, heritage, Puerto Rican
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Posted in Puerto Rico, Race on November 14th, 2006 by ModernMami | | 1 Comments
Late Introduction
I realized that I’ve never really posted anything about me - so here’s an attempt at introducing myself.A few things about me:
- 26 years old
- live in the lightning capital of the US (specifically Orlando)
- been married 3 years
- first time mom
- originally from Puerto Rico
- hate okra
- love to dance - although I don’t get to do this much anymore
- love my family
- genealogy is a hobby - check out OneGreatFamily to get started
- aspiring SAHM or WAHM - either is fine by me
I love being a mom and was surprised to find out how much you can truly love your baby without even knowing her. I still can’t believe that I actually created such a beautiful, intelligent, and what’s a good word? - energetic - yes we’ll use that one, such an energetic tiny being! My daughter is almost 10 months old and is definitely energetic, which is a nice way of saying she can be like a little monkey! lol
She is almost walking and has taken a few steps, she wants to climb on everything, touch everything, get inside of cabinets, etc. etc. The list goes on and on…
Isn’t she adorable? She was chasing daddy at the time and trying to grab the camera, hence the close up.
Well anyway, that’s a bit about me. Now back to work - we all gotta make a living, right?
Technorati tags: Orlando, Puerto Rico, okra, dance, genealogy, SAHM, WAHM, lightning, being a mom, monkey
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Posted in Genealogy, ModernMami, Motherhood, NtycnBoricua, Puerto Rico, Sahm, The Monkey, Wahm on October 12th, 2006 by ModernMami | | 2 Comments
Recipe - Puerto Rican Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
Arroz Con Gandules
*From http://www.hechoenpuertorico.org/comida/gandules.html
2 cups long or short grain rice (rinsed)
3 1/2 cups of boiling water
1 1/2 cups of chorizo (sliced bite size)*
2 Tablespoons of sofrito
16 ounce can of gandules (pigeon peas)
2 tablespoons of alcaparrado without liquid
one packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste
* Chorizo can be substituted with tocino (salt fatback crackling’s) and jamón de cocinar (smoked cooking ham). If you are going to use the tocino be sure not to use to much salt to the rice because the tocino is salty.
In a dutch oven pot with lid fry the chorizo in oil. Add the tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon to the pot and stir together. Cook at medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the salt, pore the boiling water into the pot so the rice is submerge one inch below the water. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Don’t cover yet, let the rice absorb the water. Once absorbed stir gently from bottom to top, cover and turn the heat down to low. Stirring once in between cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Serves 3 to 4
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Posted in Puerto Rico on September 19th, 2006 by ModernMami | | 1 Comments
Oldest Man Turns 115 in Puerto Rico
Oldest Man Turns 115 in Puerto Rico
Aug 22nd - 6:44am
By FRANK GAUD Associated Press Writer
ISABELA, Puerto Rico (AP) - The world’s oldest man celebrated his 115th birthday Monday, offering advice on healthy living at a party where he was serenaded by a well-known Puerto Rican singer.
Emiliano Mercado del Toro, who was a 6-year-old boy when the U.S. seized Puerto Rico from Spain in 1898, attributed his longevity to a healthy diet and avoiding alcohol.
“I never damaged my body with liquor,” said Mercado, who quit a 76-year smoking habit when he was 90.
Mercado is listed as the world’s oldest man by the Guinness Book of World Records. The world’s oldest woman is Maria Esther de Capovilla of Ecuador, who turns 117 on Sept. 14.
Read rest of article here
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Posted in Puerto Rico on August 22nd, 2006 by ModernMami | | 0 Comments
So now we’re all the same…
So now someone from Trinidad is the same as being from Puerto Rico. Let me explain. A coworker of mine said that there were 3 hispanics in the office today. That I knew of, there were only 2, me included. So I asked, who’s the third? Said person pointed to one of the student assistants, who I know is from Trinidad. Hmmmmm - He’s not hispanic, he’s from Trinidad! Then this person proceeded to tell me - Well, it’s close enough, isn’t it? Suuuuuureeeee! It’s in the Caribbean and it’s an island - so let’s just say from now on that all people from the Caribbean are hispanic. Why not??!!
Some people are so ignorant.
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Posted in Puerto Rico, Race on July 7th, 2006 by ModernMami | | 0 Comments
I hate it when…
I’m sure this has happened to other people before. I hate it when people ask me why I put a Puerto Rican flag up in my car. I tell them I’m proud of where I come from. They then ask, “So what, I should put a US flag up?” If you feel like it, then do so! It’s that simple.
That’s the problem. People are only patriotic when there is a “crisis”. After the world trade center attack, everyone had a US flag up in their car, outside their houses, and everywhere else they could think of, where are they now??!!
Don’t catch an attitude with me for putting up my flag and being proud of my roots. Do the same and represent and leave me and my flag alone!
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Posted in Puerto Rico, Race on July 6th, 2006 by ModernMami | | 0 Comments
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