Mucho linkage: Latin books, food, movies, and a good cause giveaway

by Carrie on March 9, 2009 · 0 Comments
in Comida

Happy Monday. I hope the sun is shining and the birds singing wherever you are. It is bright and beautiful in the Boonies -- a lovely reward for the gray season we have endured.

The only negative I've got going on: The floor in my office is covered with folders for unfinished business taxes. The mess is soul-sucking.

So, here's some good stuff before I sign out for the day to act like a responsible grown-up.

The International Children's Digital Library has books in 48 languages available on-line. I just took a test drive and found "La Bruja de la Habana Vieja'' (The Witch of Old Havana) and "Me gustan cuentos antes de dormir'' (I like stories before I go to sleep) and many, many more. You can search by the Spanish language, and other languages such as German, Farsi and Mongolian. Quite the cool find and credit goes to a brief in the February issue of Family Fun magazine.

Also in Family Fun's March issue (yes, I let them pile up on my nightstand) is a collection of Latin American comfort foods by Maria Baez Kijac, author of The South American Table. The magazine put some of the recipes online in its very cool "Month of

Meals'' planner. Que convenient because I have no idea what I am cooking this week.

Look for the ham and cheese empanadas and the Puerto Rican Chicken Stew, particularly. If you can find a copy of the magazine, there are other recipes that look great, including Cuban black beans and corn casserole from Paraguay. I would type them in, but I've got that pile thing to deal with.

Have a child in diapers? Free culeros, or A Giveaway for A Good Cause:

Pampers has launched a campaign called "One Pack = One Vaccine.'' It is a global initiative with UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), a preventable disease that claims the lives of approximately 128,000 infants and up to 30,000 mothers in less industrialized nations each year - that's approximately one newborn death every four minutes, according to the rep's statement. Vaccines cost just five to seven cents, much less than a postage stamp.

Through May 1, every time folks in the United States and Canada buy specially-marked packages of Pampers diapers and wipes, they purchase vaccines. In 2008, more than 50 million vaccines from the North American campaign were provided to moms and babies. Pampers hopes to raise this year's total to 80 million. The lovely Salma Hayek, by the way, is the spokesperson for this campaign.

The Giveaway: Pampers reps will send freebies to six of you: Two will get a coupon for free diapers and four will get a onesie. (Even if you don't need the diapers, you can give them to someone who does...) Winners will be randomly selected.

Here is all you have to do: Comment on this post by 8 p.m. Tuesday March 10 and tell me your best potty training or diaper changing story.

Here's mine -- one of many: Maria laughs until she cries when we tell her about the poop that shot out of her newborn body, splattered on the opposite wall and also dripped down the changing table. She cries thick tears when I tell her about the astonished look on her father's face, a face that said: "Seriously? Flying poop too?"

A sneak peak:

April 4 brings the Sony Pictures release of "Sugar" -- the story of a fictional Dominican pelotero Miguel "Sugar" Santos who tries to make it in the American big leagues. It did well at Sundance. Ah, to be in Santo Domingo today.