Episode Transcript
[00:00:11] Thank you for being here with me on Cook and Conquer. My name is Anali Viscara Vineyard, and I would definitely want you to know more about me, my story. Who am I?
[00:00:22] Well, I'm Annalee Viscara Vineyard, and. And I'm actually an author.
[00:00:27] Not only do I love the kitchen, but I also love to share a little bit more about who I am. I am an interpreter, translator. I love to do so many things. But of course, I love to bring the cooking to your home and sharing a little bit more about my life, my own journey, and the love for animals. As you know, as you could see, I have a little beautiful pet here and in my arms. And her name is Bella. She means so much to me. And you might wonder, what is an animal doing inside of the kitchen with her? Well, this is actually the story about my mother. She loved the animals. She had a special connection. And with that said, I have to share more about what she actually ended up doing. At a very young age. She loved animals so, so much that she ended up having this baby bobcat that would come to our backyard, to her backyard, actually.
[00:01:28] And this little animal would always wait for my mother. My mother actually would feed that little animal, believe it or not, that wild bobcat. But she went to the next level. One day, this animal arrived home, and it had, I guess, a problem. It was sick, maybe an injury. And I remember her holding that little animal as a story. I was never there. But when she was very young, she actually did that. She would actually feed the bobcat, and it, or her, or it, the animal would always show up.
[00:02:04] She loved the animals so much, just like she loved every creature that was here on Earth while she was alive. And she would actually feed it, nurture it, love the animal. But she actually even decided to bring the animal inside, cure the animal, and she would eventually allow the animal to come in and sleep close to her bed. That is unbelievable. And still, now that I hear these stories, I'm just so impacted by the love that she had. Even though they were wild, she brought the animal into our environment.
[00:02:41] And that's what she taught me at a very young age, to do the same thing.
[00:02:45] So when I got to see my mother doing that, I ended up doing the same thing. We actually ended up having a turtle where we lived. She ended up having dogs. When I was growing up, I had dogs, I had turtles, you name it. And still now to the present, even though she's not here, I carry that legacy of her so dearly to me, to my heart, to who I really am, is the love for every animal, every creature that lives and breathes. Why? Because I got to see her model that to me at a very, very young age. So now I have personally several animals.
[00:03:27] Listen, this sounds maybe funny, but I have three dogs.
[00:03:32] Bella, Bunny, that's just like Bella, the same breed. I have a pug named Bella Buttercup. But I also have two amazing, beautiful cats. One is Ruby and the other one is Rocket. They mean so much to me. But not only that, I even have a guinea pig. I actually had two guinea pigs, but one passed away. It was very sad to see her pass away. I saw her later. But I also have to share the. I just recently lost a baby rabbit. She was still a baby for me because she was tiny, even though she was already 12 years old. I love animals so much because of what my mother taught me. Loving everything, loving people, because that's just my nature. But also loving every creature because they mean so, so much to me. If you see I'm here with Bella, I'm petting her, and I have to share something very funny about my animals. I don't feed my dogs just ordinary dog food. I actually go ahead and feed them. Bella eats actually Mexican food. Bella gets to have special treats like chicken, ground beef and turkey and so many delicious plates. And she's very healthy.
[00:05:00] My vet actually says that all my animals are very, very healthy. And once again, what do you think the secret recipe or ingredient is? Love. That's what I give my animals all the time. I don't give them just anything. No, they're family to me. So that's just a little bit about so much that I have to share with you on this show about the love for the animals.
[00:05:27] And another thing, by the way, where do you think Bella sleeps and Bunny sleeps? These are two Shih Tzus. They sleep actually on in my bed. And why is that? Because I just love them dearly.
[00:05:43] I believe that animals are not just any ordinary animal. I believe that we have a beautiful, amazing creator that brought these creatures to us so that we would have them in our lives and we could love them. Because how could we not love them if God actually sent them to us so we're not alone. So what I do, I spend a lot of time, I take them for a backyard potty breaks. But not only that, I actually hand feed Bella.
[00:06:16] I talk to her just like if she was a person.
[00:06:19] Why? Because my mother did that at a very young age. When I was a little girl, I would watch her talking to her animals like if they were people, she would tell them, I love you so much, ccc.
[00:06:32] You're special to me. And she would build her self esteem. I believe that that's very important for our loved ones, to treasure them, to let them know that they are truly love. How could I not love animals if I know that? She taught me that. But I also got to see it clearly from my mother. She actually would talk to them. The turtle, by the way, she actually painted the turtle, the top of the turtle shell. She actually went and made it clear because she wanted to make sure that she was treated well. And not only that, she would actually hand feed the turtle. And all of a sudden when it was winter, she would hide in her little shell. But then we wouldn't see her. At times I guess she would dig and dig.
[00:07:21] But when I go to those memories, it reminds me that I'm not alone, that I have these beautiful pets. But I'm also able to hold on to my mother's legacy. And that means just so much to me. And I know if you've had the opportunity of having a legacy, it means just everything to you. So now that you know a little bit about me, know that we will be able to connect in a very different way.
[00:07:50] Through the love of the kitchen, through the love of the animals, through the love of someone. They are still carrying their legacy. But let me tell you also the love of Christ, I believe that he brings us all together in different ways. It does not matter where you come from, whether you're like me. And I have to share that as well. I'm extremely proud of being first generation born here in the United States. But let me tell you, beyond that, I'm very overly proud and blessed. To be Hispanic. To be able to jump from one language to the other means everything to me. I will never change or want to be someone that I truly am not. I'm Hispanic. I'm very proud of being Hispanic. I would never change it, not even a bit.
[00:08:38] Because in our culture there's so much to offer. And I believe that this goes beyond Hispanic culture, Anglo culture, all the cultures, we should just come in, dive in and become one.
[00:08:51] That's my mission and that's what I want to share. You'll probably listen to me share a little word here and there in Spanish because I'm proud of my background. I'm very proud of being Hispanic. My parents actually come from Mexico. Whether they come from Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, Nicaragua, wherever you come from or from here, from the United States, I want you to know There were all together binded and connected by someone very special.
[00:09:21] So let's try to love on each other and know this. I cannot wait to share more about me and the love for the kitchen. Please stay here with us on the next segment. I just cannot wait to continue sharing more about my own legacy of love. So stay here.
[00:10:10] Welcome back with Cook and Conquer Wealth.
[00:10:13] I need to definitely share the love of the kitchen. Where does this start? First of all, it starts with an amazing woman called Alma, you might say. Who's Alma? Her name is actually Alma Rosa. She's my mother and at a very young age, I lose her with all complications of placenta previa. And how is it that now I'm just jumping in and sharing with her story and her legacy and now the love for the kitchen? Well, as I share in my book A Legacy of Love, it was actually baby steps. It did not happen all of a sudden. But this amazing lady that you will see here is actually my mother holding me as a newborn in her arms. She is actually the inspiration for me to continue sharing more and more of about who I truly am. And of course I want us to have that deeper connection. This woman loved to cook, she loved to bake. She cared so much about the neighbor.
[00:11:17] It was just something that she modeled so well. She cared so much that I have to share with you more about to what extent, to what level she cared. And she loved the Lord. So that's what I actually ended up adopting from her. Loving people, caring from one another. Because this makes that makes a much better world, doesn't it? Well, she actually, as I share here in my book, a legacy of love. She cared so much that she worked for General Motors. And she was also like, I ended up, I also have a degree in languages as an interpreter and translator. And there was a horrendous earthquake in Mexico City back in 85. And you might remember that, you might not know of that.
[00:12:04] She worked and back in that time, the only communication was Atelix. This was a way to communicate and know what was happening in Mexico City, how horrible it was or it wasn't when a lot of people were actually in that mess and there was a horrible earthquake that shake the whole city. A lot of people passed away. There was a lot of people in the rumble. There were a caught in there.
[00:12:35] Her first response was she had to leave. It was just a job that she had from nine to five. And that day when she heard about the incident, she called us over and said she told my grandmother, I cannot go back Home, mom, please help me to take care of Annalee and take care of Jessie. That's actually one of my brothers.
[00:12:57] And my grandmother actually questioned, she said, why you're normally out at 5. There's no reason why to stay beyond. She said, there is a reason. And the reason is that they need me so I could be able to be that bridge of connection. There might still be people that are still alive, and I need to make sure that I do my job in helping and rescuing.
[00:13:20] There might be children, there might be older people. Who knows, there might be even animals.
[00:13:27] So she actually ended up staying hours of hours. That night turned out to be very, very late. I don't know, it was probably close to midnight or maybe even midnight. She came back distraught, crying, questioning. And probably in her own thoughts, she would questioned the Lord because she was very strong in her faith, asking, why is this happening? Why is it that a lot of people are stuck and we need to save more people? So what she did is that immediately she went and tried to get some rest because the following morning her desire was to go and save and rescue more lives.
[00:14:07] So this amazing woman taught me at a very young age to. To care for others, to put other people even first, before my own needs. And it became very personal because that's who I really am. I want to make sure that this world becomes a better place. And it wasn't because I had that idea. It was because she modeled it so well that it became my own heart. Caring for other people, making sure that they're well, making sure that everyone is taken care of, even before myself. And so my book, A Legacy of Love, is honoring my mother, making sure that even though she's not here physically, I give my children and the children of my children my mother's own journey and legacy. And as well, I want you to carry this legacy. If you don't have a legacy. I invite you to read my story.
[00:15:01] Have I gone through so much adversity? Yes, I did. I went, as you read this book, through so much adversity, abuse, and so many other things, even a forced marriage, that I didn't ask for losing her before then, everything was normal. But it's not all of my story.
[00:15:20] She also taught me the love for the kitchen. Because you might be asking, well, why is it that she's so connected to the kitchen, to the baking, to the flair? Well, she taught me about loving. Also history. And. And how did the history come about? Let me tell you how it came about.
[00:15:40] Because at a very young age, we would actually Go to different places. And the first thing my mother was actually concerned was taking us to a place where we would learn more about history, history of all around the world. But this book, Cooking with Love, is what she taught me. To make sure that I bring the life of each and one of those recipes and make sure that I talk to you about. About the history, like choco flan. Who doesn't love choco flan, who doesn't love arroz con leche, who doesn't love. You name it. Lentil soup. And so many other tres leches. And so many other recipes that I have here that will walk you each step of the way, knowing that it does not matter if you're basic, intermediate, or advanced in the kitchen, you will find something that you will enjoy, that we will all learn and connect at a very different level.
[00:16:38] But I now want to carry on her legacy of cooking with love. Cook and Conquer will allow you to go and learn in a very different way and to connect with flavors, with the texture, with the love. Maybe you have a loved one that has already passed away.
[00:16:59] Why not go and cook? It's very therapeutic to cook something and bring those memories alive of that loved one. Because now it's up to you, to me, to carry on their legacy of love, knowing that it's never too late to bring a plate to life, never too late to remember and honor those loved ones that have already passed away.
[00:17:24] They're not gone. They're asleep. And one day we will be able to reconnect with them. They love us. And now it's up to us to carry their legacy, to honor them. And what better way for me to honor my mother with also loving the kitchen, also loving to bake, but also loving each and one of you as my audience that are going to be watching every step of the way of a process, of a recipe. But I want you to also know that it's never too late to learn to cook, to learn to bake. I'm more than happy to teach you and help you. But I want you to know that this cookbook, if you're wanting to start with a recipe or learn how to do it, I think it will inspire you, it will guide you, and it actually has even fun endorsements, the back of my cookbook as well as my book, A Legacy of Love. I have several books that I've actually written nine. And if the Lord allows, this year I will actually have 12 books to inspire you, to help you to grow the love for the kitchen. I love to decorate. I Love to write both languages, English and Spanish, but I love the neighbor. And now you will be as close as possible to get to know me, to see who I am. I'm very authentic. I'm very genuine, and I'm not planning on changing, not even a bit.
[00:18:58] So I really invite you to stay for the next sequence of this episode of what's Coming. I'm so excited. Thank you for being here with me once again. Stay here for the next segment as we will be preparing together fresh water or aguas frescas in Spanish. All together. So stay here.
[00:19:50] So excited to share this fresh water agua fresca that we say in Spanish with you today. But we're going to go through the deep detailing of how to make this delicious agua fresca.
[00:20:03] And I have to share, honestly, because I came up with this recipe myself. I love to come up and change and tweak recipes all the time. So this is my own way to see an agua fresca. And why not add the flare of delicious strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, you name it, limes, lemons, just to place them in there and bring the colors out.
[00:20:30] So, of course, I have here my cookbook, Cooking with Love, Cocinando con Amor, which I love. And I believe that everything you do, if you have that special ingredient that's called love, the recipe is going to come out outstanding. Amazing. So let's stop and dig into how this agua fresca is done. You've already seen the ingredients, so we have to have a sparkling water.
[00:20:55] Definitely. I always like to use Mexican products because, of course, I'm Mexican. But not only that, but because of the quality that the agua fresca will end up with the sparkling water being used. So I know you will figure out what sparkling water you might want to use that's very much Mexican. So I need actually this amazing jar. I normally use glass. And what I do is I put all the ingredients at the sparkling water. You decide how much you want. It all depends. I have my recipe here. How many people are you having over how many guests? And then with that said, you have to add the sugar first of all, after you mix and you put the sugar in the jar, you have to mix and stir carefully, making sure that there is no sugar left on the bottom of the container and it's all spread evenly. But then you also have to have some lime juice. I like everything from scratch, so I go and I squirt as much lime juice so I could get the right flavors, which you Will see here on the recipe, Cooking With Love Anna Leviscara Vineyard. And after I add the juice, I have to go and start chopping strawberries. I don't use the end of the strawberries. And you could do some circles, whatever style or cut that you would like. Limes, lemons, blackberries, blueberries. It will become phenomenal because people will actually ask you for the recipe because of the colors there. But then you're also going to add ice. You definitely, definitely will be needing a lot, a lot of ice because it's going to be cold.
[00:22:39] This drink is very refreshing and you could come up and tweak the recipe, maybe adding some other fruits that of your choice. But I have to say something that I ended up adding. Beyond that, you could also use ice cubes. Listen, with sparkling water, you add to the ice cube a tray, some sparkling water, these berries in the ice tray as well, and you freeze them. And then you're going to end up having such an amazing look with the recipe because you add a glass and you put your ice cube that already has the sparkling water. It actually will have the colors added to it as well. With the berries, the limes, the lemons, the strawberries. I see everything with fruits all the time because I'm a person that loves fruit. And it's going to look very elegant and people are going to be asking you, where did you get that recipe? Feel free to share that. I shared it with you because it's about sharing and why not during the season that you might have a relative friend over and they're going to ask you, I want to have that recipe, but this is my cookbook called Cooking with Love, which you're going to see the images right here of how the ice cubes look. But in between the ice cube, you're going to find the fruit inside that's already frozen, so it gives it a very special look.
[00:24:11] So I have to share a little bit more about my sparkling water. And actually, normally my recipes have the where did the recipe originate? I love history and I will be sharing that. Another tip and trick. Make sure that when you're doing something in the kitchen, you have everything there before.
[00:24:31] That means your ingredients so you won't forget them. Make sure you clean the countertop, make sure you wash your hands, even use an apron. Make sure you put your hair back so that way the sparkling water does not end up having part of your hair there, pieces of your hair or who knows, make sure you have this jar already clean previously, so you don't want to have any dust inside of your fresh water? Agua fresca, that I just love the name. I love to call it as it is agua fresca, because in English, it does not sound the same as, you know. So first generation. Being born in the United States, I'm very much fond and connected with my culture. So this is a recipe that I came up with and I'm going to read a little bit so you could have a clue.
[00:25:19] Where did this recipe start from? Well, it actually started up, started for me. It says, this is a very refreshing, easy and delicious drink. It serves about six to eight people. So no, this recipe I came up with. So now my desire is to share it with family, with friends. I've had neighbors come over and the first thing they tell me, wow, what is that? It looks very refreshing, it tastes very refreshing, but also it. It's very different because of the colors. Don't forget to always take your time when you're preparing this recipe. This agua fresca, don't forget that you could actually mix the lime and the lemons together. So if you feel like it needs a little more of the juice, go ahead and squirt a little more of the juice. If you think that you need to add a little bit more of the sugar, go ahead. But remember, we're going to go back again.
[00:26:19] First, you're going to need a big jar in the glass, but you're also going to be needing most definitely ice, sugar as much as you want.
[00:26:30] I don't like my waters to be extremely sugary, but just right. So it's always good to mix, mix, mix very thoroughly and go back and pull out a little bit of it and taste it just to make sure it's just right. You don't want it to be overly sweet or underly sweet, so always remember that. And then you could just go and add a little bit more of the juice. Lime, lemons.
[00:26:55] That's actually what brings the flavor. But what definitely brings that extra flavor and love, which I always connect in the kitchen with cooking with love. With love. That's the first ingredient, is making sure I have red in my waters. Niagua fresca, that means berries, strawberries, blueberries, and of course, you could even add a little bit of round chopped lemons and limes, and it's just going to look amazing. But always remember too, don't forget this ingredient. Cooking with love. Love is what needs to be there in every stir and every food and every dessert and every agua fresca. So I leave you with that. And always remember, it's never too late to learn.
[00:27:44] I have recipes here in Cooking With Love, basic, intermediate and advanced simple ones, harder ones and really, really hard ones. So have a wonderful one and always come and stay tuned here with me.
[00:28:03] Sam.
[00:28:29] Welcome back to Cook and Conquer. As in this segment, we will be sharing a little bit about my donations. Why am I doing this? Well, it's to empower women, men that have gone through so much adversity. And I'm doing these amazing shirts that I have right here that I will be donating. And as well, it's three of them. And I also have right here this wonderful hoodie that I have too. And it says renacer tan bienes unakto de amor. Mean being reborn is also an act of love. It's never late to be your best version. And if I was able to overcome so much adversity, I want you also to be there with me because it is possible for you to as well.
[00:29:20] And to 20 books of a Legacy of Love in English, I will be donating and definitely it would have to be local in Houston. We will find the way to make sure that you're part of this. And it's this book that I had just mentioned called A Legacy of Love. Why? Because I went through so much adversity. You might ask, why is she doing this? Why is she wanting to go and give this to others?
[00:29:47] Well, if I've been overly blessed, I want you also to be overly blessed as you read my book that's also autographed by myself, that you will actually open each page and you will know how I was able to beat the odds of so much adversity. Losing a mother at just 15, being in a forced marriage, losing my first unborn child five months along, being between life and death several times. And so much like abuse. And these are topics that sometimes we don't feel comfortable about talking. But if we're able to connect with this story, that's my own journey, it will allow you to also be able to be your best version ever. It's never too late. If I was able to change careers at in my 40s, I'm not going to tell you my age, but you are able to do the same thing, fulfill your dream, going back and having that additional degree or your first degree. I don't know what the case is, but this story will empower you, inspire you. It's won so many awards. But it's not about me. Listen, it is about Christ. He was the way for Me to be my best version ever. And if this story could empower you, I've made it. That's actually what I want. Just maybe one thing that we are able to connect will actually be it. I will feel that I fulfilled what I wanted. My journey of helping you. You might not have a legacy. Maybe you had to grow up like I did after my 15th birthday with grandparents that were not so well and. Or maybe you don't have parents, but my story will help you. You don't have a legacy. Adopt my own legacy. I want to help you, build you up, allow you to know that if I was able to overcome so much adversity in this broken world, you're also able to do it as well. It's never too late. Whether it is to have a degree like I did, whether it is going back to school. School, receiving a certification like I did as a Christian life coach, but also a certification in the medical field as an interpreter and translator. You name it. This book will take you through so many different seasons of my life. And definitely you could also connect.
[00:32:18] You will find ways to connect with me. It has my own personal journey, but my story, I call it Baby Steps Pasitos.
[00:32:27] I had to take those baby steps at a very young age. And if I was able to overcome this at a very young age, it was just not one thing. It was one after the other. At 15, losing a mother, being in a forced marriage. At 18, losing my first unborn child at five months along. It was extremely devastating.
[00:32:50] Was it easy for me to write this book? No, it was not. But it was a calling. And I need you to know it was about the Lord. He mentioned through the church I used to go, that my story would help every community, every nationality. And of course, I definitely have the love for my own culture because I'm Hispanic. As you know, I have that connection with Hispanic people and people from all around the world. It does not matter where you come from. We're all connected one way or another by our daddy God. Abapadre Papito Dios. That's how I call him. Why do I call him like that? Because I've been adopted. And if you don't know your identity, stay here in Cooking and Conquer, because you will be able to also connect and know that you have an identity. You know, when I started writing this, it was difficult for me to write it, but now that I know that my identity is not in what I went through, you know what your identity is. Just like my identity in our Daddy God, we're All brothers and sisters of our highly father God. And we could all come together and connect one way or another. Maybe it is through the cooking. Maybe you've lost a loved one. Maybe maybe you've gone through other adversities. I don't know really your story or your past. But I want you to please give yourself that opportunity and chance to read my book. I'm actually donating them or gifting them. That's a better word to say. Gifting this out of my heart to your heart. To know that it is okay not to be okay, but it's definitely not okay to stay in these dark, messy places because we've all been there one way or another.
[00:34:40] Sometimes we don't want to face it. Sometimes we don't want to talk about these adversities. But the more we talk about will empower you, it will empower me and we will be able to connect and help other women and children and even men to overcome. Maybe you've been in a bad relationship. Maybe you've been. I don't know. But if you're able to read my story, you will know. Hey, if she was able to overcome that at a very young age, then maybe I'm able to overcome it too.
[00:35:14] So God has a plan for your life. It's up to you to find out what that plan is. Your identity is not in what you went through in the past. You know what Your identity is in Christ. In our daddy, God. He's adopted me and I know that he will definitely adopt you if you're willing to surrender and let him take over. Because he wants the very best for you. He loves us and he wants us all to join in together hand in hand and become one.
[00:35:44] Thank you for staying here with me today and I hope you enjoyed this freshwater agua fresca and you have the opportunity to do it at home as well.
[00:35:53] Please download your app of Now Media TV and also on Roku or Apple iOS. I know it will be a great opportunity to connect with me and connect with what we offer. Thank you for once again joining me on Cook and Conquer.
