The Biz Buzz of a Latina Mom!

Sofrito Picante

2008-07-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup corn or other vegetable oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh chile of choice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped chorizo or cured ham
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1/3 tsp. dried)

Salt to taste

PREPARATION

For a subtle effect, select a mild to medium-hot chile, such as a serrano or jalapeño. For more intense heat, try an habanero or a Scotch bonnet, using half the amount called for in the recipe.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, chile, and chorizo or ham and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, until vegetables have softened. Stir in oregano and thyme, and salt if desired, and continue sautéing until onion is translucent.

Courtesy of Latina Magazine

Tips to organizing your paperwork!

2008-06-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

What are you doing to organize your business paperwork?

It is a well known fact that as soon as you start a business, you will receive a mountain of correspondence from various federal and provincial agencies and not to mention an assortment of advertising mail which may or may not be of interest or value to you.

If you organize your home-office properly from the very beginning, the paper work won't bog you down and you won't feel overwhelmed.

Too many people leave let their papers pile up or leave mail unopened for days and weeks at a time. Finally, when they do go through it in a hurry, not much attention is placed on the important information that comes through. Organization is an essential ingredient to a successful business operation.

The following methods can and will help you keep organized:

Filing Cabinet: You will need a four-drawer filing cabinet. Allow lots of room for files. Buy suspension frames for each drawer and legal-sized hanging files and file folders. Add tabs to the file folders for easy visible identification. You should place the files you use most into the top drawer. Establish the following hanging file and file folder for the following:

* Federal Papers
* Licensing Agencies
* Cash expense file for business expenses
* Sales invoice
* Advertising file
* Bank statements
* Business start-up Costs
* Correspondence
* Financial for monthly accounting papers
* Contacts and follow-up

You may add to this list as each business has different requirements. This system will keep you well organized.

Each day as soon as your mail arrives, open it. Make piles for accounts to be paid, checks to be deposited, advertising, and other important items. Tackle one pile at a time.

Each week the key to keeping on top of the mountains of paperwork is to dispense with it as soon as possible. Keep a weekly routine to achieve this goal.

Start a priority list that will motivate you to take action. Which priority should you prioritize first? If being organized is not your strong point, then a priority list can help you put things in order. Take an eight column pad and list all the things to do on the left-hand side. Across the top, make columns for the dateline date. Go down your list and allocate a check mark to note the priority for each task. Cross them off the list as you accomplish each job.

Copyright © 2000-2008. All Rights Reserved.

Creative Commons License. This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

* Articles may be used with permission from Sonia Colon of My Fashion E-Mall Blog
To re-publish content from this article written by Sonia Colon, please include the following paragraph byline…

START BYLINE

Sonia Colon is writer/publisher of My Fashion E-Mall Blog & The Biz Buzz of a Latina Mom Blog! Writing & sharing powerful business articles & successful Internet marketing tips on starting & maintaining a lucrative work-at-home business is a passion.
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Mojo Marinade

2008-06-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 1 cup

2 limes, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. oregano, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil

PREPARATION

In small bowl, place zest and juice from fruit and set aside. In glass bowl, blend garlic, jalapeño, cilantro leaves, salt, pepper and oregano with back of fork. Over medium heat, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Carefully pour oil over spice-and-herb paste and blend. Let cool 15 minutes, then add juices.

To marinate: In glass dish or heavy zip-top plastic bag, let food marinate. Most foods marinate for 1 to 8 hours. Due to high acidity, seafood and boneless, skinless chicken breasts should marinate for about 30 minutes; vegetables marinate for 15 to 30 minutes. Discard marinade that´s been in contact with raw food.

Enjoy!

Courtesy of Latina Magazine

How to optimize your AdSense performance ~ VIDEO

2008-06-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

I received an email yesterday from "Inside Adsense" about "How to optimize your Adsense performance".

Two Australian AdSense team members, Mel Ann and Tim, have put together a good introductory guide to optimizing AdSense.

It’s not as advanced but if you’re just starting out with AdSense it’s worth to watch it....check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpPX4A78jqg

The 10 step plan to successful email marketing!

2008-06-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

In this post, Matt Jackson, founder of WebWiseWords writes about "The 10 step plan to successful email marketing!

When website owners and marketers talk about online marketing, they often refer to SEO and PPC. Email marketing can sometimes be overlooked despite being one of the most powerful methods to reach potential customers and to keep existing customers coming back for more. Perhaps a factor in this is that direct email campaigns are commonly associated with spam emails, but careful list management ensures that this need not be a problem.

There are a number of stages to a successful email marketing campaign and by nailing as many as possible you can improve your results. The key to success, though, most commonly lies in the planning stage ? if this is your first foray into email marketing then be prepared to treat it as a test run. The more direct email marketing campaigns you run, the more opportunity you have to optimize the process and improve your results. Here are ten of the most important steps to an effective email campaign.

1 - Determine Your Ultimate Goal

This might sound obvious, but having a clear goal in mind will help to concentrate your efforts. There are many effective uses of an email marketing campaign from increasing brand awareness to pushing a new product or seasonal promotion. Each of these uses typically demands a different campaign with its own style and its own components.

Increasing traffic to your website is not usually a bottom line target. The reason for increasing traffic to a website is normally to improve sales and increase profits. In the majority of cases, it is more desirable to attain greater sales through fewer visitors, than having a site awash with visitors but with a poor conversion rate.

A prolonged and careful email marketing campaign will naturally help to improve brand awareness. Your readers will naturally remember your name and the products or services that you sell as they gain more and more exposure to your marketing emails. Similarly, as long as you produce relevant and useful emails, your potential customers will grow to trust you making it more likely that they will purchase from you now or in the future.

2 - Your Opt-In Email List

There are a couple of key aspects to this section. YOUR opt-in list will generate better results than the use of somebody else's list. If you have taken the time and put in the effort to grow your own list, then the members of that list will already have some degree of awareness for you, your products, and your website.

Developing your own list can take time and money. To get a head start it is possible to buy or rent email lists from others. In these cases it is particularly important to pay attention to the second important factor ? the list MUST be an opt-in list. Every member of that list must have opted in to receive marketing communication from you and they MUST be given adequate opportunity to opt out of future communication.

Particular care needs to be taken with your list management techniques to ensure that you are not deemed as being spam. If you purchase lists or partial lists then members that opt out need to be recorded separately. If you purchase another list that includes the same name and you subsequently email that person without their express request to be re-included in your list then you face the very real possibility of being flagged as sending spam email.

3 - Establish Performance Tracking Techniques

Tracking the performance of any advertising campaign should be foremost in your mind. This is the only true method of determining its worth and is the only way you can optimize your advertising to generate the best possible results. Web analytics are an absolute must-have, and with the wealth of affordable and even free choices available today there is no reason not to have a good analytic package in place.

Tracking code can also be placed into an HTML email. You need to operate a degree of caution when implementing code into HTML emails, because it could lead to your email being blocked by over zealous spam filters. If you can use hyperlinks that include tracking code, and your analytics package includes referral data, then this can generate the majority of the information you require.

The more information you can gleam from an advertising campaign, the better. You will be using these results to fine tune future advertising campaigns, so too much information is better than too little. If in any doubt then consider using an email marketing management service to conduct the tracking on your behalf.

4 - Ready Your Website

Directing visitors to your website is only a portion of the battle ahead. Once a reader clicks through the links in your email, you then need to be confident that your web pages are optimized to complete the sale. Conversion rates need to be high on the pages you direct traffic to, but you also need to target the traffic to the most appropriate pages and vice versa.

Consider the anchor text, or link text, that you will be using in your email. If you are encouraging readers to learn more about a product then don't direct them straight to the purchase page unless that page includes the inferred information. Similarly, if you have pre-sold your readers so that they are poised and ready to buy, and your CTA (Call To Action) indicates that this is the next step then you can navigate readers through to a more direct sales page.

Introducing a new product or a new concept will usually take more information than you can provide in a single marketing email. If necessary, add a page or multiple complementary pages, to your website. Direct readers to these pages so that you can combine the use of your email marketing and your optimized and informative content to really persuade and hammer the message home hard.

5 - An Effective Subject Line

The subject line of your email is the first thing your readers will read, and you need to ensure that it won't be the last. Human spam filters can be just as difficult to avoid as software spam filters, even for genuine email. You should certainly avoid the use of typically spammy subject lines and opt for a more effective approach.

There are many ways to write an appealing subject line. A newsworthy subject line will often grab the attention but only works effectively in limited cases. Otherwise, try to evoke an emotive response from the reader. The strongest emotions include greed, love, and even hatred or controversy. With these latter two it is again important that you exercise appropriate caution otherwise you may alienate your readers against this and future marketing emails.

Intrigue and appeal work very well. An intriguing headline will draw your readers into the main body of the content and the subject line will have then done its job effectively. Never mislead in the subject of your email but do try to peak your reader's curiosity to the extent that they can't help but open the email and read it fully.

6 - Email Body Content

Finally we reach the main body content of the email. That it's taken to point six to do so is an indication of how important the planning and preparation stages are. The subject line has hopefully driven a good portion of your list to open the email, and those readers should be intrigued enough to want to read more.

Research shows that the more personalized the message, the more likely it will be to succeed. Start with a personalized greeting and use a friendly, even conversational tone, throughout the message. Inform readers of what they need to know but do so informally and in as friendly a manner as is possible by email.

The email absolutely has to be grammatically and factually correct, and must not contain typos. These types of errors can be an instant turn off for readers. Run a spell check. Twice. And then check it manually and have somebody else check it again for you. At the same time check the links and ensure that they do indeed direct to the proper pages.

Include a Call To Action, or CTA, rather than just a link. A CTA is a direction that points your visitors to perform your desired action. This could be to click a link, make a purchase, or even forward the email to friends. The CTA needs to be clearly defined an, obviously, as effective and accurate as possible.

7 - Hyperlinks To Your Site

The entire point (although probably not your ultimate goal) of your email is to get readers to click on links and visit your website. Include two or three links in the body of your email and make sure they are relevant without being too obvious. Lead readers to click the links rather than directly point it out and find something more effective than ?click here? to use as your anchor text.

Two to three links is the ideal number. Too few links and your email won't prove effective at driving traffic, while too many links will detract from the actual content of the email. If your email is very short then offer two links, or offer three links within longer messages. Contextual links (that is, those that appear within the body of the email rather than at the end) are usually significantly more effective.

Check and double check that links work and direct to the correct page. Once you've done this, have somebody else check them too. The number of marketing emails that have failed because of broken or incorrect links is alarmingly high and this is not a trap that you want to fall into.

8 - Choose The Best Time To Send Your Email

The time you send your email can have a significant impact on its effectiveness. During the night, most people's emails fill up. In a lot of cases, this can mean that your reader will be faced with tens of emails in the morning, many of them rubbish. This leaves a very real chance that they will simply ignore or delete your email without noticing who sent it, what it is about, or whether they have any interest in reading it.

Consider your target market and when they are most likely to be sat in front of their email. Those with a global market may find this more difficult because of the time difference, but otherwise bear this in mind too. Not every website or marketing email is geared towards residents from the same country.

9 - Test Email

Initially, send a test email to yourself, friends, family, or colleagues. This is more to determine that it arrives looking as expected. Once you have done this and are happy with how your email looks, you should then move on to send a second test email to a small selection of your list. This gives you ample opportunity to make any last minutes changes or tweaks according to how this small test run performs.

You might even consider sending several tests out to different groups, if you have a large enough list. This enables you to test the subject line, content, and product price, by making alterations before each test run. Be sure to test the different components separately, though, so that you can determine what needs changing and what works well.

A test email also gives you chance to check that you are set up and able to track the results and any other information you want to track. A good email marketing service will do this by default, because the test email can prove to be one of the single most effective ways to improve the performance of a one-off email shot.

10 - Monitor, Optimize, And Start Again

Being careful not to send emails too frequently, you should send regular communication to your list. An unloved list will be more likely to unsubscribe and readers become most responsive after approximately seven items of communication from you. Monitor results, check bounce rates, and look for ways that your campaign could be improved.

Once you've found the best ways to improve a campaign make the improvements and begin the procedure again from the beginning. This process of monitoring, optimizing, and starting again will help to increase exposure, improve brand awareness, and generally improve results and profit levels.

Why Your List Is So Important

A list can last you a lifetime and it is possible to continue selling to the same list members over and over again. In fact, once a list member purchases from you, and presuming that everything goes smoothly during and after the sale, they will be more inclined to purchase from you in the future. You will have won their trust, gained their favor, and they can be relied upon to help you with extra sales in the future.

Look after your list and your list will look after your profits.

About the Author: Matt Jackson, founder of WebWiseWords, offers SEO copywriting and a range of other web content writing services to increase traffic and improve conversions for your website.

Bacalao a lo Nica (Nicaraguan Codfish Stew)

2008-06-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

3/4 to 1 lb. dried, salted cod, boneless and skinless
1 1/4 lb. potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Rinse dried, salted cod thoroughly and place in large container with enough water to cover generously. Let soak overnight, or 7 to 8 hours prior to cooking, changing water once or twice. After soaking, cod should feel plump to the touch. Drain well and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks; leave small potatoes whole. Place in large cooking pot with enough water to cover generously. Bring to boil over high heat, then lower heat to medium. Cook semicovered 30 to 40 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. In large skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil and add garlic, onion, bay leaf, and tomatoes. Sauté and stir 3 to 4 minutes, until tomatoes have broken up. Add cod pieces and cook over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Next, add raisins and cover. Continue to cook over medium heat 15 minutes, stirring once. Cod should now be well broken up and have begun shredding. Remove bay leaf and reduce heat to low. Stir in milk slowly to prevent curdling. Cook uncovered another 4 to 5 minutes.

Drain potatoes and place on plates. Serve stew over potatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

~ Courtesy of Latina Magazine

Why page rank is important in building traffic!

2008-06-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Google PageRank is important in building traffic to your website for a number of reasons. Before we discuss why, here is quick heads up on how it works.

Page Rank is based on links between your site and other sites, in fact specifically between web pages, since it is links between individual pages rather than complete websites that interests Google. That is because Google lists individual pages and not domains. There is a formula that Google uses to determine the value of each link to your site, which is based on the PageRank of the web page providing the link and also the number of other links leaving that page.

You can see the page Rank in the Google PageRank bar on the Google Toolbar - it is the green bar that shows a numerical value of 0 to 10 when you hover your cursor over it. This value is logarithmic, which means that if it takes 10 links to reach PR 1, then it takes a lot more to reach 2. If Google uses a logarithmic factor of 8, as it might do (nobody knows), then it will take 8 links to your site to get to PR 1, 64 to reach PR 2, 512 to PR 3 and so on. This is very basic, since, as I have stated, it also depends on the PR of the page providing the link and the number of other links leaving that page.

Here are the top 4 reasons that in my opinion help most to generate traffic and make you money:

1. The higher your Google PageRank, then the higher Google is likely to list you in the search engine results pages. Google take the view than the more other websites link to yours, then the more relevant your web page must be to the topic in hand, otherwise they wouldn't link to you. In fact, the links are to specific pages in your site, not to the site as a whole, which is why it is called 'Page Rank' and not Site Rank.

2. The higher the Page Rank, then the more relevant other people will consider any particular page on your website to be. They will feel more confident that if they visit your site they will have their questions answered and find the information they are looking for.

3. A high Page Rank shows that you have a high number of links on the pages of other websites. There is then the possibility of others clicking on these links to get to your website.

4. The higher your Page Rank, then the more people will want you to link to their website. That means that they too will be likely to visit your site. They will also offer you a reciprocal link if you want one, and that too will provide you with more exposure online.

There are some factors you should keep in mind that could affect your Page Rank. The way your domain name is presented is very important. Take at look at these domains: www.mydomain.com, www.mydomain.com/index.html, domain.com, domain.com/index.html

They are all different URLs that will lead somebody using them to your domain. However, search engine spiders see them all as different URLs, and if you use different ways to write your home page URL, then they will all be listed separately, and all be given a different Page Rank. Thus, the page rank for any one of them will be weaker than your page would have been if you had used only the one way to express it. Get into the habit of expressing your domain in only one way.

There are other ways in which poor use of your website URLs and also injudicious linking policies, can harm your Page Rank, but the main point that should keep in mind is that the your page rank applies to each page individually, and you get a share of the Google PageRank of the page that provides you with the link. If that page has a PR of zero, then you get nothing.

In giving my reasons for page rank being important in building traffic, I should stress that it is not one of my more important ways. However, Google takes notice of your PageRank, otherwise why would it bother giving you a Page Rank in the first place. For that reason alone it is well worth building up as many links back to your webpages as possible, not just for the traffic, but also to keep your website in the public eye.

It is the Home Page that is highest listed on most search engines, and also the page is given the highest PageRank, so if you can persuade others to link to your home page in return for a link from a page internal to your site, then that would be a good deal, and is what you should be trying for.

Don't ask me though, because I would a link back from your highest Page Ranked page!

About the Author: Page Rank is an important property of your website, and for more information on internal and external linking strategy check out Pete's website Improved Search Engine Rank where you will find many other SEO tips.

Pollo Curruscante al Horno (Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken)

2008-06-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

3 2/3 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

PREPARATION

This same preparation technique can be used to make chicken nuggets for children. Just cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, and reduce the cooking time by about half.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cornflakes in plastic food-storage bag. Seal bag and gently crush cornflakes with hands. Pour cornflakes onto plate; reserve. Place flour; thyme; oregano; salt; and garlic, onion, and chili powders in bag. Seal and shake, thoroughly mixing ingredients. Add chicken breasts to bag, seal, and shake until chicken is well coated with flour mixture. Next, in small bowl lightly beat egg whites, and dip each piece of chicken in whites. Roll pieces in cornflakes. Arrange chicken on baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat tops of chicken pieces with spray too. Bake, turning once, about 40 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked. Accompany with puré de papas con ajo. Makes 5 servings.

Courtesy of Latina Magazine

How to start an online business

2008-06-12T11:42:00.001-07:00

I just had to get this one out to you all as soon as possible...

How to Start an Online Business
Starting from scratch? No problem! Discover the secret resource that has already helped thousands start booming Internet businesses that pull in full-time incomes…

Surviving a Recession

2008-06-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

With talk of a recession, there is no surprise as to why we are starting to worry about the future. For professionals, this means that companies are cutting jobs to save money and many employees could face layoffs. What can you do to protect yourself? Here are some proactive tips that can help you get through a recession while holding on to a sense of security and hopefully, your job.

1.) Be the company go-to

Layoffs usually happen to people in positions that are thought to be expendable, so be the person that does the work. Specialize in a specific area and accumulate the skills and knowledge in that niche that no one else has. To do this, use convenient online courses to train in areas that appear to be emerging growth areas for your industry. In addition, take on tasks that no one wants to do and ask your boss how you can help your business. You’d be surprised how many people do their jobs each day without really understanding how it fits in with the overall company objectives, so make sure you understand what your company does and how it makes money so you can contribute meaningful work. That way, if your company is looking to cut jobs, you have the knowledge and skills that identify you as a necessity.

2.) Distinguish yourself from other employees by applying the basics of being a model employee

A recession means it’s time to prove to your company that you are a valuable asset. Make yourself stand out positively in comparison to others by going above and beyond your job requirements. Now is the time to be a model employee, so turn your work in on time, be respectful to your boss and don’t be late to work, be early! When it is time to let workers go, executives will remember your enthusiasm and quality effort and they will be more likely to fight to keep you employed.

3.) Network like there’s no tomorrow

Networking can not only make you more effective in your current position, but it broadens your opportunity if you find yourself suddenly clearing out your desk. Remember that great jobs can come from unlikely places, so make yourself visible and build a list of contacts. Get in touch with the people you know – friends, family, neighbors, former colleagues and bosses – and mention your availability for work. The more people who know you are looking for a job, the greater chance you have of landing a new position. Be sure to do this via your personal e-mail address and not through your company e-mail which is often times monitored. Many people have found out the hard way that employers frown on those who search for jobs on company time using company resources. You don’t want your exuberance to land you on the street sooner than later.

4.) Expand your job skills

Another strategy, rather than specializing in one niche, is to have a broad base of knowledge and skills that can be utilized by your company. Having a wide variety of skills allows you to qualify for jobs in many different markets and eases the transition into new work. As well, when workforce consolidations are made, many times they keep the individuals that appear to have the capacity to take on tasks of those let go. Take time to grow yourself vertically by developing expert skills or horizontally by being versed in a number of skills and jobs. Enrolling in online classes is an affordable and convenient way to get this done quickly. You can even earn certification in many industries through courses offered at online learning portals like TheeLearningCenter.com. Learn as much as you can and remember to update new job abilities on your resume.

5.) Just be prepared

It’s like Benjamin Franklin once said: “Failure to prepare is preparing for failure.” In a time of economic uncertainty, it’s important that you have a backup plan. Find your resume, make sure its current and keep it handy. Picture yourself at other companies and make a list of employment options – just in case. Be the go-to at your workplace and hold on to what you have. Remember what they say about a bird in the hand being better than two in the bush or, possibly, better than pounding the pavement for another ‘ideal position’. Now is a good time to create alternative income as well. Look into a part-time or temporary job, sell stock or list some items you don’t mind parting with on virtual marketplaces like eBay or Craigslist. If you’re ready for the worst-case scenario, then you’ll find it easier to deal with and adapt to whatever situation comes your way.

Economic downturns can be a time of growth for you as you re-assess and even retool your future. With the unemployment rate rising, it’s important to be proactive in protecting your career or preparing for a new opportunity.

Mark Lamkin is the Chief Operating Officer of Gatlin Education Services, Inc., the world’s largest online career training programs provider. Mr. Lamkin oversees the company’s day-to-day operations and performance along with that of Gatlin International in England and Gatlin Learning.

Written by: Mark Lamkin, COO of Gatlin Education Services

How to promote your business on a shoe string budget!

2008-06-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

How do you promote your home based business on a shoestring budget?

I get asked this question many times and hope that the following information will help you with promoting your home based business without breaking the bank so to speak.

First, you want to know which advertising method are the most effective for your business at the minimum cost. Set up an advertising budget and do not spend more than what is indicated on your budget. You may want to consider the following advertising methods for your business:

• Flyers
Flyers are a great way to solicit your business. Although the return of people actually seeing your advertising is lower then other advertising avenues, this is a cost effective method. You should advertise in flyers around seasonal peaks and ebbs. Choosing the right time to place an ad on flyers is important if you want to get a higher exposure rate. Flyers can be designed on your computer or at a printer location. Distribute them to specific areas which you’ve identified as potential business. Remember to monitor the response rate of flyer distribution.

• Newspaper advertising
Consider placing an ad in the local community paper and don’t forget the classified section. Rates are cheaper for as long as you run the advertisement. Many papers are now hip to home based businesses and have advertising displays which are quite cheap. Check your local community paper for details.

• Brochures
Brochures that are professionally prepared are invaluable for trade shows, networking events, mailings, promotions and seminars. It should give enough information, but peek the curiosity of obtaining a call from a potential client. Take the time to prepare an informative brochure that is professional and shows you as an expert in your field. Remember to also include your website/blog in all your brochures.

• Thank you cards
When you receive business from clients, be sure to knowledge them by sending a “thank you” card. Offer a discount fee if they recommend you to friends and neighbors and remember to send those referrals a “thank you” card as well. Your efforts will be remembered.

• Word-of-mouth advertising
Word-of-mouth advertising spreads twice as fast as conventional advertising methods. When you give the very best to please a customer, they will spread the good word for you. When closing a business deal, make sure to provide them with brochures, business cards, etc. and ask that they refer you to their friends, families and neighbors. Word-of-mouth is a very cheap and effective method of advertising. Remember those “thank you” cards and before you know it, your business will prosper!

I hope the above methods will give you an insight of how promoting your home based business on a shoe string budget is possible. There are many more ways to promote your home based business and you should read up on marketing books for some fresh and innovative ideas that will assist to effectively promote your business. Analyze your marketing methods and apply what works best for your business success!

Copyright © 2000-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Creative Commons License. This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License
To re-publish content from this article, please include the following paragraph byline…
START BYLINE
* Articles written by Sonia colon may be used with permission from Sonia Colon of My Fashion E-Mall Blog
END BYLINE

Can I show you Ken's business?

2008-06-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

If you have been marketing on the Internet for any length of time, chances are you have heard of Derek Gehl. Derek is one of the most successful REAL-LIFE Internet marketing experts online today.

I have learned more about the hard-hitting Internet marketing strategies that really work directly from Derek and his team than any other so-called Internet marketing expert. So when I saw this idea from Derek, it only took me a few minutes before
I was once again amazed by the POWERFUL STRATEGIES he had uncovered.

I am talking about a monthly publication that gives you the NO BS EXAMPLES of real people making real money and the exact STEP-BY-STEP DETAILS of how they're doing it!

Derek introduces you to people just like you and me -- real people who are making real money on the Internet -- and shows you the exact strategies they have used to generate incomes in excess of $100,000 to $600,000 online every year... most of them working from home!

I was in his private site just yesterday, and even though I've personally been marketing on the `Net for quite some time, I learned some killer new tricks from people like...

- Robert who turned his $275 a week paycheck into a site of
online investigative resources that takes him only 2
hours each day to run... while earning him OVER $250,000
A YEAR in profits!

- Ellen, a work-at-home mom who generates a great
income by simply selling her homemade soaps from
her site!

- Ken who made $300,000+ IN HIS SECOND YEAR OF BUSINESS by
teaching people how to daytrade on the Internet... all
from his beachfront condo in Hawaii.

- Andy, who makes $600,000 a year educating others about
the hairloss industry and showing people how he managed
to reverse his own hairloss!

... and these are just a few of the people that have already been EXTENSIVELY INTERVIEWED for Derek's private web site. With his monthly subscription you will be exposed to 2 additional interviews every single month.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These are not the typical amateur interviews... You will hear these people answer some extremely tough questions about the exact strategies, software, and tools they used to start, build, and grow their businesses to their current success. You'll even hear about the mistakes they made, and how they suggest YOU avoid them!

So if you want to skip the failing promotions and get a personal tour of REAL WEB SITES built by REAL PEOPLE making REAL PROFITS on the Internet, then go to...

http://dynamic.secretstotheirsuccess.com/t.cgi/771270

... and take advantage of the invaluable tips and tricks that these Internet successes reveal so that you can start applying them to your business today.

All the best,
Sonia Colon

P.S. As an extra bonus, you'll also have the opportunity to enter a special draw for a site review done by Derek and his team (valued at $5,000).

Each month, a member's site is drawn and then reviewed by Derek and his team, who dissect the site and give tips and tricks they can use to really accelerate their growth and sales.

PLUS! Even if your site isn't chosen, you get the benefit of seeing all of the profitable suggestions that Derek and his team make -- many of which will likely apply to your site, too!

Asopao with Shrimp and Vegetables

2008-06-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

This Puerto Rican soup is perfect for satisfying late-night revelers.

1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon annato seeds (achiote)
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 small red chiles, such as ajíes dulces or ripe jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups tomato sauce
8 cups chicken broth
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 one-pound bags frozen mixed vegetables
4 cups cooked white rice
36 medium-size uncooked shrimp

PREPARATION

Place the olive oil and annato seeds in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook until the oil turns red and the seeds begin to release their aroma. Remove the oil from heat and strain into a small dish. Discard the seeds. Return the oil to the stockpot. Sauté onion and chiles in the oil until onion is almost translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, broth, bay leaves, oregano, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the frozen vegetables. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables are nearly tender. Add the rice and shrimps. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the shrimps turn pink and are cooked through. Makes 12 servings.

Courtesy of Latina Magazine!

Is working at home right for you?

2008-05-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

Working at home is definitely right for me...is working at home right for you?

If you're a mom or dad who aches to be there when the kids come home from school, or you are tired of the corporate lunches and the 9-5 ride, maybe there's another way to earn a living. The many attractions to working from home include:

* Commute time
* Save money
* Flexibility
* Tax break ... just to name a few<

All of the above benefits add up to increased job satisfaction and profitability if your true passion is to work at home. I truly believe that if we are doing what we love, we will be productive and feel excited about work which in return will translate to profitability.

Finding a passion brings the elemental question of finding your life's purpose. Evaluating how realistic working at home would be for you. Find out your work style. Do you mind being isolated for a few hours a day? If not, then perhaps setting a schedule to get out of the house a few hours a week would help.

If you've been in the corporate world for a long time, how will you feel when you see your neighbors head off to their jobs? Would you feel free? Scared? Delighted? Confused? Relieved? For most new work-at-homers, there is a period of adjustment. Others, make the adjustment rather quickly...so be prepared.

It helps if you're clear about the reasons you've decided to work from home in the first place. Writing down questions and answers to help you decide is a start. You may want to consider questions such as:

* What do I assume will be the real benefits for me and/or my family?
* Is this the best time to consider working from home?
* What facts should I have before making the decision to work from home?
* Do I know where to get support both emotional and technical?
* Is it financially better to work at home or go to a regular job?
* Am I disciplined enough to work at home every day?

You may also have other questions to add. Remember, working at home isn't for everyone. However, when you have honestly asked and answered these questions, you're well on your way to discovering whether working at home is right for you.

Copyright © 2000-2008. All Rights Reserved.

Creative Commons License. This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

To re-publish content from this article written by Sonia Colon, please include the following paragraph byline...
START BYLINE
* Articles may be used with permission from Sonia Colon of My Fashion E-Mall Blog
END BYLINE

Agua de Jamaica

2008-05-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup sugar
12 hibiscus teabags (2 grams each)

PREPARATION

Bring 6 cups water to boil in saucepan. Remove from heat, add sugar and steep teabags. Cover and let cool. Remove teabags and refrigerate in pitcher until chilled. Serve over ice. Makes 6 servings.

From Latin Chic: Entertaining with Style and Sass, by Carolina Buia and Isabel C.
González

Do-It-Yourself SEO: A Beginner's Checklist!

2008-05-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

There have always been do-it-yourselfers succeeding at web promotion and search engine optimization. In fact, many of the established businesses offering web services today came from humble beginnings, perhaps nothing more than a college student with a laptop, an internet connection, and too much free time. The Web evolves as the result of the innovation and experimentation of individuals. The sharing of knowledge. The do-it-yourself attitude.

As text link brokers and mass link networking decrease in value and use in social media increases, it becomes more important for companies to have an internal approach and awareness of search engine marketing. Don't get me wrong; outsourcing to SEO firms is still a smart option. That said, making the most out of Web 2.0 usually requires some level of cooperation between SEO firm and site owner. You don't need to be an expert to know the basics of good SEO practices, and that added knowledge will be a great advantage whether you're working along side an SEO team, or promoting your own site in your spare time.

So if you're on a "need to know" basis with SEO, the following points should illustrate what an overall plan should include:

1. Create Search Engine-Friendly Content

Unique web content is your most valuable asset, and ensuring search engines can read it is crucial. Text embedded in images or Flash cannot be read, so make sure you use important keywords, headings, and hyperlinks in plain text form. Instead of using images as navigation links, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) makes it easy to format those links to look more like 'buttons', thus creating powerful anchor text as well as making it visually appealing. Use heading tags properly and don't try to hide keywords or text by making it the same color as the page background or shrinking it so it can't be seen. Make sure the keywords you wish to rank high for are used frequently in the page copy but within reason.

Now that you've created good content, is it actually being crawled? Copy and paste a page's URL into a search engine to see if it has been indexed. If you've just created the page, it may take a few days to show up. Aside from age, many factors can lead to web pages not being indexed by search engines, such as duplicate content (ie. a printer-friendly version of a page might be indexed and the normal version not, or vice versa); links generated by JavaScript instead of HTML; poor site architecture (ie. using too many sub-directories); lengthy, dynamically generated URLs using special characters; and orphaned pages.

2. Choose Your Keywords Wisely

One of the first steps of SEO, this one needs to be done properly the first time or all your future efforts and promotion could end up being wasted. Start by writing down general terms that describe your products, services or web content. Use keyword research services to investigate word and phrase variations. Wordtracker, KeywordDiscovery, and the Google AdWords suggestion tool are good starting points. The goal is to find those niche phrases that your target market uses to find sites just like yours and optimize your site for them. If the phrases do not get enough use by searchers, your profits from ranking for them will be low. At the same time, stay away from general terms that are tougher to rank for (ie. like "art", "computers", "business", etc.) as a great portion of the traffic will be irrelevant and you'll break the bank attaining such competitive phrases.

3. Get Others to Link to Your Site

In theory there are countless ways, some traditional and some quite innovative, to get other web sites to link to yours. In practice, it can be easier said than done. Google defines a link as it pertains to rankings and SEO as a "vote" from one site to another. The more quality votes your site receives, the greater chance you have of rankings well. If a well established site links to yours, that link carries more weight than one would from a mom & pop shop or less reputable page.

If your site has useful content and is doing something unique, you're already ahead of much of the competition. People need a reason to link to your site, as very few will do it out of the goodness of their heart. Trading links can work, but link exchange networks have decreased in value and won't be of much use in competitive fields. Buying links, if you haven't heard, is a big Google no-no. While entire articles could be written on this topic, here are a few popular methods of acquiring incoming links:

- issuing company press releases with a link back to your site
- submitting to reputable business directories such as Yahoo! and Business.com
- be active on related blogs by commenting and exchanging ideas
- if you have clients with web sites, ask if they would mind adding your link in a "partners" section
- participate in relevant forums and discussion boards with a link in your signature
- write and submit original articles to web publications in your field with a link in your bio
- get involved in social media and bookmarking

4. Join the Social Media Revolution

The collaboration between Internet users and the development of online communities is at an all-time high. Social bookmarking sites such as Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Furl, Reddit, and Technorati offer users a way to store their favorite pages and media online, and share it with others. These services also provide a way to promote your own content or create a buzz over a product or service. Creating a Myspace page or Squidoo "lens" is also a way to network and share information.

However, if your goal is to generate sales then you must offer something without the promotional hype. The reality of social media is that popularity is based almost entirely on public interest. If your information or media isn't unique or of interest to anyone, you cannot force success using social media communities.

The key to using social media and bookmarking sites to your advantage is to not be shy. Network with other users, bookmark and share useful content, create eye-catching titles for your entries, and tell your friends and co-workers to vote on content you have on these sites.

These four points are a general guidelines to follow for SEO. Search engine optimization experts and firms are a good outsourcing option in competitive markets, while the DIY attitude can yield great results for web site owners with smaller marketing budgets. If you're in the latter group, hopefully this helps get you started.

About the Author: John Metzler has held executive positions in the search engine marketing industry since 2001. He is the Founder of FreshPromo, a Canadian-based SEO firm and updates his blog regularly.

Latin Recipe ~ Cuban Bean Soup

2008-05-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1 can (16 oz.) black beans with juice
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1 tbsp. wine vinegar or sherry (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro sprigs

PREPARATION

In medium pot, heat olive oil over medium to high heat; stir in garlic and onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato, then cook another 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, broth (add less for thicker soup) and wine vinegar, and mix. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cilantro.

Courtesy of Latina Magazine

What Does Marketing Mean?

2008-05-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

You can have the best little business ever with wonderful potential, but if you can't market it, you don't have a business at all.

Learn how to market yourself, because you are your business. Don't confuse the terms "marketing," "advertising," and "promotion." These terms carry a different tune.

Marketing means informing your potential clients about your products or service, and finding ways to establish and keep a customer base. Your target market is the specific group of people that consume your product or utilize your service.

Advertising refers to the various media used to convey your message. Printed advertisement, radio air time, television commercials and the Internet are all part of advertising that conveys your business message to the public.

Promotion refers to the various methods by which you convey your message to customers. When you communicate with the public, you're promoting your business. Many people will join business associations, or set up displays in malls and craft show for promotional purposes.

Many people feel lost and uncomfortable with marketing and promotion. However, the longer you research your market, your product and your competition, the more comfortable you will become in marketing and promoting your products and or service.

It takes time to learn what works for your business. You will constantly need to effectively find new methods because the old methods will stop working.

Be the very best you can be by working on your personal skills, and successful marketing and promotion will ultimately follow.

Coconut-Pineapple Batido

2008-05-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 can (16 oz.) cream of coconut
1/3 large, ripe pineapple (about 4 cups), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup crushed ice

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in blender and frappé until smooth. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Courtesy of Latina Magazine

Are you using your eBook as a marketing tool?

2008-05-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

e-Books are a fantastic way of advertising your expertise. You can write an e-Book on just about anything you can think of, provided it will give your customers the information they are seeking.

What are the benefits to writing an e-Book?

The benefits of writing an e-Book is additional exposure for your business. e-Book Pro is a great publishing program. You may also use Adobe/pdf and compile your e-Book too. Offer your e-Book to your subscribers for free whenever they sign up for your newsletter and it can become an instant marketing tool for your business. Remember and add your business url address to your e-Books.

So with that said, are you using your e-Book as a marketing tool? If you have, that’s great. If not, here are a couple of ideas to write about and get you started:

*Recipe’s
Do you love to cook?
Many people love cooking and are always seeking the best recipes that are out there. Wouldn’t compiling your recipes in an e-Book format expose your skills and your business?

*Software information
Are you a computer whiz? There are many people out there that aren’t. Wouldn’t your knowledge help others as well?

*Travel information
Do you love to travel? Are you familiar with the hottest locations and cheapest hotels? Let us know about it!

*Crochet information
Do you just love to sew? Are you constantly complimented on how you do your stitching work? Share the love!

*Website information
Are you great at web design? Why not share your ideas?

*Business tips
Are you a successful business person? What are you doing to make it happen? What are your success stories?

The above suggestions are just to name a few. An e-Book can become an extension of you and your business and is a great marketing tool!

Copyright © 2000-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Creative Commons License. This is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License
To re-publish content from this article, please include the following paragraph byline…
START BYLINE
* Articles may be used with permission from Sonia Colon of My Fashion E-Mall Blog
END BYLINE

Taking your blog to the next level!

2008-05-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

In this post, WebWiseWordstalks about "Taking Your Blog to the Next Level"!

If you already have your own blog, or are thinking of setting one up, you've undoubtedly read one or more of the beginner's guides to blogging that frequent the Internet. Blog often and provide unique, fresh, entertaining, accurate, and relevant information. That's the content of virtually all of those articles, but this information is only going to get you so far.

The information they provide will help you drive traffic to your blog, as long as you stick at it, and some of the more in depth articles may even give you a basic shove in the right gold paved direction. However, there will come a time when you're ready to take your blog to the next level.

Wordpress And Why We Believe It's Essential For A Successful Blog

First off, I feel this has to be said - if you're not using Wordpress then it's highly likely that you're missing out. Wordpress has the biggest collection of plugins, themes, and other features of any blogging platform and, of course, it's free. Rather than spend money on using another blogging platform, save your dollars to pay for a custom design or get help with marketing.

What Plugins Do For You

Plugins represent the greatest time saving addition to your blog, as well as the greatest opportunity to add increased features and functions that will help you take your blog to the next level. To really succeed in blogging for money, you need to start treating your blog like any website owner treats their website. This means you have to look at it like a business.

A Small Selection Of Top Notch Plugins

Wordpress plugins offer a huge range of different functions and features that you couldn't otherwise obtain. We've listed a few of what we believe to be the more important here but there are many others:

Google Sitemaps - The Google Sitemaps plugin automatically creates an XML sitemap, which can be submitted to many of the major search engines. It will also automatically inform them (ping) when you add any new posts or pages to your blog.

Firestats - There are several in-depth stat packages available as plugins but our personal favorite is the Firestats package. It is crucial that you track and act on the stats for your website. Knowing how your readers found your site can help you with promotion and improve your profit levels by giving you a clearer picture of exactly what your visitors are looking for. It's also good to know the topics that are working out and those that aren't.

Social Bookmarking - The social bookmarking plugin adds the links to the bottom of your posts that lets readers quickly and conveniently bookmark a post with their preferred social bookmarking site. Some of these sites can help you generate traffic and even improve your search ranking.

All In One SEO - The All In One SEO plugin enables you to add a title, description, and keywords to each of your posts. These can help improve search engine results and make your posts appear cleaner in the search results. It can also be used to ensure that visitors are highly targeted.

Related Entries - It's important to get traffic flowing around your posts because the more of your site a person views, the more likely they will be to click affiliate links or Adsense links. If your blog is entirely related to your business, they will be more likely to buy your products or pay for your services.

Adsense Deluxe - Don't let the name fool you. Adsense Deluxe provides a fast and efficient method of adding Adsense code to any post or page, with just a single tag, but it also does the same for Yahoo Publisher Network (YPN) ads.

Comment Subscription - The big benefit of a blog is that you can often persuade interested visitors to keep returning to your corner of the net. The comment subscription plug in further enables them to sign up and be notified of any responses to comments they have added.

Monetizing Your Blog

If you want to make money from your blog and you have a reasonable amount of traffic then the methods of advertising you use will quickly become an important topic to you. There are a lot of different ways to monetize a blog, and it would be damaging of me to try and tell you exactly what method will work without knowing at least a little about your blog. However, there are some things we will willingly share.

Don't Sell Out - There's a temptation for those with more mature blogs to write a post and review an item, website, or service and get paid for doing so. Our opinion on this can be summed up in pretty much one word or two; "don't" or "do not". You might think that you can write a genuinely informative piece and be completely open and honest without your readers ever realizing what you are doing but it is highly unlikely that this is the case.

Sponsorship - Sponsored advertising is a great way to monetize some blogs. Generally speaking (and there are exceptions), the more specific the topic of a blog, the more likely this will prove to be a viable advertising solution and it may be easier to bag sponsored ads than you think. And, because this is Wordpress, there are plugins that help you do it too (AdServe is a good one).

Affiliate Data Feeds - Most affiliate networks have some form of data feed or affiliate feed. If you intend to promote affiliate programs then make the most of these, but ensure that the feed fits with your site. Don't just slap up a bit of code and expect it to miraculously turn your hobby blog into a multi-million dollar, award winning blog because it takes careful planning, ad placement optimization, and some trial and error to get the best results. Guess what? There are numerous plugins to use with the Amazon affiliate program and other programs so make the most of them.

Blog Networks

The final point we're going to cover in this, now extensive, article is whether or not you should join a blog network. A blog network is, unsurprisingly, a network of blogs. The overall aim and the method that connects the blogs differs with each network. Some may be connected by having different subdomains on the same main domain. Others may simply use the same banner. Similarly, some networks are established to bring profit to bloggers and (understandably) to the network owner. Other networks want nothing more than to promote a near state of hippie euphoria over one particular topic.

To Join Or Not To Join

It seems to have become a habit but we can't honestly tell you whether you should definitely join, or definitely not join, a blogging network. They work out for some by providing traffic, improving search rankings, and even helping out with the general blogging process. However, other blogs would fare better on their own, especially the more popular ones. Similarly, some networks are so powerful that they can generate thousands of hits to a blog instantly before you even submit a post, while your blog may carry a smaller network if you have good traffic levels.

The reason that a lot of bloggers do join a network is so that they can network with other bloggers. It provides a sense of belonging and can help develop blogging relationships. If you get invited or accepted into a particularly large network then you should consider trying it because it really can pay dividends but be warned that the large networks have pretty stringent guidelines that you must adhere to in order to be accepted.

What's Next For Your Blog?

This article covers some of the blogging factors that you need to look at when you consider taking your blog to the next level. Simply posting good content will often help you build traffic, but that's really all it will do. You need to monetize that traffic, and where possible, keep it returning over and over again. You should also employ some methods of further building your traffic, other than posting good posts.
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About the Author: WebWiseWords provides access to a group of professional, freelance blog writers that specialize in blog writing on any topic at highly affordable rates. Whether you want daily, weekly, or monthly posts we can meet your needs.

Latin Recipe ~ Mojito (Fresh Mint Rum Julep)

2008-05-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

This legendary Cuban cocktail is scented with yerba buena (known for stimulating the senses) and cleanses the palate for the feast ahead. Prepare each drink separately. Serve with light finger foods such as figs, almond-stuffed Spanish olives, nuts, cheese, grapes, or raspberries.

2 or 3 fresh mint leaves and 1 sprig of mint, for garnish
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
Crushed ice
1 1/2 ounces white rum
Club soda or seltzer water

PREPARATION

Place mint leaves and sugar in a highball glass. Crush leaves lightly with a spoon. Add the lime juice and stir. Add ice and rum, then top off the drink with club soda or seltzer water. Stir again, garnish with the sprig of mint, and serve. Makes 1 serving.

Courtesy of Latina Magazine.

Get $1,000s Worth Of One-on-One Internet Marketing

2008-05-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

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(No, that's not a typo! You can get a full MONTH of expert website consulting for the price of a Starbucks coffee!)

To learn more, visit: http://www.marketingtips.com/internetentrepreneurclub/t/771270

2008-05-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! May this day be filled with love & blessings :)

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Sauce

2008-05-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Yummy!

INGREDIENTS

Mango Sauce
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes
1/2 large ripe mango, peeled, cut from pit, and chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 small jalapeño chile, seeded and diced
2 1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp. kosher salt

For the mahimahi:
4 (6-oz.) mahimahi fillets (or other firm white-flesh fish)
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Mango-shrimp salsa (see separate recipe below)

PREPARATION

Light fire in charcoal grill, or heat grill pan over high heat. Grill tomatoes on all sides until charred. In medium saucepan combine tomatoes with remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to simmer over low heat, and cook about 15 minutes, until thickened. Transfer to blender and purée until smooth.

Coat mahimahi with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Oil grill grids or pan, and grill mahimahi on one side about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn, baste with mango sauce, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until opaque throughout. Brush fillets with remaining sauce, and serve on bed of mango-shrimp salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

Courtesy of Latina Magazine