Growing up, I had the honor and privilege of being surrounded by strong, wise, resilient and beautiful women. We call these women “Luchadoras” or warriors. 

Not until I was an adult and had children of my own, did I realize the magnitude of the strength and the perseverance needed to overcome so many of the battles faced by my grandmother and mother. Little did I know that the example of this strength would be the main motivator that would allow me to overcome my own obstacles later in life. 

We are all surrounded by women whose presence and energy motivates us to achieve the unachievable.  In your heart, you know exactly who that woman is. And sometimes, that woman is you. 

This month we celebrate International Women’s Month, and we highlight the resilience, strength, wisdom, and beauty of women all over the world. 

To continue the celebration throughout the year, we are introducing a monthly Women We Admire series that will feature a special woman in our community. Someone we admire, someone that uplifts other women and whose positivity and encouragement has kept us going. It’s a reminder to never forget who might be inspired by your journey, your successes, your perseverance or just by simply being you. 

Every month we will feature a different woman from our community, and I hope you will be inspired by her story as much as I have been inspired. 

To kick off our series, we will highlight local Texan Yvette Marquez from Muy Bueno Cookbook. I’ve followed Yvette’s journey for the past years, and she has been an amazing supporter of our brand as well as other Latina brands. As a small business owner, this gesture is tremendously appreciated and I’m so grateful our paths have crossed. 

Familia, please meet Yvette Marquez:

“Hola, I’m Yvette, an on-camera host, a home chef, an Emmy-winning producer and writer, award-winning food blogger, and author of Muy Bueno co-written with my mother Vangie and sister Veronica, published in 2012, Latin Twist co-written with Vianney from Sweet Life, published in 2015, and my latest cookbook Muy Bueno Fiestas.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN EL PASO, TEXAS

I’m a native Texan, born and raised in El Paso. I currently live in the beautiful state of Colorado with my husband and two children. I keep my heart in two places, because I’m completely in love with our home in Colorado and also a proud Tejana!

Here on Muy Bueno, I share delicious home-style Mexican recipes served with a heaping spoonful of heartwarming family stories. For me, food has become a way to share my cultural heritage and childhood memories with my family.

Mexican food and culture have always been a big part of my life. As a young girl, I remember learning to cook with my mom, Vangie, and my grandma, Jesusita. But it wasn’t until my grandmother passed away in 2004, at the age of 98, that I realized just how passionate I really was about keeping my culture alive in my own family.

It was then that I realized, if I didn’t cook, our family recipes would disappear. Instead, I decided to celebrate traditional Mexican foods and holidays with my children so they could appreciate the rich and unique heritage of Mexico.” 

To learn more about Yvette, please check out her website: Mexican & Latin-Inspired Recipes & Comfort Food - Muy Bueno Cookbook