• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
My Big Fat Cuban Family

My Big Fat Cuban Family

Cuban recipes, family, heritage, and culture.

  • Meet Marta
    • Media Mentions
  • Lifestyle
    • Cuban-American Life
    • My Big, Fat, Cuban Family
  • Entertainment
    • Disney
    • Marvel
    • Television
    • Concerts
    • Books
    • Theatre
  • Celebrate
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Cuban Christmas
    • Mother’s Day
    • Movie Nights
    • Summer Nights
  • Recipes
    • Cuban Recipes With Pictures
    • Family Favorites
    • My Cook Book
  • Shop
    • Cuban Foods Poster
    • Cuban T-Shirts
    • Costa Rican Foods Poster
    • Honduran Foods Poster
    • Puerto Rican Foods Poster
    • Salvadoran Foods Poster
    • Scottish Foods Poster
    • Customize Your Own
    • Cuban Goodies In Your Mailbox
  • Contact
    • Advertise
  • Archives

Dear Desi… (A birthday love letter.)

January 19, 2012 By Marta Darby 23 Comments

A few years ago, thanks to the magic of the internets and because of a series of happy accidents, I got to meet one of my Cuban childhood crushes.

In fact, you can read about My Adventures with Desi in the Blog Category that has his name, Desi Arnaz Jr. (I know I could change the category name to "My Adventures with Desi." I don't, because I just really like seeing his full name on my blog * sigh*, but that's not important right now.)

Desi & me

It's Mr. Marta's-Childhood-Crush's Happy Birthday today. =D

Dear Desi,

I wish you the happiest of birthdays today! Much love and good wishes!

Besos,

Marta

P.S. I promise to make you some of my famous arroz con pollo and maybe some more pastelitos on my next visit.

Desi & me & pastelitos

Feel free to leave Desi a birthday greeting on this post. I know his wife, my friend Amy will make sure that he sees it. 😉

I know. I'm a fool. *sigh*

You might also like:

Desi’s in Miami this weekend (and I am not). *sigh* An Historical Day All Desi. All the time. Thor: The Dark World – A movie review (and love letter)

Filed Under: Current Affairs Tagged With: Cuban recipes with pictures, desi, Desi Arnaz Jr-, homemade pastelitos de guayaba

Previous Post: « IMUSA Orange(!) Caldero – A Winner
Next Post: Out with the Old (relatively speaking) #firstworldproblems »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda says

    January 19, 2012 at 6:54 am

    Happy birthday Desi!!

    Reply
  2. Cristina Molina says

    January 19, 2012 at 7:18 am

    Dear Mr. Arnaz,Wishing you the Happiest of Birthdays and many, many more!
    I had the chance to say this to your sister once when I called in on a radio show she was a guest on, but now is my chance to say it to you: Your parents, with the creation of I Love Lucy, changed my life. I was taught Spanish first and my obsessive watching of I Love Lucy helped me learn English. :-). My whole life, whenever asked who my “idol” was, that answer was simple: Lucille Ball. I realize genetics play a part in who were are, but I say with absolute certainty that part of my nutty and wonderful personality is thanks to your mom and the amazing character she created with her comedic genius. The way my mom punished me when I was a kid was to forbid me from watching I Love Lucy. Going outside and playing, watching other TV was all fine, but she knew stopping me from watching my beloved show was the worst punishment ever. I cried on the days your parents passed, and I hope you know how much they touched my life and I’m sure countless lives around the world.
    Again, Happy Birthday to you (and sorry for carrying on)!!!

    Reply
  3. Lourdes says

    January 19, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Desi, muchisimas felicidades en tu cumpleaños! Best wishes for much health and happiness in the coming year.

    Reply
  4. Mirtha says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    Happy Birthday,Desi!! Muchas felicidades y bendiciones!

    Reply
  5. Grace says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    Happy Birthday, Desi! (Yes,I also had a crush on you!)

    Reply
  6. Mario (the Michigan one) says

    January 19, 2012 at 10:11 pm

    As a Cuban immigrant child, I remember feeling a little piece of connection watching the Lucy Show and knowing that Desi and his sister Lucy were also Cuban. Then many years later I remember being slightly jealous when I had a little movie star crush on Liza Minnelli and Desi was dating her. Tee hee. Will always love Lucy, Desi, and their lovely namesakes. Happiest of birthdays and so many more, dear Desi!!

    Reply
  7. Estela M. Sanchez says

    January 20, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    I just left a belated birthday greeting for Desi in Amy’s blog. Hope he had a great Birthday !!!! Estela from Miami.

    Reply
  8. Marta M. Darby says

    January 24, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    I love how you all sent my sweet Desi *heavy sigh* birthday greetings. His wife, Amy gave him all your love.Besos All!
    Marta

    Reply
  9. [email protected] says

    February 1, 2012 at 6:54 pm

    My dad told me that when he was a little boy that he used to play in the streets of Cuba with your dad, long before he became famous. I thought that was neat. Your dad being on american television raised an awareness of the cuban culture. Your mom was also amazing. So you are obviously amazing, especially since Marta had a crush on you 🙂 Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday Desi Jr!Lillian Gutierrez Newman

    Reply
  10. Patricia A Silvas says

    February 28, 2012 at 12:39 am

    Desi Jr,Happy Birthday! My daughter and I loved your parents show, they brought laughter to my parents livingroom.

    Reply
  11. Rose Morse says

    March 23, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Dear Desi,I will always have a found memory of you…about 30+ years ago, you were in a short lived TV show, I think about a robot or something, I really forget the show. But as a promo you came to a local mall in the Hudson Valley area of New York. I had my mom stay with my infant daughter while I went on line to meet you. Mom was seated directly across from you. Apparently as I waited on line, Mom decided to get your attention. She kept blowing kisses, winking and distracting you. When I finally got up to you, I saw what she was doing and tried to stop her. You asked if I knew the woman. Ashamedly I said I did. Your comment…”and they think my Mom is nuts!”
    PS. I remember the kiss! You kissed thousands that day…but I remember you had the softest lips! Thanks for a wonderful memory. I wish you all the best.

    Reply
  12. Miriam Evans says

    January 25, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    Happy Belated Birthday, Desi!! I hope you enjoyed Marta’s Pastelitos de Guayabas!!I have been a fan since you were a little boy appearing in the show with your Mom and Dad who I enjoyed so much! The best comedy show ever!! “Esta mujer esta loca”!!!

    Reply
  13. CarmenMaria says

    July 26, 2013 at 12:45 am

    Dear Desi,I’m a bit early … possibly the first in 2014. Lol!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I wish you many years of joy, good healthy, and prosperity. Thank you for your humanity.
    Sincerely,
    Carmen Montero

    Reply
  14. [email protected] says

    January 19, 2015 at 12:33 am

    Happy Birthday Desi !!! Hope you have a great day :)All the best for you and Amy !! Love you guys. Take care. Estela from Miami.

    Reply
  15. marlene valdes says

    January 19, 2015 at 7:04 am

    Happy Birthday Desi!!!We share the same birthday!!
    Have a marvelous day!
    Marlene Valdes

    Reply
  16. Ralph Rodriguez-Torres says

    January 19, 2015 at 7:50 am

    Hola DesiHappy Birthday and may abundant blessings be yours! Have an awesome day and maybe you can come to Miami in September (9/19) to take a part in the http://www.LiveLikeBella.org charity event for Childhood Cancer??? The cuban community would love to see you and have you be a part of this event. Or on FaceBook go to Live Like Bella.

    Reply
  17. Lilia says

    January 19, 2015 at 7:58 am

    Felicidades a Desi. Thank you for having shared your parents, and now their memory, with us!

    Reply
  18. sylvia says

    January 19, 2015 at 10:19 am

    Happy birthday Desi! You look just like your father! I grew up watching reruns of I Love Lucy. One of my favorite shows still to this day! Your parents were wonderful! Wishing you the best on your special day!!!!

    Reply
  19. [email protected] says

    January 19, 2015 at 10:30 am

    Happy Birthday! Feliz CumpleanosMuchos Besos
    Christina Marti

    Reply
  20. Sylvia Alvarez says

    January 19, 2015 at 10:36 am

    Happy Birthday, Desi! Thanks for some wonderful memories. !

    Reply
  21. Elizabeth says

    January 19, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    Happy birthday desi as you get older Te vez COMO Papi (desi senior)may god bless you and tu familia ! Sincerely Elizabeth dominguez-Abadin.

    Reply
  22. Sunny says

    January 19, 2015 at 5:07 pm

    Happy birthday Desi hope you had a fabulous day !!!

    Reply
  23. lily de armas says

    January 20, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    Happy bday Desi. Am a fan of your late parents and am waiting when a real movie or play of Lucy and Desi. I do have one actress in mind to play your mom and she is Debra mMessing who reminds me a lot of your mom. She is even a redhead. Wow wouldn’t it be nice. Again muchas felicidades yy mucha salud y bendiciones. A fan,Lily De Armas.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

EXPERIENCE CASA DE LA LOMA

Casa de la Loma on Airbnb

My Cuban T-Shirt Designs

“Cuban T-Shirts

Subscribe to MBFCF Newsletter!

Never miss a post! Sign up with your email address to receive recipes, news and updates right in your inbox!

Cuban Foods Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Coffee Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Desserts Poster

“Cuba poster - Cuban desserts subway art print

Most Recent Posts

  • 19 Stories I’m Excited to Tell
    October 1, 2025
  • Santayana loves Celia
    August 29, 2024
  • Post Solar Eclipse – Café La Llave Giveaway
    April 16, 2024
  • REAL Snow: A Darby Family Adventure
    March 19, 2024
  • Dulce De Leche Cheesecake with Maria Cookie Crust
    January 29, 2024

Cuban Recipes Cookbook

Cuban recipes with pictures cookbook from My Big Fat Cuban Family

Follow Me on Instagram

mybigfatcubanfamily

I love all things Cuban. I love to share stories, my family, food & recipes. I'm Marta. 💋🎉 @martadarby
Marta Darby Designs:
https://etsy.me/3ZWbWIS

Happy International Coffee Day! ☕️Make mine Happy International
Coffee Day! ☕️Make mine @cafelallave!Also, I’m celebrating 19 Years in the Blogosphere today! Woohoo!!🥳Please join me over on my blog for all the *“RELAJO!” 🎉💃🏻*(That’s Cuban for BIG FUN.)https://bit.ly/4gUtFqv
Where in the world is My Big Fat Cuban Family Mart Where in the world is My Big Fat Cuban Family Marta? 🌎 👀I’ve been so super obviously absent from all my socials, let alone my blog itself.
For a while there, I was overwhelmed by the once easy task of documenting my day-to-day life.Everywhere I looked, people moved on to high production video and I was hopelessly lost, so I put writing on the shelf and happily got caught up on all the seasons I’ve missed from the Great British Baking Show.But then, as I often say, “life is in session,” and my life was accumulating entire chapters before I could even type, “Oh, the Cubanity!”Which brings us to today. I’m starting to dip my toe back into writing online. Mostly, I miss the writing and telling about my extraordinarily ordinary life and the daily happenings at Casa de la Loma.So, tell me: Do you have any questions for me as I get back into the over-sharing of my days? 👀#mybigfatcubanfamily #belikemarta #callmewella #mbfcf
Starting my day as God intended. Amen. 🇨🇺☕ Starting my day as God intended. Amen. 🇨🇺☕️#cafecubano☕️
#cafelallave
Oh, the Cubanity!! 🇨🇺❤️#mybigfatcubanf Oh, the Cubanity!! 🇨🇺❤️#mybigfatcubanfamily
O’ Hi! 👋🏼 ☘️🇨🇺Always represent O’ Hi! 👋🏼 ☘️🇨🇺Always representing. 😉#mybigfatcubanfamily
#stpatricksday
Believe it. ☕️🥰❤️Happy Sunday, my fri Believe it. ☕️🥰❤️Happy Sunday, my friends. 🎉#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
I’m super crazy in love with my Christmas tree.🥰
And @gloriaestefan singing about it makes it that much more beautiful. Am I right? 🤩I’m over here waiting (rather impatiently) for Noche Buena to arrive. ⏱️
Who’s with me? 👀☺️🎄🙌🏼❤️#arbolitodenavidad
#feliznavidad
#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
I have a gift for you today on the blog. 🎁 Thes I have a gift for you today on the blog. 🎁 These Classic Cuban Crema de Vie printable labels designed by the lovely and talented @lucyruthdarby // I also share the recipe for our amazing Cuban egg nog. // 🇨🇺❤️ Merry Christmas, my friends.🎄 #itsacubanthing
bit.ly/2QJV2Ka
Best way to get from here to Noche Buena. Bring on Best way to get from here to Noche Buena. Bring on the @cafelallave
💚🗝️☕️🎄💃🏻🎶Feliz Navidad!!🎶🪅#cafelallave
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
Felicidades, @anaqooks !!! I can’t wait to dig i Felicidades, @anaqooks !!!
I can’t wait to dig in! So proud of you, my friend. 😘❤️🥰
Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites. You should totally Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites. You should totally make these for Thanksgiving. Also, practice taking bows and saying, “it was nothing.” 🇨🇺🎉🏆 Here’s the link -  bit.ly/GuavaBites #thefoodofmypeople #guavabites
A big a Thank You shoutout to @santayanajwlrs in M A big a Thank You shoutout to @santayanajwlrs in Miami for this gorgeous Celia Cruz quarter which they made into a FINE piece of jewelry. 🤩🇨🇺💃🏻🎶
I’ll be wearing it with great pride.
“Abre que voy! Cuida’o con Los callos!” 🎶
AZUCAR!!!#santayanajewelers
#celiacruzquarter
#mybigfatcubanfamily
Our favorite sound…🙌🏼☕️💚🗝️“Mas cafecito, por favor.” ☕️❤️#cafelallave☕️
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
#mybigfatcubanfamily
I want to recommend this beautiful story to you. 📕
1) Because the author @titaramirezwriter writes with such an appreciation for Cubanity. 🇨🇺🙌🏼
2) Also, is this the BEST quintessentially Cuban book title ever?? yes. Yes it is. 🇨🇺❤️🌴Felicidades, Tita on such a delicious read. ❤️🏆#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#dimelocantando
#tellittomesinging
I’m excited and proud to share that my shop, Mar I’m excited and proud to share that my shop, Marta Darby Designs on Etsy is back open for business! 🎉
I have food posters from many countries available in multiple colors. ⭐️
Choose from digital uploads, printed posters, or framed posters. (Link in bio)
Que pachanga! 💃🏻
Come take a look and shop around. You’re bound some to find something you love.❤️https://etsy.me/3ZWbWIS#cubanfoodposter
#martadarbydesigns
Croquetas > Pumpkin Spice
This is the truth. Don’t @ me. 🇨🇺
.
.
.
.
.#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
#mybigfatcubanfamily
#croquetas
#pumpkinspice
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m pretty easy to catch.
🤭#pastelitodeguayaba
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
AHORA SI!! 🚨 My friends at @santayanajwlrs le p AHORA SI!! 🚨
My friends at @santayanajwlrs le pusieron la tapa al pomo!
Have you seen the new Celia Cruz quarters?? 🇨🇺💰
Well, Santayana has designed this gorgeous piece of jewelry. Seriously. 🤩
I’ll tell you all about it over on my blog. 🗣️ Porque I have all the chisme on this gorgeous piece. ❤️I know. Im a little crazy about it because we Cuban Queens have to stick together. 😉Link in profile! ☝🏼 ¡AZÚCAR! 💃🏻https://www.mybigfatcubanfamily.com/2024/08/santayana-loves-celia/
My good friends at @albisacandles are celebrating My good friends at @albisacandles are celebrating that 5 Years ago they introduced the amazing Cuban Bread Candle into the world.🌎
Those of us who have difficulty finding Cuban Bread are so grateful for this very Cuban scent. 🇨🇺🥖
Congratulations, my friends! 🎉Try it. I promise you’ll never be the same. 🇨🇺🥖❤️Oh, the Cubanity! 🤯#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta. 🖖🏼😎
#cubanbread
#cubanbreadcandle
#albisacandles
This was my breakfast. ☕️
And my lunch. ☕️
And my afternoon snack. ☕️
Because CUBAN. 🇨🇺☕️Who’s with me? 🙋🏼‍♀️
Gracias, @cafelallave#cafelallave
#ohthecubanity
#cafecubano
Follow on Instagram

Follow Marta On Social

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

FEATURED POSTS

  • 19 Stories I’m Excited to Tell
    October 1, 2025
  • Dulce De Leche Cheesecake with Maria Cookie Crust
    January 29, 2024
  • My Big Fat Cuban Cooking Playlist
    November 21, 2016
  • Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites RecipeBacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites Recipe
    October 3, 2016
  • Chicken Soup Recipe - Cuban-styleChicken Soup Recipe: Cuban-style
    July 27, 2016

Blog Archives

Recommended Services

Orange County Private Investigator
Enterprise SEO

Footer

Meet Marta

Marta Verdes Darby is a Cuban-American food blogger in South Orange County.

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up For My Newsletter

January 2012
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031 
« Dec   Feb »

Copyright © 2025 my big fat cuban family