You know that I'm all about celebrating.
Big events. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Summer. Dinner. I believe in celebrating. Often. And well.
Today marks my 7th anniversary here in this space. SEVEN.
My big, fat, Cuban family is 7 years old today. And so I'm celebrating. *fires off the confetti canon*
But first you have to sit through the usual recap of my 7 years in the Blogosphere. 7 years, people! I totally deserve a party. Or at least a recap. But before the 7 year recap, how about a celebratory video?
Yes, I think a video would be perfect. Enjoy!
Did you know I also have a YouTube Channel? I know. The over-sharing never ends.
Also, if you're following me on Instagram, you'd recognize that most of my life takes place at #CasaDeLaLoma. I'm Smrtqbn, by the way. (See what I did there?)
Year One. October 1st, 2007. I was delighted to have found my voice and an audience.
Year Two. October 1st, 2008. I was taking care of my family and sharing the stuff I had cooked. And people liked it. Who knew? I also wrote a cookbook that year, which gave me something to give away. And so the giving away commenced in earnest.
Year Three. October 1st, 2009. Three years? I was amazed that I had been able to keep at it for so long. And I fell in love with you, my readers. Always kind and ever gracious. I felt like I had won the lotto.
Year Four. October 1st, 2010. I could have graduated from an institution of higher learning with a degree. Bachelor's in Bloggology?
Year Five. October 1st, 2011. It was a rough year, filled with some physical challenges, but then I became the "little Cuban that could" and just kept right on writing. (<–That last bit took tremendous grammatical focus, as do most of my blog posts, but that's not important right now.)
Year Six. October 1st, 2012. Six years. Add lots of great experiences and some amazing blog-friends later, I was still standing. Seriously so much to celebrate.
Which brings us to today.
Year Seven. I am so very grateful that I get to write and you are still there, reading and sharing your lives with me. You get my sense of humor and you seem to enjoy my writing style.
I have met so many of you in person and I'm always amazed and humbled by your enthusiastic response to whatever silly things I'm up to. I enjoy hearing from you on Facebook and Twitter and (even if I don't respond right away) I love receiving your emails.
And yes, of course I'm going to get to the giveaway, but first I want to say thank you. I would not be doing this at all if it wasn't for my awesome online and (for some of you) now real life friends.
Thank you. From the bottom of my big, fat, Cuban heart. Seriously. Thank you.
You may have noticed that I've changed up the banner up on top there and added color. It makes me happy and I hope you'll enjoy the things I've got coming up this year.
I have so much to celebrate!
In fact, I'm going to be celebrating ALL WEEK. From today, October 1st, 2013 through October 7th, 2013.
Seven glorious days and seven fun-filled nights of celebrating that I've survived and possibly even thrived right here on the internet. For this next week I've lined up some wonderful Cuban friends that I've met because of my blog who have graciously agreed to sponsor some very cool giveaways every single day for the ENTIRE WEEK to celebrate
each of my SEVEN bloggy years.
I can officially call this MBFCF Giveaway Week! (7 days and all that…) Yay!
To kick things off – here's MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #1
My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook
An autographed copy of My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook. I know. Shut up.
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win my cookbook and please answer the following question:
- When and how did you find My big, fat, Cuban family?
I'll choose a winner at the end of MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway Week on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11 am, so you have lots of time to enter.
Thank you again and let the celebrating begin!
Congratulations on your 7 years blogging about our wonderful culture, exquisite cousine and your family. You let us think we know your family personally, your blog bring me a lot of laughs and I love your Mom, give her a big kiss for me.
Congratulations Marta on the Big 7! A member of my own BFCF got me hooked on your BFCF. I love your blog… read it everyday ๐
Saludos Marta! Congratulations on your 7th Anniversary. I have been enjoying your blog for over four years now, but I sadly do not remember how I stumbled upon it ๐ I do remember enjoying every post, and I know that I will continue to love it as long as you continue doing what you do!
Happy Birthday MBFCF! XXOO
Congratulations my friend! So glad our kids introduced us to each other!!
Congratulations! I am very happy to have found your web site. I came to your site because My father asked me to find the Cuban way to make black beans and I love the short cut your daughter had prepared. I’m not much of a cook but the recipe helped me so much. My father loved them. Thank you for providing the recipes on your web site. ๐
Congratulations on the BIG 7 Marta!!You deserve to celebrate for 7 days.One day I was looking for Cuban recipes on the internet and there popped up your blog. I immediately bookmarked it. That was last year and I have anjoyed it ever since. I enjoy reading your stories, they bring us Cubans together, no matter which part of the world we are in. I think every Cuban household is the same more or less. I can relate with your stories and some are very familiar to my family. Un abrazo!!
Omg !!!! I soooo want a copy of your cookbook !!!! I love to read your blog, it makes sense to me…. I’m considering even to relocate to LA …. Congrats on your 7th anniversary …. Love!!!
I found you through a google search for a recipe and was hooked! This Miami born Cubanita loves feeding my gringo and miniCubanito good, Cuban food like I grew up on – but my mom didn’t teach me how to cook! The cookbook would be a great bday gift to me (10/9!)
I love your posts and blog you and your family help me connect with my heritage and my land of birth and share it with my kids, grandkids and friends. Thank you!Delia
Marta,Congratulations on 7 years!!! I really found your blog like a year ago and been a loyal follower ever since. Was born in Cuba,but left when I was 7. Though my mami taught me many wonderful recipes, I still enjoy looking and cooking some of your posted recipes. My fave….tamal en cazuela. Your blog is so funny and very informative and I enjoy reading it to my kids. I wish you much success and many more years.
Muchas felicidades! Me encanta tu blog, y la perspectiva de lo que es ser cubano fuera del ambiente de Miami. Deseรกndole que siga teniendo tanto รฉxito!
Congratulations Marta!May your success grow as one of your delicious puff pastry pastelito de guayaba! May your blessings keep coming. I found your blog one day looking for the “flan/cake” recipe. I remember this many moons ago, and one day missed it so much I searched and found your blog, I’ve been hooked ever since. Getting ready to do your arroz con pollo. Best wishes, xxxx
Congratulations Martica!!! My friend Anne Marie Fields introduced me to your blog and I’ve been hooked ever since! Haha, just realized that Irene said the same thing about being hooked:) Great minds think alike.
I found your blog through google when I was looking for some authentic cuban recipes after my Tia passed away last year. i never got a chance to get her recipes and the ones she had written down are very hard to read and followI must say I love your blog and your recipes…some are better than abuelas but please don’t tell lol congratulations on 7 years of blogging. As a cuban American I cringe ever time I find a recipe labeled as cuban and then it says to eat with tortilla? Definitely not cuban! Again Muchas gracias for the recipes. I love cooking authentic cuban dishes for my children and would love to win a copy of your cookbook.
I discovered MBFCF about five years ago via Babalu Blog. I love my cubiche bloggers. <3"Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it's your responsibility to love it, or change it." ~ Chuck Palahniuk
That quote reminds me of you because you always look like you have the JOY! Felicidades Marta!
Besos,
Ileana
Congratulations Marta!I came across your page through a mutual friend on Facebook and loved it since day one. I look forward to reading you posts and trying your recipes. Your Homemade Pastelitos de Guayaba recipe is always a hit at my house. Thank you for sharing your beautiful family and keeping our heritage alive. Here’s to many more years of you blogging. xxxooo
I Found you on Facebook through a friend. I have loved following you since then.You have a great blog.
Congratulations on your 7th year. I found you about 5 years ago searching for Cuban recipes. I have always looked forward to your posts and reading about your Big, Fat, Cuban Family.
Congrats, your blog always brings a smile.
Marti – I am new to your blog but I love it and I want a cookbook!
Felicidades!I “found” you when I read an article in our local Mission Viejo circular a few years ago. Yes, we are Cuban neighbors. Who knew!
I have tried your recipe for pastelitos and they are delicious!
I am all the way in TX while my entire amazing family is in FL. Cuban women as you know are very strong willed and take the job of cooking for their family with pride. My Grandma passed her recipes to my mother, who would not share lol but would cook for everyone. I love being able to cook Cuban food for my family because it makes me feel connected to my family soo far away. The problem is my mother’s memory is not so sharp anymore and I don’t have many authentic recipes. I’d love this book because your recipes are closest to my Abuela’s I’ve had besides my Mom’s, but she can’t cook anymore.
I found your blog through my cousin who told me about the blog
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I starting reading your blog about 5 years ago. I was looking for recipe for arroz con leche and found you and yours is the only one that I make now. I have since made many of your recipes. My husband has been very happy that I found your website ๐
Hi Marta!Congratulations!! I found your blog through my mother (I know, shut up!:)) who always reminds me that she found the awesomeness before I did. We talk about you the same way we do about Andy, Gloria and Lily! Jajaja.
I would love to win this because my copy of Cocina al Minuto is getting pretty worn out and would love to add this to the collection of Cuban cookbooks I plan to pass down to my daughter! ๐
Felicidades! I found your blog a year or two ago through Facebook and I have enjoyed all your posts and photos. I love cookbooks and would love to add an autographed copy of yours to my collection! Keep up the wonderful work!
I found this blog 2 years ago when I was looking for a recipe that has pork on it…and obliviusly Cubans have delicious recipes like Lechon Asado..mmm
Marta! “Mazal Tov” my fellow Cuban! May you continue in good health and great sense of humor to enlighten everyone about Cuban Culture!Love your stories, your recipes and sharing you with friends!
L’Chaim!
Tali DeCastro AKA: Jewban proud!
Found your blog over a year ago and I just love it !!!
I found your MBFCF Blog several years ago when I was searching for Cuban Cookbooks and recipes to give to my boys that were moving away. I have followed your blog since then and there isn’t one member of my family that doesn’t know about Marta from LA and her MBFCF. Thank you for connecting me with CUBAMERICAN, the movie – it was a wonderful experience to share with my family. By the way, they actually all think I am a lot like you (yes, I know, shut up!) and that couldn’t be a greater compliment. Felicidades en tu septimo aniversario!