Cuban Heritage Day at Dodger Stadium happened and Los Angeles Cubans came out in force. Because it was a very full weekend, I'm still trying to gather my thoughts in a "Wow. Did all that just happen?" kind of way. I'm going to try to describe the weekend with a basic chronology and from my own personal point of view, starting with Saturday night. ...
Celebrate
I'm Cuban. I throw lots of parties. You shouldn't be surprised.
Celebrating Your Cubanity With Santayana Jewelers
As I'm continuing to celebrate my 13 Years in the Blogosphere, I have to mention the relationships that I've developed through my blog, because those are the things I treasure most. My Big Fat Cuban Family consists of a lot of people. Besides my 4 sisters and my brother, my 4 kids and their significant others, my 2 gorgeous grandsons, and a large ...
Thirteen
It just so happens that this day, October 1st, 2019 marks the 13th year that I've called myself a Blogger and have inhabited this space on the internet. I think this makes me The Oldest Living Blogger, but that's not important right now. Thirteen years! That's like a cute, but smart-mouthed teenager! Or perhaps, out here in the Blogosphere ...
Freaky Fruits and Spooky Sauces
Put down your pumpkin spice lattes, kids! I've got something you're going to like so much better. Does everyone know that it’s Freaky Fruit season? I know NOW. I did NOT know this tasty tidbit until my friends over at Melissa’s Produce (who know this kind of stuff; see this article) sent over a box of this season’s freakies (<--is that a word?) ...
Crema de Vie – A Cuban Family Tradition
I've often shared how my family, instead of baking Christmas cookies for gifts, makes a super delicious please-don't-call-it-egg-nog Cuban "egg nog." We call it Crema de Vie and it has been a Cuban family tradition for as long as I can remember. I remember as a child getting to have a sip on Christmas eve. (Shut up. The rum was only used as a ...
Celebrating Abuela’s 12 Days of Christmas – a lo Cubano
Last year around the Christmas season, Jonathan and I got a call that the lovely and talented Jenny Lorenzo (that's Abuela to you) needed some background people for a Christmas video she was shooting. Would we be interested? Without hesitation, our answer was a resounding, ABSOLUTELY! Also, would I be able to make and bring a bunch of maduros? ...
The Best Strawberry Snack Ever
This is a sponsored post by California Strawberries and Society Culinaria. The opinions are my own. I can't say where this simple recipe originated but I can say for certain that every time I've served it to my guests, it's always met first with happiness. "Yay, strawberries!" Of course, because who doesn't love fresh summer strawberries? ...
The Party’s Over
{DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by P&G & Bounty Paper Towels. All opinions that follow are my own.} One of the loveliest things in my life right now is the gift of my gorgeous grand-boys, Asher and Sebastian. While Asher is 2,980 miles away in Washington DC, Sebastian (you may call him Bash) lives 5 minutes away and is in our lives ...
Mami Likes/Loves Cafe La Llave – A Giveaway
This post is sponsored by my favorite coffee people, Café La Llave. The opinions contained in this piece are all my very own. Someone asked me the other day about Cuban Coffee. She asked the difference between Cuban espresso and "American" coffee. I kind of went off about everything that I love about Cuban coffee, from the beautiful aroma to the ...
25 (and a Half) Years
It's already February, people. Next week is Valentine's Day. Wait. What happened to January? Is it just me? Or does time appear to be like Millennium-Falcon-in-hyperspace zooming away? I'm having a serious case of Tempis Fugit* right now. (*that's Latin for "time flies." Yeah. All those years of Catholic really school paid off, didn't they?) Six ...
My Big Fat Cuban Christmas Gift Guide 2017
{This is not a sponsored post. All the businesses I'm promoting happen to be ones that I personally like and can recommend.} Christmas shopping is wonderful and terrible, isn't it? We are all generous people and if you're anything like me (and I know you are) you're always looking for the very best Christmas gift for the people on your Nice ...
It’s Cuban Christmas Crema De Vie Time!
It really is the most wonderful time of the year. And as I'm fond of saying, Christmastime is absolutely the best time of the year to be Cuban. Why? I wrote all about that right here: 10 Things That Are Awesome About Being Cuban at Christmas. You're welcome. You'll notice that the very first thing on that list is Crema de Vie. It's our own ...
Get It Before Christmas
Let me explain Cuban Gift Giving for just a moment. At least how it has always worked in my family. The Scene: You're at a family gathering, which for a Cuban family pretty much means any night of the week or stray weekend. You mention that you saw a cute ________ (<--insert name of cute thing you saw in passing) at a shop nearby while you were ...
Elena Ruz Turkey, Guava & Cream Cheese Sliders Recipe
Ah, Thanksgiving. I love this holiday so much. I love that a day has been set aside to give thanks. And I have so very much to be grateful for. I especially love knowing that families across the country are gathered together around the family table, because to me that is an absolutely sacred space. I have posted about how I go about styling ...
There’s No Place Like Home
I'd like to be able to report that I had a Master Plan from the beginning, but that would be a lie. I'm talking about Halloween 2017 At The Darby's. I'm about to let you in on my creative process and how my family works with me to make me crazy help me make it happen. In this case, I had seen a friend's Facebook post last year. (Last year!) ...
Gift Ideas You Will LOVE. I promise.
{DISCLOSURE: I've partnered with one of my favorite online shops, Uncommon Goods to write this post, all opinions that follow are my own.} First, I feel like I have to explain where I stand on Christmas and decorating and shopping before I share all these wonderful ideas. I, like pretty much everyone else, LOVE Christmas. But I really don't like ...
