Here I Am

Where do I start after being absent for so long? It's like a child that comes home after a long while. I cannot begin to describe motives or else I would never finish and it is not my intention to bore you or sadden you. It's been a very tough year. A year of not knowing what to do next and at the same time being forced to deal with it all, but here I am. For a while, I lost my passion for cooking, baking, inventing and to put it simple, if I would have continued writing on this blog, all posts would have been sad ones. The loss of my son is something so deep that no matter how much I can try to describe it, I never could. It's a magnitude of infinite levels. I've had to dealt with my mother's illness. She has been seconds away from death, yet she is still in this world, even though I doubt she knows. It has been quite an ordeal. It feels like I lost her a while ago, since she no longer knows who I am. Gone are the good conversations or the remember whens. With all this and more, I've tried not to loose myself and here I am, trying to keep whole, because we must always try to maintain whole.



                                                              Tuki Tuki Hearts

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No Greater Love

Hello beautiful people,

As we celebrate Mother's Day this coming Sunday, I reflect as I often do about motherhood. As far as I can remember I always wanted to be a mom. What an honor and privilege to be one! There is absolutely no greater love than the love for a child. When they enter our lives they become the center of our universe. We try to teach them well and best of all to be good people.

As you may know, Mother's Day is bittersweet for me (putting it mildly), because my beautiful Andy is in heaven, but his abundance of love is as warm and precious as if he was still here.
I am very grateful for my daughters Gigi and Anelle, as they are both one of a kind and very special people.

To all you sweet mommas out there, Happy Mother's Day!! May your day be special and surrounded by immense love.

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We Do What We Gotta Do

Hello dearest, how are you all today?
I have been very busy lately decorating our new home, marketing and more marketing for my
Tuki Tuki Baby store, marketing for my insurance business as a Property & Casualty agent and last but not least, baking cakes for a few friends here and there. Nothing is easy, but we do what we gotta do, right?
 It is extremely peaceful here in the coast of Florida, but so peaceful that I can hear my own thoughts. Today I am sharing a very simple cake. One that anyone can make. It's a no fuss one bowl cake. I usually never use cake mixes, but once in a while I purchase a box or two when they are on sale. Since my husband loves sweets, specially in the morning with his coffee, I always try to have something available for him. (He is too lazy to make himself some toast).

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 C sour cream
1/2 C brown sugar
1 C blueberries

Topping
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Spray with nonstick a bundt pan.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, mix first five ingredients until all is incorporated. Fold in blueberries. Pour cake batter into bundt pan and set aside.

For topping:
 In a small bowl mix all ingredients with a fork.

Add this topping over cake batter and gently work with a fork. No need to go deep into batter, just enough to mix it a little.

Bake for 1 hour or until insert comes out clean.

Enjoy and have a wonderful day!


I also wanted to share some new items in tukitukibaby.com. I am so in love with these letters! Great to personalize a baby's room. These are custom made, therefore design can be adapted to any letter. Feel free to email me at tukitukibaby@gmail.com for any questions. Summer sale coming soon. Will keep you posted.


                                             Love this Shabby Chic style

This is Tony the giraffe. Look at those lashes!

                                                           Tiny Dancer
                   

                                                For the little sailor in your life

                                                    This is Tommy the elephant

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Love, Love, Love

Love, Love, Love. Valentine's Day is every day. Every day we do and receive so many things which derive from love. Things which we sometimes even take for granted. But, we should always reflect on what really keeps us going and that is love. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

These marshmallows are so good! Ideal present for the children (and grown ups, too) in your life. These taste amazing and much different than store bought! Make them and you'll see!

Ingredients

1 C water

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C light corn syrup

1/2 T salt

2 Tbs vanilla

Approximately two C confectioner's sugar

Instructions

1 9x9 baking pan, buttered

In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, pour 1/2 C of water and sprinkle the three envelopes of gelatin. Don't do a thing, just let the gelatin soak a bit.

In medium saucepan over medium high heat, pour remaining 1/2 C water, granulated sugar and corn syrup. Stir and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Go back to stand mixer, turn on low so gelatin incorporates with the water. Slowly add the hot sugar mixture with caution, it's hot!

Turn the mixer to high for about 12 minutes. You will see the the beautiful marshmallow starts to form and grow. Stop mixer, add vanilla and coloring if desired. Whisk briefly to incorporate.

Transfer this mixture to the prepared buttered pan with a spatula and spread evenly. Butter a sheet of plastic wrap and seal pan against the mixture. Let set overnight.

Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on clean working area, separate edges of marshmallow and invert pan. Cut with serrated knife into 4 columns and from there, cut into squares. Work each piece and corner with confectioner's sugar.

How many will you eat before sharing? You tell me!

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Hello Friends

Hello my friends, hoping you all enjoyed the Super Bowl!
Did some baking over the weekend; even some marshmallows, which I made for my grandkids for Valentine's Day. I will share those in tomorrow's post. This cake is an adaptation of a Godiva recipe. Great texture and fantastic filling and topping. Hope you enjoy. Let me know! If you make any of my recipes, please email a picture and I will post with your permission.
Have a lovely day, my lovelies.

                     Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Chocolate Streusel Filling & Topping

Chocolate Streusel Filling and Topping

1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 C pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3.5 ounces semisweet baking chocolate chopped
1/3 C all purpose flour
3 tbs cocoa powder
1/2 stick butter cold & cut in chunks



The above ingredients are for the filling and topping. I advice to always read a recipe entirely before prepping, it avoids mistakes. Believe me!

For Filling
Place brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until nuts are coarsely chopped. Transfer 1 cup of this mixture to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the chopped chocolate. Set aside.

For Topping
To remaining mixture in food processor, add cocoa powder, butter and remaining chopped chocolate. Pulse until crumbly and place in fridge until ready to use.

Always remember to use all ingredients at room temperature unless stated.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2 1/2 C all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 C sour cream
Powdered sugar for dusting


Instructions for cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Spray bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan with baking spray

Sift and whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside

Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium high until light and fluffy. Add egg and yolk one by one and beating after each addition. Reduce speed of mixer and start with dry ingredients alternating with sour cream. Do this in three intervals, starting and ending with dry ingredients.
Add about 2/3 of batter to prepared pan, add filling mixture by spreading evenly. Pour remaining batter. Sprinkle crumble topping on top of batter making sure it is evenly spread. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, remove from pan and let cool. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
For best results, cut slices with serrated knife.

Enjoy with coffee or tea!

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Tuki Tuki Baby

Hello my friends,
I have opened a store!! Yes, Tuki Tuki Baby is all about organic hand knits, wooden toys and art. This project has a very profound meaning to me, because my son Andy was the first person I spoke to about this project. He gave me his blessing and simultaneously purchased the domain. I wish the whole world would have met my son. What an unbelievable human being he was!

I am extremely enthusiastic about my store. All the knitting is done with 100% Organic Cotton. The texture of these garments is velvety soft. I am very proud of my knitting team and I can proudly say it is all made in USA. I also carry wooden name trains, puzzles and decor for baby's room. All art and decor is made by my friend Kary, who has an amazing talent.

I have been working on this project for almost a year. It is with great effort that Tuki Tuki Baby has been built and as sales go up, the store will grow as well. One thing I cannot forget to mention is that Tuki Tuki Baby was named after my grandson, Alek, whom I nicknamed Tuki Tuki when he was a baby. Here are a few pics of what Tuki Tuki Baby has to offer.


 

                                                           Beanie & Booties Set

                        All Beanie & Bootie Sets come in mason jars. I love, love, love mason jars!

                                               Tuki Tuki Art...This is Stephanie and her doll

More Beanie & Booties Sets

Blankets

                                                                Puppy Love Hats

I love these Beanies with rosettes!

Please, browse, shop and share the good news! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at tukitukibaby@gmail.com

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Where Is She?

Oh my goodness! Here I am! It seems and feels I have been hiding underneath a rock for almost five months. Yes, that is how long I have been MIA. As you all may know, I moved to Texas and to move from one state to another it is simply not easy.

                                                   My Miami home

It is so stressful to move from a home where memories are all written on every wall, nook and cranny. The process of packing things that belonged to my son made me cry then and now. Each object has a history and with it tears or tearful laughs. The mental process of moving to the unknown is frightening. When one sees all those tangible memories in boxes, you ask yourselves, "are we doing the right thing?"

It is fair to mention we like Texas very much! I love our new home.The people are very friendly. I love the super markets! And of course, the weather is much different than Miami's; it even snows! As everything in life, it takes time to adjust to the new.

Here is a peek of our new home!

                                                                Entry Hallway

                                                                    My Kitchen

Dining Area

                                                                   Living Area

But of course, I left the best for last!! Before I left Miami, I embarked on a fantastic adventure!! For a very long time I had wanted to go Skydiving!!! My lovely daughter Gigi was my partner in crime! It's one of the best things I have done in life. It was wonderful!!

I loved it!!!!

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Just Give it A Try

All I need it to hear about this cake was that it was very difficult to make.  Enough reason for me to give it a try!  I must admit I was a little hesitant about the combination of cake and flan.  To me it did not seem like a good combination, but boy was I wrong! This can be a fantastic dessert to impress your family and friends at your Thanksgiving table.

P.S. Some of my friends have made this Flan Cake, but have gone ahead and made a regular caramel for a regular flan. This is not the case. If you are making this Flan Cake and do not want to make the caramel sauce yourself, then, please purchase a jar at your favorite grocery store (usually by ice cream section). Click on the link below for my caramel recipe. It is so much worth it to make your own!

                                                                 Flan Cake

Ingredients:                                           Yield: 12 servings

Caramel Sauce


For the flan:

1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tbs vanilla

What makes this cake really special (my humble opinion) is the homemade caramel sauce.

In a medium bowl, whisk  all flan ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

For the cake:

1 box of yellow cake (follow instructions in the box)  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

I recommend making the caramel sauce first, that way it will cool down while you prepare flan and cake batter.

1. In a bundt cake mould, pour 1 cup caramel sauce making sure it covers the whole bottom. Place caramel sauce on the side for later use.

2. Pour cake batter over caramel sauce and level with spatula.

3. Pour flan mixture over batter nice and slowly.

4. This cake will bake in a water bath, therefore make sure you have a larger baking dish to place bundt mould inside. About four inches of water is good. Bake for 60 minutes.

5. Carefully, remove bundt from water dish and cool for 5 minutes. Invert cake to serving platter. Now, of course the flan will be on top and cake on bottom. Inverting tip:  place a large serving plate on top of bundt and and a thick kitchen towel on bottom. 

6. Pour remaining caramel sauce over flan cake and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Harvest Season!

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Texas Bound

Hello my lovelies,

As I write these lines, I am aboard a plane destination Texas.  I feel very emotional and yes, scared.  After much thought, sleepless nights and indecisions, we have decided to make the big move.  We are moving to Texas! Yes, I cannot believe it, it feels surreal.
This time, we are going to look for homes. I am hoping to find a house with a wow factor.  You know, we placed our home for sale and it was sold within a week. I knew it would sell, but never thought so fast!
But, the big deal is I am leaving my home. The home where I have been for nineteen years. The home where we raised our children.
As I write, I pause and reminisce about all the Christmases, Thanksgivings, birthdays, laughter, crying, happiness, cooking and baking. I will take all these memories inside my heart. And the house will remain for a new family to create their own memories.

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The Cat In The Hat

Look at me!

Look at me!

Look at me now!

It is fun to have fun

But you have to know how

-Dr. Seuss- The Cat In The Hat

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Our Precious Minds

Our minds is the most powerful element we own.  It enables us to be aware of the world and its experiences, to think, feel and it provides us  consciousness and thought.  It is also synonym of intelligence, intellect, understanding, reasoning, judgement and sense.

A couple of days ago, we lost a comedic genius and my favorite comedian, Robin Williams. There was no one like him and there will never  be. He was one of a kind.

Our minds can be our friend or our worst enemy and sometimes it can be a struggle to mandate our minds. It's ok to be sad and it's ok to be depressed, too, but if you feel you are inside a dark hole and cannot come out, don't be afraid to express yourself and seek help.

When my son, Andy passed, I tried so hard not to fall inside that dark hole. It might sound crazy, but I didn't want him to worry about me.  I wanted nothing to disturb his peace, so I kept on with my enormous pain and here I am.  I am just here.  Attaching myself to little things, memories, my family and to things I enjoy doing.

I've been in dark places, but I cannot imagine how deep in sadness Robin Williams was, that ending it all became his ultimate option. Let's take care of ourselves, let's take care of our loved ones.
If you are having suicidal thoughts or know someone who is,  call the National Suicide Prevention line 1800-273-8255.

Rest in peace, Mr. Williams and thank you for making us laugh so hard.

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Is Age Only A Number?

Hello, my lovely people!

It's about time to address you and do what I do, tell a story. Talk about life, family, sweets and more. I have many topics in my mind, so I'll let my fingers do the talking.

I am 54 years old, yep. I don't feel physically old, but I can sure write a trilogy about my life. When I think back, look at pictures and share with the younger crowd, I realize how long I've been around.  Long is the time when I went dancing to the New York clubs. You know, once I tried to get into Studio 54; after standing in line for some time, the bouncer did not allow me in. I guess I was not dressed funky enough or did not own the vibe required! It was the time when Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields and the cream of the crop would frequent such club.  I wonder what made think I was going to be allowed in.

When I see pictures of myself, I see how much I have changed and I really do not mind  much the physical aspect as much as the glow in my eyes. That young glow that screams youth, young life, dreams and hopes. That glow, I miss that glow.

I see my children with their own families and I am so happy that they are happy and working towards achieving their own dreams. I think I did a good job raising  them, at least the best way I knew how. It's a great satisfaction to see our children all grown up and to realize, us, parents were such a big part of that puzzle.

Next time I will share some Flan Cake, but for the mean time, I will leave you with this picture. It was 1987.  Can you see the glow? Of course, I was also pregnant with my third child, Andy, one of the best gifts in my life.


                                                         My husband and I. December 1987

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