Here we are already in the sixth month of this year. I promise you it was February last month. It is now the mid point of 2023 and I am a whole decade older. I honestly feel amazing at forty. I have just returned from my celebratory birthday trip to the Caribbean. I feel even more dazzling right now because my skin is extra glowy and melanated from the Belizean sun. I am now back in Los Angeles and the sun has almost disappeared. June gloom is definitely upon us, but that will not stop my happiness.
June not only marks the middle of the year and the beginning of summer. It also represents the second half of gemini season, Pride month and Black Music Month. This year I decided to celebrate my continued 40th birthday extravaganza and month six with a musical. This past weekend I saw the Broadway musical sensation, Six, in Hollywood. This live entertainment opportunity came right on time. The Six musical is filled with great songs and colorful costumes.
I decided to wear a dress in the color of the year, Magenta, for said occasion. The overcast June days helped me pick out this stylish cut out sweater dress to put on. I am entering a new decade even more happy and healthy. I made a lifestyle change to be in the best mental and physical shape of my life. This curvaceous dress is definitely showing off all the work I have been putting in and I’m living for it.
Another decade, another slay! I know the typical misconception is that women lie about their age. Well, surely not this one because I am elated to celebrate my 40th birthday today. I can honestly say that I am full of joy and truly blessed to be here for another momental season. As a little girl,I had other thoughts and ideas of where I would be at this age, but I wouldn’t change a thing about where I am.
I am grateful for every twist, turn, hill, valley and path my life has taken me. I can say I’m excited to see what this new decade will bring. Every decade seems to get better, so why not enjoy a new one? My thirties brought me a new city, my first home purchase, new jobs and career opportunities. I have been able to travel to more than 30 countries in my thirties and do things I only dreamed of. Most importantly my 30s brought me a closer relationship with God, a closer relationship with my family, mental and physical health with growth, peace and a true understanding of happiness.
This year I will of course be celebrating this majestic celebration in a new country. My BFF, Meisje (who is also turning 40 this year) and I decided to travel to Belize for relaxation and jubilation. Before I left, I wanted to start and share my birthday with everyone who continues to support me and who happens to be reading this. I love each and every one of you.
No one knows how much time they are given on this earth, but each day should be considered a blessing. I am also blessing you with a little fashion and food for my birthday. Check out the details below.
Cheers to 40. PEACE and LOVE.
Also shoutout to my amazing photographer, Brian Freeman. Would you believe it if I told you we went to high school together some 20+ years ago?
I love to consider myself the hostess with the mostest. I thoroughly enjoying having my friends/ family over my home and treating them like queens/ kings. It could be something as simple as a movie night or a bit more extravagant, like a New Year’s Eve party. It truly doesn’t matter, but I’m going to go all out and make sure the ambiance stays on point.
I recently had my friends from the United Kingdom in town for a visit. I decided one evening to host a little catch up with them at my house. I thought since my friends are from across the pond and are used to an English breakfast, I would serve an American breakfast/ brunch for dinner. I went for a ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ theme, but added my flare of course.
I love to keep fresh flowers in my home. I had some old flowers on my kitchen counter that were past their prime. Before I threw them away, I got the idea to use the old flowers to upgrade my “Breakfast at Tamika’s” décor. I cut off some of the flowers and added them to my ice tray. I then added more flair by adding Kaleidoscope Sprinkles Cosmic Shimmers to the ice cubes. The ice cubes came out super classy and cute. I will definitely by recycling this idea and making more fancy ice cubes this summer.
I decided to share this cute and simple DIY with you, so you can kick your decorations up a notch as well.
See my video and step by step decorations below.
Snazzy ice cubes
Materials
Extra Large Ice cube tray. Purchased from Nordstrom. (purchase here)
Happy Cinco de Mayo! I was looking back at some of my recent previous bake recipes and realized that I never made anything for May fifth. As an Los Angeleno for almost a decade I am way past due for a Mexican inspired treat to celebrate today. We are all familiar with churros, fried ice cream and flan but I wanted to do something different with my kind of razzle dazzle in the recipe.
Last year I made some Dulce de Leche Bars for a spring afternoon tea. Dulce de leche is a popular type of caramel used in Latin dishes. I will admit that I used store bought dulce de leche in my recipe that I made last year out of convenience (pun intended). This year I decided that I wanted to make my own homemade dulce de leche. What better day to celebrate homemade canned caramel than Cinco de Mayo.
I had some extra buttermilk in my refrigerator after making my favorite red velvet cake and I wanted to put it to use. I thought the best utilization of both my homemade dulce de leche and buttermilk would be a scrumptious fresh pound cake. This simple yet indulgent cake came out just as I planned, perfect! The tangy buttermilk balanced well with the sweet caramel and the pound cake was not too heavy or too sweet. I added a little festive flavor to this cake by topping it with dulce de leche cookies covered in Kaleidoscope Sprinkle Cosmic Shimmers.
I decided to share this simply satisfying cake with you to make the next time you decide to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or just want some really good cake.
See the complete video and recipe below.
Dulce de Leche Buttermilk Pound Cake tutorial video
How do I make dulce de leche?
The best way I have found to make dulce de leche is on the stove top.
Remove labels from sweetened condensed milk cans. (Cook 2-3 cans at a time for more caramel).
Place cans into a large saucepan or dutch oven and cover with 1-2 inches of water.
Cover, turn heat on medium/high and allow water to boil, turn heat down to simmer and allow milk to cook for 4-4.5 hours.
Remove cans from heat and allow to cool completely
Tada you now have dulce de leche just like that!
Homemade dulce de leche
Dulce de Leche Buttermilk Pound Cake
Ingredients:
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2- 8 oz. can homemade dulce de leche, room temperature.
Prepare bundt pan by greasing and flouring thoroughly.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt together until combined. Set aside.
Using an electric or hand mixer, on medium speed beat butter and sugar together until creamed and doubled in size, approximately 5 minutes. (Butter should be pale yellow and sugar almost dissolved).
Turn down speed to low/ medium and add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture. Beat together until fully combined and no visible egg is seen.
Add vanilla extract to the buttermilk.
Turn mixer down to low speed. Beginning and ending with flour, slowly add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Add half of the buttermilk. Repeat with flour and buttermilk. Finish with last third of flour mixture. Slow mix until fully combined, be careful not to over mix.
Pour half of batter into bundt pan. Add one can of dulce de leche into center of bundt pan. Add the remainder of the cake batter to the bundt pan. Use spoon or butter knife to swirl caramel into cake batter.
Bake cake at 350F for 55-60 minutes until cake is gold brown and slightly jiggles to the touch.
Allow cake to completely cool to room temperature. Invert cake onto a cake board or cake pedestal.
Cover top of cake with other can of dulce de leche. Use spoon or butter knife to spend evenly over the cake. Cover dulce de leche cake with chopped and Cosmic Shimmered dulce de leche cookies.
As a child, my world was centered around Barbies. I looked forward to playing with dolls and creating different adventures every day. My cousin and I would play for hours and hours. For my birthday and the holidays I couldn’t wait to see what I would hopefully be adding to my colorful collection. I still remember as a kid one of my favorite gifts for Christmas was the Barbie motorhome and Splash Fountain Pool with working lights. One of my favorite things to do with my Barbies was also make new clothes for all their enterprises.
Barbies were so influential in my adolescence and continue to influence me today. By the age of 13 I transitioned from Barbies to more fashion, but the Barbie impact remained at the forefront. A few months ago I heard about the World of Barbie, an interactive, immersive experience for Barbie lovers of all ages. Once the World of Barbie was here in the Los Angeles I quickly purchased my tickets and got to planning my Barbie ensemble.
This past weekend I was finally able to participate in the World of Barbie and it was incredible. The experience brought back so many childhood memories. I loved all the interactive exhibits and as much Barbie pink as my heart could take.
Please see the highlights from my World of Barbie visit and Barbie OOTD inspiration below.
Here we are in our second annual quarantine Resurrection Sunday. Last year I honestly kept my pajamas on and enjoyed virtual service from the comfort of my couch. Although this year again I will still not able to attend church services in person, I decided to at least dress up. I bought this gingham jumpsuit over a year ago and sadly it still had the tags on it until this morning. (I’m trying to do better, I promise). This jumpsuit and my mother’s favorite fabric pattern inspired me to get into the Easter festive fashion spirit. I created my DIY Easter basket fascinator and I am quite pleased with the results. Since I didn’t get an Easter basket this year, I can at least look like one.
Spring has sprung upon us once again. This season is always filled with flowers and pastel decorations. This season to me always is represented by Easter or Resurrection Sunday as well. Lent the time before Easter/ Resurrection Sunday is the time to reflect inward and purge those things that cause our faith to waver. I always enjoy Easter Sunday because I feel that it is definitely a time to celebrate after a new awakening.
The best way I know how to celebrate is with a new recipe. In the previous years for Easter I have constructed a fabulous layered Carrot Cake. There is also my well known and favorite Carrot Cake Bread Pudding, which is a definitely a must try. This year I decided I wanted to make something a little more simpler. I wanted a recipe that represented Easter flavor and looks without all the steps, pomp and circumstance. I decided on some delicious Carrot Cake Cookies as my contribution to the holiday.
These super delectable cookies are easy to make and still have all the flavor of carrot cake in each bite. These cookies are hearty and somewhat healthy since they’re filled with carrots, oats, raisins and nuts. The tasty cookies are then topped with a smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting and decorated for said occasion with Kaleidoscope Sprinkles My Mama’s Biscuits Sprinkle Mix and candies. Definitely give these cookies a try if you’re looking for a way to switch things up for your Spring/ Easter celebration this year.
You can find the recipe and complete baking video below.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves . Set aside.
In a large bowl, using a stand or hand mixer cream oil and brown sugar together. Beat on medium speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add egg to the mixture. Mix batter until fully combined but be careful not to over mix. Add vanilla extract. Add grated carrots and oats. Add the flour mixture. Fold in raisins and nuts until combined.
Using spoon or cookie scoop, place cookie dough onto parchment or silicone lined baking sheets. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes until cookies are slightly firm to touch. Do not over bake to keep cookies chewy.
While cookies are baking, make cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk cream cheese. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar using mixer on low speed until frosting is smooth. Add cream, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk frosting on medium-high speed until combined and frosting is light and fluffy.
Once cookies have cooled completely, top each cookie with cream frosting. Add shredded coconut, sprinkles (optional) and candies (optional) to each cookie for decoration.
While I was visiting Singapore during the New Year I had to opportunity to experience some incredible foods. After reading Crazy Rich Asians before my trip, my expectations for Southeast Asian food was very high. After I ate my way through both Thailand and Singapore I was not disappointed one bit or bite. From the fresh produce, the Singapore Slings, tons of noodles, all the hawker stall restaurants and delish sweet treats, it was hard to pick my favorite food. One thing that definitely stood out to me on my palate and during my reading of Crazy Rich Asians were the pineapple tarts. These simple and yet sweetly satisfying treats were so memorable to my trip that I ate several during my stay and even brought some home with me.
After being back in the States, I tried to savor every pineapple tart I had and make them last as long as I could. My pineapple tart souvenirs lasted probably a good month before my supply ran empty. Thankfully my tastebuds remembered every bite, so I could recreate this delicious dish for myself and share with you. Instead of making tarts I decided to create a pie form. This pineapple pie was easier to make than tarts, but still had all the flavors I remembered in Singapore. I also thought that a pineapple pie would add a little western flare to the southeast Asian treat.
You can find the complete recipe and video below. Give this scrumptious and original tropical treat a try and let me know what what you think. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Pineapple Pie
Pineapple Pie
Crust:
2 cups All- purpose flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp of salt
¼ cup of melted coconut oil, cooled to room temp.
¼ cup of cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes *
2 tbsp. of vodka
2-4 tbsp. of ice cold water
* (for vegan crust, use ¼ cup of vegetable shortening or vegan butter instead of regular butter
Pineapple filling:
1 large fresh pineapple (approx. 2.5lbs), peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
2 tbsp. of unsalted butter *for vegan pie, use vegan butter
Directions
For the crust:
In a food processor, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add in coconut oil and butter to the flour and pulse the processor until mixture is texture of course wet sand. Next slowly add vodka and water until the dough comes together in a ball and peels off the side of the bowl. Take the dough out of the bowl and lightly knead dough into a smooth disc. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, make the pineapple filling. In a large saucepan, stir together fresh and dried pineapple, brown sugar and water on low heat. Slowly cook down pineapple filling for about one hour until liquid is reduced by half and sticks to the back of the spoon. Once pineapple filling is thickened, add rum (optional), vanilla, salt and melted butter. Cook for an additional five minutes until sauce re-thickens and sticks to back of the spoon. Use an immersion blender and coarsely chop mixture. Take the filling off the heat and allow it cool completely to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375F. Take dough out of the refrigerator. Let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll first half of dough out into a 10″ diameter circle about 1/8″ thick. Place the dough in a 9″ pie pan. Spread pineapple filing evenly into the pie dish. Roll out the second half of dough and gently place it on top of the pineapple filling. Seal up edges of pie dough. Cut slits into middle of pie to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash (or vegan milk) and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, optional. Bake pie for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Allow pie to cool to room temperature. Cut into pie and top with ice cream or whipped cream. Devour and enjoy!!
You know how the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons…”. Well instead of making lemonade or limoncello as I’ve done in the past, I decided to do things differently. With all this rain in Los Angeles my meyer lemon tree has been in full blossom and full of citrus. Every year I pick the delicious lemons off my tree and make some sort of sweet treat. (Check out my previous recipes for my Limonc”hello” and When Life Gives You Lemons Cake.) This year I wanted to use another famous saying to inspire my recipe. “April showers bring May flowers,” except now because of climate change LA showers are happening earlier than usual.
I love being surrounded by fresh or faux flowers. After spending six weeks in an arm sling and not being able to do what I love, bake, I was too ready to turn my oven back on. Blossoming after surgery and ready to see some sun inspired a new idea for use of my freshly picked lemons. I came up with the concept of lemon poppyseed cupcakes that look like sunflowers. Sunflowers represent vitality and adoration, so they were the perfect recipe to restart my post surgical baking journey. I decided to brighten up these Sunflower Cupcakes even more with Kaleidoscope Sprinkles Lemon flavored Sprinkle Mix. These Sunflower Cupcakes looked and tasted amazing in the end.
See how I created these lemony flower cupcake masterpieces below.
Sunflower Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 ¾ cup All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. of lemon zest (approximately zest of 4 large lemons)
¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed, equal to 4 large lemons
Yellow, green and black food coloring, for decoration (optional)
Pirouette wafer cookies or pretzel rods, for decoration (optional)
Directions
For cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake tin with liners.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppyseeds. Whisk until all ingredients are combined and set bowl aside.
In a separate large bowl using either a stand or hand mixer cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy and doubled in sized. (Approximately 3-5 minutes). Add lemon juice and zest to the creamed mixture. Add eggs to mixture one at a time. Add sour cream or yogurt. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Be careful not to over mix.
Using an ice cream scoop, place cupcake batter into cupcake tins. Bake cupcakes at 350F for approximately 20-22 minutes until tester comes out clean.
Allow cupcakes to completely cool.
While cupcakes are cooling make buttercream frosting and meringues.
For the buttercream frosting and sunflower meringues:
Using a hand mixer or whisk, in a heat proof bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.
Place the bowl over a double-boiler (saucepan of simmering water). Continue to gently whisk the mixture until it is hot to touch (130F on a candy thermometer).
Transfer the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium- high speed until they have tripled in size and are thick and glossy and hold stiff peaks (like meringue).
Divide egg whites in half. Set one half aside in a large bowl for sunflower meringues.
Turn the mixer down to medium-low speed until the mixing bowl is cool to touch, approximately 3-5 minutes. Kick the mixer back up to medium-high speed and add the butter one piece at a time.
Stop the mixer every so often to scrape down the butter caught on the side of the bowl. Keep whisking buttercream until it comes together.
Once all the butter is incorporated and the frosting is light and fluffy, add your salt and fresh lemon juice. Set aside until ready to frost cupcakes.
With other half of meringues in the bowl fold in fresh lemon zest. Be careful not to knock out the air of meringues.
Turn oven down to 200F. Divide meringues into 3 small bowls. Fold in food coloring into each bowl.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pipe out meringues into sunflower shape (over Pirouette cookies, optional) on parchment paper. Sprinkle poppyseeds onto meringues.
Bake meringues for 45 minutes to one hour. Allow meringues to completely cool and harden.
Place buttercream into piping bag to decorate cupcakes. Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Top cupcakes with Sprinkle Mix and sunflower meringues.
Today is officially the last day of Mardi Gras season. Even though I wasn’t able to visit New Orleans this year to celebrate, I had the opportunity to ritualize this occasion. Every season I, of course, make a King cake to share with my friends and family. (See my King cake recipe here). Other years, I have made some other Mardi Gras treats as well as thrown a party.
Mardi Gras season not only represents a time to eat good food and thoroughly rejoice, it also represents the beginning of Lent season. Lent season is a time of reflection and sacrifice prior to Resurrection Sunday. This year since I’m still in recovery from my surgery I decided to keep it low key but fashionable. I still haven’t decided on what I’m giving up this Lent season, but I’m definitely not sacrificing fashion.
Confections, Crafts, Couture 