Happy first day of Chanukkah and first day of Kwanzaa to all who celebrate, and a cheerful Boxing Day to my British friends! As an American, I find myself utterly fascinated—what is Boxing Day all about? When I hear the term, my mind immediately jumps to boxing matches!
On a less festive note, I caught a nasty bug over the Christmas holiday. I’m battling a fever, chills, a sore throat, and a relentless cough. Ugh! We had a surprise outing planned for Saturday with Hector, but I’m seriously considering canceling since I’m feeling so crummy. But part of me is also itching to go out and make some cute post-holiday memories! After all, we’ve committed to a few no-spend months in 2025 to cut back on unnecessary expenses and save up to move out. Here’s hoping I feel better and can still enjoy some fun times!
Happy Christmas Day! I’m so excited because I’m going to see Nosferatu this morning! I’ve never been to a movie theater on Christmas before, and I can already feel the joy of starting a fun new tradition with Hector. Usually, my holiday routine is all about cozying up and binge-watching the Harry Potter movies, but I can’t help but wonder: why do they celebrate Christmas in Harry Potter? I’m like 90% sure I mentioned this already this blogmas, but I’m a bit obsessed with this question! It’s really puzzling me since they should really be celebrating Yule instead since it has pagan roots.
Speaking of traditions, one of my favorite things about the holidays is that my family opens presents at midnight while wearing matching pajamas. It’s so much fun! Plus, I absolutely love it when my mom makes champurrado or hot chocolate and arroz con leche. There’s nothing better than having those rich, creamy, and warm treats—they’re the perfect Christmas dessert!
We’re heading over to Hector’s family later today, and I can’t wait to see if they remembered to get me a gift! I spent all day yesterday and the day before racing around, hunting for last-minute surprises for Hector’s family because he wanted to make sure they had something special. It’s going to be an adventure! But I already told him next year will be with my family in Las Vegas.
This year has been an incredible whirlwind, and I’m excited to share some of my absolute favorite moments! At first, I thought I’d only have a handful to highlight, but as I dove into my favorites album, I was amazed by the sheer number of unforgettable experiences I captured. This year was packed with adventures—so much happened that, at times, I felt overwhelmed by the juggling act of work and school.
It’s easy to forget what a fantastic year it’s been when you’re buried under homework and deadlines. I admit, I caught myself feeling a bit sorry for all the things I missed out on. But when I take a step back, I realize just how much I truly accomplished and all the wonderful moments I experienced!
Is it true that life gets hectic? Absolutely! We often find ourselves stressed and exhausted, easily overlooking the joy we’ve had along the way. Yet, it’s precisely these vibrant memories that remind me to be grateful. Let’s celebrate those moments that fill us up with joy and remind us of the incredible journey we’re on!
I can’t believe I totally forgot that I was asked to be a bridesmaid! This year has been a whirlwind of amazing experiences—I’ve caught some incredible AEW matches and rocked out at concerts! I even got a tattoo and got myself a new to me car! Visiting both UCR and Fullerton has shown me that higher education is more within my reach than I ever imagined. It’s been an exhilarating journey of growth, learning, and truly enjoying life to the fullest!
I can hardly contain my excitement (and a touch of nerves) about spending the holidays with my boyfriend’s family! It’s not that they don’t like me—I just feel a bit anxious since my Spanish isn’t the best, and his parents aren’t fluent in English either. That could lead to some hilarious and memorable conversations! Plus, I feel a little out of the loop since I missed so many holidays and parties this year, but the thrill of creating amazing new memories with them is just around the corner!
This year, I’m diving in headfirst with homemade treats instead of buying gifts for everyone, and I can’t wait to share them! But true to form, Hector has left his gift shopping to the last minute. Starting Friday the 20th, we’ve been on a whirlwind adventure at Marshalls, Target, Ross, and Best Buy, hunting for the perfect presents! The lines have been absolutely wild! Thankfully, we dodged the long wait at Best Buy by ordering a tech gift online—fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow! If not, my mother-in-law might end up gift-less! I’m so ready for all the fun to kick off!
And while I’m not necessarily expecting a gift, it would be lovely to receive one. But honestly, with how I missed everything else, I can’t help but think they might not even remember I’m coming over. Still, I’m holding onto hope that this Christmas will be different and filled with joy!
1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Beat the Eggs: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs for 5 minutes until they are frothy and a pale yellow color.
3. Create the Batter: Add the cake mix, water, and oil to the beaten eggs. Beat the mixture at low speed for 2 minutes until well combined.
4. Prepare the Baking Sheet: Line a 12×18-inch baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Coat the liner with baking spray, and be sure to grease the sides of the pan as well.
5. Add Batter to Baking Sheet: Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly.
6. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Let Cool: Once the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes, but no longer than 10 minutes.
8. Release the Cake from the Pan: While the cake is still warm, grab a clean linen dish towel. Sprinkle powdered sugar on both sides of the towel to prevent sticking, then lay it over the top of the cake. Holding the towel and the pan together, gently flip the pan upside down so the cake drops onto the towel. Tap the pan if needed to release the cake.
9. Roll the Cake: Carefully peel the parchment paper or silicone liner from the cake. Then, tightly but gently roll the cake up using the towel to help separate the layers. Place the rolled cake, seam-side down, on a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 15 minutes.
10. Unroll and Add Filling: Once cooled, gently unroll the cake and spread a layer of frosting to the edges. Then, gently but tightly roll the cake back up to form a log. Place the log onto a serving dish, seam-side down.
12. Frost the Cake: Frost the entire outside of the log with chocolate ganache
13. Add Bark Texture: Use a fork to create a bark-like pattern in the frosting for texture.
14. Garnish: Decorate your log cake with fresh cranberries and rosemary, or use your creativity to create a wintery scene with any decorative items you like. Adding mushrooms or woodland creatures can make it even more fun!
I’m so excited to share that I finally decided to make tamales by myself for the first time in two years! I’ve been helping my friend’s family, but I’ve usually just taken part in the assembly. They already prepare the meat, sauce, and masa, and I just add the meat to the masa, throw in some green olives, potatoes, and jalapeños, and then fold them up. If you’ve never tried tamales made this way, you’re really missing out! My friend’s mom is from an area in Mexico near Ensenada, and that’s how she learned to make them.
This time, though, I really wanted to recreate the way my mom makes them. I wanted to prepare the meat, sauce, and masa all on my own. I didn’t end up making my masa from scratch, but I came pretty close! I used some prepared masa from Superior, added lard, salt, and juice from the meat, and mixed it until it reached a nice peanut butter-like consistency.
Oh, and I finally got my mom to write down her recipe! You wouldn’t believe how challenging that was—she’s one of those cooks who just adds spices until it “feels right.” It’s a little tricky getting her to stick to measurements!
I had quite the pre-Christmas mishap! My day got off to an interesting start when I received a ticket for not moving my car for street sweeping. I was told that work was really slow and I could take the day off, which was totally fine by me. It gave me the perfect opportunity to prepare for the holidays!
I decided to treat myself to a haircut so I could look cute in the Christmas photos. I had curtain bangs that I hadn’t trimmed in a few months, and I also needed to take off about 2 inches from the rest of my curly hair because of some split ends.
I recently visited Supercuts, hoping for just a little trim, but the stylist accidentally cut my bangs much shorter than I wanted! I left feeling a bit silly and a little upset. With Sabrina Carpenter being such a trendsetter in the media lately, I know I’m not the only one looking to try out curtain bangs! So, having my hair cut so short was a bit of a bummer, especially since I’ve been working hard to grow it out. The last time I got my curtain bangs trimmed was in March, right after my birthday, so you can imagine how I felt!
I mean, you guys probably already saw it on my Instagram story if not here you go.
The thing is, I didn’t say anything while she was cutting my hair because I really didn’t want to be that person, you know? I even tipped her before I left!
But hey, it’s just hair, and I figured I could always dye it to switch things up. This time, I decided not to go for my usual orangey-red and chose an auburn color instead. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the nice reddish-brown I was expecting; it turned out to be a dark purple-red! It’s not quite what I had in mind, but I guess I’ll roll with it. There’s always next time!
Every year for Christmas, I get to unleash my inner baker by creating delightful cookie boxes for my coworkers! This marks my third joyful holiday season at my job, and I’ve decided to switch things up a bit this year. I’ve got an amazing zeppole recipe that I can’t wait to try out, plus I picked up some adorable Christmas cookie boxes from my coworkers’ kids’ fundraiser—perfect for spreading holiday cheer!
I had big plans to go all out with millionaire’s shortbread, scrumptious scones, rich oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and some heavenly fudge. But after some reflection, I realized that my job isn’t the most uplifting place. So, I’ve decided to shift my focus and pour my energy into making these festive treats for my friends and family instead! It’s going to be an exciting baking adventure, and I can’t wait to share the sweet results with my loved ones!
Update as of 12/22 I still took chocolate chip cookies for my coworkers. I felt bad.
I’m excited that my classes are wrapping up, which means it’s time for potlucks! Each class hosts a potluck on the last days of class; at least my professors do.
I’m making churro cupcakes for my intercultural class because they would be a fun way to share my Americanized twist on Hispanic culture.
One of my professors is a self-proclaimed lover of sweets, particularly chocolate, so I will make my brownie bites again for my English class.
In my history class, we’re wrapping up with a focus on Nixon and the 1970s, and I’ve decided to make Watergate cake — I mean, what a fitting name, right? I might also whip up a version without pecans, just in case! You might be thinking, “I’ve never had Watergate cake; I only know Watergate salad!” or you might be saying, “What on earth are either of those?” I really enjoy Watergate salad too; it’s a lot like ambrosia salad, which is basically just whipped cream mixed with a bunch of fruit! As for Watergate cake, it’s a delightful vanilla cake made with pistachio pudding, coconut, and pecans.
The best part is that all these recipes use a box mix; with just a little tweaking, they won’t taste artificial! It’s a fun and easy way to make delicious treats!
For a tired and true Watergate Cake recipe
For the cake:
1 (16.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) box instant pistachio pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 cup Vegetable oil
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
Using an electric mixer, beat cake mix, 1 box of pistachio pudding, eggs, vegetable oil, and club soda for 2 minutes. Stir in pecans.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes.
For the frosting:
1½ cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) whipped topping,thawed
¼ cup chopped pistachios and pecans
Maraschino cherries
place the milk and the remaining package of pudding mix in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes (the pudding will firm up a bit). Then, fold in the whipped topping.
Spread the frosting on top of the cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and Maraschino cherries. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to firm up slightly.
I really love the recipe I’ve always used since it’s what I grew up with, but I’m excited to give this coconut version a try tonight! It seems like a fun twist on the classic! Watergate Cake Recipe
I took a little break from the blog because life got quite busy! On Thursday, I had a wonderful time at my niece’s bake sale, which was a fantastic success. The kids watched “The Grinch” in the gym, and we sold a lot of snacks. The highlights were our themed offerings: green popcorn and green sugar cookies decorated with red hearts. Of course, I also made coal cake pops.
Then Friday, I had the chance to visit Fullerton, and I was really impressed with everything the school has to offer! They have a fantastic communications degree program and so many resources to help students. I love how they focus on building communities that make everyone feel like they belong, encouraging self-discovery and critical thinking, and providing inclusive and welcoming spaces.
The library was definitely my favorite spot! It’s actually two buildings, and the basement level is where the communications media section is located, featuring podcast rooms, a radio station, and a TV studio—super cool! That said, I still think UC Irvine has the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen!
Saturday was filled with fun as I attended a demonstration at my niece’s karate dojo. It was absolutely adorable watching the kids in action! Unfortunately, the Zoom link was acting up, so many people missed the event. Once the demo wrapped up, we transitioned into a dojo holiday party, which was complete with a gift exchange. One little kid ended up with a set of wine glasses and wanted to trade for something else, but his parents were all about keeping them. I mean, who thought wine glasses were a good fit for a children’s holiday white elephant party?
With all this hustle and bustle between school and work, I think I really need a day to just kick back and relax!
