We had the good fortune of connecting with Irina Adriana Gafencu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Irina Adriana, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I have learned to truly live through the verse from Philippians 4:13 that states: ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Growing up I have watched my parents live by this verse during communism in Romania then move to the United States of America in 1998–the land of opportunity, of success, to have dreams come true, and live in freedom.

I “wrote” this verse in my heart and carried it with me when I put myself through college, got married, and established my own family. I applied this verse through the most difficult times in my life. When I met my husband, he had recently recovered from a major car accident where he was pronounced dead. After four days in a coma he had woken up and no one could believe it. Doctors told his family if he does wake up, he will be a vegetable and not have any movement. He is truly a living miracle. After many surgeries and procedures, he has truly learned to trust in the Lord and stay positive during recovery. When we got together, we made this verse our key to our lives and marriage; it has been our daily reminder that we were not created to do life alone, but have faith and trust in Christ, because He is the only One that gives us strength and hope.

Establishing and having our own family is our best achievement. We have four precious children back to back; my fourth pregnancy was a near to death experience no mother wants to go through, with small chances of survival for myself and the baby. When life is at risk, everything seems impossible yet I tried my best to stay positive, faithful and remind myself about the verse. It took some time to recover, however I stand healthy here today. Motherhood is a coaster of emotions, life and a never ending story, motherhood marks a new chapter in every woman’s story. It gave me an enormous boost of self confidence and strength in myself. A new sense of purpose and meaning in life. I have discovered a love and passion that I never experienced before. As a mom of four, I learned to be patient and started homeschooling, loving every minute of it! My faith in Christ has grown stronger seeing Him restore our health & lives.

In 2017 when my husband and I lost our business, we decided to relocate and start a new chapter. I moved closer to my mother and found out she battled depression for some time. I wrote this verse for her and she started to read it daily. Slowly she started to be happy again and picked up her passion in the kitchen to bake. Together we laughed & cried, baked and ate. One night I decided to help her take her passion to the next level and created Tina’s Goodies on IG where she could share her stories and recipes with others. People were so intrigued to see and learn easy European Pastries and cakes– some ordered right away . We keep Tina’s Goodies traditional with original Romanian recipes, seasonal pastries etc. Few of our favorite pastries we bake are Romanian Cozonaci known as Walnut Brioches, Covrigi as Pretzels, Placinte as Cheese Pies, Branzoaice as Sweet Cheese Rolls, different flavor Bezele as Meringues and many mini cakes! We serve our local Romanian community in DFW, taking orders anytime for any occasions all year long!

I have made it through many things in life by remembering that verse and trusting it to be true, these three stories are my highlights!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I knew as a young child that my hobbies will turn into passions as I get older. From baking to writing, to becoming a mom. My life has taking me to different places, seeing many cultures, I always loved to learn about their food and desserts. I envisioned to run a business with my mother in the future. Until we got to Tina’s Goodies, we would make extra pastries and bless others but never really coordinated our own events and catering. I created a social media account and shared easy recipes and orders started to come in around the holidays of 2017. We have been busy bees baking since and that makes us so proud for taking that leap of faith. The biggest lesson I learned is simply never give up, write down your vision, idea or mission! When my husband and I lost our business, we went bankrupt, however we took a leap of faith and relocated. Sometimes you have to face a big decision. Don’t be quick to react. Take time to think, plan and envision. It wasn’t easy to have our belongings in storage for 3 years but we trusted each other, made new memories with our family and trusted the Lord!

No matter the situation we faced, we always remembered that our parents came to America and started life from scratch. They put their hard work in, stayed positive and kept going!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first place I would take my best friend would be my momma’s kitchen, to have a taste of Europe, followed by a stop at The Pink Cafe and a nice meal at Texas de Brazil or Uncle Julio’s. And of course In-N-Out Burger. For a fancier dinner I would take her in Downtown for a photo session, then at my favorite museum, Sweet Tooth Hotel.

Andy’s Frozen Custard is my absolute favorite ice cream shop and Bisous Bisous Patisserie of course! I would definitely be spontaneous and try new restaurants together.

My favorite places are Dallas Museum of Art, White Rock , The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Six Flags over Texas, Southfork Ranch & Magnolia Market. My favorite local shops are Antique Shops and farmer’s markets. Central Market and Buc-ee’s are a must for all my friends visiting!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my sweet husband Alin. He always encourages me to keep going, and by that I am one day closer to my dream! My beautiful children who always say they love my food :))

A special thank you to both of our families and friends. For their support in prayers & many orders of Tina’s Goodies!

A special thank you to my sweet dad who taught me how to be faithful, trust God & make the easiest dishes as a young girl and use a stand mixer 🙂 and lastly to my beautiful momma Leontina, who is the creator of all goodies, sharing all her secret recipes with me!! Thank you momma for all the love, faith and recipes you have given me! Y’all are the best!

Website: www.instagram.com/tinasgoodies

Instagram: storyofmylifeandkids

Facebook: Tina’s goodies

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