mk finds

finally!

2011-01-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

I have lost count of the months since I last stepped on a treadmill. It may even be close to one year. I don't remember going to the gym since the operation. But finally, I ended the treadmill hiatus. I walked and ran today! Yay!

The exercise resumption came on the heels of another "finally". This development which finally happened made me realize I need more energy to tackle, first, the decision-making before me and then, the demands of that decision. I have been praying for this and now it is here, praying for guidance in making a decision.

Prayer and exercise! They're great for body and soul. I need to do more of them and regularly.

the first few days of 2011

2011-01-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

Since my last post was in October, I haven't greeted this blog a happy New Year. Yes, time flies, another year's over and a new one has begun (this line's from a song, right?). Looking back at the posts last year, while I am pretty pleased that I did more posts in 2010 relative to the previous years, I did not hit my target of having at least one post per month. There were months especially the last two of the year, when I had nada. Not trying to make excuses but November and December were crazy. The craziness spilled over the first two weeks of this New Year but things are slowing down a bit, hence this post on the accomplishments of the last few days.

Last weekend, hubby brought his team to Tagaytay which gave me a chance to declutter our home after the holidays. I managed to fill one large reusable grocery bag with knickknacks accumulated last year.

The following day, when hubby got home we did grocery shopping and I found these cute apples which went into the grocery cart and are now in the wooden bowl on top of our bookshelf. The wooden bowl was used to be filled with decorative pebbles but I wanted something new and something more fresh, more useful or edible to go in the bowl. I emptied it when I did spring cleaning the day before supermarketing not knowing specifically what would go in it. So seeing the little red apples were inspired.

And since red is the designated color of the New Year, the apples are perfect. Happy New Year everyone! May the apples represent the bounty that this year has in store for all of us.

the frames: updated so soon

2010-10-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I posted one of my recently concluded projects - the photo frames. I love that they are all up, I am happy with the frames and the photos that I have decided to put inside them. But for days I have been staring at that wall with that gnawing feeling that somehow something's amiss. And looking around our room that little voice got louder because I felt that the wall does not anymore connect to any part of the room. The vase holding capiz leaves placed on the iron shelf looked out of place.

When I got home from work, I decided to remove the vase and the capiz leaves. The vase which really is a wine bottle, I could easily store in the buffet cabinet, where its stopper is waiting. The capiz leaves I did not know where to put them. I didn't want to store decorative pieces so I was already toying with the idea of giving them away or including them in a yard sale. Then an idea struck.

Yesterday, I have been thinking of adding a few more photo frames but hubby wouldn't have welcomed that idea. Then I thought of adding stickers. Decals, like the ones I used for the cabinet doors, could have tied the wall with the cabinet doors and added a bit more oomph to the frames. But I have to bring down the frames and stick them one by one. Just thinking about it made me tired. But I also knew I wanted to add a bit more to this wall and somehow unify it with something in our room. The capiz leaves became the answer. They made for a better substitute to the decals. They were easier to mount on our wall and I didn't even have to take down the frames. And somehow, I think, they tied the wall to the cabinet doors, creating a corner that now has a quirky feminine vibe to it. Playful and a bit romantic, well at least that's how I see it.

the frames are up, finally!

2010-10-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

This is a project that started with my trip to Dapitan sometime in May. It took a while because we wanted to wait for B to come back before we put them up but in June it was clear to us that she was staying in the province to get married and raise a family and that we had to complete this project on our own. Things got busy and hubby and I had to put it off, the frames were lying around the house for over 5 months but finally, last week I had a surge of energy. Yes, same week as that of the shoe boxes. I was able to complete this project as well. Two home projects in one weekend. Not bad. Not bad at all!

After five long months, they are all up on a bedroom wall.

breathable plastic shoe boxes

2010-10-16T03:54:00.000-07:00

Some call it obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, I call it small space control measure. Last week I threw away all the shoe boxes that are stacked inside a cabinet in our kitchen. You see we live in a rather tight space. We don't have kids yet so it's okay but keeping our stuff from swallowing us is a big challenge, hence, I try to look for ways to help me organize whatever little shelf space we have. I have been dreaming about having standard sized transparent shoe boxes for quite some time. I saw a 14-pc pack at S&R during the sale last September but the plastic shoe boxes did not have holes nor slits, which was a concern as I want the shoes to breathe, plus at 1,200 pesos (on sale) per pack, I could have spent around 3,600 pesos if I bought them, a bit steep. Good thing I resisted the urge and decided to wait. Last Saturday, I was chatting with a friend and our conversation led to the discussion on shoe boxes. Oh! Now I remember how it started, I saw those non-woven shoe boxes being sold on Facebook and I showed it to her. As a reply, she suggested that I take a look at the shoe boxes she saw at SM. She was sure that they breathe but she couldn't tell me how. I dragged hubby that evening to SM and boy! was F right; I have found my breathable shoe boxes! They have slits on either side which keeps the pairs ventilated.

And this type of shoe box was on discount. They used to be 69 pesos but they had a promo pack of three which sold for 159.95 pesos. I got 13 packs and was able to replace the store shoe boxes stacked inside a kitchen cabinet, which I sequestered and declared "for shoes only." I know, some might say gross! What? shoes in the kitchen? I know, I apologize, but I have got to improvise in our rathole. Good thing my hubby is a stickler for cleanliness, bugs and mickeys aren't members of our household. That's why I can get away storing shoes in a kitchen cabinet.

We do have a shoe cabinet but not enough. This floor to ceiling shallow shoe cabinet is one of the earlier improvements in our humble abode. As you can see, we have to really maximize space. We wanted the cabinet to almost blend in the wall. It turned out well as it also hid our circuit breaker, aside from providing us extra storage space.

Good thing I did not buy shoe boxes for the shoes inside this cabinet. They wouldn't have fit. The shelf is too shallow for the width of the breathable plastics. I wish they have different sizes for these shoe boxes. I would have gotten the smaller box since I really don't have big feet.

So the four shoe boxes you see above are the only remaining paper shoe boxes left. I still have another project related to these breathable plastic boxes but even before I complete that, I am now happy camper.

oops! the cam!

2010-09-12T00:46:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a children's birthday party. I brought the camera to take a few photos. Before leaving I asked my husband to take a picture of me, the birthday boy, and his mom, who is a trusted colleague at work. The camera fell when I handed it to him. Hubby said it got tangled with my pinkie that's why he dropped it. The lens suffered a dent and the cam now takes a few tries before it opens and fully closes. It's just an object. No biggie. When we got home, I transferred the photos and took a picture, which could be the last shot of this handy instant camera.

It's still working. Maybe I'd take this to a Sony service center. I just hope the repair will not cost as much as the camera. Goody! There's a service center near our home. I just checked. Maybe there is hope still for my pink cam.

oatmeal lugaw

2010-09-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

My better half woke up earlier this week with a sore throat and fever. Decided to stay home to take care of him. Called our company doctor for medical and food advice. His prescription: aside from the meds, soft diet. Panicked a bit, as I really don't have anything in the pantry that would make soup. Made a quick trip to Mercury Drug and a convenience store for hubby's meds and thankful that I was able to get a few items for soups. Made a quick crab and corn soup from a Knorr pack for breakfast. For lunch, made the Filipino simple and rustic home-cooked sopas with onion, garlic, chicken broth, cut up spaghetti (substitute for macaroni), water, and milk.

For dinner, I saw a pack of oatmeal at Mercury and had an idea which I wanted to try and tried. I wanted to feed him lugaw, congee but didn't want to just order, wanted to cook for him. So with 2 packs of Quaker Oats instant oatmeal, I made lugaw. I really didn't know if it could work, but I knew the consistency of oats and had a feeling it would. Sauteed chopped onions, minced garlic, and minced ginger in a teaspoon of butter and added the 2 packs of oats in the saute. Poured the suggested cups of boiling water (four cups, if I remember correctly, directions on the pack). Simmered. Seasoned with salt.

Still prepared a rice meal for him but he did not eat the rice and chicken asado but finished my oatmeal lugaw. He loved it. Sarap daw! Told him it was oats a few days after when he felt better to go to work.

I wanted to share as I am really amazed that you can make congee out of oatmeal. I think even without fever, here's a simple savory dish that one can make and eat, healthy.

Happy to have discovered that you could make lugaw out of oats but happier that hubby's okay now, no fever. And with the cases of dengue around us, it is such a blessing that the fever's gone. Be safe everyone!

love boyfriend shirts

2010-09-10T05:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago went shopping with a girl friend and she told me "you love polos like this." Well, I didn't deny it because I do love 'em boyfriend shirts. They are so easy to wear. Versatile, they can be paired with tight jeans, shorts, skirt and leggings, with or without belt.

They have been a staple in my closet even before one can easily find them in stores here in Metro Manila. And am glad that there are more choices these days. I got a few more, including this purple pin stripe am wearing in the photo, at the Karl Edwards Bazaar, NBC Tent from Mary, the stall owner (I think). Her stall is at the left most aisle. If you start from the entrance side, her stall would be the last to your right.

What I like about them is you can feel dressed, polished, without being over the top.

what's in your bag?

2010-07-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

I change bags almost everyday. One night as I was still deciding which bag to use for the next day, I laid out the different knickknacks inside my bag on the dining table. After fixing the spread, I got the idea for an interesting slice of life post, at least a slice of my everyday life.

While I change bags regularly, what's inside is pretty constant. Here are the standard items in my bag. My wallet, of course, I used to carry big bulky wallets. I decided to downsize last year to this thin Coach wallet. It only has 4 card slots and designed for bills only, which means I need to carry a coin purse (it's a freebie from a cosmetics company) that's the dark blue piece with silver lining underneath my medicine pack. The med pack I can't leave without because I get allergy attacks so Claritin is a must, more a necessity. And since I am also allergic to most painkillers I can rely on Biogesic only for aches and pains, their tagline the world's safest pain reliever certainly works for me. Aside from the coin purse, I also bring with me a cardholder where I keep all other cards - rewards, membership shopping, discount cards, etc. The cards have certainly greatly multiplied in the last five (5) years and if you keep them in your main wallet you will end up with a portfolio rather than a wallet. That's the black leather under my wallet. It's a freebie from one reinsurance company. It's actually my husband's but I confiscated it. It comes with a small and thin mechanical pencil, definitely handy. Even with an inconspicuous pencil, I still do carry a sign pen with me, a Cross Ion pen, which is a birthday gift from our CEO.

So what else do I have in my bag? A hand sanitizer and a pack of facial tissues always come in handy, and so do a pack of mints. People, who personally know me, know that I have never drank a hot cup of coffee but I always try to have after coffee mints in my bag. Just good to have them ready for whatever emergencies.

Other essentials I have with me would be my personal phone (a Sony Ericsson); office phone (a Nokia); and Ipod touch (with its earphones), which is also my pedometer and contains my grocery list; a calling card holder, partly hidden under the camera; a yellow polka dot flashlight from our CFO; not to sound holier than thou but I do have rosary beads with me, which was given to me by an aunt-in-law; and since my eyesight has constantly deteriorated, eyeglasses are a staple in my purse.

Other items I have inside my satchel are a make-up kit, which is more a grooming kit, as I don't really wear too much make-up, (what's inside my kikay kit could be another post); and a Sony Cybershot which comes in handy as I put together materials for this blog and documenting everyday moments with family and friends.

Oh and since I live here in the Philippines, especially with this El Nino phenomenon, I do carry with me the old fashioned but trusted abanico, which my mother-in-law gave me. I do find it handy because even in some indoor spaces with air conditioning, the ACs are no match for the Manila heat.

So your turn. What's inside your bag?

electric bill woes

2010-06-30T20:56:00.001-07:00

Here is what's giving me so much grief these days. Notice the check marks? The bars represent my electricity consumption for March and June. The two bars are almost the same height with June even slightly higher. You may say what are you complaining about when your consumption decreased from last month's? Well, you see, and this is what I have been telling the customer reps at Meralco (I pity them because they are bearing the brunt of my fury but I can't help it especially when they use those rehearsed customer unfriendly lines), I was at home the whole of March (up to the third week of April) recovering from an operation which took place last week of February, which means the two ACs were on practically 24/7. Plus, we had an additional warm body at home who we got to take care of me after the op. She cooked us breakfast, lunch, and dinner using an electric multi cooker. She used the rice cooker which is also powered by electricity at least once a day everyday. She made me veggie juice using the electric juicer. She watched her daily morning shows, noontime talent and variety shows and prime time soap operas on the living room TV set while I sometime watched in the bedroom. She stayed with us until the end of April. When I got my bill for May, I already complained that the electricity consumption did not decrease when I already went back to work and B is no longer staying with us, which means I hardly use the multi cooker, and I never used the juicer and rice cooker after B left. The Meralco rep told me to check my meter as it may be grounded. Grounded?! We live in a condo barely 5 years old. We use those new digital meters strategically house on the third floor of our building. All the meters are in one room away from sunlight or rain and maintained by our building maintenance staff. My point is how can it be grounded?! Anyways, I decided to pay (I didn't have a choice, do I?), avoid disconnection, and give it another month, so imagine my surprise (not pleasant) when I again saw my bill and checked the chart for June. While it has gone down from May, it is the same as when I was home the entire month of March. We are back to our routine pre-op (off to work by 8am), with no new appliances and/or gadgets, why is it that our electric bill refuses to return to my pre-op consumption as well?

I spoke with a friend from the office who underwent a similar operation in March and she also observed the same thing, her electricity consumption is the same as when she was at home recovering from the operation. Never mind that we were at home then 24/7 using ACs, appliances and gadgets and now, we spend our days in the office. Seems like once you move up a certain level of electricity consumption there is no going back. Siiiiigggghhhhh...

Just had to vent. I just paid my electric bill. Can anyone help us please?

pan roasted herbed chicken a la mk 2

2010-06-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

I try to cook a few dishes that we could eat for several, not necessarily consecutive, days. This afternoon, I repeated the pan roasted herbed chicken a la mk but this time I used potatoes instead of sayote and used all chicken thighs. I think this is the first time I consulted and followed my own recipe. While it is easy to do, there are several ingredients and specific steps to achieve the appearance and most importantly, the taste of the original dish so I had to read and follow the recipe I wrote here.

filled with hope

2010-06-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

I would just like to share here what I posted on my Facebook page earlier today. Hubby and I stayed home and watched the inauguration of the new president. In any change, we can choose to be hopeful despite our differing political views, preferences, and beliefs.

I pray that all Filipinos see this day as a start to do what is right. I pray that it will start with the people at Luneta picking up their trash. Let's start with the little things. Pagsunod sa trapiko, pagtangging maglagay, paghinto sa tamang babaan at sakayan, pagtawid sa tamang lugar at marami pang maliliit na bagay but which define our country and our everyday life as filipinos. Whether we voted for him or not, let us rejoice in this day as democracy won, but democracy is not just about the presidency, it is about the people. Let change begin today with this new administration but more importantly let it begin with you and me. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.

My hubby and I waited three and half hours to vote last May 10 and I know there are many who waited longer. We did our share in the first automated election, let us not let it end there. And yes, I voted for P-Noy.

of jeans and cheese steak

2010-06-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

These days, people seldom see me wearing jeans. Last weekend, I felt like wearing a pair as I wanted to feel warm and comfortable at the movies. I was able to dig up the Custo Barcelona halter top to go with the jeans. An oldie but goodie, the top I got in 2007. I also brought a black blazer for warmth at the SATC 2 movie. The movie had mixed reviews but me, I like it. A lot actually that I went to see it again the following day with girl friends.

I know a lot of people love wearing jeans, dependable, safe, and familiar. Do you love jeans? What's your favorite pair?

Before the movies, we ate at Elbert's Cheesesteak. I ate cheese steak of course! The perfect Saturday night date, casual, no fuss, familiar. I believe this was the first movie date with hubby after the op.

It's wonderful to be able to do old activities wearing pieces dug up from the closet, just like in the good ol' days.

pan roasted herbed chicken a la mk

2010-06-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

I had been craving for tinola since the start of the week but it's not a dish that you can order from a restaurant except for Via Mare. Yesterday, I went to Via Mare to order their chicken tinola flan, the modest comfort food done with a resto twist, a custard layer on the surface of the soup. Left the office a little late for lunch so when I got to Via Mare and ordered the dish, the waiter said it needed a longer cooking time than the other items on the menu so I settled for monggo.

In the afternoon before going home, I made a quick trip to Rustan's Fresh to get chicken, sayote, sili leaves, ginger, and fish sauce. I decided to cook myself tinola. Something I have not cooked before. It turned out decent. I am just happy that I did not mess up this comfort food and I was able to satisfy my craving.

But this post is not about tinola. I got two packs of pre-cut chicken and I realized while preparing the ingredients yesterday, one pack would do for the tinola so I stuck the other pack into the freezer. Today, when I got home from work, I thought of experimenting with the remaining chicken pieces.

I love roast chicken. Amici's Pollo Arrostito, Manang Conching's rosemary chicken, even S&R's rotisserie chicken are few of my faves. So they were the inspiration for this dish. Problem is I don't have a conventional oven here in our cubbyhole. I had to improvise and make do with my trusted Imarflex multi-cooker.

So I pan roasted the chicken pieces and seasoned them with herbs: tarragon, basil, and oregano, and flavored with lots of garlic and lemongrass. I added tomatoes cut into half (don't you just love baked, fried or steamed whole or halved tomatoes? I do) and cut pieces of sayote (I didn't have potatoes but I had sayote left from the tinola yesterday so I just made do with what's available in the fridge).

Well, I don't like bragging about my cooking so I am not going to rave about it but this is what I will share, hubby ate three big pieces: two thighs and a full breast. He does not normally go beyond a cup of rice, tonight he ate two cups. And yes, he said in between bites, the chicken's good: "sarap, hon."

Let me write down the recipe as I plan to do this again. I am sharing and at the same time jotting it down for my own reference next time.

Ingredients:

6 pieces of chicken (different parts or choice cuts; i used mixed parts)

6 medium sized tomatoes cut into half

1 large onion cut into quarters

2 garlic heads cut into half

8 garlic cloves crushed

1 lemongrass stalk cut into 6-inch pieces and pound them to release the flavor

2 long green sili (used for sinigang)

1 tablespoon of dried tarragon

1 teaspoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 cup of olive oil

3 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of fish sauce (my subsitute for salt)

2 tablespoons of knorr seasoning

1 regular sized sayote cut into pieces (3 potatoes cut into quarters or wedges would be good as well)

freshly ground pepper from a pepper mill to taste

Crush the garlic cloves. Rub 4 crushed garlic cloves on the chicken pieces and let them sit for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onions, then the remaining crushed garlic, halved garlic heads, and lemongrass. When the onions are translucent, and the garlic are starting to turn soft (be careful not to burn the garlic), add the chicken pieces and green sili. Add the fish sauce, tarragon, and basil. Toss to coat the chicken pieces with oil, fish sauce, herbs, and freshly ground pepper. Let the chicken pieces brown, skin side down. Do not add the sayote or potatoes and tomatoes yet until the chicken pieces have browned. They will crowd the pan and with a multicooker, the temp will drop with too many pieces in the pan. Once they are brown, turn them over. Add the Knorr seasoning. Put the sayote pieces (or if potatoes, browning them should be a good idea too) and halved tomatoes. Sprinkle the oregano. Toss again. And let it cook covered for 20-30 minutes.

Eureka! This dish done without a recipe is a keeper.

13 posts in one month: an entry dedicated to B

2010-05-31T22:22:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, I resumed this blog after a 27-month web log hiatus. Thanks to our able nanny B who nursed me back to health and afforded me extra time to do things other than office work, business matters, and household chores.

This post equals the number of posts I did in 2007. I was able to do in one month which took me a year to accomplish in my first year of blogging. But this entry is bittersweet, while I am elated to be writing my 13th post for May (on the last day of May), the one who allowed me to go back to blogging has said goodbye.

B got a proposal from her boyfriend when she went back to the province to vote and to attend their town fiesta so what was supposed to be a three-week interlude between a 2 month stay and a longer term working arrangement with us has turned into something more permanent. This means she won't be coming back to us. While we originally planned to have her with us for only 2 months after the operation, Hubby and I decided to keep her for good, primarily for health reasons. Condo couple living is unhealthy. For almost four years, part of our weekly sustenance is take-out food and fast food delivery. I do love to cook but with a full time job and a small budding business, preparing home cooked meals for two is simply not something I could do daily. Having nanny B with us allowed us to enjoy lutong bahay for dinner. She also made breakfast at home before going to work possible (hubby misses champorado with condensed milk) and she even made my work lunch healthy by cooking different vegetable dishes which she packs in my daily lunchbox.

Now that she's been in the province for several weeks and would be staying there for good, this juicer is gathering dust again. In the brief period that she was with us, B had used it to prepare vegetable juice (a mixture of bitter gourd, carrots, cucumber, and green apple) for me and hubby. I got the juicer early 2009 but only after a month of using it myself, I gave up. It is time consuming. It takes me almost an hour to rinse the veggies up to cleaning the high maintenance thing. The juicer, am sure, felt useful when B was around. Now, it is looking sad once again.

Am happy for her and I wish her an enlightening engagement and a blissful marriage but we will surely miss her.

Now, I just have to find a way to provide our small family of two healthy meals. How do I do that with a full time job, a business, and a blog? I don't have the slightest idea.

white tops

2010-05-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Summer is going to extend up to the second or third week of June according to Pagasa. Not a welcome news since the heat has been terrible these days. And with this amazing temperature, a perfect color to wear is white. So I have been making use of my white pieces from the closet.

A white shirt one weekend going to my in-laws.

And a long white eyelet blouse to work one workday.

How about you? Do you like wearing white?

more finds in dapitan

2010-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

This entry is the last part of the post series on my first trip to Dapitan. I would like to share what else I saw through my instamatic lens.

Tin pails and tin cans in amazing colors. Perfect for wedding souvenirs. These take me back to wedding memory lane again as we gave our wedding godparents our three kinds of keepsakes: a bottle of honey, a jar of coffee and another jar of tea, in a rustic wooden pail. I can't really remember how much the tin pails cost but my mind is giving me 80-100 peso traces. I just took pictures, I didn't purchase, no use for them at the moment.

If you're into ceramics: plates, serving trays, cookie jars, coffee jars, bowls, balls, etc. there are several stalls you can visit in Dapitan. Sorry, I didn't ask for the prices but our company medical director says he goes to Dapitan around October to get Christmas plates which he gives as presents and they would be around a hundred bucks.

There are lots of quirky home decors. My friend asked me to take this photo because of the glass beaded lamp on the top most shelf. It's a store filled with bric-a-brac.

More clock designs from the second store where I got our wrought iron clock.

Another shop sells these vintage looking trains, which would provide old-world charm to a hobby room, a men's study or a little boy's room. Unfortunately, we don't have any of those rooms so I just took pictures and did not take out my wallet.

The same store offers other home embellishments. The store's eclectic offering includes Asian inspired decors and several busts. I am loving that sleek white vase on the floor, which I didn't notice until I downloaded the photos from the camera.

This photo is taken from the same stall. This shelf is opposite the shelf containing the trains. As you can see they have all sorts of items from religious pieces to Asian dolls.

This is another photo from the same shop. They do have a lot of interesting items, like these balls which would make attractive table pieces. I also didn't see the mask in the corner until I transferred the photo from the cam to Mac. Amusing but no immediate need for it. It's just good to know where to get masks when I need one.

Of course with a multifarious shop such as this, I was able to score something for my little home project. The sales lady is shown on the photo wrapping my purchase.

Here's another wrapped item from a different stall for my current home project. An aside, I wish I also snatched that abanico looking wall decor shown on the upper right portion of the photo.

So what did I get from these two fascinating shops?

A shabby chic frame from the stall with the fan inspired wall decor and a cathedral shaped mirror from the curio shop carrying trains and masks. I got the frame at 500 pesos, haggled it from the original quoted price of 750. The mirror, I got for 350 pesos, 50 pesos less than the sales lady's first offer. Great deals!

I have a wall in the bedroom I need to dress and these are some of the frames and mirror I have collected for the project. I can't wait to see this completed. I will share of course.

i heart this bag

2010-05-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Photo is borrowed from ASOS.

I came across this Karen Millen leather drawstring bag while browsing through The Bag Lady site and while I promised, correction, told myself (promised is too strong, so definitive) that I will stop at the two Cath Kidston bags that just recently arrived, I can't help but dream about this bag. I love the laser cut design. It's priced at $312.82 at ASOS.

Price is not so steep but in the last month I purchased 3 bags. A week and a half before the Cath Kidston bags arrived, a friend brought home a bag I asked her to purchase for me. I have been telling myself that these bags are my reward after the operation. After 3 bags, the excuse sounds stretched and tired, and even I am having a hard time buying this excuse.

So, I will exercise self control and practice finance wellness. And then a deep sigh...

light on my side of the bed

2010-05-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I went to Power Plant last Saturday night for dinner and an indefinite plan to catch the last full show. Shrek and Robin Hood didn't really excite us so we just opted for dinner and did some shopping and window shopping.

While walking to the movie house, we noticed the sale sign on the Dimensione window so we went back after deciding no movie for us. Great discounts: 20-30% on lamps and other soft furnishings, almost 50% off on chairs and other furniture. Like this arm chair, it is cheaper by 47%.

With clean lines, the chair would look well with a modern interior or an eclectic design, I think. Oh well, just my personal taste, I don't mean to sound authoritative about interior design, I don't have any formal training whatsoever, just sharing my personal preference.

But we didn't get the chair, no more room for it in our space-challenged home and it would stick out like a sore thumb when placed with our other furnishings, which are more traditional.

We did get something though and while it wasn't planned, it was something we were on the lookout for. You see, we only have one lamp, a floor lamp, on the right side of the bed, near the windows, my hubby's side, which means I don't have a light source on my side of the bed.

My side is near the bedroom door and because of the limited space, getting a lamp is trickier and more challenging. If hubby doesn't sleep ahead of me and if I don't do a few things before sleeping like applying moisturizers, reading the Bible, surfing the net with an iPod touch, etc., it's not really a problem but it is, because hubby does go to sleep first while I do a million and one little things which would be a lot easier with a light on.

So while I am not really too sold on the way it looks (as it looks modern for the bed), this eco light provides a practical space saver light source solution.

It's an eco clip lamp, which we clipped on the bed post. It came with a 7 watt white light bulb. I asked hubby to get me a warm light bulb at True Value as I find white light a bit harsh. Nothing ruins the mood, especially in the bedroom, more than white light.

After getting the bulb, we went to Pancake House (hubby's fave) at the Rockwell Info Center for dinner. Those who know me personally know that I try to watch what I eat these days but one thing I couldn't resist... frozen yogurt!

And I didn't.

It was a slow, quiet, relaxing, and refreshing Saturday which afforded me a wonderful time with hubby, a cup of indulgence with the frozen yogurt and light on my side of the bed.

the clock is up

2010-05-22T00:30:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, hubby had to ask our building maintenance guys to install a new shower head. I remember the shower head was replaced a year or so ago, but this time the cord of the replacement gave and we had to change again. To maximize their visit, I asked hubby if we could also have them drill and install the new clock. Remember the clock i bought in Dapitan? Well, I know it's been weeks but hubby and I haven't installed it.

Hubby has become dependent once again on house help after Belen's supposedly 2-month stint with us that he requested that we postpone completion of my project, including replacing our bedroom clock, until Belen comes back. Yes, we have decided to keep her. She's just in the province for a 3-week vacation for their hometown fiesta and the election. His request came with assuring me that it was our (his and mine) couple's project, but we just have to wait for Belen. It was one of the funniest moments in our day to day as a couple. If I knew how to do a comic strip, I would probably use that moment as the quintessence of our marriage dynamics and couple humor. Comments like that from my hubby I find endearing rather than infuriating. I know him and I love him to bits.

Well, he knows me too and he knows I wouldn't be able to wait for Belen, especially if the opportunity presents itself. My other project is still on hold until Belen gets here but the clock, I thought we could install with the help of the maintenance guys. And we did.

The clock is up. Of course it came with the dust and the vacuuming afterwards which got my hubby shaking his head. Well, I told you he knows me too.

Did you know that it's a dual face clock? I know that putting it in a corner wastes its two-face nature but I like that the clock rotates and I can let it face whichever direction I want. Of course now, it's set at an angle to make it more visible from the bed and bedroom door.

versatile skirt

2010-05-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

I love this skirt. When I feel a little playful and girly I pull this Zara khaki balloon skirt out of the closet and pair it with various tops and footwear. I find it very versatile. I think I've had this skirt for 3 years now.

Last Mother's day, I paired it with a Top Shop striped shirt and accessorized with one long strand of pearls and black flower brooch.

On another day, a work day, I paired it with a bone colored Padini knit top. To complete the look, I put on a braided belt and a multi-layer necklace. This is not my usual office attire, I just wanted a more easy going look without looking shabby or inappropriate. Oh well, at least I hope I didn't.

So why the compulsion to wear something different? This Cath Kidston bag inspired the outfit.

A month ago, I ordered this bag. It took a month before I got it. I hate the wait but am happy I did. I love the bag. It gives me a breather from the monograms. I love that not too many know or have it yet, or may even like it because of the floral design, which also means not too many counterfeits, and best, price is pocket-friendly.

The bag and the skirt will surely find themselves paired in various ensembles.

I'm sure you also have your own versatile pieces. What's your favorite article of clothing that gives you 101 looks? Share please.

my other dapitan finds

2010-05-08T08:19:00.001-07:00

Aside from the clock I didn't know what else I could get in Dapitan. I have seen a number of photos, cute stuff but nothing I need nor want at the moment. I get overwhelmed with large bazaars or flea markets so I was relieved that Dapitan Arcade is just a relatively small rectangular covered space which house no more than 80 stalls. The stores sell mostly home items from ceramics to tiffany chairs. Yes, tiffany chairs! When I was planning my wedding 4 years ago, tiffany chairs were part of my non-negotiables, silly and may be considered wasteful but a ah, no cloth covered monoblocs for me. I would like to think my husband and I were level headed about the wedding, nothing extravagant, practical, yet still tasteful so spending extra for the tiffany chairs was justified.

Okay, enough of the trip back to wedding memory lane and let's go back to Dapitan. I was thrilled to see the tiffany chairs but I didn't ask how much. My mind was set on finding the clock so before I found it I didn't stop to ask about the others. Like a horse with blinders, my sight was set on the clock. After I got the clock, it's like my blinders lifted and my eyes opened to the other marvels of Dapitan.

The stall, right beside the store where I bought the first clock, sells clay jars. You can buy them individually or in sets of three. I got the smallest jar of the black-grey-green with leaf design set.

Just by our main door we have umbrellas hanging on the kitchen counter or leaning on the wall of the kitchen cabinet. An umbrella holder that would fit in this small corner was in my mental to get list even before Dapitan. I saw actual umbrella holders made of wrought iron or resins. But the clay jars caught my eye and had an idea that it could be repurposed as an umbrella holder. Also I wasn't too thrilled with the gold leaf designs on the iron ones. Plus they look more for the outdoors. But the jar, I like it. It would look like an unassuming house decor without the umbrellas to fill that empty corner but it actually serves a significant function.

(If you noticed, I removed the braided dried grass on the rim of the jar.)

In a limited living space choosing the right pieces make a lot of difference. Getting items that are multifunctional has been our philosophy in furnishing our home. Like benches that double as bookshelves,

a treasure chest for a coffee table that also provides additional storage space,

a men's dresser which provides more storage but also provides an area for study.

We try to avoid items, even if they are beautiful, that take up space and are useless. Function without sacrificing form. The jar adhered to that maxim. And at 200 pesos the jar was a fantastic find.

So what else is in Dapitan? Another post is coming up on my other finds which are perfect for my on going home project.

I started this post while waiting for friends last night at Lusso and finished it while waiting for my turn to vote. Waiting for 1 hour 20 minutes and still counting in a cramped public school classroom with 37 degree ambient temperature. Whoa!

dapitan at last!

2010-05-08T04:32:00.000-07:00

Since I read Ms. Connie Veneracion's December 2008 post on her great Dapitan finds, particularly a charming wrought iron wall clock, I made a mental note to visit this bargain place. My hubby who is not just a couch but a bed potato and who abhors traffic, scarce parking space and out of the way destinations dissuaded me from going to Dapitan. The months went by but the memory of the clock never left me and I had hoped that one day I would be able to satiate my curiosity of this intriguing shopping destination.

I grew up in the South and was never familiar with Quezon City so going to Dapitan by my lonesome also scared me. This year, in January, due to a project in the office, I went with two of my colleagues to Apo St., and while trying to find the place, I found myself at the corner of Dapitan market. I wanted to stop and park right there but work beckoned so I mustered all self control and continued driving. But boy, was I thrilled to be in the vicinity and to finally have an idea how to get there.

Last week our bedroom wall clock acted up. We were late one work day because our clock was thirty minutes behind. It ticked again but stopped briefly even after we changed the battery, so hubby suggested that we should be on the lookout for a new clock. We went to Dimensione (they were on sale) last weekend to get frames for my other home project but we found the clocks uninspired so we decided to make do with the existing and risk being late again until we find the timepiece that feels right. I thought again of the wrought iron wall clock that I saw in the Pinoy Cook blog.

Lo and behold, I saw a similar piece at the Regalong Pambahay/ Egg/Simple Joys store in Trinoma last Sunday. I was meeting a friend and hunting this small beige dress, which I saw at Mia Bella Serendra but in medium size. Sorry, I digress, it's another post altogether. The clock was selling for 3,000 pesos and I clearly remember that the blog author said she was able to haggle the original 1,500 peso price to 1,350. That stopped me from taking out my plastic and getting the haunting clock but I resolved to go to Dapitan and hunt that timepiece.

My long time friend, a native of Quezon City and a master of Metro Manila roads, finally took me to Dapitan this
afternoon. It was a dream come true. I got the clock finally, not exactly the same as the one in the blog, no bird perched on my clock but I don't mind, I like this simpler design. It goes well with our wrought iron four poster bed which we got from Rustan's using the gift certificates from the wedding and some GCs from the items we returned. Now, before you frown upon what I just said, please hear me out. While we were registered at Rustan's, we skipped the part of guest gift suggestion, we just felt it was tacky to tell our guests what to get us. We feel the same about telling them we prefer cash. Oh well, the downside: we got a dozen or so cutlery, good cutlery but there were just too many sets that would probably last us ten lifetimes. They were good gifts that their sum allowed us to get a really good queen size wrought iron four poster bed. Our guests will be happy to learn that they have gifted us with a wonderful bed, which we will treasure all our life. Sorry, I digressed once again.

Going back to the clock, there was a bit of drama. I like the design on the clock's face and boy, was I glad that I was able to get this particular piece. You see I was so thrilled to see the first stall, which sold timepieces like this. Going to Dapitan, I wasn't sure if I could still find wrought iron clocks. After all, it has been almost 18 months since the blog post. So when I saw a stall that carried this type of timepieces, I bought the dark colored piece right away even though I wasn't too happy with the floral design on the clock's face. It was too hallmarky for my taste but I like the bones and the color of the clock so I decided to not waste my first trip to Dapitan and got it. The vendor said it was the only dark piece left. When we got to the next pasilyo checking out the other interesting stuff on offer, I saw another similar clock with a more French country face. My heart sank but quickly realized I could give it a shot and get this piece that I really like. It took me over a year to get to Dapitan I might as well go home with the piece that I would be giddy with excitement, no ifs, no buts. So I did the unthinkable, I talked to the manong vendor who sold me the first clock and asked if he could help me. And help me he did. Without directly saying the word refund, I was able to get him to allow me to return the piece I bought from him. That, in turn, allowed me to purchase the clock from the other stall, which turned out to be owned by his brother. The sales lady was afraid to sell me the piece as it could cause conflict with the manong's mom but kuya Dennis, the first vendor was so kindhearted that he told the sales lady he will take care of it with his mom and ordered the sales girl to sell me the piece. Thank God for considerate business people like kuya Dennis. To thank him, I bought something else from his stall: a table runner. I know, it's not as big a ticket item as the clock but it's a small gesture of gratitude for granting me the refund which allowed me to take home the piece that I completely heart.

So how much did the clock cost me? 1,300 pesos! What an amazing deal. Got the clock at less than half the price at Simple Joys and 50 peso less than the haggled price in 2008. The 1,700 pesos, that I was able to save by not buying from the mall store, I was able to use for other great finds which I will share in my next post.

P.S. To my dear friend who took the time to accompany me to Dapitan, please allow me to thank you one more time. Thank you!

my indigo tent dress

2010-05-07T04:04:00.000-07:00

This is what I wore to work today. I bought this in 2008 from Wisdom (owned by hubby's niece) at the Markati Palazzo, Podium. I have worn this may be eight times or so since 2008 and the dress had never failed to elicit reactions every single time I had worn it. This afternoon, a colleague, who saw it for the first time I guess, asked if it is a dress. Ha ha ha. Well, am reviewing the photo and it may be an inch or so shorter than my other dresses. But yes, it is a dress. Though one can wear it with a wide belt, black leggings and ballet flats, i feel that that ensemble may be too heavy for this summer heat and my height.

I have seen that Wisdom is also at the Archaeology section of the Power Plant Mall, Rockwell and at the Ramp, Trinoma.

what i wore to work

2010-05-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

The heat these days is simply terrible. Being in the comforts of the office is such a blessing but for someone whose work requires external meetings, ways to keep oneself cool in this extraordinary summer are useful. Choosing the weather appropriate (without looking inappropriate in the office) work clothes is one such way. I am thankful that the days of the blazer and, as my long time friend pointed out, stockings have long past. Do you notice the same thing? Or is this just a fashion evolution in our office? Imagine wearing a jacket with lining and skirt or slacks to work in this scorching heat.

These days, you would normally see me in a dress or light blouse and skirt paired with my shoes of choice peep toe pumps or peep toe slingbacks (I don't know, I just love this shoe style. Even my bridal shoes by Seven is a pair of bone satin peep toe slingbacks, which I specifically asked for from the designer, Nico).

I wore that striped knit dress with my black peep toe slingbacks yesterday. This morning, I donned a white and khaki blouse-skirt combination paired with a brown alligator peep toe pumps. Oh so thankful for dresses and skirts. Oh and for peep toes too!

wall (closet door) stickers

2010-05-03T03:57:00.000-07:00

Nanny B and I were able to find new homes for a number of my stuff when we did the yard sale. The sale was a communal activity, six other unit owners also rummaged through their closets and showcased their wares. I got two interesting items from my fellow sellers and they are new, never been used items. One of which is a pack of wall stickers.

Hubby and I did our own home decorating. We focused on the hard and soft furnishings and not so much on the shell. The lone built-in closet in the bedroom, we also left as is. It was functional, clean but prosaic. The thought of having it renovated has always been thwarted by the immediately following thought of construction dirt and fuss.

When I saw my neighbor selling wall stickers, a bulb lit. Her husband works in Shenzhen and he normally brings home assorted stuff: notebooks, scrapbook materials, wall stickers, etc. as samples for the books and supplies stores here in Manila. The exorbitant consignment fees and the large volume requirement the stores were asking prevented them from pursuing the distribution. These samples were sitting and collecting dust in their bedroom until the yard sale announcement. While they are primarily for walls, I thought they would do my lackadaisical closet good.

Well, I would really want to change the doors completely but it's not just practical, so I think these stickers are the next best thing. They gave my compressed wood closet a breath of fresh air without breaking the bank and my back with the cleaning.

after 27 months

2010-05-03T02:18:00.000-07:00

It's been over two years since my last post wishing to blog about a pasta, a new (at that time) resto in Tagaytay, and two of my all time favorite books. My wish didn't come true. Life just got a tad busier. When I started this blog, I was a newly wed and I wanted it to be a chronicle of life's exciting discoveries but I got sucked into what pays the bills and climbing the c ladder. It doesn't mean though that the two years were difficult nor were they tumultuous. There were a lot of happy moments too but looking back, I would say, not so well-rounded. A recent health issue, which with God's grace was addressed but which forced me to take a 7-week break from work, helped me to take it slow and allowed me to smell the roses. It also helped me to realize to love my body more... eat healthier, rest, relax, exercise (although i can't do this just yet).

While on medical hiatus, hubby and I got ourselves a nanny. She's a dear. Now, we have decided to keep her with us for good. Nanny B did a lot for us in those seven weeks and I will forever be grateful, including doing spring cleaning of my closet and our entire 45m space. Together we thought of organizing a yard sale at the podium level of our building which turned out to be a great success. This allowed me to purge and make closet space for new clothes and shoes and rediscover some oldies but goodies. Like what am wearing today. I think I got this summer dress in Southmall, which means I got this when I was still living in LP with my folks more than 5 years ago. The necklace, I think, I got from the Lifestyle bazaar in A venue in 2008 but not sure anymore. It's nice to slip into something old and comfy and the best thing is: it's great to know it still fits!

next posts soon... i wish

2008-02-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

I have several posts lined up: 2 more recipes, 2 books and a new (well, it was on its opening week when we ate there but it won't be that new when I get to post it here) restaurant in Tagaytay.

As I don't have enough time to write, may I just share with you teaser photos of the upcoming ramblings...

Even the photo of the other pasta recipe didn't quite make it in time... sigh.

chix pesto bowtie pasta

and two amazing stories that capture the best and the 'beast' in man. "There is a way to be good again." - Khaled Hosseini, Kite Runner.

Yes, there is a way to blog again, and my wish is it will be soon.

another girl-must-have

2007-12-18T22:51:00.000-08:00

We love bringing bags and where to put them when dining out is always a dilemma. I am always thrilled to find restaurants that understand this tiny predicament and put hooks under the table or a ledge beneath the tabletop (like in Dencio’s at the Fort when they were still open).

But not all restaurants are sensitive to girls’ needs. So am thrilled to discover the bag hook or the purse hangers. You can bring this anywhere and use it to hang your bag on the edge of a table.

I am so excited about this find that I even use it in the office. That’s my office desk in the photo.

Found the hooks in the World Bazaar which ran last week at the World Trade Center. They sell for P280 and they’re the perfect little presents for our girl-friends.

penne with creamy chicken

2007-12-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here’s the other chicken dish that we had for the new office lunch.

Ingredients:
¼ kilo ground chicken
1 cup tomato sauce
1 pack all purpose cream
1 cup milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Quick melt cheese (grated)
250 grams penne

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil and butter. Add ground chicken and chicken bouillon. When chicken is almost brown, add the tomato sauce, all purpose cream, and milk. Put chicken broth or water then simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook penne according to package instructions.

Toss the cooked penne in the simmering sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Transfer to a casserole, top with grated cheese and pop it in the microwave at medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts.

The office lunch was my first time to cook this dish. With encouraging reviews and the fact that it’s a breeze to prepare, have made it twice since for two more gatherings.

chicken green apple green salad

2007-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here’s the salad that I have been preparing for home dinners with friends and family.

Last time I made this was early December when we transferred to our new office. I made penne with creamy chicken to go with the salad for the five of us in the department. I’ll post it next. Chicken was my main ingredient for both dishes as our boss is allergic to almost all types of meat except, you guessed it – chicken.

Among the five of us, we finished the large bowl of salad which I took to be a good indication that my colleagues liked it.

Salad:
2-3 pcs Chicken breast fillet (seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme & rosemary then pan roasted)
Croutons or 1 pack Oishi bread pan
Salad Greens (packed and ready to serve)
Green apple (check that it’s fresh and crisp, sliced into strips)
Queso de bola (grated)
Seedless grapes (optional, cut into halves)

Dressing:
Any bottled ceasar salad dressing will do or if you want, you can try to make it more homemade by adding a few more ingredients and whisking them together.

Ceasar salad dressing – 4 to 5 tablespoons
Olive oil (add in slowly while whisking)
Garlic crushed – 2 to 3 cloves
Lemon juice from 2 lemons
Slankie cheese spread - 3 tablespoons
Queso de bola – 4 tablespoons
Mustard – 1 to 2 tablespoons
Salt and pepper to taste

Open the pack of greens and place in a salad bowl. Mix in the green apple strips and toss. Top with croutons, slices of roasted chicken breast fillet and halved seedless grapes, which is entirely optional. Sprinkle with grated queso de bola. Add dressing and toss just before serving.

As an aside, my hubby who hates veggies even in his Mc Chicken learned to eat salad with this recipe.

thursday's baked white spaghetti

2007-10-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

After about a week of working out on the treadmill and in the pool, coupled with abstaining from carbohydrates and fats since Monday, guess, my body was craving for starch and oil. Well, I gave in to it and prepared a dieter’s nightmare baked white spaghetti.

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
¼ cup butter (at least I used the lite variety)
1 cup chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube (know it may sound redundant but this and the broth flavor the sauce)
1 cup all purpose cream
1 tablespoon of lime/kalamansi juice
White pepper to taste
¼ kilo of spaghetti (cooked and drained)
Lots and lots of grated quick-melt cheese

Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add broth and cube. Simmer. Add cream, simmer and add lime/kalamansi juice. Simmer. Add white pepper to taste. Toss in cooked spaghetti. Add lots of grated cheese and toss again. Arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle more cheese on top and pop it in a conventional oven or microwave. I am using a microwave as a conventional oven would be too hot for a small place. Nuke it for about 3 minutes in medium high heat.

Darn! Now I’ve got to run and swim again to burn calories. What a vicious cycle!

tiny tomatoes inspire tuna puttanesca

2007-09-24T03:04:00.000-07:00

We came from Tagaytay recently and the caretaker gave me a few cherry tomatoes, the really small ones that they remind me of ‘aratiles.’

These tiny tomatoes inspired me to make pasta sauce. The other ingredients in our pantry and ref crisper, together with these tomatoes, lend themselves useful for a variant of puttanesca.

My hubby loved the pasta. He even commented that it was restaurant caliber. He was, of course, biased but his praise did make my heart stout.

Am sharing with you my Tuna Puttanesca recipe, the absence or presence of a few ingredients is due to what I have or don’t have in the kitchen at that time I cooked it.

Olive Oil
Garlic
Onions
Tuna flakes
Chicken cube
Green bell pepper
Cherry tomatoes
Black olives
Spaghetti
Ground basil
Ground oregano
Spaghetti Sauce (Italian style)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti based on package cooking instructions.

Saute chopped onions and minced garlic in olive oil. Add tuna flakes and chicken cube. When cube is fully melted, add the spaghetti sauce. Simmer. Then add bell pepper, black olives and cherry tomatoes. Season with ground basil, oregano, and pepper. If the cube is not enough to salt the sauce, add salt to taste. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the cooked spaghetti into the sauce.

A sprinkle of parmesan would have been nice but that was one ingredient missing from the cupboards.

my manager's choice

2007-08-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

With unrelenting rains and flooded streets, we were sent home early. I am grateful for the extra time given me today as I had the chance to go to the gym and afterwards prepare the pizza that I had been cooking up in my head the last two days.

I had several tortillas left in the ref. I toasted a few pieces the other day and spread tuna and leftover chicken salad over them. As they turned out good, they led me to another cooking idea – pizza using tortillas.

Yesterday, when we did our regular grocery shopping, I got the other stuff I needed to make my idea a reality. Here are the other ingredients that I got:

Cooked ham slices
White onions
Green bell pepper
Quick melt cheese
Pizza sauce (classic Italian)

Do they sound familiar? Well, we love Shakey’s manager’s choice. Its ingredients are not complicated which makes it the perfect inspiration for my pizza.

Here are a few notes on how I prepared my very own manager’s choice. I toasted the tortillas on a non-stick pan until crisp. I then spread the other ingredients – pizza sauce, quick melt cheese, sliced green bell pepper, sliced onions, ham sliced into small (about 1”X 1”) squares. I again topped with cheese. I sprinkled ground basil and pepper.

I popped them in a grill oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melted and the tortillas’ edge a bit more toasted.

I would say my version turned out great, definitely better than they were in my head. With the use of tortillas, these thin crust pizzas are a breeze to make. Try making them one of these days.

dishwash free

2007-08-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

My hubby recently celebrated his birthday. I invited a few of his married friends over.

As his birthday fell on a Friday, we had to go to work first so I decided to forego the cooking and did the dialing instead. I also remembered the lesson learned from the previous dinners - that washing the dishes after a party is a nightmare. We were having three couples over which meant that we could easily use eight sets of tableware so I decided to be smart about it. I painstakingly chose food that will require minimal plates and cutlery.

I ordered mini barbecue from Milky Way, 4 flavors in one pizza from Brooklyn cut into squares, Tostitos right out of a bag and bottled salsa and cheese. The only dish that really required a plate and fork was the Lasagna, which was also from Milky Way.

For dessert, I also followed the same principle - minimal tableware. And the solution - cupcakes. My honey celebrated his 38th year and so I ordered 38 cupcakes from Costa Brava, which in my opinion sells the best cupcakes and at reasonable prices at that. Minimum order is 36 pieces or two boxes which you can get for P750 to P800 depending on the flavors. We have tried the white cupcakes (marshmallow icing and butter filling), chocolate, and my favorite caramel cupcakes. If you think that 36 is a lot, wait until you try them. The minimum may not be enough.

It was fun - no fuss food, great talk and most of all, no mountain of dishes to wash when the party's over.

Costa Brava
896 1267
12 Polaris St. Bel-Air Village 3, Makati

Milky Way Cafe
843 4124/843 7124
2/F 900 Pasay Road corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati

Brooklyn Pizza
896 9696
1176-C Chino Roces Avenue San Antonio Village, Makati

another breakfast in tagaytay

2007-08-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

We love Tagaytay. It is our favorite place. We love waking up to the cool breeze and the scent of trees and fruits, even if am allergic to pollen. Besides, antihistamines could very well take care of my allergies.

There are two things that complete our usual and frequent Tagaytay weekend get away - a good book and a lovely breakfast. Either I cook up a hearty breakfast at my mom-in-law's vacation home or we look for a nice cozy place to enjoy the first meal of the day, without the cooking.

In our recent Tagaytay trip, Toni's blog (Wifely Steps) entry about the strawberry cheesecake at Bag of Beans became my inspiration to suggest it for breakfast. We had been to Bag of Beans several times to buy coffee alamid and pies but we had not dined in.

My hubby ordered his fave bacon and eggs and I had the chicken and mushroom pie.

As they sell frozen pies in the store, I knew what to expect. It was the same reliable chicken and mushroom pie of Bag of Beans. The bacon was good but my hubby forgot to tell the waiter that he likes his eggs soft scrambled. The bread was the crowning glory of this morning meal. It was soooo good. Freshly baked (well at least that's the impression that I got), it had a textured outer shell that makes for a good bite while the inside was soft and full... and fragrant too. Am not really a bread connoisseur but I think I know a good bread when I eat one.

I like cheesecakes so when I read about Bag of Beans' cheesecake in Wifely Steps I made a mental note to try it in our next Tagaytay trip. And so we did.

It was good, found it more like a ref cake though. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's simply not my kind of cheesecake. I did not regret ordering it. It satiated my curiosity. If only for that it was worth it.

an ‘article’ for women

2007-07-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

A close second to VPL (visible panty line), is the other fashion faux pas --VBN (visible breast nipples).

Five years ago, I was pleased to find nipple tapes, which were handy when I wear tight fitted shirts, gowns and swimsuits. I normally get them from the lingerie section of department stores.

Last year, when I went to Bench Body at Glorietta to get thermal undershirt (yes, they have thermal underwear) for my then fiancé, I saw a box of nipple tapes at the counter and decided to grab a box. Then I overheard the two people in front of me asked the cashier if they have reusable nipple tapes. I cringed at the idea of reusable tapes. The cashier said they don’t have any but suggested a box of silicone which literally changed my life.

I told an office friend, who I also introduced to nipple tapes a few years back, about the silicone pair. She got so excited that she hoarded several boxes. She’s been giving these silicone pairs as presents. Useful gifts, I would say.

Aside from seamless underwear, silicone nipple tape is a lady’s best friend. They sell for P179.99 at Bench Body and Her Bench stores.

an hour and thirty minute meal for in-laws

2007-07-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

After almost two months, am back with a few stories to tell.

We had hosted a few dinners in our little home, with the most recent one an exercise in innovation and speed as I only had an hour and a half to prepare. My hubby's parents, aunt and uncle came from Tagaytay and thought of passing by Makati. We invited them over for dinner and then made a quick mental scan of what we have in our cupboard, freezer and ref.

Had tuna and spaghetti in the cupboard, shrimp and chicken breast fillet in the freezer, some greens, green apple, and ceasar salad dressing. These became the building blocks of the 2 courses I prepared - salad and pasta. In the object of time and just making sure that we will serve something edible, we decided to order chicken from KFC. Dessert was a chocolate cake from Rustan's Supermarket, which I will talk about in my next post.

The salad and pasta were a hit. My hubby's aunt loved the pasta so much she asked for the recipe so she could prepare this dish when they go back home to Toronto.

Jotting down the recipe, I had to call it something. I came up with 'Tuna and Shrimp Pasta Casserole'. The basic recipe is from Irene, a friend from the office. She gladly shared with us her recipe for her easy to make but very tasty No Meat Fettuccine from her Lutong Tamad Series. Let me then share with you my version:

Tuna & Shrimp Pasta Casserole

3 big onions (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 cans cream of asparagus soup (or cream of mushroom)
250 – 500 grams of tuna (chunks in brine)
250 grams of shrimp (peel deveined)
2 small cans/boxes/pouches of tomato sauce
Olive oil for sautéing
1 small box of quick melt cheese (grated)
Dried ground basil/ coarsely chopped fresh basil (optional)
500 grams pasta (linguine/ spaghetti/ fettucini)
1 piece chicken bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta.
Saute onions and garlic in a little olive oil. Add tuna and chicken bouillon. Continue sautéing until bouillon melts. Add shrimp. Add tomato sauce when shrimp starts to turn pink. Bring to a boil. Add cream of asparagus soup. Season with salt (the bouillon is supposed to take care of the salty taste but add salt to taste) and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes until mixture boils.

Mix sauce and drained pasta. Arrange in a casserole. Top with extra sauce. Spread grated cheese on top. Cover entire dish with cheese. Sprinkle a bit of dried ground basil or chopped fresh basil.

Cover dish and pop it in a microwave for about a minute on high or until cheese melts.

Or cover with foil and bake in a regular oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese melts and brown a little.

Will share with you the salad recipe on my next post.

Happy cooking and eating (while I am on a strict diet this week).

a wife's must-have

2007-05-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

I clearly remember what Fr. Paul said in his homily for our wedding. Recalling the wedding feast at Cana where the newly weds ran out of wine, he told us that there will be times when wine in the marriage seems to dry up. While others try to find wine substitutes, we must remember the wedding at Cana and look to the One who can really refill the wine. Fr. Paul said that as long as my hubby and I draw our wine from Him we will never ran out of it.

A few months into the marriage, I am thankful that our wine is overflowing but it doesn’t mean that the cistern’s level is never challenged. Small arguments (on schedules, AC temp, how to watch TV), work-related concerns and natural differences sip the wine more in some days. When this happens, I discovered through a colleague, a perfect cork screw to open up the unending supply of His wine – The Power of a Praying Wife.

The book clarifies a wife’s thoughts. It helps her see her role as a wife with clarity and how she affects the different facets of her husband’s life. It helps a wife articulate her wishes for her husband in a most powerful medium – prayer.

Thank you, Candy for sharing this. And now, it’s my turn to share.

May this book guide you as it is still guiding me.

a mid-week dine-out

2007-05-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I love the comforts of home. Except for a few exceptional occasions, we opt for in-house dinners whether it be home-cooked (my cooking, of course, which can be best described as experimental more than anything, take-out (from the fast food and eateries around our area and even from my office cafeteria) or delivery (pizza, pancit, dimsum, and the usual fast food).

Last Wednesday night, to fulfill a promise made more than 2 months ago to pay a friend and her newborn baby a visit, we went to Rockwell. The visit led to a relaxed dinner.

Cai, my friend’s almost 3-month little girl is such a cutesy. I am amazed that a baby barely a quarter year old could support her head. As she’s big for her age, I didn’t have qualms about holding her. Of course, I dabbed alcohol before holding Cai. Boy, she’s heavy. I didn’t last long holding her. She got a bit antsy as it was about her sleeping time so I happily returned her to her mommy.

With the baby asleep and my friend wanting to get out of the house for a more grown up environment, we decided to cross to Grams Diner. It is still wholesome but not necessarily juvenile like, say, McDonald’s or Jollibee.

A no frills eating place, the diner agrees well with my husband as he abhors the pretentious ambience with the equally pompous crowd. My friend likes it for it is conveniently near their place. And they have beer which is enough to satiate her fancy for any alcoholic beverage.

I recently caught a cooking show on the Lifestyle channel where they prepared meatloaf so the Grams meatloaf caught my eye.

My hubby, who is the ultimate breakfast person, even if he is rarely awake during the normal breakfast hours, was thrilled to see the menu. Two pages of breakfast meals were more than enough affirmation to skip our usual dine-home dinners. He opted for the American breakfast which has the same breakfast links, eggs, hash browns and bacon as the Grams breakfast platter featured in rants and raves, but it has toast instead of pancakes and it comes with a glass of fruit juice, fruit plate and coffee. My girl friend ordered calamari to go with her beer.

I have never tried their meatloaf, so had to give ordering some thought. Without a star indicating that it is one of the house bestsellers, I knew that it was a risk. I decided to bet on it. I was happy that I made a new discovery. The meatloaf was meaty. It didn’t have that mushy, glutinous texture that meatloaves or ‘embutidos’ have when their loaded with breadcrumbs and other extenders. Some may find Grams’ meatloaf more like a burger. But I like it that way and for 125 bucks it was definitely a wise dinner choice.

I liked it at Grams and that’s why I am writing about it here. I have nothing but admiration for the bloggers who can make an honest assessment of a restaurant. But I am no food connoisseur and therefore I don’t feel right criticizing when I neither have the expertise nor credentials. My philosophy for this blog – “write about the good stuff.” When the experience is relatively to superbly pleasant, you will read it here. When the experience is marked by mediocrity and undeniably spotty, I don’t want to be harsh in making a public judgment and will opt to keep my mouth zipped about the entire experience.

I mulled the really terrible experience though, and I have come to a decision to make this an outlet for my rage and an instrument to warn friends, family, and whoever comes across this page.

As for Grams, you may find me and my hubby one of these days enjoying a hearty breakfast.

beginner's dive

2007-05-08T01:13:00.000-07:00

One hundred twenty-nine days after the ‘I do’s’, feels like I have settled in my role as a wife. With school done and no plans of coming back next term, have more time for my project at work, my hubby and myself. Having extra hours in my hands means i am itching to do other things productive - a business venture perhaps, a stricter exercise regimen, and yes, finish sorting through the thousands and thousands of photographs for our official wedding album.

Starting this blog is part of that wish to venture into new things to hopefully add spice to my roles in life. This web log is both my medium and my message to keep life fresh with new everyday discoveries. Routine can provide comfort but am more prone to world-weariness when patterns begin to form. Life’s just a lot more fun and richer with unexplored curves and turns which offer novel finds everyday.

Have been an avid reader of different blogs (lori’s, anton’s, connie’s, wysgal’s, bong’s, etc.) and not only once did the idea of having my own cross my mind. Not sure though if i’ll have a wealth of information to share like the ‘bloggers’ I fondly read but what the heck I’ll never know until i jump into it.

This entry is my beginner’s dive. Oooohhh, cold but like when I first had swimming lessons more than 20 years ago I learned that it gets warmer after some time... when I keep swimming.