To my Ex-Boyfriend

They say that friendship is a good foundation in any relationship.  I guess I'm lucky because this friendship brought me love.

And in all the years that we've been together, we had the best times.  We had our highs but we also had our lows.  I don't know if you still remember that night I gave up on US (feeling ko, you don't). You didn't say anything, I was waiting for you to say something!  I watched you walk away but deep in my heart, I wasn't sure if I did the right thing. But I took back my words (I think that same night when you got home, haha!) because I didn't want to lose you.  

But I did. 

I wanted more than what we had . . . and you gave it to me.

Thank you for giving me forever, my happy ever after.

To my Ex Boyfriend (now my Husband),

Thank you for making me the happiest!

Happy, Happy Birthday!

Recipe Hacks: McD's Big Mac Sauce

I am not really a hamburger person.  Between a hotdog and a hamburger sandwich, I would pick a hotdog!

However, there are times that a hamburger sounds good!  One of my favorite guilty pleasures is McDonald's Big Mac.  One may argue that it is not one of the best fast food burgers but there is something about it that I keep coming back to.  I love it because of its tangy sauce!  Yes,  that orange-y sauce is what makes it (in my book) and it is NOT a Thousand Island dressing! Haha!

The other day, I tried a Chicken meatball recipe but they came out of the oven like a patty (not meatballs, haha) so I thought of just using them to make sliders.  (P.S. The kids still enjoyed the "meatballs turned patty" with rice and teriyaki sauce!  So. . .always keep a bottle of Teriyaki sauce at home to save the day! Haha)

I haven't had a Big Mac for quite some time so I went online to look for a recipe for the sauce and picked two recipes (from topsecretrecipes and Chow Hound) and just did a mash up.

What makes these recipes close to the real thing is they both use the same ingredients that McDonald's uses.  There is actually a video in YouTube which shows a McDonald's Exec Chef making the sauce.  (Please click here to watch the video).  It shows you the ingredients, though it doesn't give you the measurements, haha.

This is the basic recipe I used.  I call it "basic" because you can start from this and adjust it to suit your taste.  In my case, I added more sugar, mustard and relish. 

Here is the recipe I used:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp sweet pickle relish
1 tsp vinegar
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp minced white onion

Just put everything in a bowl and mix it until well blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Let the mixture sit (one recipe suggested 8 hours) so the flavor comes out better. =)

For our slider, we just broiled the bun with cheddar cheese until it melted.  Then placed our "patty", THE special sauce and shredded lettuce!  Oh and some potato chips on the side =)

And voila. . . . 

A healthy hamburger fix right at home! =)

Note to self: Make some more patties.

Happy Weekend everyone!

DIY No-Sew Jedi Costume

We are invited for a couple of birthday parties this weekend.  One of them has a Star Wars theme where guests are encouraged to dress up as a Jedi or a Sith.

The kids are going as Jedis . . . .because they already have lightsabers on hand, haha!

So I went online and googled for Star Wars costumes (and there are A LOT!) and came across  a photo which stood out because of the words printed on it: EASY and NO-SEW! (with emphasis on the NO SEW!  Haha)  And for a mom who is not artsy and crafty and not really good in DIY, this is heaven-sent!

Thank you you to Debra of the Housewife Eclectic blog for coming up with this brilliant costume!  For her complete post on how to do it, please click on this link.  

Here is my take on a Jedi Costume . . . 

I just bought the fabric (white for the top and brown for the belt) and black leggings.  Our princess just wore her long sleeved white shirt underneath the costume.  And I'm glad that she already has a pair of brown boots which went really well with the "Jedi look".  

I am so, so happy that everything tied together!

I know it's just January . . . but I guess I'm ready for Halloween!  Haha!

Our little Jedi in training!

Yes, this No-sew costume really works!  All I can say is. . . it is not a Jedi mind trick! =)

And we're all set for the party now, woohoo! =)

New Year Makeover

Happy New Year!!!

I know this greeting came in  more than a week late but as they say, better late than never! (heehee) 

I was supposed to put up another post where I am to write about how my 2015 went but as I start to look back at the past year, it gets the better of me and I start becoming emotional  (my father passed away last April).  I will probably still write that post but I don't want my first blog post this year to be sappy.

It is nice to start the New Year with a grateful heart, lots of positivity, hope and laughter. 

New Year for each one of us would mean different things.  But I think one thing that all of us can agree on is it means changes. . .including makeovers, haha!

Our little big boy (he is 2 years and 10  months now) is due for a haircut and I thought of getting a new hairstyle for him (AND I have another reason which you will find out later). 

For inspiration for his new look, I just have somebody in mind! 

Photo source

This adorable young boy is Ryker, one of two boys of Colette Wixom whose IG account (ministylehacker) I have been following since last year.  I don't actually remember how I came across it but I remember loving this little boy's look!  

Her account became popular because she posts photos of her 2 boys who mimic male fashion models and celebrities.  Plus we get to have a stylist for free, hahaha! 

If you have boys, her posts can inspire your boys' looks!

Photo source

Cuteness overload right?!

Back when we were still in Philippines, we have a go-to barber.  But now that we are in LA, our little boy gets his haircut where I get mine (read: beauty salon).  So this is the other reason why I want to get him a new look.

LOL

It's okay, you can laugh at him, we did! Haha!  He does remind you of Jim Carrey from "Dumb and Dumber" right?!

It's time to look for a barber shop!  We yelped for one but when we were on our way, we happened to pass by this barbershop which didn't look busy (there was only 1 person waiting) and went to this place instead.

I know I said it wasn't busy but we still waited for 30 minutes.  I didn't mind waiting because I saw how they work.  I like that they do NOT rush.  

Here is our little man (in his barber's chair) who managed to sit down all by himself (no tablet or candy needed).

   

Goes without saying that we just found the barber for him!  Thank you Troy!

I think one of the best feelings in the world is. . . .getting a haircut you really want and love! =)

It's true what they say. . . The hair is our crowning glory! =)

Uptown Barbers
7028 Greenleaf Ave

Ste H
Whittier, CA 90602

Tel No. (562) 696-0406

Close on Sundays

The Colors of Christmas

There are eight days until Christmas!  (From my part of the world)  

How are your Christmas preparations going?  We hosted a get-together with friends at home (which was SO MUCH fun, hilaaarious actually haha!), and another party on Christmas day, have a few more gifts to buy, to wrap and to bake! (Homebaked goodies make nice gifts.  This banana loaf recipe never fails me.  Friends have been asking for the recipe!)  But you know, Hubby has a more difficult job to do for the Holidays which requires some assembly (hint: it's the kids' Christmas gifts), haha!

I meant to put up this post at the onset of December (because it is all about our Christmas decors) but didn't have the time to sit and start writing it until today.  But as they say, it's better late than never! (A phrase I seem to be using quite a lot these days!)

We really don't have a theme for our Christmas decors at home.  We have old ones and we just added a few more.  We went with the traditional and classic Christmas colors of red, green and gold.

Christmas this year is extra special because we are spending it in a home we can call our own.  =)

Initially, I wanted to have a fresh tree but I was so excited to decorate for Christmas that I started thinking about it before Thanksgiving, haha!  So we decided to buy an artificial tree and get a fresh one next year.

* Play "O Christmas Tree" song here*

Sharing with you the other decors we have at home:

1. Wreaths and Garlands - I love putting a big wreath on the front door because it is sends out a happy Christmas vibe.  It is like a simple way of greeting and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

We may not have a fresh tree but. . . we got ourselves a fresh wreath!  Haha!

2. Door hangers - Don't they just put a smile on your face?  They put one on mine. =)

3. Table Runners - They do add that special touch in any table =)

4. Christmas Stockings - One of my fondest Christmas memories growing up was waking up every morning and checking my Christmas Stockings (I still remember that it was made of a felt material and has a Snowman on it) to see what Santa put in it!  

The kids' stockings with their favorite characters on it.

5. Something Shiny, Shimmering, Splendid! - It's Christmas!  I think an element of glitter (or a spray of gold) is needed. . . somewhere, haha!

4. Little Details - some of the things I found useful while looking for Christmas decors were:

 Decorative Gift boxes --- which can also be used as Christmas decors.  And what is nice about doing this is they are not expensive and if you ran out of wrapping paper, you can just easily get one from your decors, haha! 

If you have a decorative tray, you may put any thing that is Christmas-sy in it.  I got a pack of pine cones and a candle as accent for the tray.

Yep, the house is ready for Christmas!  

The house may be full of bright lights and these beautiful Christmas colors but truth be told, there is a certain sadness and emptiness in my heart because this is the first Christmas without Dad (he passed away last April).

I guess deep in my heart the reason why I wasn't too keen on getting a fresh tree was it just reminded me of my Dad.  Growing up in the Philippines, we didn't have fresh cut Christmas trees!  But one day, Dad brought home a fresh one!  We were so excited!  He was able to get hold of one from Clark Air Base (a US military facility) which was located in our province. Waking up and smelling those fresh Christmas trees remain to be one of my favorite memories with him.  

And these are the same memories that would warm my heart as Winter comes.

I love you Daddy. . . and I know that you know . . . I miss you every single day.

  

Decorating with Pillows

As I've mentioned in an earlier post, things have been quite busy (and sometimes stressful!) since August because we were moving to our new home (which we did last October).

To celebrate our move, we thought of getting new sofa seats for the living room! (Nah, we really needed new ones)

Initially, I wanted a sofa that is cream or off-white in color (somewhere around that color palette) but then having two toddlers at home, ummm, it's probably not a good idea!  (Kids and anything that is white?  I don't think so, haha!)

So we got this charcoal-gray colored sofa set (which came with throw pillows already) and were lucky to have found a rug to go with it!  Best part of it, everything on this picture (except the accent chair) was on SALE! (Woohoo!  Don't you just love that 4-letter word?!)

After having the sofa set for a week (and STARING at it) I told hubby that I want. . . no, I NEED some color!  Our living room just looked so sad (haha!) . . and gray (well, the seats ARE gray, haha!)

What is nice with gray is since it is a neutral color, it isn't hard to match it with any color.  I was thinking of coral, a summery kind of yellow or light blue but since we have a red entryway bench, we decided to stick with this color.

There are so many ways to introduce color in a living room.  You can do it through wall decors, table top accents, floor lamps, etc.  Since I DO NOT have an innate sense of creativity for interior design, I thought of doing the simplest thing I can do!  So for our living room's instant makeover (and to get that pop of color I was looking for), I just bought new throw pillows! 

BUT before I did that, I went online to get some tips on how to mix and match pillows.  I read some very useful tips from this site (Houzz) and went with . . . you guessed it right . . . the simplest one! Haha!  So I went to get a patterned pillow and mixed it with a solid one.  

These pillows didn't come from one store.  I was able to get this look after going to three stores!  Who said mixing pillows was easy?!  Haha!  It is . . . IF you have a natural knack for design!   

Thanks to these pillows, I am definitely happier with how things turned out.

BEFORE

AFTER 

And what is so nice with throw pillows is you can change them easily to go with season like Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. or just because you feel like changing it, haha!

For the coming Holidays, I just changed one pillow and we are now ready for Christmas!

Our new home is still a work in progress but we are slowly making this house our home. =)  

And it is definitely one of the things we are thankful for this year.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Must Try Recipe: Baked Honey Garlic Wings

I love chicken wings!  But I only love them when they are fried, haha!  

Oh and my favorite part of the wing is the Drumette!  It is that part which they use for chicken lollipops (another favorite food of mine).

I saw a pack of beautiful Chicken Drumettes (yes, I find beauty even in uncooked food, haha!) when we were doing the groceries so I got one and didn't really know what to do with it.  Actually, I have a favorite wings recipe (Restaurant Style Buffalo Wings) which I blogged before here.  It is my go-to recipe and the only Chicken Wings recipe I've ever tried, haha!  I think it's about time to explore other recipes.

Since we have a bottle of honey (which we rarely use) in the pantry, I want a sauce that has honey in it.  I remembered the sauces that BonChon (a Korean Fried Chicken place) has for their wings.  One has Garlic and another has Honey.  I thought Honey and Garlic together sounds like a good thing for these wings!  But instead of frying them, I want to try baking them . . . for a change.  Plus it's healthier!

There are a lot of recipes online so I just picked two recipes (from these blogs: Spend with Pennies and The Endless Meal) and got something from each of these recipes.  I'm more than happy to tell you that this recipe was a success!  It actually exceeded my expectations.  Haha!  

I looove the sauce!  And I love how the wings, though baked, tasted like they were fried!  Thanks to the 4 tbsp of melted butter that was used to coat them before putting them in the oven, haha!  (Did I mention the word "healthier" earlier?  Well, I think t's still healthier than deep frying them, right? Haha!)

I hope you try this recipe so you can enjoy this messy finger licking goodness!

Ingredients:

Part I
1 lb of chicken wings
Salt or Seasoned Salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Pepper

Part II
1/3 cup of All Purpose Flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
Pepper

4 tbsp of melted butter

Sauce:
1/3 cup of honey
1-2 tbsp of soy sauce
3 big cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of ginger
1/2 tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil

*Feel free to adjust the measurement of the sauce to suit your taste =)


Directions:

1. For Part I, season the wings with (I just eyeballed the ingredients) salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper and let it sit on the ref for at least two hours.

2. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

3. Pat dry the chicken pieces.  In a big bowl, combine everything in Part II (except the melted butter). Toss the chicken to coat well in the flour mixture.  (I put the chicken and the flour mixture together in a ziploc bag and just shake it).  Remove the excess flour from the chicken.  Then, coat the pieces with melted butter.

4.  Place your wings on a baking tray (line your baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat) and bake it for 40 mins (one side) and then turn them around and bake it for 15 minutes or until cooked.

5. Put all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan and boil it (in medium high heat) for 3-4 minutes until the sauce gets reduced to a thick consistency.  Drizzle over the chicken, toss and shake the pieces around . . . 

until each piece gets a taste of that yummy honey garlic sauce!

Dig in! =)