Almost there . . .

Three more weeks to go before we see our Little Man!  Just like any expecting moms, there are stuff to prepare before the big day comes. . . I've done some of the things I have to do---check things needed for the Baby and the Nursery and I still have some left in my To-do list---My Hospital Bag (MUST.start.packing!) . . .oh and finalize our Little Man's name! (Hubby and I are getting there!)  

I have all of these in my list and . . . "more". . . 

Hot Oil Treatment - check

AND THREADING! - check

Foot Spa and Pedicure -check, check

My oh so chubby fingers! Haha!

No color for me (for now) . . .just playing around with these nice
summery colors =)   Which color do you like best?

And after a couple of hours of pampering. . . 

In an attempt to hide my oh so chubby self,
I used a small picture, teehee

I'm ready!

And this is how I roll. . . Haha!

Can't wait to meet you Little J!  See you sooonnn  =)

Our First Princess

Iya, my 6- year old niece, is the first grandchild in my side of the family.  I have blogged about some Iya stories before which included our "chubby" conversation and about love and sharing =).  She even gave me some travel tips for toddlers before the Little One and I left for LA last September.  

She is growing up to be such a smart and sweet little girl who loves her parents SO MUCH!  How much?!

So much that one day, she told her parents that she won't get married so they can all be together FOREVER!  (Okay, i'm giving her a few more years and we'll see about that, haha!)

She is also a responsible achi (it means "oldest sister" in Hokkien) to her siblings.  Knowing that her younger brother has stopped drinking milk, this is what she had to say:

"Shoti, dapat drink ka ng milk para di ka mamatay ng maaga."

(Shoti, you should drink milk so you won't die early.)  

She took up a number of classes (like dancing and piano) that she has developed a certain level of  confidence.   When a boy classmate told her "you're a little bit fat". . . she just shrugged it off and didn't mind at all.  (And I told her that she isn't fat at all!)   

Last Valentine's Day, she made a card for her parents . . .

Unedited
Dear Mom and Dad,  I love you so mush and I will shere my money to you
and Happy Valentines Day!  Love Iya

Yes, she has also learned that Sharing is Caring!  (I hope she shares her money with everyone in our family!  Haha!)

Thank you Iya for making us laugh and for sharing with us your wisdom and learnings.  =)

'Til the next Iya story . . . 

Bread Eats: Jipan's Monroe Bread

I am a bread person.  I think I can give up rice easily. . . but bread??!  I don't think so!  (And that is why low-carb diets don't work for me, haha!)

One bread that I love is Jipan's Monroe Bread.  It is like a croissant but comes in a loaf.  And just like a croissant, it's light, flaky, fluffy.    

Looks like a croissant =)

If you don't eat crust, I think you won't mind eating this kind.

Breads are like a plain canvas, you can do anything with it!  Prepare a nice sandwich with your favorite filling--- like your favorite cold cuts and cheese or perhaps a chunky chicken or tuna spread with some sandwich fix-ins like lettuce/cucumber (Ooohh and some potato chips on the side!) . . . and have it with a nice hot or refreshing cold drink . . .it is like bringing your favorite deli or coffee shop to your own home! =)

Have a great day ahead!


Jipan Bakeshop
Level 2, Glorietta 4
Ayala Center, Makati  

                

In English Please . . .

A couple of years ago, I went to my niece's school to watch her  Pre-Kinder class recital.

One part of the program calls for the teacher to ask the class what sounds do certain animals make.  So while watching the kids, I was answering as well.  (more of mumbling actually)

Teacher: How does a cow sound?

Class and Me: Moo. . .moo. . .moo

Teacher: How about a cat?

Class and Me: Meow. . meow . . meow

Teacher: What about a dog?

Class and Me:  Arf. . .arf. . .arf

Teacher: How does a frog sound?

(Ofcourse I got this!)

Me: Kokak. .  . kokak. . . kokak

Class: Ribbit. . ribbit. . .ribbit

Photo source: www.michelesworld.net

Toinks!!!  *Embarrassed* . . . how can I forget my Sesame Street!

But hey, I'm not completely wrong . . . "Kokak" is also a sound that a frog makes. . . in the Filipino language!  Heehee

Well, at least I got the dog right. . .I didn't say "Aw-aw"!  Haha!

Jailhouse Rock

We went out for a family dinner earlier this evening.  I just finished dressing up the Little One when my dad, her lolo (grandfather), saw what she was wearing:

Lolo: Wala ba siyang black leggings?
        

Me: Meron (I sort of know where this conversation is heading)
       

Lolo: Eh yung dark blue na skinny jeans?  (Oh yes, he may be in his early 70s but he knows what skinny jeans are!  Haha! )

        

Me: Meron din, kaya lang hindi pa niya nasusuot itong leggings na ito eh.

(I know there's something coming!)

Lolo:  Ahhh. . .   Kasi parang taga-Alcatraz siya dyan eh.

Guess this is what he had in mind. . .

Photo from: jailcostume.org

Sorry Dad. . . it may be "Alcatraz" for you  . . . but it's fashion for me!  Haha!

Goodnight everyone, hope your day went well =)

Easy Italian Sausage Pasta

The Little One prefers to eat the tangy Italian spaghetti over our Pinoy sweet spaghetti (where we use banana catsup as an ingredient!).  When we were in LA, this tomato-based pasta recipe has been one of her faves (she also loves her Papa's Adobo and Ginisang Sayote) that I always cook this for her almost every week.  (Now that we're back in the Philippines, I haven't cooked as much as I want.) 

This has become a fave of mine too because it is fast and easy to prepare.  The use of Italian sausage definitely gives additional flavor to the pasta sauce (flavors like Italian seasoning, garlic powder, fennel seeds, paprika)

For this pasta recipe, you will need:

Spaghetti noodles
Italian Sausage
Olive oil (preferably)
Garlic, chopped
Onion, chopped
A bottle of your favorite marinara sauce (a personal fave is the Barilla brand)
Cheddar cheese singles
Salt and Pepper
Sugar (optional) - Pinoy talaga! haha!

Let's start cooking . . .

Cook the pasta noodles according to its direction.

1. Remove the sausage meat from its casing and cook it until it turns brown. 

2. In the same pan, set aside the sausage and saute the garlic and onion.

3. Add the Marinara sauce, let it boil and simmer for a few minutes.

4.  Add the Cheddar slices, let it melt.  Season the sauce with
with salt, pepper and a little bit of sugar (according to your taste).
Stir the sauce and let it simmer for a at least 10 minutes.  I noticed
that simmering the sauce slowly and for a little bit longer
enhances the flavor of the sauce.

After tasting the sauce and you got that smile on your face which makes you say "Perfect!", 

toss in your cooked spaghetti noodles and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese

(which I didn't have when I cooked this pasta, haha!).

Buon Appetito!

Okay, it actually tastes better than it looks!
I am blaming this on a) the bad lighting or b) the Iphone's camera, Haha!

I keep this pasta dish simple for the Little One but feel free to add your favorite veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers or olives. . . and if you want a fancier pasta dish. . .throw in some fresh basil leaves!  Ooohhh and some toasted garlic bread on the side!  Yuuummm!  (Now I'm craving for some Italian food!)

If you're having a lazy weekend at home, and you plan to wear your PJs the whole day . . .but would love to eat some pasta,  you might just want to cook and eat at home.  

Hope you're having a fantastic weekend!  =)

Of Dreams and Prince Charming

I usually forget my dream is all about when I wake up in the morning.  But there was one dream that I'll always remember.

I dreamed that I was a princess, dressed in a gown (similar to that of Snow White's).  I was in the garden  with My Prince Charming (whose face I couldn't see) . . . we were so happy, we were dancing and he was twirling me around.  Just as we were about to end our dance, he held my back and gave me a dip!  My world stopped, my heart beat faster . . . as he was about to kiss me on the lips!  AND then I heard my mom's booming voice, trying to wake me up!!!  Haaayyyyy!!!  

I actually tried going back to sleep, hoping I can pick up where I left off . . . just so I can have that kiss!!!  (I really tried!  Haha!)

 

And as Snow White said, "Some day my prince will come, Some day we'll meet again."

I'm happy we both did . . .

I married my own Prince Charming and got that kiss!

He still owes me a dance though, haha! 

Happy Valentine's Day Hun. . . we are thousands of miles apart but know that you are always in my mind and in my heart. . . 

We miss you. . . Love you =)

Easy Peasy Cheese Pimiento Spread

We had some Queso de Bola (also known as Edam Cheese)  left from the Holidays.  One thing that my Mom makes out of it is her Cheese Pimiento spread.  (There are several kinds of Queso de Bola in the Market but we prefer the Marca Pato or Marca Pina brand from Holland --- which for me are the authentic Queso de Bola because of their tangy, salty and nutty taste.)

You may find this recipe rich (and sinful!) but a simple breakfast of toasted bread and this spread (together with your favorite breakfast drink) is actually filling. . . it always hits the spot for me.

Ingredients:
Mayonnaise
Butter, softened
Queso de bola, grated
Canned red pimientos, drained and chopped
 *sorry, my Mom doesn't measure when she makes something, she just does everything by eyeball, teehee

What to do:  Just mix everything in a bowl and adjust the saltiness if necessary =)

There are variations for this recipe which I saw in the Net.  Some recipes use cream cheese and some even put a little bit of sugar in it.  (Yes, we Filipinos put sugar in our cooking . . . like in our spaghetti!)  While the American cheese pimiento has one or more these seasonings:  hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, dill pickles, onion or garlic. (Source: Wikipedia) 

One of my favorite breakfast eats!

Yes, you can say I started my day right!  Haha!  

Wishing everyone a great day ahead!

Daddy Hair Care

Zola's Dad can do a lot of things . . . he can cook (and he's good at it!), he does the laundry, he's a handyman (among other things).  

Well, he can do almost everything. . .One day, I asked him to fix the Little One's hair as I was busy doing something.  I didn't really expect much from him . . .

His "Masterpiece" - I don't think the Little One likes it either, haha!

But I was at least expecting him to comb her hair!  

Or probably he was going for the "messed up" look???  Haha!

Thank you Huney for trying =)

XOXO

My Cup of Joe

One of the hardest things I have to deal with through both of my pregnancies was (Nah, NOT the morning sickness because I didn't have any) give up coffeeee!!!!  It  is pure torture when all you can do is just smell that intoxicating aroma of coffee and drink water!  Haha!

Just a few more weeks and it's going to be bliss for me . . .

Photo from www.illy.com

Dear Mr. Coffee, 

I miss you so much . . .I've been dreaming about you. . .I can't wait to get hold of you. . . .and I'll make sure Ms. Biscotti will be there to join us too.

I'll see you soon. . . (and I'll definitely drink to that!)

Sincerely,
Me

Hello Monday!

When I was still working, I was dreading Mondays!  I needed a good cup of coffee or a good breakfast (but not too good. . . or else I'll get sleepy, haha!) to start my day.

If you hate Mondays. . . hope the note below would give you a different take on probably the least favorite day of the week =)  

Photo Source

Wishing everyone an amazing Monday to start the week! =)

Precious Parking

Saw some reserved slots at the Customers' Parking Area of the Korean Air office in Downtown LA (where we had to re-book our tickets)

As expected, the reserved slots were for the Top Management . . . AND for the 

Employee of the Month!!!

I'm sure this is one thing that is highly appreciated by the employees especially since parking in Downtown is a problem . . . and expensive!

So the next time your Management asks for any suggestions for an Employees' Incentive Program, I think this is one good idea that is worth sharing. =)

Gift Idea for a Wife

During the last Holidays, we were in a mall in LA when I saw this in a store's display window.

I think all wives would want a gift card which simply says something like this:

Brilliant!!!  Love it!  Hahaha!

Fantastic Four!

I know . . . I've been totally remiss on my blogging for the past month!  After the Holidays (it was actually the first time our family was spending it together!) things got busier as we were getting ready to go back home in the earlier part of January.  

Zola's Dad brought us back home to the Philippines (glad he was able to take a couple of weeks off from work) because I just couldn't see my pregnant self (7 months on the way) handling an active toddler in a long haul flight!  

It was a super short stay for him . . .how I wish he could have stayed longer (or that he didn't have to leave at all!). . . long enough so we could spend our 4th Wedding Anniversary together which actually falls today!  (Has it only been 4 years?!!!  Haha!  We actually got together in 2002.)  

On this special day, I would like to celebrate our love by sharing with you a part of a forwarded email I printed a looooong time ago.  (I was doing some spring cleaning last week and saw it by chance.  I wish I knew who wrote this piece to give him/her credit.) 

Always remember that if you lose someone today, it means that someone better is coming tomorrow.  If you lose love that doesn't mean that you failed in love.  Cry, if you have to, but make sure that the tears wash away the hurt and the bitterness that the past has left you.  Let go of yesterday and love will find its way back to you.  And when it does, pray that it may be the love that will stay and last a lifetime.

Love is not how much you can get but how much you can give.  it's not about giving up and holding on.  It's not how about how you say I love you, but how you prove it's meaning.

I guess I kept it because during my lowest time, it somehow gave me hope that things will get better for me one day.  And you know what, they did!  I learned to love again.  I did not find someone better though, I found someone great!  He is an answered prayer, my happily ever after.  And I know that the love we have is the kind that will last a lifetime. 

Dearest Hun,

Thank you for the love and for bringing me so much happiness since we got together.  Your are my forever.

Happy Anniversary!  I love you. . . 

*************************************************************************************

Sharing with you some photos from our journey to love and togetherness . . . .

Taken in 2003 . . .a few years ago and definitely MORE than a few pounds lighter! Haha!

Our Wedding in 2009

THIS IS IT!

2011 - Zola's 1st Birthday

January 2012 - See you soon Baby J!