Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Hubby Birthday! =)

To the person who loves me unconditionally . . .who gave me my most precious treasures . . . and who makes us happy in more ways than one (as a father and as a husband). . .

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

Honey, I know it sucks to be celebrating birthdays away from the family . . . but hey, at least you get to have two birthdays!  Thanks to our different time zones, haha!

I know what your birthday wish is (it's the same wish you have for the past four years), and I know it will come true soon!   

I am already counting the days until your next birthday  . . .because I know I will be holding your cake while you and the kids blow your candles =)

I love you my Dearest. . . .


Monday, January 27, 2014

(More than) A Million Dollar Question

One of the TV shows I like watching in the past was "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (hosted by Bill Cosby).  The kids are so smart, funny and just plain honest with what they have to say. 

I know that there will come a time that my little ones would be able to express their own opinion and rationalize too.  And of course, there will be the never-ending WHYs and HOWs too.  But I've got time to prepare, I have a couple of years more for my eldest.  What I forgot is that I also have a curious 7 year old niece who has a good habit of asking questions =). 

One day, she came up to me and asked. . .

"Ta-ta, why is there a dirty finger???"

Source

*A few seconds of shock. . . my jaw dropped---Insert the sound of chirping crickets here*

Whaaaattttt????!!!!

She took the term literally, I think she wanted to know why there is a finger that is called "dirty".

I'm not ready for this!  Haha!

And if you're wondering how I answered that question. . . 

Well, I didn't. . . I told her to go and ask her parents!  Haha!

Have you been asked (More than) A Million Dollar questions too? =)

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Rediscovering Italianni's

I can't remember the last time I ate at Italianni's.  What I was sure of was the meal I had was just okay.  But I got a pleasant surprise a couple of weeks ago when we had to go to Italianni's for lunch!

A cousin from Canada (the last time she visited Philippines was 10 years ago I think) is back home and we actually wanted to bring her to C' Italian Dining so she can try their famous panizza!  However, the restaurant which sits on the Petron lot in Clark was closed! Gaaahhh!!!  (And there goes our panizza!  Boo!)  

Not wanting to give up on my cousin's Italian craving, the closest restaurant I can think of was Italianni's where we had a hearty and yummy lunch!

We had . . .

Sicilian Chicken Salad - I love that it has yellow mangoes and grapes in it!  I couldn't make out the dressing, haha!  It is like a Caesar's Salad. . .with honey mustard? Haha!  Whatever it was, we liked it.

Spinach and Artichoke Formaggio - Cheessee!!! Nuff said!

Truffle Fries with Honey Mustard Dip

A creamy pesto pasta!  I forgot the name =)

We also had a pizza which I wasn't able to take a picture of. . . because we were already busy eating, heehe.

If you ask me how our day went, there's only one word to describe it. .. CARBO LOADING! Haha!

We were all so happy about our lunch that we thought not being able to eat in C was a blessing in disguise =)  I am glad we were able to rediscover Italianni's!

We just didn't rediscover the place. . .if there's one thing that came out great was that all of us have rediscovered our relationship as cousins =).

By the way, if you are a fan of the restaurants under Bistro Group (Friday's, Italianni's, Village Tavern, Krazy Garlik, Flapjacks to name a few), I suggest you avail of their Bistro Group Premier Card (annual fee of Php 2,500) because you get a 20% discount in your total bill (and 30% every Mondays I think) and the card comes with vouchers and freebies!

If you are interested to get one, you may just ask your server (in any of the Bistro Group Restaurants) about it .

Friday, January 24, 2014

Breakfast of the Chomps

I have a new fave (a new find) breakfast food! =)


Pampanga's Best Chomps - Breakfast Sausages!

They're really good, not salty and tiny (as compared to the regular-sized ones)!   It makes you feel a little less guilty about eating a lot, haha!  While they may be tiny, they are tasty.  Best when eaten hot!

We also love their Boom Boom Hotdogs (I think only Filipinos would have red hotdogs!).  I even saw a pack of Pampanga's Best Hungarian Sausages, something that I have yet to try.

Yes, I am a hotdog lover, I'll choose it over a hamburger (unless that burger is that of Five Guys, haha!).  

For more details about Pampanga's Best products (and their distributors), please visit their website.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Just Laugh!

I went to the mall with the little girl to buy a few things.  I drove, I parked, I went to a computer shop to buy a couple of ink cartridges, we walked, I took the little girl for a ride at the carousel, we walked a little bit more to go to the book store.  We spent some time around the place, browsing, looking for things that I need, something for her too. . . until finally, we were done and were at the cashier to pay for our stuff.  While waiting at the cashier, I brushed my hair with my hand and my hand brushed a part of my face and then. . . I felt something on it!




There was a SMILEY face on my face!  Eeeeeppp!  Haha!  

Ate gets a smiley face from her teacher when they are done for the day which she sometimes sticks on me.  I completely forgot about having one that day and removing it before leaving the house!

So yes, I was walking and doing all the things I've mentioned above with a smiley on my face! 

I probably looked something like this . . . 


while walking around the mall!  Haha!

"As long as you can laugh at yourself, you will never cease to be amused."
- Unknown quote 


Hope you had a smiley and an amusing kind of day today! =)




Best Foot Forward

The other night, the little boy and I were in the room and were playing.  After a few minutes, I stood up to read a text message in the phone when I noticed that he got really quiet.  When I turned to look at him, I saw this!

At least it's his foot, not somebody else's! Heehee

This scene actually looked pretty familiar. . . 


I wonder, what is it with children and their fascination with their feet?!  Haha!











Friday, January 17, 2014

Little Miss Independent (Take 2)

Our little girl learned how to hold her bottle when she was 5 months and when she was about 16 months, she learned how to eat on her own.



I've also blogged about her, being our little Miss Independent in a previous post.

Please indulge me as I share with you another Proud Mommy moment for me. =)

This morning, when I walked into the room, I saw this. . . .


All because my little Sweetheart wanted to fix her own milk!  She even got a tissue and wanted to clean up this mess. (Heart melts. . . )

To my little girl, I am so proud of you!  I know you want to explore and do things on your own now, and I will let you do so (as long as it doesn't harm you).  Always remember that Mama and Papa are here to guide you.  We will always be here for you.

P.S. I hope you won't change. . . that you will always remember to clean your mess. . . until you reach your teenage years!  Haha!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Stop . . .in the name of Love!

The little girl has graduated from Barney and is getting high with Hi-5!  She actually watches the original Hi-5 members that when I show her the music videos of the current group members. . .ummm, they just don't spell Hi-5 to her, haha!

We have a couple of Hi-5 DVDs and we watch more from You Tube.  She doesn't even mind watching the same videos over and over.  The other day, we watched a video which  played a particular song I like (because it has a catchy tune and the lyrics were easy to remember, heehee) so I started singing along.  I sang because more than anything, I want my little girl and me to do and enjoy the things she love . . . together.

Image from www.littlewingmn.com

As I was singing my heart out (and I really was!), she looked at me and said, "Mama. . . stop."

Hahaha!  My little girl wasn't impressed!  (My dear Voice, you have failed me!)

I'm sure you've heard too many times that kids don't lie. . . .I guess that means. . .I really suck at singing??!

Oh well, tell me something I don't know, haha!


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Night time, Playtime

It's a bird (not). . .it's a plane (not). . . it's . . .

 

SUPER J!!

She is here to save the day!


This superhero even has a sidekick . . .


Or is he a villain??? Haha!


Who says Princesses can't be Superheroes?! =)

Update: Sunday Morning with a Princess

I've mentioned in my previous post how I wanted to buy the little girl a Princess gown but she managed to do something about it.

Guess what. . . . we just got a wonderful surprise yesterday!!!


Spell SERENDIPITY!  

She can now do her royal curtsy with a real gown!  
It may be short for her but it's still longer than her frou-frou skirt!  Haha!


And yes, she has yet to learn on how to sit like a Princess! =)


Thank you to my cousins Ate A and Ate E for this wonderful pasalubong! =)  
You just made one little girl very happy!

Happy Baby = Happy Mommy!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Saturday Morning with a Princess

I think all little girls go through a "Princess" phase.  My sweetheart just started hers!  (Thanks to Disney's TV cartoon series, "Sofia the First").

The other night, she was walking and holding her imaginary ball gown and was curtsying!  

So this morning, I thought of going to the mall to buy her the "Princess stuff". . . like a Princess gown and a tiara!  So I told her (excitedly) about what we'll do but she wasn't really to keen on going out.  After a few minutes, she went to her closet and got her frou-frou skirt and said "Princess" and asked me to put it on her.  Then she went to get a piece of our puzzle floor mat and put it on her head and said that was a "crown".  I found her idea of a crown to be . . . fresh!  (Good job Ate!)

Her take on a Princess outfit. . .



I told her to smile and she gave me these faces!  Haha!


Thank you my Princess for reminding me that we can have fun with the things we already have.  We just have to be a little more imaginative!  =) 

 . . . Oh And that Princess gowns don't have to be long, haha!

Happy Weekend everyone!


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Quick and Easy Recipe: Chicken Ala King

It was leftovers for lunch today so as a treat, I thought of preparing a nice merienda (snacks) this afternoon for the family.

Chicken Ala King is one dish that they like since I started cooking it when I was still in High School.  It was one of the earliest recipes I've learned from my Cooking class =).

For this recipe, I've listed down the the ingredients but I don't have the measurements (does that make me a good cook or a bad one? Haha!)


Here you go. . . .

Ingredients:
Chicken breast, boiled and chopped roughly
1 to 1 1/2 can of Cream of Mushroom (depending on the amount of chicken you used)
Red Onion, chopped
Bell pepper, chopped
Button Mushrooms, Chopped
Whole Kernel Corn
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter
Evaporated milk and water, if needed

Cooking Instructions:
1. Boil the chicken breast, add a little bit of salt.
2. Saute onion in butter until translucent.
3. Add bell pepper and button mushrooms.  Stir fry for a minute.
4. Add chopped chicken breast.
5. Add the Cream of mushroom.  If the consistency becomes too thick, add a little bit of evaporated milk and water until you reach your desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mix everything and simmer in low heat for a few minutes.
6. Add the whole kernel corn =)  If you love corn (like me!), feel free to add 1 whole can.  Heehee.

How to serve it?
You may serve it as an open-faced sandwich, or just eat it with toasted bread like we did.  If I had the time and energy (Haha!), I would have made some mashed potatoes, spread it on top of the chicken mixture and bake it =)

Hope you like it as much as we do!

Bon Appetit!





Monday, January 6, 2014

Cebu Food Diary

I never missed a deadline . . . . not until I became a Stay-at Home Mom, haha!

I meant to post this blog entry before 2013 ends but oh well. . . I missed my OWN deadline, haha!

We (with my travel buds: my sister and my little big girl) went for a short vacay and went to one of the popular tourist destinations in the Philippines, also called the Queen City of the South. . . Cebu!!!

The first time I went to this beautiful city was for a business trip.  I fell in love with the place and the people instantly! Cebuanos are one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.  I actually told myself that if I have to pick a place where I can live (next to my hometown), it will be Cebu!

For foodies like me, Cebu has a lot to offer.  One of Cebu's famous specialty is their Lechon, which we DIDN'T have by the way, haha!  Yes, you read that right.  I know, I know,  we're probably crazy not to have one, haha!  But we're actually not fond of lechon (for real!) So if you're hoping to read something about Cebu's famous lechon in this entry, I'm sorry if I don't have anything about it.  =)      

Here are some places that we've tried during our recent visit:
(Please click on the names to know more about the restaurant and their branches)

1) Harbour City - I've read about this place from food bloggers.  It is known for their dimsum and their famous Steamed Fried Rice.  The problem with reading food blogs is you have high expectations about the place, haha!

Personally, I would get dim sum somewhere else and I would go back for these two:

STEAMED FRIED RICE, Their Best Seller!
STEAMED RICE BEEF STEAK


Golden Cowrie Filipino Restaurant is a popular local restaurant in Cebu.  They also own Hukad sa Golden Cowrie.  They have an extensive menu, so many good looking and good sounding food names, haha!  The hard part of ordering for 2 is you can't order a lot!

We ordered one of their specialty, Baked Scallops.     


Left to Right (Clockwise) Squid Sisig, Lechon Kawali, Pinakbet
Our most favorite was the Squid Sisig!  The squid was tender and tasted fresh, with a subtle hint of spiciness!  Our kind of sisig =)


3) Handuraw - a friend of my sister suggested Handuraw.  It is a Cebu original which I believe has a franchise in Manila now.  What can I say?  It was Looove at first bite!  

Handuraw Special - 8 slices
A closer look =)
They make them thin!

We also ordered Cheese Sticks and Pasta Bolognese.  I wasn't able to take a picture because we were hungry already, haha!  The food looked simple but they were surprisingly good.  We liked the aioli dip (I think it's aioli, hehe)  that came with the cheese sticks and the Bolognese tasted homemade, something that you eat when you are at a house party =)

*I want this pizza right now!*  Crraavving!


4) TABLEA Chocolate Cafe - If you are a chocolate lover and would like to taste our local cacao served in a variety of drinks (hot and cold) and food, this place is for you!

I was still full from lunch so as much as I would like to order more drinks, pastries and other food, I couldn't, haha!  But a part of me couldn't resist, hehe.  So we ordered Churros and an ice blended drink.


So chocolatey. . . so thick and rich =)

I still have a lot in my "things to eat in Cebu" list actually.  But travelling with a toddler sometimes limits us to where we can eat.  (But it wasn't bad, my girl has been good.  At least we didn't have to go to any fast food chain, haha!  She found something she can eat wherever we go)

Looking at it. . . *sigh* . . .there's just so little time. . . and so many food places to try!

So I'm sharing with you the list, it might come in handy for you.

And I do hope you do a better job in crossing off items in the list, haha!

Happy Eating!

For pasalubong:
1. Mrs. U's Sylvannas - available in Souvenir Island Shop
2. Don Merto's Chocolateries Belgian Lace Cookies
3. Leona's - Choco-Chip Banana Loaf

For Dessert:
1. La Marea - for their brownie cup
2. Café Georg

For Meals
1. Casa Verde - Ribs
2. Cafe Laguna
3. La Tegola - Italian
4. Maya - for good Mexican Food
5. Bigby's Cafe and Restaurant - for some comfort food

For Local Food
1. Sunburst - for their fried chicken
2. Original AA BBQ
3. Larsian Barbecue Place - different bbq stalls all in one place!
3. Any Sutukil restaurant (stands for SUgba, TUwa and KILaw)
**Sugba means grill, Tuwa means stew and Kilaw means to marinate in vinegar
I've read that there is a good number of SUTUKIL restos near the Mactan Shrine

And for the Lechon lovers!
1. CNT
2. Zubuchon
3. Rico's



Saturday, January 4, 2014

I'll miss you Tita E . . .

Life has two faces.  We experience the good and the bad, happy and sad.

A couple of days after welcoming the New Year, an Aunt of mine (an elder sister of my Dad) completed her life's journey and has gone to a better place.  Her heart may have given up on her but she left a piece of it to each person she has loved.     

Image from www.mrwallpaper.com

I would like to believe that my Aunt and I have a "special bond".  We have a special fondness for each other, and I hope I was able to show and make her feel how much she is dear to me.  I don't know when it exactly started but we got closer as I grew older.

Growing up, I remember receiving Birthday cards from her.  She always writes her personal messages and wishes in each of them which makes these store bought cards more special.  She always has a smile on her face, the kind that pushes up in the eyes.  I actually wonder if she was ever in a bad mood!       

She gave the best of herself.  She was a dutiful daughter, a good sister, a devoted wife, a caring mother and a thoughtful lola (grandmother) to her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She may be 88 years old but she was one cool lola!  Her innate goodness just showed  in every little thing she does for everyone.

It's ironic how I am talking about Death at a time when we should be celebrating the start of a New Year. But sometimes, hearing about the Death of someone makes us look into our own lives and see if we have lived our lives fully or if we have loved enough.  Then we become thankful that we are still alive because we still have a chance to start again, do and make better of the life we have.

Also, Death doesn't necessarily mean it is the end.  For the departed, it means we are celebrating the life they lived and celebrate the start of another one. . . .the eternal kind of life.

*********************************************************************************
Dear Tita E, 

I know you are in a happy place and that you are smiling from up there.  You will always be in my heart.  Thank you for showing me what Loving is all about.

I am missing you already!

Love you and til we see each other again. . . 

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Slowing Down

It's the first day of the New Year. . . and we took it slow today.

Our New Year's Day is made up of  . . . Leftovers

AND. . . Sleepyheads!
Guess who is not in the mood for a selfie, haha!

Off to Dreamland . . . in 3. . . 2. . . 1


Dear 2014, I'm so ready for you!  But I just have to get some more sleep now, haha!

Hope you had a wonderful time celebrating your Holidays!

Goodnight =)












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