It's been 3 years.
9 years ago
Friday, February 05, 2010
i tried the chocolate cake recipe of my friend last night. you can find her recipe here: http://beingparisienne.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/vians-chocolate-cake-recipe/.
verdict: i seconded her claim... perfect! so chocolatey, so fluffy and the sweetness is just right. what i like most also is the ease of prepation. only involves manual mixing and i used only 1 mixing bowl. hihi. halata bang tamad mag-wash ng dishes?! =)
verdict: i seconded her claim... perfect! so chocolatey, so fluffy and the sweetness is just right. what i like most also is the ease of prepation. only involves manual mixing and i used only 1 mixing bowl. hihi. halata bang tamad mag-wash ng dishes?! =)
by coincidence, the TV program entitled Secrets of the Masters baked a cake also in their episode the other night. with that, i incorporated the tips that was mentioned while i make this cake. as per the chef's advice: (1) once the dried ingredients was mixed with the wet ingredients, you have to work fast and make it a point to put it inside the oven as soon as you are done mixing. this helps the gluten to rise up inside the oven and not while it is still outside. so??? the end product would be a risen cake that will retain its shape and will not sog after it cooled down. (2) do not put the batter near the flame nor at the highest level of the oven. place it at the middle part where the temperature is more constant.
finally, here are some photos of the Super Chocolate Cake. hihi.
i sprinkled some icing sugar just for presentation since i didn't bother to make icing anymore. but i'm looking forward in making the same cake with icing next time when there's an occassion. definitely, the the cake would be just right for a sweety icing, too.
see the fluffiness??!! so loooove it! =)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
i came across making bento this week and i am hooked! maybe because it combined two of my favorite things... that is, art and food. :) an added plus is it's japanese-inspired! yep, i love japanese food! dunno how to make them, but i definitely know how to eat it. hehe. i am however, up to the challenge. ;)
i was off to Daiso this Saturday and just went gaga with all the bento gadgets available. too bad, they don't have the collapsible sandwich box mentioned in other bento sites. here are the stuff that i was able to get. i actually have to restrict myself to the basics. siguro, bili na lang ulet kapag successful bento'nian na 'ko. haha.
i was off to Daiso this Saturday and just went gaga with all the bento gadgets available. too bad, they don't have the collapsible sandwich box mentioned in other bento sites. here are the stuff that i was able to get. i actually have to restrict myself to the basics. siguro, bili na lang ulet kapag successful bento'nian na 'ko. haha.
the bento boxes
cutters and punchers
the rice molds
shaped-sauce containers
another set of sauce containers
the silicon dividers and plastic picks
for the finale, here's my first bento lunchbox. theme is about family. i have 3 odd-shaped rice molds to represent daddy, mommy and baby. a big heart-shaped rice mold to represent big love. ;) all of these are resting on a bed of lettuce with mayo on the side . the second layer contains the viand and the desserts. chopped chicken nuggets and chicken adobo strips as viands and kiwi and strawberry for fruits. verdict: kulang!!! hahahaha. next week, i'll prepare more. lol.
bento'inks no. 1
Thursday, January 28, 2010
we were supposed to go with the Photobumbong folks tomorrow for the Al Ain Airshow but i suddenly changed my mind. ang lamig kasi sa city ngayon. for sure, mas malamig dun eh kakagaling lang ni lance sa sipon at ubo. he would enjoy watching the planes and all but if he'll catch colds again after that, baka ma-guilty lang ako. saka sobrang aga...goodluck na lang kung magising si lance ng ganun kaaga. hehe.
anyway... browse-browse ako ngayon sa net at may bago akong gustong gawin!!! hahaha. bento-making??!!! from what i understand, it's the art of making art at your lunchbox (redundant ba? lol)... ang galing grabe. aside from fan ako ng japanese food, just looking at it kung baon mo siya sa office, parang makaka-tanggal ng stress. =) seeing those smiling goodies at you. truly uplifting!
backtrack --- ewan ko nga kanina sa office, the whole day... hindi naman ako in-asar-talo ng amo ko, pero ang tamad-tamad ko at antok na antok talaga ako the whole day. the day just got better pag-uwi ko when i took a nap and woke up an hour after kasi kiss ng kiss si lance. hehe. pero kung bento box siguro ang baon ko, baka tanggal bad day ko in a flash. hahaha.
heto nga pala ilang sites ng bento:
http://www.kitchencow.com/category/bento/
http://lunchinabox.net/
yun lang.. sharing lang. i suddenly missed my hello kitty chopsticks. sana hindi pa na-arbor nina IA at Raizza. i'm gonna take them with me pag-uwi namin. makapunta nga ng Daiso this weekend. ngahaha. hopefully, when lance starts schooling, i'll be a certified-bento maker. hihi.
anyway... browse-browse ako ngayon sa net at may bago akong gustong gawin!!! hahaha. bento-making??!!! from what i understand, it's the art of making art at your lunchbox (redundant ba? lol)... ang galing grabe. aside from fan ako ng japanese food, just looking at it kung baon mo siya sa office, parang makaka-tanggal ng stress. =) seeing those smiling goodies at you. truly uplifting!
backtrack --- ewan ko nga kanina sa office, the whole day... hindi naman ako in-asar-talo ng amo ko, pero ang tamad-tamad ko at antok na antok talaga ako the whole day. the day just got better pag-uwi ko when i took a nap and woke up an hour after kasi kiss ng kiss si lance. hehe. pero kung bento box siguro ang baon ko, baka tanggal bad day ko in a flash. hahaha.
heto nga pala ilang sites ng bento:
http://www.kitchencow.com/
http://lunchinabox.net/
yun lang.. sharing lang. i suddenly missed my hello kitty chopsticks. sana hindi pa na-arbor nina IA at Raizza. i'm gonna take them with me pag-uwi namin. makapunta nga ng Daiso this weekend. ngahaha. hopefully, when lance starts schooling, i'll be a certified-bento maker. hihi.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
we are due to make our inital entry sometime on 3rd quarter of this year. just the thought of it is exciting and frightening at the same time. i'm excited because i'll be finally setting foot on the land that i have always dreamed of. frightening because i do not know what's at stake.
it is good that i am going there with my son and husband. however, planning that entry is quite difficult actually. this is because me and lance are continents apart from his dad. hehe. ang hirap mag-plano! airfare palang, pamatay na sa budget. =(
anyway, we have 3 options to choose from. the decision hasn't been reached yet. there are more things to do and plan for prior to that. so far, here's what we have in mind arranged in an order from cheapest to the most dreadfully expensive: lol.
it is good that i am going there with my son and husband. however, planning that entry is quite difficult actually. this is because me and lance are continents apart from his dad. hehe. ang hirap mag-plano! airfare palang, pamatay na sa budget. =(
anyway, we have 3 options to choose from. the decision hasn't been reached yet. there are more things to do and plan for prior to that. so far, here's what we have in mind arranged in an order from cheapest to the most dreadfully expensive: lol.
Plan A
(Will go to Oz for 1 week) March 24 to March 31 ?
March because as per airline websites' April is a peak season. no idea why.. hehe. where in Australia? could be in Perth so we'll be familiar about the situation there. could also be in Brisbane. because as per my aussie officemate's story, this is where the theme parks are. i'm sure, lance will love it here in lieue of the HK trip that i think we need to remove from the plan.
Marvin - takes local flight to Oz (via Qantas Airways) = 30,000 pesos = 3,000 aed
- takes Oz to UAE with Mai & Lance (via Sg airlines) = 3,000-3,500 aed
Mai & Lance - takes roundtrip ticket UAE-Brisbane-UAE (via Sg airlines) = 8,500-9,000 aed
- me and lance should arrive early in Oz than Marvin
Max total airfare involve = 15,000aed
Disadvantage -- napakatagal ng stop-over sa Sg!!!! halos 10 to 12 hours!!!
Plan B
the family will meet in HK, then go to Oz, then to UAE.
March 24-March 30 in HK
March 30-April 7 in Oz
Mai & Lance - flies via Cathay UAE-HK-Oz-UAE = 8,000-10,000 aed
Marvin - flies local flight to HK = 1,000 aed?
- flies HK to Oz to UAE with Mai & Lance via Cathay... = 16,000 aed
BUT kung Mla-Hk-Oz-UAE = 11,000aed (ang weird noh? mas mura pa, hehe)
Max. total airfare involve = 21,000aed
Advantage = Magkakasama kami sa Hk to Oz and Oz to DXB flight. that is, if i will be able to book and arrange everything on time.
Plan C
the family will meet in HK, then off to Oz after. after a week, then Mai and Lance go back to UAE and Marvin stays in Oz.
March 24-March 30 in HK
March 30-April 7 in Oz
Mai & Lance - flies via Cathay UAE-HK-Oz-UAE = 8,000-10,000 aed
Marvin - flies ia Cathay Mla-Hk-Oz = 11,000aed
Max. total airfare involve = 21,000aed
Another advantage: Marvin can stay behind and look for work in Oz. hopefully, i will be able to arrange an accommodation to his trip. thanks to my forum friend, Anavy who's also due to make their big move same as us.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
i have forgotten from whom i owe this recipe from. probably from one of my GT sisters? i dunno. anyway, thank you so much. you are very generous to share this recipe eventhough this is your business recipe. mwah!
ingredients:
1 1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoon lard/oil
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoons semi-bitter chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
2-3 tablespoons white chocolate chips or flakes
directions:
- heat the butter and oil in a saucepan until melted.
- add the sifted cocoa powder and place in the butter-oil mixture. heat until melted but make sure to mix continuously so as not to burn it. remove from the heat source.
- add in the chocolate chip and stir in until melted.
- add the vanilla and sugar.
- add the eggs one at a time. make sure to add an egg only after the mixture is fully incorporated.
- add in the flour and the chocolate chip. do not over-mix to avoid making it aerated (not unless you want it to turn into a cake, hehe).
- spread in a greased and lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes at 350 deg F (warning: do not overbake!).
- cool and cut into squares.
notes (why i love this recipe):
- sobrang gooey nung outcome! this is what i like in brownies.. yung makunat-kunat. hehe.
- i mix this manually. wooden spoon nga lang gamit ko eh! hehe. kasi kapag electrical mixer andun yung tendency na maging aerated siya.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
fresh lumpia has been the family's favorite dish which my mother and my auntie baby make superbly. here in the UAE, i have more or less lived up to the family's standards when making this dish. i made this for the new year (hooray 2010!) and the preparation time was around 3 hours. the sauteed veggies were prepared ordinarily. however, the sauce - which is hit or miss factor which i usually hit. :) my recipe is listed below. take note that i do not measure the vegetable part because i cook with tantiyahan. hehe. but normally, i make sure that i have ample quantity of carrots because it gives color to the mixture. also, it is important to have as much sweet potato because it gives the sweet contrast to the salty sauce.
as for the sauce, i listed the measurement that i use. this is a no-fail proportion. so, be sure to use those measuring cups and spoons! =)
ingredients:
for the lumpia:
cooking oil
finely minced garlic
finely chopped onion
ground pork
shelled and chopped shrimps
chicken/vegetable stock
string beans, julienned
carrots, julienned
cabbage, julienned
singkamas (turnip), julienned
sweet potato, boiled and cubed
celery (optional)
dash of salt and pepper for seasoning
for the sauce:
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
finely minced garlic
toasted peanuts, pounded
a dash of pepper for seasoning
extra ingredients needed:
lumpia wrapper (nope, i do not make one! hello, ayoko nang pahirapan sarili ko noh!)
lettuce
directions:
to make the lumpia:
as for the sauce, i listed the measurement that i use. this is a no-fail proportion. so, be sure to use those measuring cups and spoons! =)
ingredients:
for the lumpia:
cooking oil
finely minced garlic
finely chopped onion
ground pork
shelled and chopped shrimps
chicken/vegetable stock
string beans, julienned
carrots, julienned
cabbage, julienned
singkamas (turnip), julienned
sweet potato, boiled and cubed
celery (optional)
dash of salt and pepper for seasoning
for the sauce:
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
finely minced garlic
toasted peanuts, pounded
a dash of pepper for seasoning
extra ingredients needed:
lumpia wrapper (nope, i do not make one! hello, ayoko nang pahirapan sarili ko noh!)
lettuce
directions:
to make the lumpia:
- brown the ground pork in adequate amount of cooking oil over medium fire.
- set aside the browned meat in one side of the pan and sautee the garlic and onion, then combine with the pork.
- add the shrimps until it turned into orangy-white color.
- add chicken/vegetable stock. the amount needed to steam the vegetables later on.
- add the string beans, carrots, turnip, cabbage and the sweet potatoes in this order. make sure to cook in low to medium fire at this stage. allow only a minute or two of interval between these ingredients. cover the pan but ensure that the vegetables are cooked still crispy altogether. please lang, do not over cook! not only does you lose the vitamins in the veggies, you also lose the pleasure of biting into a crunchy delight. hindi masarap ang lumpiang hindi na fresh. hehe.
- season with salt and pepper to taste.
- place the sugar in a sauce pan and dissolve in the water. heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- add the soysauce and salt. heat and stir.
- add the mixed cornstarch (with water). heat until the mixture becomes thick.
- add in the garlic and ground peanut.
- season with a dash of pepper.
- let the sauce simmer while stirring constantly. remove from heat once the garlic and peanut flavor are mixed with the thickened sauce.
- lay the lumpia wrapper in a plate.
- place the lettuce on one end with a portion outside the wrapper.
- spoon some cooked and drained lumpia over the lettuce-wrapper portion.
- seal in by turning the ingredients wrapped with the lumpia wrapper.
- put the prepared roll on aplate and spread the sauce over.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
this recipe was taken from my little 200 Chocolate Recipes book. i don't have a kitchen weighing scale yet (sponsor, anyone? hehe), so i just used an ordinary measuring cup with an ounce graduation instead. nonetheless, it turned out really good. :) i'll be posting the original recipe below while i add notes after that to document what actually transpired in my kitchen. happy baking! :)
ingredients for the base:
200 g (7 oz) plain flour
50 g (2 oz) cocoa powder
75 g (3 oz) golden caster sugar
175 g (6 oz) butter
for the caramel:
750 g (1 1/2 lb) condensed milk
100 g (3 1/2 oz) light muscovado sugar
100 g (3 1/2 oz) butter
for the top layer:
200 g (7 oz) white chocolate
directions:
1. blend the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture forms crumbs, then pulse a little more until it forms a ball. turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and well combined.
2. grease and line a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inch) roll tin. press the mixture into the tin and bake in a pre-heated oven, 180 deg C (350 deg F), for 20 minutes until firm to the touch. set aside when done (this is the chocolate shortbread mixture).
3. heat the condensed milk, sugar and butter in a nonstick pan, stirring continuously, for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thick and fudgy. pour on top of the chocolate shortbread, smooth over and cool.
4. melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and pour it over the caramel. leave to set at room temperature, then cut into 20 squares.
notes:
1. of course, cream the sugar and butter first! i used an ordinary sugar because i don't have a caster sugar at hand. no problem was encountered. i wonder if the caster sugar will make the shortbread less sweet??? i didn't do the kneading part, btw. tinamad ako eh. haha. that could be the reason why the texture is not so smooth when it was cooked. pero carry na rin, nasa ilalim naman siya eh. haha.
2. i've read somewhere that shortbreads were meant to be cooked slowly. so, i reduced the oven temp a little bit and just increased the timing. hmm.. i used 150 deg C but i couldn't be specific with the duration because i just check the bread every now and then. so far, my method worked! :) since it's chocolatey, there's a big tendency for it to have burnt sides which i was able to avoid because of the slow cooking. also, don't panic when the supposed dough didn't rise up. it will not. :) yun nga daw ang reason why it's called shortbread. short siya sa height. ngahahaha.
3. as always, i don't measure. haha. so, for the caramel i used the tantiyahan method. =) ayoko na kasing mag-compute what's the equivalent of 1 1/2 lb into oz. :D and since i don't want to have a left-over caramel, i just guesstimate this part.. caramel, sugar and butter. hehe. so far, with about half a cup of condensed milk, 1/4 cup sugar and around 100g of butter, i was able to make a 1/4 inch of caramel layer. not bad... ;) making this caramel reminds me of the brazo de mercedes recipe.
4. this is the part that i liked most. hihi. i melted the white chocolate but i put around 1/4 teaspoon of butter. i've read somewhere too, that melted chocolate with a bit of oil/butter, will be more shiny when it cooled down. so it was! finally, before this layer cooled down completely, i sprinkled some colored sugar decorations on top to entice even those who swore to stay away from sweets. lol.
verdict:
the final result was fab! i was hesitant to make this because of the amount of sugar involved. iniisip ko palang, parang hihimatayin na ako dahil sa diabetes. hahaha. however, with my intention to bake something without using eggs, the ingredients were perfect. in additon, this recipe uses plain flour. as much as possible, i shun from recipes that uses self-raising flour. self-raising flour and me, just don't go together. hehe. anyhow, the final product was a 3-layer goody... with a base having a bittery taste complemented by the sweetness of a gooey caramel and deluctible white chocolatey top. description palang panalo na. how much more when you actually bite into it??!! lol.
200 g (7 oz) plain flour
50 g (2 oz) cocoa powder
75 g (3 oz) golden caster sugar
175 g (6 oz) butter
for the caramel:
750 g (1 1/2 lb) condensed milk
100 g (3 1/2 oz) light muscovado sugar
100 g (3 1/2 oz) butter
for the top layer:
200 g (7 oz) white chocolate
directions:
1. blend the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture forms crumbs, then pulse a little more until it forms a ball. turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and well combined.
2. grease and line a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inch) roll tin. press the mixture into the tin and bake in a pre-heated oven, 180 deg C (350 deg F), for 20 minutes until firm to the touch. set aside when done (this is the chocolate shortbread mixture).
3. heat the condensed milk, sugar and butter in a nonstick pan, stirring continuously, for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thick and fudgy. pour on top of the chocolate shortbread, smooth over and cool.
4. melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and pour it over the caramel. leave to set at room temperature, then cut into 20 squares.
notes:
1. of course, cream the sugar and butter first! i used an ordinary sugar because i don't have a caster sugar at hand. no problem was encountered. i wonder if the caster sugar will make the shortbread less sweet??? i didn't do the kneading part, btw. tinamad ako eh. haha. that could be the reason why the texture is not so smooth when it was cooked. pero carry na rin, nasa ilalim naman siya eh. haha.
2. i've read somewhere that shortbreads were meant to be cooked slowly. so, i reduced the oven temp a little bit and just increased the timing. hmm.. i used 150 deg C but i couldn't be specific with the duration because i just check the bread every now and then. so far, my method worked! :) since it's chocolatey, there's a big tendency for it to have burnt sides which i was able to avoid because of the slow cooking. also, don't panic when the supposed dough didn't rise up. it will not. :) yun nga daw ang reason why it's called shortbread. short siya sa height. ngahahaha.
3. as always, i don't measure. haha. so, for the caramel i used the tantiyahan method. =) ayoko na kasing mag-compute what's the equivalent of 1 1/2 lb into oz. :D and since i don't want to have a left-over caramel, i just guesstimate this part.. caramel, sugar and butter. hehe. so far, with about half a cup of condensed milk, 1/4 cup sugar and around 100g of butter, i was able to make a 1/4 inch of caramel layer. not bad... ;) making this caramel reminds me of the brazo de mercedes recipe.
4. this is the part that i liked most. hihi. i melted the white chocolate but i put around 1/4 teaspoon of butter. i've read somewhere too, that melted chocolate with a bit of oil/butter, will be more shiny when it cooled down. so it was! finally, before this layer cooled down completely, i sprinkled some colored sugar decorations on top to entice even those who swore to stay away from sweets. lol.
verdict:
the final result was fab! i was hesitant to make this because of the amount of sugar involved. iniisip ko palang, parang hihimatayin na ako dahil sa diabetes. hahaha. however, with my intention to bake something without using eggs, the ingredients were perfect. in additon, this recipe uses plain flour. as much as possible, i shun from recipes that uses self-raising flour. self-raising flour and me, just don't go together. hehe. anyhow, the final product was a 3-layer goody... with a base having a bittery taste complemented by the sweetness of a gooey caramel and deluctible white chocolatey top. description palang panalo na. how much more when you actually bite into it??!! lol.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
i always make alibis for my late updates here in my blog. i don't wanna start my post with another one. i'm starting to be an Alibi Queen if i do so. hehe. instead, i'm going to list how i am feeling right this moment.
- mad - i am furiously mad at my hubby's former boss. he always messed up my family's vacation plans and we always end up not spending our holidays together. i am mad that he has no word of honor and doesn't even consider my habibi's status as a family man. i am mad because he is not a good employer. i am furiously mad because he made my husband pay for his own ticket and he did not even give his gratuity. in short, Mr. M deserves all the bad luck in this world. may his company go down the drain along with him. ggggrrrrrr.....
- disappointed - i am disappointed by our department head's way of leading. he takes issues lightly and i feel he lacks the guts to solve things fast. most of my PRs will be celebrating their 2nd birthdays and when i asked him about the status of these so that he could jump and down as well to the procurement department, he just give me the usual reply i get from a person who has no concern. it is me who sits with the students and researchers and each time the SEM monitor turns off, i just dunno how to explain to them that the matter is beyond my control. it is my performance to my role that gets affected in here and more so, it is my face the students sees. and guess what, who gets the bad impression?? i am just terribly disappointed. have i said that twice?
- happy - despite my hubby being banned to work in the UAE for 6 months, i am happy that we now share the same plans. hehe. yep. before, i have plans and he has his own. haha. now, we plan to meet in Oz by next year and then, both of us will come back to UAE in time for his 3-month visit visa.
- sleepy - i am back to taking our bus service and it picks me up at my stop 6:35AM. kumusta naman yun?! i used to wake up at this time before. hay... goodluck na lang that i'll be able to keep my eyes open during the day. coffee to the rescue???
Thursday, November 12, 2009
first thing i did when i arrived in my office was open my facebook account. lol. ssshhh... anyway, from there, i received a message which made my day horrible. it was a personal message from someone i don't know and who may have the habit of ruining someone's day. she did succeeded but i do hope i have her's twice miserable. ngahaha.
after making sure i have redeemed myself, i opened my office email application and lo and behold! an email from my case officer telling me that our visa application's approved and granted! yipppeeee!!! couldn't believe it yet so happy!! :)
yep, 6 months after the lodgment date, no agency... just lots of reading, hardwork and prayers (plus a little help from www.phillippines.com.au friends!), paid off! a million thanks guys and gals! goodluck to all of us to the journey to the land down under. hihi.
so, for those who try their luck in seeking Australian Immigrant Visa, here's an outline of what we did:
after making sure i have redeemed myself, i opened my office email application and lo and behold! an email from my case officer telling me that our visa application's approved and granted! yipppeeee!!! couldn't believe it yet so happy!! :)
yep, 6 months after the lodgment date, no agency... just lots of reading, hardwork and prayers (plus a little help from www.phillippines.com.au friends!), paid off! a million thanks guys and gals! goodluck to all of us to the journey to the land down under. hihi.
so, for those who try their luck in seeking Australian Immigrant Visa, here's an outline of what we did:
- download Booklet 6 from www.immi.gov.au website.
- read Booklet 6 over and over again until you have undertood it by heart.
- assess yourself against the checklist if you meet the minimum points required. i yes, proceed with the next steps. Otherwise, try NZ or Canada??
- register in www.philippines.com.au forum.
- took IELTS exam.
- have your qualification assessed by a respective assessing body. in my case, i had mine assessed by Engineers Australia.
- upon receiving positive assessment result from EA, lodged online application.
- got questions along the way? confused? refer to step # 1 or ask in step # 4.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
nope, not for me.... for lance, who else?! lol. i told myself that we ought to be very wise when it comes to spending money these days because of the expenses that we're expecting for next year. anyhow, i just couldn't help myself. i just love planning birthday parties! :) i will try my best to keep the expenses to the minimum and yet still make the party awesome.
for his 3rd birthday, his theme would be jungle safari. i chose this theme for him because by the time he gets to choose his own theme, i bet he won't be choosing the animals anymore. hehe. secondly, a jungle safari theme would mean less DIYs. well, i hope! hahaha.
for his 3rd birthday, his theme would be jungle safari. i chose this theme for him because by the time he gets to choose his own theme, i bet he won't be choosing the animals anymore. hehe. secondly, a jungle safari theme would mean less DIYs. well, i hope! hahaha.
i have been browsing around and based from my researches, this would be the Party Plan:
- theme : jungle safari
- venue : at the park or home
- decorations : green, brown and yellow inspired, animal standees, luminaries (if venue's in a park)
- food : BBQ, hotdog on stick, spicy chicken, lasagna
- desserts : choco-covered mallows, chocolate cake, Jelly-O's, buko pandan
- give-aways : mugs (adults) and lunch boxes (kids) - haha. yep, i already bought these!
- attire : request the kids to wear white shirt and khaki shorts/pants
- games :
- kiddie games -
- adult games -
- i need to find a perfectly moist chocolate cake recipe.
- i need to learn how to cook lasagna.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
months have passed.. lots of things happened to me personally... and the same things are happenning over and over again. para lang akong nakikipaglokohan sa buhay. hehe. anyway, what's new? here goes:
the not-so-bad news:
the not-so-bad news:
- we had our vacation last june to august in Manila. it was just me, lance and ate bel. it wasn't a vacation for me and lance actually because lance got sick most of the time. me on the other hand, was so dead tired. =( good thing i had a chance to have a good laugh with old friends from HS before we leave for UAE. i never laughed that hard for such a long while. God, i missed being carefree. :D
- i'm still working with the same company. no change in work status or bonus or whatsoever. it's been a long time, really! no good thing is coming my way. =(
- already lodged our visa application. somehow, i want to start a new life. yeah, yeah. i don't think i need to explain further. let's just say, things 'round here is still the same. i just wish that life will be kinder to us when we transfer. i hope and pray that i may be able to find a new job right away. sana, so the moving on will be easier.
- i am having financial difficulty nowadays. it was because of the expenses we have incurred with the vacation, the house repair (see below), an investment and the increased cost of living in the UAE combined. however, i am not that sad about this because i know for a fact that i am far more blessed than most people. budgetting lang talaga ang katapat nito and i have been lousy with that. i'll make this my new year's resolution. oopps..! na naman????!!! hahaha.
the somewhat-good-news:
- things about my migration plans are falling into places. just having a long wait for the final verdict. hopefully, i do succeed on this. if not, will opt for plan B. at ano naman yun??!! eh di ang magpaka-suicidal dito sa UAE. hehe.
- lance is growing up to be such a smart boy. may pinagmanahan talaga!!! haha. at less than 2.5 year old, he already memorized the alphabet, knows the days of the week and the months in a year. you can refer to my multiply site for the video showcasing his prowess. (http://myl33n.multiply.com)
- i was able to have my Cabuyao mini-house renovated. yun nga lang, nabaha naman with the Ondoy Typhoon. hay, ang malas talaga. anyway, the damage is still not as grabe as the ones in Manila. but just the same, it spoiled my newly repaired little house. =(
- busy with a new hobby. photography!! hehe. i'm attending a basic photography course nowadays. at least, such an activity keeps my sanity.
- i am healthy despite occasional backpains, headaches and dizziness. i know, i lack sleep. i just don't sleep peacefully these days. maybe i am bothered, stress
ed, drained?? i need a vacation really. pano naman yun eh kailangan ko ngang mag-budget. hayzzzzzzzz.....
i hope to be on track again and share my daily life, feelings and dealings...to the world out there who doesn't even know me. who doesn't even care that i exist. basta lang. i will try to be more visible, more vocal, more open... whether you like it.. or you like it!!! ngahahaha.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
made a yummy spaghetti and a delicious home-made pizza. marvin said, it almost taste like domino's, except that i forgot to add the pineapple bits! hehehe. anyway, he's still happy for the simple dinner that i prepared. happy birthday!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
i told myself that career will not be my priority anymore. however, for some weeks i have been going home late, working my butt off to finish lab activities for these people. when a professor approached me and talked to me about that training, i thought that somehow my efforts were recognized. but with the news that i received today, i was wrong. i am so disappointed and pissed off. the training that i was hoping to get was not granted to me. kainis. what is more disappointing was the thought that my superiors were not that supportive of my professional development. another department valued me more pa. pramis. i felt this way before and i did something i never regret. will it happen again?! i dunno. basta, for today... all i know is that i'll go home at 4 pm sharp. anyway, my efforts were not valued. hindi ko naman research yung mga yun. hmp.
Monday, May 04, 2009
i am so behind schedule as per my plans last month. dami talagang ginagawa and lab requests are falling like thunderstorm!!! =( anyhow, for some updates see below...
- i just lodged our immigrant visa application today. =) however, i still have to upload supporting documents. the good news is that i was able to lodge before my 35th birthday and the bad news is, i have a new debt. i paid my credit card dues yesterday and now i have a new one! haha. wala pang 24 hours may bago na namang utang. ngahaha.
- a professor offered me a training slot. he said he'll ask my boss's approval which i am very hopeful he'll give. it'll be in Germany for five days. great opportunity noh?! hay, sana nga ay matuloy.
- halos malunod na ako sa labworks. professors and students are behind my back, not to mention some special requests from other agencies. time to yell.... DARNA!!!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
work is piling up big time! hay naku! before i finish a task, two or more additional tasks will be handed over. kumusta naman yun?! i wanna cry out loud, "look i only have two hands!" to my colleagues who think that they are the only ones who are working hard.
what's more frustrating is, i have lots of personal goals that i need to do and i am already so behind schedule of accomplishing them as i render an extra hour or two at the office. ggrrr... i am chasing deadlines while lab engineers are passing their batons to me. ka-gigil!
as for my list of MAJOR things to do for the next couple of months:
- 3rd to 4th wk of April - research, research, research
- end of April - submit state sponsorship and DIAC applications.
- 1st to 2nd wk of May - make philippine vacation itinerary and plans.
- 3rd to 4th wk of May - planning for Angels@Work activity.
- 1st to 2nd wk of June - vacation preps
hindrances and solutions:
- slow internet browsing - i need a new laptop!!!
- lost calls (ahihi) - i need a new mobile phone. =( a 100-dirham worth is fine with me. i just need something to make and take calls without automatic hanging-up. a donor will be appreciated. :D
- insufficient hours in a day - drink more coffee. make-believe that a day is actually 48 hours, so today is still yesterday and tomorrow's still today.
- lack of money - this is indirectly a hindrance. hihi. having more will surely help smoothen out executions of plan nos. 1 to 5.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
after two months and 3 days of endless waiting, i finally received my qualification assessment from Engineers Australia (EA). the verdict... they recognized my educational attainment and assessed me as a Professional Chemical Engineer! ahihi.
when hubby and i, have our little payabangan's, i always get a beating for not having a PRC license. pero ngayon, may pangtapat na ako sa kanya... bwahahaha!!!
my competency report did paid off! i was actually hesistant to apply for an assessment in that category because of not having the PRC license and at the same time, working currently as a lab technician. however, my co-forumers in http://www.philippines.com.au/ adviced me to aim high (thank you guys and gals! thank you EA assessors!). true enough... as long as one can showcase that he/she works and thinks like a professional (ahem), EA will rank you as one.
never have i opened a snail mail with such clumsiness, except with the EA's mail. sobrang kakakaba and nakaka-tense. but then, this news revived back my crashing self-confidence and gave it a little push. now that i have 2 tasks done (right!), 2 more to go towards that great australian dream. i'm so happy... happy... happy...
now it's time for step no. 3... aarrrgghhhh.....
Saturday, April 11, 2009
i have been in long hibernation from playing tennis and playing again last saturday made my muscles and joints tweak again. super uber busy the past months with birthday and assessment preps, kaya napabayaan ko na ang aking tennis dream. anyway, i'm back with a new set of playmates.
and what happened to coach molly and coach ely?? coach molly's rather busy these days while coach ely doesn't want to play tennis if i don't fetch him with Candy. with that, i have no choice but to seek new playmates and we're having fun! =) see you guys again, tomorrow!
Friday, April 10, 2009
here's a super-duper delayed post regarding lance's little einstein-themed 2nd birthday. it was a thursday and we gave a simple dinner to our friends in our home. aside from that fact that lance's birthday fell on a Holy Week, we also deemed it more practical to celebrate simply as we shall be having our vacation soon. my hubby is against having games as it was Maundy Thursday. hindi naman ganun ka-strict ang observance ng Holy Week dito, but my hubby wanted it to be less noisy. with that, i have to let go of the program and games that i prepared. anyway, marami pa namang birthdays to come. haha, parang sinabi ko na rin ito last year. =)
to make the birthday celebration go with the Little Einstein theme, i made effort to do as much DIYs as possible. here as some prepared items and comments:
1. invitations. i made two actually. one pop-up invitation and one online invitation. i am so happy with my online invitation because i was able to make the characters animate in the tune of the LE theme song. as for the pop-up invite, i got praised for it kasi hindi daw mukhang hand-made. :)
1. invitations. i made two actually. one pop-up invitation and one online invitation. i am so happy with my online invitation because i was able to make the characters animate in the tune of the LE theme song. as for the pop-up invite, i got praised for it kasi hindi daw mukhang hand-made. :)
quincy, annie, june, leo, rocket and lance!
2. tarp-kuno. hehe. i designed it using Photoshop (am loving it already!) and originally planned to have it printed from a shop. however, kuya ely printed it in A1-size. super-tipid! hehe. what's so nice about it eh, siya ang nag-offer na mag-print. he asked me to send him some of Lance's photo to be put up during the event. being a girl scout that i am, syempre yung tarp design na ginawa ko ang ni-send ko. may bonus pa, he also printed out a nice big photo of lance. i really appreciate unsolicited help more than anything else. thanks again! as per jihan's words, dahil dyan may check ka! =)
3. CD give-away. i made all the designs for the inside and outside cover with PS also. a GT sis, gave me the link for the outside CD cover. then for the CD sticker, i used a PS template that i downloaded a month back, na kapag dun mo gagawin yung PS design mo, may guide na for you to cut. panalo yung template na yun! it made my life easier. hihi.
4. cupcakes. i made cheese and banana-flavored cupcakes, topped it with cream cheese frosting and decorated with themed-toothpick topper that i also made myself. yung cake/cupcake tree ay pinagawa ko (Jihan's friend). lumulundo nga eh, kasi lawanit lang yun. pero nilagyan ko na lang ng blocks na laruan ni lance sa ilalim para makaya nya yung weight ng lahat. hehe. i also covered and decorated it to make it more presentable.
5. lootbags. i made candy bags for girls and boys to take home. stuffed with candy goodies, a rubik's cube and a pencil. i made sure that the bag will be colorful and a placed a sticker-tag on it to make it personalized.
6. decor. hindi na-picture-an yung decor that much because hubby's in-charge of that. and what happens when i assign something at him? hay. anyway, i placed banderitas along the entrance / hallway, then i used the shoe cabinet to hold the give-aways. i also have posted cut-out letters on the wall saying, they need to pick one toy before they go. then, as guests enter the living room, balloons can be seen lined up with the number "2" printed on it and some more balloons were placed here and there. a happy birthday banner hung in one side of the room, too. ni-career ko talaga the night before ang pagpe-prep up ng place. sarap mag-decorate! at least, eventhough the celebration's "quiet" for a party, the decoration made it a less gloomy occassion.
7. give-aways. i bought the give-aways from various gift shops here in the UAE. aliw nga ako because i was still able to keep up with the theme despite having no DIVIlandia here. i bought musical istrument toys, some things that are educational, rocket-shaped toys.. all according to the theme. sobrang aliw ako sa pen that is shaped like a microphone, the harmonica, photo stand na merong rocket at trumpet design around. quincy na quincy talaga ang dating. hihi.
8. food. mostly, i ordered. except for the spaghetti, hotdog sticks and the chicken shanghai. we also have fried chicken, fresh lumpia, relleno, beef and fruit platter. we're supposed to have a chocolate fountain but something went wrong with the chocolate. sayang nga eh, ang sarap pa naman nung chocolate. the consistency of the chocolate failed me. anyway, i just had a bowl to put the chocolate there to have a fondue instead.
8. cake. nope, hindi ako nag-bake nito. but i made the design kaya nilagay ko sa list ng DIY. it's an edible print-out of the design i drew. i actually have another cake design but i was not able to have it made because the bakeshop is charging me 600aed for that! okay lang siya??!!! anyway, with a less expensive cake parang nanghihinayang pa rin akong i-cut. hehe. the taste was so-so. feeling ko nga, mas masarap pa kung ako ang nag-bake nito. harharhar. feeling-yera!
the celebration's really simple but i hope the guests went home full. it also made me happy to receive good comments about the preps that i made. F for effort talaga ako for this. bihira kasi ang nagte-take effort sa kiddie birthday preparations dito sa UAE. siguro meron man, yung merong extra budget for such. pero kung wala, rely ka talaga sa talent mo sa pag-d-DIY. hehe. behind all these, i am glad that amidst the busy-ness and cramming, i received unexpected help from people that i least expect it from.
again, happy birthday baby lance!! wishing you a happy life, little one.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
i made carrot cupcakes last night and amazingly, it doesn't taste weird. haha. i only made half of the recipe as i was worried that it would taste awful. i have never tasted carrot cakes or carrot juice before, so i don't know what to expect. anyhow, the final product isn't as orangy as i expected it to be. the recipe was courtesy of a GT sister. i was able to make around 19 cuppies from it. i'm glad that i used the fine grater so one cannot really make out that i put carrots in it. ang galing nga eh. the recipe comprises more carrots than flour. can you imagine how healthy it is?!! thumbs up kay habibi pero kay lance.. i still think he can taste the carrots. hehehe.
as for the frosting.. hmm, yun ang hindi successful. =( i made cream cheese frosting (cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla). ewan ko kung bakit hindi siya nag-se-set?? has it something to do with the brand of the cream cheese kaya? i used kraft naman. uuggghhh... will try to use a different brand next time. ayun, may cream cheese spread kami sa bahay tuloy... na kulay BLUE. bwahahaha.
Monday, March 16, 2009
i feel like blogging about living in the UAE for a friend of mine who's feeling homesick right now. yeah, living away from home is trading your family and friends there in the phils against a simple OFW-life. i used to feel so low and homesick when i came here because i have no work and all i have to do all day was stare at my brother's four-walled room. but things have changed when i finally got a job, made myself useful and earned some dirhams. hehe. sabi na nga ba, shopping lang katapat nun! hahaha.
kidding aside.. i think, adjusting to new environment far different from home is easy for me because i have always lived away from home every since i went to college until the time i went to work. dormitory has been my second home that's why i can readily adjust my way of thinking and embrace what the new place has to offer be it less convenient than my comfortable secluded bedroom. yes, i do feel homesick at times. kaya nga, eventhough Batangas was way too far to commute to everyday from Taguig, i still tried to commute daily to and fro, di bale nang makatabi ko ang mga manok sa bus that came all the way from Bicol. ngahahaha.
now that i am an OFW in the UAE, i rarely entertain the thought of homesickness. i could be in a different case because i have a new family now and they are with me. however, for the others who are without their blood relatives with them, here are the things (i think!) that will make you love UAE despite the many good things you have to trade this with:
- you work your butt off, but is still justly compensated and you don't have to share your salary with the BIR.
- you get to work or go home in 30 minutes or less (for most workers).
- there's independence! you get to do what you wanted to do as long as it's not against their law. =)
- you will learn to be responsible as you decide on your own and suffer the consequences all by yourself, too.
- you have access to different types of food and brands (haha, at gawin bang panglima yung pagkain talaga). not only that, you can actually buy it if you want to. for some that are really costly, you can buy it by saving from a few months salary instead of saving for a year or two.
- you live in a building and your house/flat have less dust to clean up. hihi.
- you don't complain of how expensive an LPG or gasoline is.
- you have a water heater! nice ito, especially for someone like me who can't bathe with cold tap water. =)
- just by seeing the number and the quality of cars on the street, feeling mo, mayaman ka na rin. hehe.
- you are spared from mga nakakainis na relatives, inlaws or neighbors. =)
- you can talk to your kid in english without your neighbor thinking na ang yabang-yabang mo. yun nga lang, nosebleed ka talaga kung ipagpapatuloy mo yun. hehe.
- aminin... hindi ganun kabigat ang trabaho sa office saka parang ang tali-talino mo dito. hihi.
- you can save for your next trip and you can get visa approval easier.
- you can send money back home instead of borrowing from your parents or siblings. may bonus pa, you can send christmas gifts in big balikbayan boxes. isn't it something to look forward to? enjoy kaya mag-ipon ng kung anong anik-anik to toss into that brown box.
- lagi kang naka-aircon. you don't get that sweaty feeling na parang mamasa-masang pandesal (i miss pandesal, though).
- walang baha. sunshiney 350 days of the year!!! 5 days for occasional rainshowers and 10 days of sandstorms.
- your pasttime as a single person may include malling, bowling or clubbing. as a yummy mummy/daddy, you may be busy shopping, baking or perfecting a dish at home, go to gym, engage in a hobby, etc.
- you have officemates of different nationalities that no matter how weird they are, at least may excuse sila.
- you can sleep late at night and still catch your bus or taxi early in the morning. okay lang, because you can still take your breakfast in the office while infront of a computer. makakapag-blog ka pa nga eh. minsan nga, may bonus ka ring kotse thay you pay in installments or if you can any luckier, a car issued by your company. kung hindi ka naman talaga sinuswerte!
- you can stretch your 24 hours. hindi ka umuuwi ng bahay na parang basang-sisiw. you can go to work and can still have time to go to the grocery, cook, watch teleseryes, mess around with your kid, chat...etc. all in one day.
- hindi ka paranoid to have your celfone snatched, be kidnapped, have your throat slashed, be mugged.. while you walk the streets daytime or nighttime.
- you can have leisure walks along the beach everyday, if you want to.
- you don't need to present many documents when you want to apply for a credit card. credit card companies actually looks for you.
- girls or ladies get separate queues or seats in public transports.
- less pasyalan, less gastos. hehe.
- no dogs to be afraid of on the streets.
- hardly any flies, ants, cockroaches or rats at home or in the vicinity. except yung mga tao that resembles like them. peace!!
- no need to worry of stray bullets during New Year's Day or any police rub out on ordinary days.
- you get to eat chicken almost everyday, as in, malapit ka na ngang tubuan ng pakpak eh. uy! free ride home na yun eventually! ngehehe.
- you get to use your passport bago pa ito mag-expire. =)
this list may seem "mababaw" but these are the positive things that can help one to see the brighter side of things. let us enjoy our stay here as long as we can. hindi naman tayo welcome dito for long eh. we will eventually go home where our hearts truly belong. kaya love the place, love the situation while it is still loving us back.
;;
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