RE: March 2012. The search for Happiness

March 01, 2012

In response to March 2012. The search for Happiness. 

Pamper Thy Self

          Yesterday, I went out late in the afternoon to pamper my self. It spells expenses, but I get a tiny dose of endorphine (happy hormones) enough to fuel the work week starting 12am.

First stop .. Mari Nail Art
          Aian [of ♥AIAN-ism♥] and I love nail art, it's affordable, quick, and lasts for a week or so. Whenever we get bored taking calls, we just look at our nails and smile.

         Thanks much for appreciating the work of Mae [ Special tip, look for either May or Mutya, they are skilled, and quick nail artists at Mari Chinatown Square].

Second Stop ... Ukay-ukay
         I'm fond of this cheap finds, they make me feel like a smart shopper even for just one day. [I'm an impulsive person, which also applies to my shopping behavior.]
Each denim shorts cost Php 120.00, was able to get it for Php 100 a piece after "tawad" powers.

[Tip: When going to Ukay-Ukay, dress down, then try to make friends with the people tending the stalls, you may get the best pieces whenever they open new stocks "bag-o bukad", and yes, make use of tawad powers.]

Third [and last] stop... Sweet Treats... for the ♥.
           The day never ends without a tummy treat.

          Hot Chocolate and Big Dunk Choco Honey Dipped donut. It's very sweet, and yes SugarRush follows. [featuring my nails].

         Then I grabbed some grocery items for the cupboards at home. and off to a restful sleep.

*Thanks to 'someone' who's patient enough to call me and make me laugh. Hope we can share some of these sweets together*

Appetizer.. eh?

February 25, 2012
Saturday
Second round for KitchenAdventure

          I really don't know what is the name of this appetizer, it can be considered a variation of something expensive, or just a fruit of someone's kitchen brilliance. I first encountered this at one of NCF Fellowships back in college. No one told what the name was, and I did not even bother to ask, or search for it. What matters most, it's deliciously edible [what?!]

          Two parts, sauce, and cracker [pardon my ignorance]. For the sauce / dip part, it's similar to pasta sauce preparation, the cracker part, buy and fry.

 Ingredients
       vegetable oil
       ground pork
       garlic, minced
       onion, finely chopped
       spaghetti / tomato sauce
        molo wrapper

         
            Saute garlic and onion over low heat until garlic is golden brown and onion is translucent.



                

       




          Add ground pork and cook until tender.

       

         Add tomato/spaghetti sauce, best to add 1/2 cup of water to lessen the thickness of the sauce, season with salt and pepper.

         May stir in grated cheese, if so, taste test before adding salt.

        Set aside to cool.




For the cracker part,

          Heat vegetable oil, then fry till golden brown.













Done.

PS. Please suggest a name.

MANILAgaw

[Manila + Lagaw (hiligaynon term for visit/leisure travel)]

Feb 18, 2012

         As the clock struck 6:20am, I was out of the office already. I was very excited with what will happen further. Bags packed and re-packed, flights web-checked in, boarding passes printed, pocket cash checked, am ready for the weekend!



         At 4:30pm, I met up with Jem at BREDCO port, and took the last fastcraft trip [5:15pm] to Iloilo, arrived around 7pm. I was able to bully some of my friends to take us to the airport, with one deal, we are to go with them on a night out. LOL. We stayed up until 12 midnight, then slept for a good 2 hours in the car. The guys I bullied, were too drunk to take us to the airport, so another guy took us to the airport [thanks Ralph, ur driving is worth mentioning, in spite of 4 bottles of beer and 2 chinky girls on the back seat.]



Feb 19, 2012
         Arrived just in time, checked in, terminal fee settled, and the plane just arrived. I was still in a daze since i did not have enough eye-shut, but this adventure is too exciting!!

        We arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 around 7:15am, with our batteries exhausted, and Manila is still asleep, we opted to hang around and charge our phones.

>> Sister-from-another-mother.
both Blackberries, both using Samsung Digital Cameras.



           At around 9am, we headed to Tiffany Place in Salcedo Village, Makati for Jem's fun shoot! I met Mr. Eli van Ingen and Ms Mary Rose Sales Baranda, lovely couple who transformed "fresh-from-iloilo-with-no-sleep" Jem to "Who-run-the-world" JEM version.

[more shots can be seen on Jem's page.]

       
           The shoot ended with late lunch, pizza, pasta and soda. yum. A quick face fix and freshen-up, then off to BGC Artificial Turf to watch the game! Diliman Victory Liner was up to face Lions Meltique. Game started slow, HT ended with 1-nil for Diliman Vicotory Liner. It was gloomy and all, but these girls made it hot!

          Antonov Girls danced and awed us during the half time break, but wait, there's more. Free overflowing ANTONOV Drinks! Thanks Diliman FC, oh, yeah they won by the way, 5-1 Lions Meltique FC, aside from this scenery, notable Diliman FC players were present to support the team, Raymark Boyboy Fernandez, Deo Segunial and Jinggoy Valmayor [yes, i agree, eyecandies].

       

     At the sidelines before the game.
L-Rclockwise:

#tweetloveTRESE

Jem with Iyah

Team Pachanga before the game.

nevermind.








             The next game was the reason behind this incognito travel to Manila. Pachanga FC VS Manila All Japan FC. Starters were Ken Dolloso (GK), Yves Ashime, Aldwin Riedler, Ruffy Llorente, Jalsor Soriano, Robert Cañedo, Osseynou Diop, Mohanad Farah, Janrick Soriano, Gino Palomo, Freddy Gonzales. Subs: Joshua Fegidero, Chris Ojamire, Neckson Leonora, FJ Serios, Mark Sorongon, Kross Ubiam

         Manila All Japan got Yuta Aoki, Atsushi Katano, Kai Ishiwatari, Shinichi Tanaka, Daisuke Hattori, Masashi Morimoto, Shinichiro Maeno, Yujikono Wakana, Ryo Kono, Daisuke Sagiya, Shinichi Shigeta.

           Pachanga FC won, 7-nil with Mohanad Farah scoring a hatrick (6' 28' 51'), Alfredo 'Freddie' Gonzales (9'), Chris Ojamire (63'), Robert Cañedo (69') and Janrick Soriano (70'), and stays on top of the table for Division 2  and Alfredo Gonzales makes it to the top 5 goal scorers.

          At the game's end, Jem, Iyah and I joined the team bus to their Vito Cruz apartment,much needed  freshened up, meal at a local diner and checked in at Central BBQ Boy for a night cap. [This part needs further expansion, but I'd rather keep it. I don't want the nice feeling go away. #selfish me] We went home around 3am, just in time to change and take a cab ride to the airport flight back to Iloilo at 4:35am. After the check in at the airport, please ask Jem what happened  next, honestly, I forgot, and I have vague memories of how I arrived in Bacolod. [LOL].

More random shots.

At the bus. Kenneth Dolloso [guy in blue].

   

Antonov Girls, of Russian descent, free Antonov drinks, I downed 2 before the game started.





Photo credits: Jem Montealegre

Wedding Bells..counting down..

Feb 18, 2012


Hmmmm.. a friend is getting married soon.. like 30 days to go..


♪♫ Im so excited... and I just can't fight it.. ♪♫




        I'm not a fan of fairy tale ending love stories, but theirs is a great proof that someone is out there for you. Trust the Big Man Upstairs, He is writing your unique story, that even Ariel "the little mermaid" will beg Hans Christian Andersen to re-write her love story.

Nails and Food

Feb 15, 2012


          After retreating to my hometown to escape the Happy-Valentine's-Day-Themed-City, I returned here hoping bitter reminders will not haunt me. Only to find my Facebook News Feeds filled with photos from yesterday's celebration. It's not that I don't like celebrating it, it used to be a fun dine-out with college friends, which isn't happening now. Oh well, to shoo the bitterness away, I called up Aian ( of  ♥AIAN-ism♥) to get my nails done and cure the gloom feeling with some sweets. 


And Voila! A bunwich today, keeps the sad face away!


Nail art by Mari at 888 Chinatown Square. Wide variety of designs at affordable prices! 

A Sweet Treat...For A Lonely Heart.

As malls and business start their valentine special, I, being single [Am enjoying, #bitter], said to myself I need to make myself busy too. I have a few crude skills in the kitchen. Growing up with a mom who scolds me whenever I try to help her with chores at home, I can only learn much [She always quips: It's best if you don't join me with the chores, I'll end up re-doing them.] So, I decided to test my YouTube-learned skills.


I a sucker for sweets, a trait passed on from the paternal side [ask me the cause of death : complications from.. yes... Diabetes Mellitus Type II], and a common Filipino dessert is Leche Flan, or known to the world as Crème caramel too. 


It's eggs plus milk, can be baked or steamed to perfection.


There's my kitchen adventure to a SWEET creme caramel.



Ingredients: 


Syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water


Flan:
15 eggs
2 cans of condensed milk
1 can of evaporated mik

1. Mix brown sugar with water and place over low

fire till you get a nice consistency.

2. Separate yolks from whites. 

3. Mix the yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. 

4. Line the pan with the syrup.

5. Place the mixture on the pan. Ideally around an inch thick, and  cover with foil.

 

6. Place pans on a double boiler, or can improvise by placing pans on a bigger pan with water and boil it, or steam for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

7. Let it cool down. Run a knife on the edges before setting onto containers, the golden syrup will top the flan. 

I was able to make 3 of the oval-shaped ones, [as shown on picture] and the big one. 

Best practices: When lining the pan with the syrup, be careful, it's hot. Move fast, it settles fast especially since it's not over fire anymore. 

There. Enjoy. I almost finished one of the smaller servings, but my throat gave up.