Wedded Cooking Bliss

Marriage has changed a lot of things in my life and one that both my parents would be proud of is that I have now started to cook! Yes, I have always been a foodie with a bottomless appetite but before I got married I was just so lazy to even lift a finger in the kitchen. I didn't want the greasy and oily feeling in my hands, didn't want to smell like ginisa, I was scared to hold a knife and basically I just had a million excuses not to. Oh and have I mentioned washing the dishes? Hashtag: Sosy problems. 

Want me to cook? Laters, baby...

This I believe, has been a source of worry for my old-fashioned mom and dad as we were planning the wedding. Baka daw ibalik ako sa kanila if my in-laws find out I couldn't cook, much less, magsaing ng bigas. They panicked and staged a series of 'RUSH' cooking lessons with me watching while the helper cooked and you all know what happened then. Knowing we can practically order food from anywhere, I wasn't too worried and I didn't take those lessons seriously. But of course, I wanted to be honest and let Andrew know upfront and as long as he was okay with it, it didn't bother me anymore :) We reached an understanding wherein he would be very happy if I would at least 'attempt' to cook twice a month. Meaning, if the meal turned out to be a disaster then it wouldn't be too much waste of time and money.

Pressure much?

After the wedding and my move-in to our place in Tayuman, my cooking instincts were suddenly switched on! I started out with the dishes that were earmarked in my 5-year old cookbook (which I suddenly had the time to try. Hello Maggi and Del Monte Kitchenomics!) and sometimes I just happen to pick up something in the grocery with a promising recipe on its label and patola ko na rin yun! I don't know what really caused this but it could be because of these reasons:

a) Ganon talaga pag misis na...sabay pamewang, wearing 'daster' :)

b) I'm really a cooking ninja, but have craftily disguised myself as an eating ninja for the past 28 years!! Our family cooking genes had just kicked in! mwahahahahahaha!!!

c) Somebody gifted us with cooking pots and a stove so we better make use of it (Thank you Auntie Nene & Auntie Babyt for the Belgique pots, my mother-in-law for soo many cooking pots and paraphernalias and Patrick Tiu & family for our stove!)

d) There are times I really miss home and one way to cure this semi depressing-lonely-confusing phase is to recreate home through the meals I love from home!

e) The sheer happiness of (although belatedly) learning a very important life skill; and making my hubby, mommy, daddy, bro & extended family happy (sana!) with the dishes I serve them

Anyway, I really did not expect much because I can't count on experience (hello, wala nga eh!hehe) for this particular skill - but then again, I could actually count on my sense of smell and my foodie imagination to know which dishes would taste best. Naks! Okay, I guess watching Wolfgang Puck through the years wasn't bad either..

Surprisingly, my husband thinks I'm doing pretty good! Of course the Kiddie Master Chefs are still waaaay better but this is already heavy stuff for me (pagbigyan!). Now I'm thinking, what if I have started this earlier...hmmm...I might be writing a cookbook now instead of this blog post! :p

My cooking conquests...SOON! (L-R: Italian Pasta with tri-color fusili, choco pancakes, oven-baked cheesy potatoes with bacon bits, baked chicken with brocolli and biscuits)

Anyway, I am still undergoing the learning process but we'll go through it together as I hope to share with you successful dishes, techniques and my experiences in this blog. Please don't expect them to be restaurant-level (kumbaga sa Candy Crush, nasa level 67 pa lang ako out of 200+; this is true so please send me lives and extra moves! hahaha!) or to be budget-friendly (I have low EQ when it comes to grocery shopping and sige na nga, adding up what I place in the grocery cart) or picture-perfect (I'm using my phone's camera and usually I'm rushing between chopping and sauteing and making sure I follow the recipe 100%)...but what I can promise you is this: they will be family-friendly, yummy and quite easy for newlyweds who may be just as clueless as me in the kitchen.

Conquering your fears, learning a new skill, being able to lovingly feed your family --> and see them reach out for seconds or more...one of the best feelings!

Stay posted and happy cooking! :)

Bask in Real, Quezon's Rich Heritage

There are places in our life we always go back to. Sometimes these are ancestral provinces from which our grand and grand grand parents may have come from. These are rich with stories from their childhood and beyond - how it was then and how different it is now.

But there are also places which draw us even without having blood connection. As we look  into the beauty of the place, we also look into its past to better appreciate and understand its history and its potential. 

For me, one such place is Real, Quezon. I have been here since the early 90's and have known it mostly for its beautiful beaches, lush mountains and the zig-zag roads we have to traverse to get there. That's why after almost two decades, I finally got to know what Real, Quezon was in the past. Very grateful to the municipality of Real, Quezon for providing a copy of the ecological history - without which, I never would have imagined that this place had a colorful past, one with pirates, fortress, long-gone land bridges and even a castle!

Read on to find out more!

Lancaster Estates: Affordable Quality Homes in Cavite

The Philippine property market is really in full swing! The best part is that it does not only benefit the rich, who can very well afford any house or condo that they like, it also benefits the wide majority even those who are still working hard, the people who are truly proving that they can.

As optimists would see it, the glass is always half full and we will continue working to fill it to the brim! Right now, you can go for any property (be it condo, house & lot, lot) that you want because you know that you are on your way to super success. In other words, you can proudly say, "Pa-yaman na ako!"

 

One project that I am very proud to offer my clients is

Avida's RED Letter Day at Avida Towers Centera, Mandaluyong on May 13, 2012

Get ready for Avida's massive RED Letter Day happening on May 13, 2012 (yes, it's this Sunday!!) at Avida Towers Centera in Mandaluyong!

We know how much you want to make each day memorable with your family, especially this Mother's Day 2012. So let Avida treat you to a special day filled with fun and laughter because we believe that the best memories come from being happy together.

My team will be there to show you

Calling all TAFT people!! For Rent: A fresh fully-furnished CONDO @ The Grand Towers Manila for as low as PHP 9k/pax/mo (for 2 pax)

I have spent a good 4 years of my life studying in De La Salle Manila so I know how tough it can be having to commute for 45 minutes to an hour (this is for a one-way trip only!) just to get to school on time or to arrive at home to have dinner with my family.  

 

Regardless if I took public jeepneys or LRT/MRT, I still ended up with more or less that amount of time wasted everyday on commute alone. That is prime time that a student could have used for reviewing the day's lessons, reviewing or preparing for tomorrow's assignments, getting to eat on time or just to catch up on sleep that is so precious to any college student. And that is just for a regular school day! 

 

Imagine how hectic and hard it can get on crunch time days