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

What to do a day before the PRC Real Estate Broker's Exam?

Taking a test is a very stressful activity. We can never feel fully prepared as there are a lot of things coming up at the last minute - more information, corrections and just the general feeling of self-doubt and fatigue.

A Team of Champions

I am very thankful to have found group mates who are very responsible, studious and knowledgeable (of course, this is on top of us being young, pretty & handsome as a bunch! hehe..). We have been lurking at Starbucks at the Fort (the very first one in the Philippines with drive-thru service) almost daily so we can take advantage of the power of numbers and just review together; it is really beneficial for us because we somehow 'pressure' each other to study more and at the same time, we get to develop our friendships through some chika-chika in between study sessions and our gastronomic food trips :) Our group is also very generous to each other, sharing notes, new info, review materials and what have you. Thank you so much to Rowie, Jecelle, Lysander, Bryan, Karen, Johanna, Tom, Rudy and Grizel - we really are the URBAN CHAMPIONS!

In this time when I keep asking myself, "have I really studied or prepared enough?" I just look back at my 3-month experience with the URBAN Institute, headed by Engr. Enrico Cruz, and take comfort in the fact

The Cranberries: The Greatest Hits! Live in Manila (April 10, 2012 @ Smart Araneta Coliseum)

If you are a 90's child like I am, you are probably all too familiar with The Cranberries who broke out with their hits Zombie, Linger and Ode to My Family during our grade school days (around the time when we were watching and sometimes even role-playing The Mighty Power Rangers!)

90's emo-rock....long before 'The Walking Dead' & 'Plants vs. Zombies'

They are coming to Manila for a 1-day concert on April 10, 2012 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

2012 PRC Real Estate Brokers Licensure Exam

Barely a week from now is the moment of truth - the moment all would-be brokers are waiting for -- our 2012 PRC Real Estate Licensure Exam! 

I fell in love with Real Estate late last year and yeah, you can call it a whirlwind romance! I decided to take a short pause in my working life and have dedicated my time instead in learning more and becoming a competent and professional broker. Since it all happened so fast, I had to decide right away which learning institute to enroll with as I only had 2 months then to really get into the details. 

Pressed for time and with the limited information and referrals I have, I chose to go with Urban Institute of Real Estate. Why?

Congratulations Jayson and Jobeth on your Engagement!

Four years ago during my Masters at DLSU, I met a group of beautiful and wonderful people who I'm now proud to call my friends. I started my Masters with no thought of any friendships blossoming but I guess I'm just really lucky to have been there with them - at the same place, at the same time. Serendipity, di ba? 

We've been at it through reports, outings, terror teachers, feeling terror teachers (nyahahaha), boys, love, dreams and yes, even heartaches. It was a sweet spot in our life when we felt we were still so young with so many things to do, goals to be accomplished and at the same time have the license to not really care where we were yet or get a free pass on not figuring out everything at that point...and it is also the cusp of adulthood (gulp!) when in a few itty-bitty years we will be breaching the big 3-0 (oh wait, some of us had already! hahaha!!).

2012 Leap Year..how did you #makeitcount?

Yes, today we celebrate the "extra day" we are given because it's a leap year. I personally believe that although life on earth seems to move in cycles or seasons, it is still very much linear. Granted, it's nice that people reflect a bit and see this "extra day" as a blessing. 

And as a 'bonus day' to our life, we are told to #makeitcount. One way is to greet our special set of friends who can only celebrate their birthdays once every 4 years (they must really feel torn and disconnected on years their bdays don't appear in the calendar...I know I would be..). Another is to just celebrate life - eat right, exercise, sleep right and give much love. I guess I was able to do all of those except the exercise part (nyahahaha, still have to shake the notion that exercise is nakakatamad). I have also joined my parents for a novena (also something which I don't normally do) and just prayed for God's guidance, protection and peace in our lives. Mala- eat, pray, love pala ang araw ko! :)

People Power multiplied by Traffic's Exponential Power

Today marks the 26th year celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

There a lot of changes that happened, unfortunately some took a turn for the worse - including TRAFFIC. 

So if you have plans of going through the Metro today, take note of other events / commemorations taking place in the areas of Makati and Manila. These will definitely add to traffic build-up and road blockages aside from the one which will definitely happen in the Edsa Ortigas Route.

Read on so you can prepare your schedule and route from today til tomorrow. Stay happy and stress-free on the road! :)

17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival 2012 (caveat: to people with allergies, can trigger dust allergy)

Hot Air Balloons are what childhood dreams are made of! 

Fly me to the full moon

Since it's the time of the year again for the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark, we decided it's the best time to get a mini-vacation, an advanced Valentine's Day celebration and get a really good view of all these flying objects (and people!) up close!

We left Manila a bit late (by Hot Air Balloon Festival standards), just enough to get off the MMDA's number-coding radar last Friday :) If you are able to see the schedule of activities for the 4-day festival, you'll easily see that being early has it perks - like seeing the balloons in flight at dawn - but due to the late nights I had in the previous days, I couldn't quite get myself to keep up with the ideal 3:30 AM schedule to Clark; you wouldn't even be able to drag me out of bed. 

Yuletide Cheers from the Philippine Skyway System : Toll-free Skyway!

If you are one of the many motorists who have to ply the long southward stretch of the Philippines' Skyway System everyday or if you really just have to brave it for the holidays - say on your way to visit friends and relatives or to go to nearby Tagaytay, Batangas or Laguna - then be of good cheer as the Skyway System will be toll-free for Christmas and New Year's Eve as per their 12-year tradition. Yes, TOLL-FREE baby! :)

Philippine Star's Businessline reports:

"Motorists using the Skyway System’s 13.5-kilometer Magallanes - Alabang at-grade and the 16.2 kilometer Buendia - Alabang elevated sections will enjoy toll free travel starting at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 6 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2012, Skyway O&M Corp.’s external affairs head Ed Nepomuceno said. “The toll-free Christmas and New Year’s Eve has been a tradition followed since the opening of the Skyway System in 1999. It is our way of sharing our appreciation to our motoring patrons every Yuletide Season,” said Nepomuceno. Nepomuceno added that Skyway System motorists who do not normally use the elevated section to save on toll cost will have the opportunity to experience or enjoy shortened travel time on the elevated toll road. Meanwhile, due to the usual heavy holiday traffic volume, motorists are also reminded to keep their vehicle roadworthy for their own safety and convenience and those of other motorists. To ask for assistance or report stalled vehicles or unusual incidents, they can call the Skyway System hotline at 776-7777; Globe: 0917-900-5248; Smart: 0919-560-1163 or Sun: 0923-953-6189."

 IMAGE SOURCE: skyscrapercity.com

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, free media noche or even a free ride but at least the Skyway team gets to play Santa on hours you wish you weren't on the road at all.

Stay safe guys! Happy New Year!

Make-up by Karen Jean Santos

Ever since discovering the magic of make-up, I've been hooked! I've gone on to build  my own personal collection and know-how by reading blogs, watching videos (hello Michelle Phan!) and attending make-up courses offered in Manila. 

My first try at a make-up course was through Suesh, same company I bought my 16-piece make-up brush set from. This was in April 2009 and they held it at a condominium in Eastwood City for a group of 8 or so girls. I was so ecstatic to get a one-on-one time with a Kanebo MUA so I can build my HG day & night look. I remembered looking and feeling fab afterwards whilst trying to memorize every stroke and color that we did that day.

As memories don't always serve us well, over time I forgot how to re-create the same perfect smokey eyes they did to me that day. It was a good thing that my office mate Maan, invited me to a make-up workshop of her classmate, Karen Jean Santos. I have honestly not heard about her from before but since it was a referral by a friend, I trusted her good judgment. 

stranger a'lurkin..

There's a strange and scary man-lurker at National Bookstore Shangri-la Mall (business section) - at first i thought he was either a promodizer for new books or an NBS salesperson..he asked what i was looking for but i said i was just browsing..i expected him to sales talk me into the book I thought he was promoting (really big and thick hard-bound book he was clutching) but instead he extended his hand and introduced himself and I, so dumbfoundedly and absentmindedly shook his hand and even gave my name as well (aaackkk!!) and probably one other detail best left out for strangers..hunter on the prowl...yikes!!

Lessons learned:

1. Always have a screen name

2. You don't have to answer all questions

3. Really, don't just talk to strangers

Morning Headstart

I'm not usually or rather, I'm really not a morning person..I usually set my alarm to go off at 6.30 and then finally get out of bed from 7-7.30!! However, I noticed that lately I've been able to get up way before the alarm goes off - usually from 5 - 5.30.

My old self is pleased with itself as I'm able to wake up early but I still manage to sleep 2 more hours. Today it happened again and luckily this time I was able to wake the more logical/awake side of me who happened to think - What do I do with this morning headstart?


I was thinking if I continued my sleep I would just end up with a headache and groggy feeling later..I decided to get up (as in out of bed) take a bath and just do a run through of the things I should be doing today.

I realized that it was the best decision to get out of bed as soon as one really wakes up (and not haggle for 5 more minutes which really stretches to some more hours)..

I thank God for waking me early and giving me a generous headstart for this hectic day - it definitely felt much better not having to rush in the bathroom, I was able to apply my make-up quite well today (yes, very straight liquid eyeliner!! yay!!) on top of that traffic will be much less this early and I can get the plum parking slot!

...I should do this everyday then... = )

Hope you all have a great day too!

Beauty School Drool...

This morning I woke up with a smile on my face as the day I have waited for for almost two months has finally arrived. I'll be off to my half-day make-up class care of Suesh.

I'm really impressed with their previous classes seeing the transformation of the attendees from simple to stunning = )

Here are my make-up loot (as well as tools) for later:





Sooo excited to finally be able to use my 16-pc Suesh brushes properly..hahahaha = )

For info on their classes and make-up brushes (which both amateurs and pros can take delight in), check out their site: Suesh Site

sooo happy with my brand-spankin' new white ray ban wayfarer

Remember when I said I won't buy new shades because I just bought my Aviator RB3311 late last year...?


When I saw the Rayban's Wayfarers (2140), I just couldn't contain this little kid inside of me wanting to splurge impulsively! To lessen my "guilt", I tried to scout for the cheapest one available and somehow thought I could convince myself not to buy it or at least hold out a few more weeks/months..

Call it OA but I couldn't hold out much further than a week! So before our next camping trip to Anawangin Cove and Capones Island, I decided to finally get it.

Ending? Gelaine would testify I looked like an overly satisfied / amused / bewildered little pup with my new shades in hand...i love it!

Anawangin Cove

Can't wait! :)

bagay ba sakin ang kuloooottt....?

Well guess not! Finally after months and months thinking it over, I finally decided to have my 3rd LOREAL X-TENSO treatment (Loreal's version of the standard rebond). I was actually choosing between going natural (like using gata, olive oil and other all-natural but eeeky stuff when applied to your hair and scalp) vs. having a treatment and whether i would go straight (x-tenso) or have it permed (oh such lovely curls).

I was almost on the verge of choosing having it permed except that my hair is still a little too short for that; I'd look like Kirara once it's done! There's always a next time for that but for now I'll just enjoy my wash and wear, balik-ayos, super manageable hair! tralalalalala = )

Just remember to book in advance so you'll have a slot reserved for you, better to bring your car and your friends (make it a barkada bonding session..haha) too cause it takes a while to finish..a good book would do too!

Total Damage:
Extenso Treatment - Php 2,875.00
Loreal Liss Extreme Shampoo - Php 532.00
Loreal Liss Extreme Conditioner - Php 840.00
Time Spent - 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon

RECOMMENDED (2 thumbs up!)
Substance Day Spa and Salon
T / 925 - 6743
A / #18 Mystic Rose Drive Sanville Subd., Visayas Ave., QC., Philippines
(near Fernwoods)