Happy 3rd!!!

Releasing a big stinky fart in front of each other is a sign that a couple has achieved true intimacy.  You should be able to release a joyful, exuberant and outrageously loud fart in the same room (preferably on the same bed) as your significant other without feeling any shame.

E mastered this principle of couple intimacy w/in a couple of years of being boyfriend and girlfriend.  I, on the other hand, took my time and waited until we were married for at least six months.  But I could now hold my own against any of his attacks, whether silent, loud, stinky or extra stinky.

What's the point?  It's our 3rd wedding anniversary, while I can never get used to the dizzying aroma, I am happy I found my (wait for it...) FART-ner (Get it?!!!! nyek haha) forever.

Love you very much!

Mommy Fashion: Bobbie Heavenly Glitz

I could never take a look at the nail polish section and not take home anything!  I actually don't paint my nails often but I just like having these colorful little bottles around to play with. hehe  The newest addition to my polish collection is Bobbie's Solar Burst from the Heavenly Glitz collection.  Can I just tell you guys that I LOVE glitter!  I've been in love with Deborah Lippman's glitter polishes and have been looking for a cheaper alternative.  Cause anyone who knows me, knows I'm not going to shell out more than 1000 bucks for a bottle of nail polish.  *Read: cheapskate.*

This bottle costs 35 pesos and I'm quite happy with it.  A little sheer with the glitters but nothing 3, or maybe 4 coats, couldn't fix.  It is so pretty and fun!  I can't capture how pretty they are in pictures but they are so dainty and flattering in real life.  

Singapore 2012 Food Highlights

My brother-in-law and his wife booked a honeymoon trip to Singapore and the whole family decided to join them. haha  We were all so excited because this will be the first time for the whole family (including my sister-in-law and her husband) to go out of the country together.  Too bad E's youngest brother couldn't join us because of school.  

It was certainly a sight to see our group of 11 checking in the airport and commuting.  We stayed at the Fraser Suites.  It is a service apartment which makes staying there with the babies very convenient.  They have a functional kitchen, a dining room and living room.  We were able to cook for the babies' meals and prepare our midnight snacks.  Having a living room also provided a great place to bond a play Monopoly Deal, our current obsession. 

***

One thing everyone agreed on is to eat our first dinner at Boon Tong Kee on River Valley Road.  They have the best Hainanese chicken...super moist, tender and full of flavor while their chicken rice is packed full of chicken essence.  I wanted to take home some for my family on our way home to the Philippines but they were closed for the Chinese New Year holidays.  Boo. 

Food Trip Weekends: Kozui Green Tea

I'm back!!!  Been so busy spending time with family and enjoying the holidays.  I have tons of food stories post but I'll start with one of my favorite desserts...Kozui's green tea anmitsu.

 

Happy New Year!!!

I have got the itch...The itch to travel! 

I am so lucky I had the opportunity to go to so many different places and countries this year.  Every time I get my things ready, making lists, running around, grabbing stuff and, generally, procrastinating and packing at the last minute, I am filled with glee that I am yet again on a new adventure.  I had to pack two suitcases twice this year.  One for me and one for the little boy.  Double the stress, double the fun!

Thailand started off my year of travel.  It was sweltering hot and humid to boot.  I had fun with my sisters going through the giant Platinum mall to find clothing bargains.

 

Merry Christmas!!!

It really is a very merry Christmas. The Christmas spirit came a little late for me this year but boy, when it did, it came full blast! I have had such a blast this year and have so many things to be thankful for that it is just plain impossible to not get caught up in the revelry and spirit of the season.

I was down for about 3 days with some stomach bug or food poisoning (not sure what it was) and all my plans for baking and shopping for gifts went down the drain.  I had to make up for lost time which made me CRAZY! haha  I spent the 23rd walking in a coma in the mall to finish my holiday shopping. 


Nevertheless, I found perfect gifts for the wonderful people in my life.  I had a grand old time stuffing my face with scrumptious food.  I had the best time with both my families and I have new memories to cherish and remember.

Merry Christmas! 

The Housewife Chronicles: Missing Home

There are just some days when I miss my family in Manila.  I miss sitting down to dinner and chattering with my sisters, mom and dad while eating.  Tarlac is my home now and I have my own family but I miss the comfort of eating mom's cook anything-inside-the-ref meals, the way special occasions have their own category of food and sitting around the dining table until we've finished all the little morsels of our favorite dish. 

My mom used to cook us glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) stuffed with either peanuts or black sesame during the Chinese New Year.  She boils it in a sweet soup of brown sugar, water and ginger.  We used to complain and give our mom a lot of grief for forcing us to eat these chewy round orbs.  Only when I got older did I appreciate how delicious they are: soft and chewy on the outside, nutty and mildly sweet on the inside with a hot gingery sweet broth.

Food Trip Weekends: Thai Dara and Mamou Too

Friday Dinner: 

I was in the mood for some hot soup after a tiring afternoon of doctor check-ups for both Jacob and I.  I also didn't want to venture far from home since traffic was horrendous.  I love the Christmas season but I detest the heavy traffic that inevitably goes with the Christmas rush. So off we went to get Thai food to soothe my tummy with hot and spicy soup and deliciously tangy beef salad.

Food Trip Weekends: Good Earth Garden Cafe

I went out to have merienda and some chit chat with my good friend L.  There are limited choices in Tarlac when it come to food and we always end up going to the same places over and over again.  We knew Good Earth Garden Cafe opened a branch at the McArthur Highway (they also have a branch at Romulo Highway), and decided to go there to try something new.  

The first time my friends mentioned this place, I thought it was the same Good Earth restaurant in Manila.  Turned out it was a homegrown Tarlac business.

I remembered the first time I ate here. they only had one menu to pass around.  I'm happy to see they printed out more menus already. hehe

We started with homemade malunggay pesto and crackers.  This  is a good way to insert more malunggay into our diets.  

The Housewife Chronicles: Holiday Baking

It's that time of the year again.. I'm turning my kitchen topsy turvy, depleting my sugary supplies and baking up a storm for my friends and loved ones. What is better than crackly topped, ooey gooey brownies, as prosaic as they are? Revel bars, the recipe I got from my sister-in-law, is in essence a giant chocolate chip oatmeal cookie made over the top.

I'm tired but satisfied knowing people dear too me will be enjoying the fruits of my baking endeavors.

Mommy Fashion: Night Out with Blockmates

Saturday was one of those rare times I have a night out with my college blockmates. We planned to eat at Yakimix so I planned on buffet friendly clothes... A garterized skirt, loose top and cardigan are all great ways to disguise the flab.

I also wanted to wear my new booties. My sister-in-law, C, and I have similar taste in clothes and shoes. When we saw these shoes, we immediately wanted to try it on. The salesman informed us that it was all out in size 9 which, coincidentally, is both our shoe size. After looking around, we came back again for the shoes and insisted they double check their stocks again. Lo and behold, they came back with size 9 and 10 in all colors. C got the shoes in black and I got it in gray. As a bonus, we only paid 700 pesos what we thought was 1000 pesos shoes. Our persistence paid off! Yahoo!

Taipei 2011: Day 4

We wanted to buy some things to take home for pasalubong and, luckily for us, SOGO was having a sale.  So off we go in a taxi (it was raining and taking a taxi in Taiwan is compartatively cheaper) to a day of retail therapy.  Don't worry, we spent most of our time buying food and drinks in the grocery.  

*Take note, you could get 5% rebate for things you're bringing out of the country.  Please bring your passport along.  Check this site for details.

We took an early lunch at the food court.  I got chicken chop curry omurice and an oyster omelette meal for J and I.  Yes, we finished the whole plate.  What?!  We were hungry!

Bibimbap for K.

J sipping soup through straw.

Starbucks stuff.

We went our separate ways after lunch.  The girls went crazy at the MAC counter while the boys went shoe shopping.  My sister and I had to go home and get our passport to avail of the rebate.  I also bought some odds and ends at the supermarket. 

Salmon sashimi from the supermarket.

 
Afternoon snack was Share Tea which was located right across SOGO.   Armed with my rusty Mandarin, I was able to order.  Yey!!

I didn't understand what the base flavor was but I'm guessing it's wintermelon with rocksalt cheese.  This is sooooo gooooood!!! They also had a sinker which I haven't encountered in Manila.  It was shaped like a jellybean and tasted like kaong. Could somebody verify this for me???  Calling Share Tea Manila!!

We transferred to another SOGO which was one block away on the other side of the road.  The elusive Shin Tong Yang was found there.  We hoarded on Taiwanese sausage for our trip home.

Spotted:  Hello Kitty Cakes!

Tambay!

***

Since we were leaving for the airport at 10pm, we went home to pack all our things first before going out for dinner.  I had a lovely time at Apple House.  It was sad to leave.  :(
 

Dinner at some random restaurant.

Sauteed cabbage.

Oysters.  I am very suspicious of oysters so I just tasted one.

Spicy squid.

Various fried thingies.

Beef stir fry.

Sweet and sour fish.

Boiled shrimp.

One more picture before we say good-bye Taipei and good-bye shobe!

Taipei 2011: Stuff I Bought

I went on this trip knowing that I wouldn't be doing any clothes shopping.  Not only is Taiwan entering the winter season (think fuzzy knits and thick coats), but we also have a small boy in tow.  Not conducive for a successful shopping trip.  BUT...I couldn't resist the cute accessories and the cheap cosmetics Taiwan had to offer.  Not only do they have a bigger selection of (for want of a better word) stuff, they also have cheaper prices.  By stuff, I mean all the little knickknacks, unnecessary but irresistible. 

Cheap frames from Xi Men Ding.  I love the wooden frame on the left. 

Taipei 2011: Day 3

The family wanted to go electronic shopping and then go to Xi Men Ding for some sightseeing.  Guang Hua Digital Plaza was just a 15 minute walk away from the apartment.  It is a huge building with literally everything about computers and electronics.  Prices are usually lower when compared to Philippine prices.  However, they had a price increase because of the recent Thailand flooding.  Too bad since we were ready to buy hard drives and other computer accessories.  

J and I had a snack of tea eggs and matcha milk while E was looking around. 

Taipei 2011: Day 2

I promised E that our second day will be more relaxing than our first one.  He, of the sore feet and bad temper, was delighted to hear shopping was NOT in the itinerary for the day.  My mom specifically asked if we could go to one of Taiwan's many hot springs for a day trip and we eagerly complied.  We planned to go to the nearby Dan Shui area but opted not to go because of time constraints. 

Taiwan's MRT system is easy to navigate.  We just took the red (Xindian-Danshui/Nanshijiao-Beitou) line to Beitou MRT station. From Beitou station a one-station branch line runs to Xin Beitou station, which is very near the hot springs area.  The Taiwanese are so lucky!  It takes only 45 minutes of relatively pain-free commute and they can enjoy a relaxing day of soaking in hot spring.  

J, are you bored?  We promise not to take too many pictures.