swoosh

well february is as expected, short. and yet, it's the month i wanted to kick away fast.

a lot of friendly visits and gatherings happened this month which is most wonderful. and of course, the little Noah's 9th birthday is the highlight of all. 

the baking promise is gearing up. i found the guts to create that awesome yogurt muffin cum cuppies haha! and the boys bullied them by saying, "wow scones!" hmmmppp!!!

march. please be kinder. 

hashtag cookeries

my son once asked, why do weekends go by so fast? and i, myself, ask the same question sometimes. today i gave him a sound answer: when you enjoy your time so much with the people that you love, time is inconsequential and somehow non-existent. you won't realize how much time has passed because all that matters is the bliss of life at that moment. and when you become conscious of your schedule, then time makes itself known.

now as promised, i have been back to my kitchen and have been familiarizing my different senses. yes, i find food sensual in all aspects. don't get me wrong, but food tasting is sexy *wink*. 

here is the round up... i had cravings for leche flan after a flan for dessert during our team christmas party at amigos. the first attempt needed some adjustments with the sugar and milk content. so we are happy with the 2nd product. 

next on the list was an experiment using bamboo shoots. i partnered it with prawn, a bit of capsicum, ginger, chili and coconut milk. it was vibrant. 

the lasagna is the serving climax of this january episode. this is my first attempt to try raw ingredients from here, and they did not disappoint. i like the sauce sliding from the pasta, rather than it being dry. 

to wrap up, i attempted another experiment... with salmon. yes, a very brave decision indeed. but surprisingly, the output was sensational. 

so there... hoping to be more daring next month and get out of my comfort zone. 

baking it is! =)

first entry on 2015

the title is a dead giveaway.

2014 flew by in a flash. admittedly, i had time, but i was speechless. guilty as charged, i was threading in unfamiliar surroundings that offered few worthy memos. and so this year, instead of planning (as with my reliance to physical planners), i have decided to trust Evernote for my everyday mementos. yes, a journal indeed. and i have started using the Calendar app in my fone.

and to add flavor, i made a pact to myself.. to make each day count. (i don't want to pressure myself into resolutions.) if not each day, at least each month. i have encouraged myself not only to write, but also to go back to my love of cooking and baking. each month is an adventure to explore taste buds, and tinker with the oven. for this month, nothing new but more of familiarizing thyself with my specialties.

new colleagues also encouraged me to my habit of reading. i have three new books to add to my stack. therefore, i am attempting to read at least six-ten books this year using Goodreads to track my progress. first on my list is Catch-22.. maybe a review could follow afterwards. 

so ifone, don't fail, don't get stolen, don't get lost, don't swim towards the toilet.

january. lets begin.

hyped

today is a good day... except for the frustrating and irritating cough and throat allergy that wouldn't go away. but nevertheless, i still consider this a good day.

we were able to sell out most of the bulky items we have. both the bunk bed and toyogo cabinet were picked up today by fathers with their sons. the dumbells were picked up by vette and rye later in the afternoon capped off with a quick chit chat. the vodka was immediately sold to our housemate and the other one, to my sister.

and of course, my sister was here to spend the day with the kids. i prepared a dreadful looking ref cake! sigh... i still couldn't get the right consistency mix for the grahams. i need to perfect this! haha! we ended the night after two game sets of puerto rico.

the best highlight of the day was during lunch... when my boys thanked me for serving them veggies on their plates. =)

home stretch

today has been a series of queues and lines and test of patience.

i was asked to come in early to get a series of tests and consultations. at one point, there was a one-hour waiting time for a lab queue. and that after getting the results, the doctor was already out for lunch. bummer.

and so i decided to join the lunch hour break queue. then another set of queues for three different banks/remittance centers.

upon return to the specialist, alas! the procedure required for a test that would entail eight weeks to process! double bummer! :(

reminded myself: this is just another test of a series of more of life's challenges. i should keep looking forward, positive and encourage to better our days while waiting. we're almost at the end of the line. it's been almost a year now come march 4... how much hurt can eight more weeks do?

:)

where have all the eyebrows gone!

was trying to grow back some 'brow tail' since late 2010... just noticed that the magic is gone. i tried resorting to brow liners, but it seems off with the growing tail. you know that feeling when you look in the mirror and feels like your brows are levitating over the liner, its disappointing! so i'd have to cut a little bit of it every time. and now i'm reaping the effects... it just decided not to grow back anymore. now i have to learn the art of brow lining, besides gel eye lining ugh!

Easter Island Underworld | National Geographic Channel

"i would want to visit this place someday... someday..."

Explorer opens your eyes to riveting, untold adventures.

easter island!!!

:)

a piece of me

here's a new piece of me... done last may 2nd. thanks to mareng ne for lending his tat artist, nick.

the flower is a lily.. personifying my nick during high school. the chinese character is my surname. i haven't thought about completing my name coz i'm also toying with the idea of having my sons' chinese names tat as well *in the future i suppose*.

lizzy and mr. darcy

have you ever had this feeling when you read a book that you really like... and you wanna keep reading it because you're so excited and thrilled to know the what's gonna happen next *even if you have watched it in a movie already*? yet at the same time, you dread that the pages are going by so fast, there's just few of them left so you wanna stop and you wished that the pages would not end...

that's how i felt while reading jane austen's pride and prejudice.

i'm so happy and very satisfied after reading the book itself. crazy enough, i watched the movie immediately that night after reading it. recognizing the dialogues in the book being spoken by the characters made it so real, especially the part when lady catherine de bourgh confronted elizabeth. mrs. bennet is even funnier in the book, and mr. darcy's confessions of love for lizzy is so heartwarming! i'm so in love with him! hahaha!

here are my fave quotes in the book:

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us. - Mary, Chapter 5

"Really, Mr. Collins," cried Elizabeth with some warmth, "you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as to convince you of its being one." - Chapter 19

"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." - Mr. Bennet, Chapter 20 <-- this really made me laugh while i was in the train!

She was suddenly roused by the sound of the door-bell, and her spirits were a little fluttered by the idea of its being Colonel Fitzwilliam himself, who had once before called late in the evening, and might now come to inquire particularly after her. But this idea was soon banished, and her spirits were very differently affected, when, to her utter amazement, she saw Mr. Darcy walk into the room. In an hurried manner he immediately began an inquiry after her health, imputing his visit to a wish of hearing that she were better. She answered him with cold civility. He sat down for a few moments, and then getting up, walked about the room. Elizabeth was surprised, but said not a word. After a silence of several minutes, he came towards her in an agitated manner, and thus began: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." <-- super kilig moment!

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." - Mr. Darcy

the eye

no this is not a horror flick. this is not a review. and this doesn't have anything to do with the probe team.

i'm talking literally about my eyes. yes, i have declared and finally admitted that it's time to put attention to it. previously, it wasn't a concern that my eyelashes were too short, and mascaras don't suffice. and i was just happy and contented with those glittery liners that doesn't require too much art and time to apply. i surrendered to the idea that there's a possible solution. even makeup artist back home doesn't really satisfy my requirements. and my eyebrows doesn't really bother me before, but now i feel that i should learn to grow them in the right direction.

recently, i took interest on other people's eyelids and i began to notice and got conscious with mine. maybe i could do something about it. initially, i inquired about eyeliners, then some friends offered their brands and fave eye items. bobbie brown gel liners, faceshop and mac. they said youtube is helpful too.

and so i will venture, and experiment on how i can produce stunning chinky eyes. it's gonna be a challenge physically, emotionally and financially. oh gawd i don't know if i should really invest on these products. i know that i have to try on some before i really find the perfect one for me. if things doesn't work with the lashes, maybe i should get extensions? haha

this is one of my projects this year. i hope i could scratch it off my list by the end of the year.

project w

its like dejavu. i had once this feeling of excitement.. the pump of adrenalin.. the euphoria of realizing a dream.

but its not really for me though, but i'm glad she's one of the closest people in my heart. my li'l sis had said 'yes'! and we're so excited! well i'm more excited so to speak.

ooohh my planner will be very colorful this year.. and again, thank god for the starbucks planner!

and oh, btw, i got my digital weighing scale na. thanks trace for the advice. one item off my list. :)