OPPO F1s: Travel Essentials

With only one to two weeks of preparation and limited budget, we we're able to pull together our first ever family travel. No itinerary, anything goes 2-day trip! This happened mid of March last year (yes 2016!). We opted for night trip on a Saturday since some of us also have work that day. With our backpacks holding our clothes for the trip, before going to the bus terminal, we headed to the nearest drug store to purchase last minute travel essentials such as wet wipes, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, medicines, biscuits and candies for snack while on the road. Though we stayed at our relatives' place we had to make sure we also have our personal essentials.
 
Fast forward to our actual wandering in Ilocos Sur... Our first stop was at the very first sun dial in the Philippines, located at Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. We even checked our phones to see if the time was in sync and it is!

After lunch, we went to Bahay na Bato in La Union. The sun was up, good thing I brought with me a hat to protect me from harmful UV rays. In my bag also was my umbrella in case we needed further coverage. Comfortable clothing and footwear are also a must because when you are in a trip, there is a lot of walking.

In this trip, my sister did not bring with her her DSLR camera which was quite bulky--we had to travel light. Besides, most of us have our mobile phones which served as our watch, camera, alarm, flash light, practically an all-in-one gadget. You'll never know when you'll come across odd-colored double sink--in Green! We all had to take a groufie at the mirror above it.

Still in La Union, we went to a nearby beach for merienda and some swimming. We knew there were beautiful beaches in the north so we also brought with us swimwear. Here, we chanced upon a beautiful sunset on the beach.

The next day (our last day in Ilocos Sur), we headed to Vigan. On our way, we stopped in Candon City for quick pasalubong shopping of course keeping in mind the very limited budget (still bought some chichacorn and kalamay).

We entered the church in Candon City and we're in awe of the magnificent and very colorful paintings at the ceiling.

We also had a quick stop-over at beautiful rock formations along the road for some more photos--had to catch the waves too! Did I mention you have to bring with you a hat and a pair of sunglasses too.

You'll notice that the pictures are grainy as they were taken with a 3-4-year old mobile phone with a low resolution camera. A travel essential like Oppo F1s could have taken better pictures of the whole trip. We could have taken more pictures and more options in those two days of no itinerary-trip.

Now, the family is looking forward to an annual travel. Up to this point, still no plans but we still have the rest of 2017 to think about and execute!

p.s. more of our 2016 trip on another post.

Our MAFBEX 2016 experience

June 12, 2016, Saturday. Manila World Trade Center. This is our third year to attend Manila Food and Beverage Expo (MAFBEX). Year 2012 was our first year, it was just the three of us--me and my sisters. We weren't able to attend on 2013 and 2014 due to schedule conflicts and budget constraints. Last year (2015) my sisters and I  went with my hubby and our daughter. Then this year, we went last June 12 (which also was the celebration of Philippine Independence), me and my daughter Mia met up with my sisters. Lucky for me, I won a complimentary ticket from the Facebook promo of WorldBex so we only paid for three tickets. We were not able to take a photo of our tickets this year but we got to exchange the tickets for eco bags where you can put your haul (flyers, product samples, bought products, etc) as you roam around the expo hall. Will share with your our take home treats in a separate post.

an eco bag in exchange for a ticket

It was the last day of the expo. The event was held from June 8. We saw Chef Boy Logro where he demoed whipping up dishes using Baguio Oil and on the other side of the hall, there was Chef Lau (Rolando Laudico) for the battle of fried rice and to promote Harvester's Rice variants, when we passed by that area it is already the Q&A portion with the audience. If you're a MAFBEX goer, and you stay and watch the cooking demos, you'll also have a chance to taste the finished product.

leaflets, flyers and small product samples; selfie with a mascot;chef Boy invited an audience to come up to the stage for a taste

If you like to try new things, taste new flavors, just like when you are in a grocery store--you'll get a lot of that by roaming around. Mia even went back not once or twice but a lot of times on one of the stalls for a cup of chocolate slushie--she can't help it, means it's really delicious.

had to pose at the entrance

Make sure to start from one side and go from alley to alley so you can check out everything. There are lots of stalls to see: new food products, gourmet food, favorite snacks, viands, drinks, food carts, food franchise, food business equipment, cooking utensils, pots and pans, food trucks, everything about food! We also got the chance to have selfies with mascots :)

see you again next year!

If you plan to visit next year, bring budget for food, food and food and other things too... and dress like you're going to a super sale. We enjoyed the experience. Hope to be able to be there again next year.

Finding Dory

Super late post. My sister recently applied for a Globe Broadband account and as a welcome freebie, she got invited to Globe Broadband's block screening of Finding Dory in Glorietta 4 Cinema 5 last June 18, a Saturday. She had four free tickets so we got to tag along too!

On the screening day, we also got free snacks and drinks after posting a picture online with hashtags #justkeepstreaming #globebroadband 
How cool is that?

Thank you Globe Broadband for the free movie and the snacks and drinks too!

Also happening on that day was Ayala Cinema's PlayDay! FunDay! at the movies--there were photobooth, face paint and coloring activity for the kids after showing (purchased) tickets for Finding Dory. Mia had Dory painted on her left cheek and we also had a souvenir picture from the photobooth.

I have to say, I enjoyed this movie more than Finding Nemo--well that's just my honest opinion. Maybe because there were lots of funny scenes in this movie and though the two movies are connected mainly because of the characters, they are two different stories all in all. It is okay if you have not seen Finding Nemo yet but it is a plus, of couse this time you know who most of the characters were already.

There are also heart touching scenes which after watching the movie I learned  that all my three companions each of them shed a tear.

I know TMI but I just had to share since it is my first time to watch in a Glorietta 4 Cinema... it was me who downed most of the drink that me and my sister shared, I had to go to the bathroom to pee buti na lang pati sa loob ng bathroom may speakers and the movie audio can still be heard. Kulang na lang pati sa bathroom mayroon ding screens para mapapanood mo pa din ang nangyayari sa movie. Amazing diba.

The Frozen dress--an online purchase

As I was browsing through my facebook feed, pictures of children wearing dresses printed with familiar Disney and other cartoon characters caught my attention. I browsed the whole album and there were two dresses with Frozen prints. I knew then and there that Mia would love wearing it--the blue dress with Elsa particularly. However, after going back and forth the whole album, I now had reservation with the skirt part. It's not bad though--I just don't know how the print would look in person that's when I decided to go for the solid-colored one--the other Frozen printed dress with Elsa and Anna at the blouse and purple tutu skirt.

This was my first time to order online from a seller on Facebook. I sent a message to inquire and got a reply after a few minutes. It was a swift transaction--I was sent the details on where to deposit my payment, the total amount including the shipping fee. The next day (which is also a Friday), I was lined up at the bank. From the bank, I sent proof of the payment thru fb messenger then an hour later, I got proof of the waybill. Monday afternoon, the small package arrived at the office.

The moment I got home and opened my bag, Mia was all smiles when she saw the dress--she tried it on right away. I ordered the biggest size by the way. I knew a size that is labeled just right for her age won't fit her and I was right--she's a big girl definitely.

Thank you Bluefish Closet for being easy to transact with. Guys if you want one for your little princesses, there are different designs and sizes to choose from. Order na!

She wore it when we watched Finding Dory last Saturday. We have one very happy (kid) princess indeed!

ps. this is not a sponsored post ha..

A Beautiful Mess and the Ginisang Misua-Patola recipe

I love it when there's this kind of mess in our kitchen/prep table. It means that afterwards there will be a delicious food to be shared by the family.

That afternoon, one of our neighbors harvested some "patola" from their backyard garden and my husband got to buy a piece of average size for twenty pesos--just enough for us three.

Then I bought two packs of "misua/miswa" from the sari-sari store a few blocks from our apartment and started prepping.

Ginisang Patola with Misua

Medium sized patola, peeled and sliced
250 grams pork, cubed
one medium sized onion, peeled and minced
some cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
one cup water
misua (noodles)
one fourth teaspoon ground pepper
a teaspoon salt
one half teaspoon sugar (optional)
one half tablespoon oil

Put oil in the slightly heated pan then the garlic and onion, sauté until the onion starts to caramelize or the garlic starts to turn a bit brown. Add the cubed pork, ground pepper and stir once in a while for around 10-15 minutes or until the pork is tender.

**You can actually use chicken or fried fish instead of pork--any meat flavor that you fancy. You can also use ground pork!**

Time to add the patola then the water (the amount of water will depend on how much soup you would like to have for your meal--also keep in mind that the dry misua noodles will absorb some of the water) and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the patola looks translucent. Add the misua, stir, then the sugar and cook for about 3-5 minutes more.

**Sugar is optional--it depends if you want to add another flavor element to your dish. In fact, if the vegetables you are cooking are fresh or even fresh from the picking then you can assure that it has this natural sweetness. Sugar is my
substitute for MSG which I have seen being mixed with food for the longest time, when I was young watching folks cook in the kitchen and until now. I have nothing against MSG it's just that I like the sound of "sugar" when I hear it being mentioned and the taste too...**

**Also, if you do not want to add any meat in the dish then it is fine. Some people add flavored cubes instead.**

Hot steaming rice is also ready as soon as the viand was cooked. This is also best paired with fried fish! And some fresh fruits for dessert, yum! **makes me hungry as I type this** Let's eat!

Live with the King

Nowadays everyone is always on the go--everyone is mobile.

I for one as a working mom, should always be ready to take down notes during meetings, list down items for grocery shopping, to accept or make a call be it clients, friends or family members, to take pictures or videos whenever needed specially during special occasions at home or at the office.

My daughter Mia on the other hand sometimes borrows my mobile phone to play music, to play games/educational games, watch cartoons on YouTube, or audio/video chat with her titas.

We need a phone that can do all that and can keep up with our needs and with that I am listing down my top five favorite features (in no particular order) of the King of Android, Huawei Nexus 6P as I have recently learned about.

1. Front-facing speakers = clear sounds. As I have mentioned above, Mia loves to play music (me and her dad too!)--our family loves music

and having clear speaker sounds mean more fun and delightful listening experience.

2. Low-light loving, powerful camera. It's like we've lived for years under a rock! My current mobile phone has a 5 megapixel rear camera

and a 2 megapixel front camera. This one has 12.3MP rear camera and 8MP front camera. Very powerful indeed!

3. Stunning screen clarity. I do not have 20/20 vision so I would need a very clear screen to work at specially that I love to read blog

posts on my mobile phone. It is also a must when playing games and watching videos/movies.

4. Faster-than-ever performance. This I have to applaud the King of Android. My current mobile phone runs on 1.3 GHz quad core, imagine how

much more I can do with 2.0 GHz octa-core speed!

5. Fast charging due to its USB Type C charging port. Did I mention that we are always on the go and a mobile phone is now a necessity thus need faster charging.

I am hoping and praying I'd get to have one of this amazing phone... would make my online and offline life really exciting!

Free Krispy Kreme doughnuts anyone?

Just download the SM Supermalls Mobile App and get 3 Original Glazed® Krispy Kreme doughnuts

Yes it is that easy. Just download the SM Supermalls Mobile App free from Google Play Store and Apple App Store and you'll get a chance to win 3 Original Glazed® Krispy Kreme doughnuts.That's 3 Original Glazed® Krispy Kreme doughnuts each to 100 unique SM Supermalls mobile app registered users every day from April 30 to June 30, 2016.

Upon signing up in the SM Supermalls mobile app, you will receive a digital scratch card on the app. Scratch off the gray area to find out if you won. Get another shot of winning the next day until the end of the promo period. With some good luck and the daily habit of checking the app, you’ll be closer to sinking your teeth into those craveable doughnut treats for free.

You can also visit SM Supermalls website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Viber Public Chat, and Snapchat to be updated with what's new.

Goodluck!

January 1, a new year and birthday kwento

This was more than a month late post but here we go...

January 1, 2016. Happy New Year! New year for everyone. New year for me. Happy birthday to me.

It was extra special, celebrated the day with loved ones. We had a party, a party not just to celebrate my birthday but also a chance to reunite with my family, our loved ones. We called it #TeamAustria2016.

Of course any celebration is not a celebration without a cake--two cakes! One of the two cakes did not have lettering in it so I made letters and numbers out of spaghetti noodles--good thing Tita Lily decided not to mix the sauce with the noodles.

It was raining the day before and became maputik (muddy) outside so we decided to have the party inside the house. We had raffle (prizes came from sponsors aka our aunts and uncles) and games like digital pinoy henyo, kantaririt and pop the balloon. The (cash) prizes are not extravagant, they're just for fun!

We also exchanged gifts, gifts worth one hundred fifty to two hundred pesos. What's important is that we all had fun. It was our chance to bond with the whole family.

It was our first time to gather on a new year like this. We will definitely do this again as we all have agreed. We all are now looking forward to the next new year!

How about you guys? How do you celebrate your birthday specially when it falls on a national or a worldwide rather holiday?

Exchange gift fail

 

Last Thursday, December 17 Mia attended her section’s Christmas party. Iba na talaga ngayon noh? Nung nasa elementary pa lang ako pag sinabing Christmas party potluck ang pagkain, nakatoka ang pagkaing dadalhin madalas meryenda lang na juice at pansit o spaghetti okay na. Ngayon, sa party nila Mia lahat ng grades and sections nag-order ng food sa McDo, may free toy, may game host at may mascot pa.

Speaking of mascot, nagpapicture ako kay Hamburglar habang gumagala sya sa school grounds.



pagpasensyahan ang double chin, di din pala ako sa lens nakatingin

Sabi ng teachers bawal daw ang parents sa loob ng classroom habang Christmas party eh masunurin ako kaya tambay lang ako sa labas ng room. Sa labas ng bintana kumukuha ng videos and pictures habang nangyayari sa loob ng classroom ang party.

 

 Pero yung ibang parents/guardians pasaway lang talaga...

 

 

Exchange gift time. Months before napagusapan sa parents’ meeting na toy dapat ang regalo at unisex (pwede sa lalaki at sa babae) lalo na hindi naman sigurado kung sino ang mabubunot. Ipinaalala at isinulat din sa diary nila yung rule na yun. Eto na, pinabunot na sila ng numbers at isaisang tinawag at iniabot ang mga regalo. Excited pa naman si Mia the night before pa, nung tinawag ang number niya syempre ang mga bata bukas agad ang regalo. Ayun panlalaki ang nabunot niyang toy :( sinabi nya kay teacher pero wala daw siyang pamalit sa gift at mukhang walang interesadong makipagpalit sa mga classmates niya kaya ayun sinabi ko na lang na papalitan na lang namin ng pambabae ang gift niya ng gusto niya.
After nun, dinistribute na ang food (chicken and rice meal, burger, at juice) at dahil overtime na sila, naghihintay na din kasi ang kasunod na grade na gagamit sa room nagsialis na din kami lahat at nagsiuwi na.

Come Saturday afternoon, napadpad kami sa SM Sucat para hanapin ang pamalit sa gift ni Mia na nakita naman namin sa National Book Store. Happy na ulit si Mia.

Christmas decors now up

 

As in literally up there at the top part of the front door.



We’ve never done our holiday decorating early this year which for most Filipinos start before or right after All Saints Day and Souls Day. We were only able to start and finish the decoration until last week only and this is the only decoration that we do every year--no tree, no Belen, no Star Parol.
 

 

 

 

Due to the very limited space that we have at home, this is what we have decided to put up. We also made use of the small toys that we got from kiddie and happy meals.

 



close up image of the decors



How about you guys? What Christmas decors do you have at home this year?

 

 

~ smile. spread happiness. ~ 

and.i.am.back

I am back and I am happy to announce that hopefully [this time] it is for good. Recently found and got my companion to continue with the sharing of food and happy adventures (will talk that about more on a separate post) but for now I (or shall I refer to it as "we" as we're partners from now on!) am still setting up and getting the hang of "us" being together.

Oh, did I mention that I am happy?! Just happy, words are not enough to explain. Actually it's not just me who's happy but the whole family. I am really excited.

See you again here, really, really soon!

~smile. spread happiness.~

one random post

WOW 1 (one) blog post per year!

Well... that's me still with a hectic schedule (ows?) or not?! Just my excuse...

See you again next year :D

Happy and very much alive

Hello World!!! I know I haven't blogged for sooooooooo long! I missed this...

Here I am now still HAPPY and very much alive. Even though I have paused for quite a [long] while from blogging I've never stopped discovering things--specially FOOD (and things that make me and my family happy). I've also been cooking so I have recipes, tips and food photos that I am excited to share. And though I've shared most of the photos on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, the interesting part are the stories behind those photos. Agree?

Have a great day everyone!

Palitaw / Dila-dila

Palitaw or more commonly known in our province as Dila-dila because they're shaped like tongue (Dila in Filipino/Tagalog) was one of our favorite meriendas [whenever we have time to make them :)]. One lazy afternoon, we decided to make a batch...

We used to grind the sticky/glutenous rice (soaked in water for at least an hour or two) by hand and for hours using a traditional stone mill but this time we used glutenous rice flour (ground glutenous rice). We've sort of retired the stone mill because of its age and I think we've missed some of the parts already but hopefully we'll be able to recover them...

Prepare a pot of water and bring to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, here we mixed the glutenous rice flour with water, just enough to make a stiff batter.

Shape the batter into bite-sized discs or tongues :)

In the boiling pot of water, carefully put the discs one by one.

For a few minutes, wait for the discs to float. Wait for another minute or two (depending on how thin or thick the discs were shaped) then scoop the floating discs.

Transfer the cooked discs into a basin of cold (not icy cold) water.

Scoop the discs again and get rid of the excess water. Roll the discs into grated coconut then sugar.

Here are batches of ready to eat palitaw/dila-dila. You can add the sugar later just before you eat them. Some folks mix slightly roasted sesame seeds for flavor.

Happy eating!

I'm Still Alive

Hello Everyone! I've been absent in the blogging world for a while. Don't worry nothing serious happened to me, I've just been busy with work, family and home. I'm still reading blogs but not commenting, liking, sharing, and posting updates. I'm also still in Facebook and Twitter. Recently, I've joined Pinterest but this one is not updated yet as I'm still getting the feel of the site.


This time, I hope to catch up and post regularly--I will not promise but will do my best okay. I'm hoping you would still read should I have new posts and feel free to comment. Thank you!

March 20 is Macaron Day

I have never tasted a Macaron ever but if I'll ever have a chance, I'll grab this opportunity as Bizu Patisserie brings Macaron Day to Manila.

On March 20, Macaron Day, Bizu lovers and macaron enthusiasts will have a chance to select from 11 different flavors that Bizu currently offers plus taste the new savory Macaron collection that Bizu recently launched. 

For Macaron Day Manila 2012, Bizu Patisserie is offering each visitor a free macaron! To receive the complimentary macaron, visit any Bizu Patisserie and Bistrofare branch and simply mention you are celebrating Macaron Day Manila. Percentage of all additional macarons purchased on this day will be donated to Virlanie Foundation. 

The new savory Macaron collection flavors are Blue cheese –Honey, Thai Peanut and White Truffle; three unique flavors that will surely leave you wanting for more.

Visit their branches  now at Greenbelt 2 Parkside, Greenhills Promenade, Glorietta 4 3/F, Alabang Town Center and St. Luke's Medical Center, Bonifacio Global City.

Peanut Kisses

Whenever my dad would go to Bohol, it is always automatic that a few boxes of this should be included in his baggage when he comes back to Manila. One of my two favorite snacks from Bohol (though I haven't been there yet--of course I hope to go there one day with my family) are  Peanut Kisses. My other favorite was the kalamay sa bao.

They're shaped like chocolate kisses but made of eggs and of course peanuts :)

 Inspired by Bohol's famous landmark--the Chocolate Hills...

Though the look of the actual peanut kisses aren't that much appealing, you have to taste it first before you judge it :)

 

How about you? What's your favorite snack from Bohol?

Mia's Milk

Some of you might think what's making Mia strong and bright besides the fact that it came from her parents genes *wink and grin here* and of course from the food that we are giving her? It's also from her milk :) Although I was only able to breastfeed her exclusively for two months (I know I should have breastfed her for at least a few months more but I was not equipped with such knowledge then, I know better now), the formula milk that we've (and of course with the recommendation of her pediatrician) given and still giving her also contributed to her everyday nourishment.


During her first six months, we gave her Similac Advance. The onset of six months to one year, we gave her Gain. Then we gave her Gain Plus when she reached one year old up to a year and a half. The first three milk (as seen in the picture below) we gave her are from Abbott Laboratories. 

image from pinasgift.com

After a year and a half we thought why not change her milk as we've seen from other babies/kids her age. With the go signal from her pediatrician, we changed her milk and introduce her to Nido Fortified. So far, she looks good and healthy and we love it like that plus we also see the ten signs of good nutrition on her :)

image from filgifts.com

Speaking of milk, last night my mom told me or should I say she reminded me that they (my mom and my aunt or tita lily as we call her are taking care of mia while me and my husband are at work) already opened the last box of Mia's milk. I needed to buy at least the smallest box there is available or Mia will get cranky and ask for milk the whole time. However, I remembered we do not have cash anymore to buy her milk :( Good thing we have a cooperative at the office which I am a member of, I managed to obtain a cash advance which will be credited from my salary on the next pay period. Thank God for these kinds of loan options, I now have cash to buy Mia her milk and diapers, etc.


Disclaimer: I was not paid in any way by the milk brands that I mentioned on this post. These are my own opinion.