One Day Vacation

My mind isn't working this week. I missed on some recipes that I'm suppose to share. I passed on dishes to prepare. All I want to do is to meditate. It's that moment when both my mind and body are looking for some quiet time. So I went to visit my mom the other day. Actually I spent the night in my hometown. I was missing the old place. I asked my husband if I could go for a one day vacation. Our place in Rizal caters a more peaceful environment compared to our place here in the city. 

As I watched my mother's hermle clock,  yeah, she has one. While my son was enjoying a movie with his Uncle, I got my book, prepared my favorite drink, took advantage of the free time, stayed in the balcony, then I cherished another moment for myself. It was quiet and breezy.  I can smell that Christmas is nearby and all I can hear was the soft murmurs from the TV inside the house and the overpowering chirping of the birds, that made my one day vacation perfect.

The Most Wonderful Time In November

We all get excited as our birthdays approaches right? We think of presents, parties, food, family and friends together. As a matter of fact, it's like Christmas, only, the celebrant is the center of everything, she/he will be receiving all the gifts. But with all that was mentioned, as always, I never really require so much to celebrate. I grew up with simple gatherings and most of them were celebrated with my family and few of my close friends. Right now, I feel very excited, because in a few weeks it is going to be my birthday. Another opportunity to give thanks for the graces I received from the past, blessings to come, to ask for strength and patience for the challenges that I need to conquer.

Turning 32 is not a big deal for me. As long as I'm living the life my Creator wanted me to have, age are just digits. Numbers that we can even change and manipulate. But if we talk about peace of mind and happiness, that would be the true gauge if a person is fulfilled as he or she celebrates his/ her birthday every year. Let's stop the drama here and on with my birthday plans. 

First thing that I will do as I wake up early the day of my birth is to hear mass with my family. My husband and my son are the most precious gifts that was given to me. It is important for me to show Him how happy I am with my 2 boys, how He made my life meaningful through them.

As always, I spend the whole day doing whatever we want. Oh by the way, my Canon Camera is turning 2 on the day of my birthday too. It was a gift from my husband in 2008. Since so much has changed, I would also like to share that blogging became more interesting when I started sharing occasions like these. I remember, the reason I asked for a DSLR  was to be able to deliver clearer pictures to my readers, right between introducing myself to blog advertising and websitehosting.

My camera was the only material thing I requested for my birthday throughout my 20-25 years. When it was given to me, I couldn't ask for anything more. With that, nothing big is expected for my birthday this year.  Just dinner at my favorite restaurant, maybe do a little shopping, a little sightseeing,  a new reading would be great too. Let's just wait and see (wink!)

My Baking Paraphernalia

No I don't have it yet and it's taking too long. Well, I'm just borrowing it from my mom hehehe! 

Namely: her Kitchenaid mixer, rectangular baking dish, a stainless mixing bowl and a cookie sheet if possible.

But I don't have the time to go to their place and at the same time, nobody is available to bring it to me. I have a list of dishes ready for this week, but since I'm lacking materials... I might be able to post about those dishes within the next 2 weeks. 2 pasta dishes are coming, a pastry, and another chicken or beef recipe. All this cooking, consider this as a dry-run. Because the holidays are coming and I want something new on my Christmas table and I want something baked for my Christmas Giveaway.

Iced Gems

How will I start with this? Hmmm... oh yeah! Iced Gems! It's a snack that reminds me so much of my childhood. Especially during the days when I was still studying in Assumption. I was given a little allowance money then. My mom always prepare packed- lunch and sandwiches instead of buying food in the school cafeteria. The small amount of money given was suppose to be for my drinks to last for the rest of the day.

But most of the time, I rely on the school's water fountain and spend my money on packs of Iced Gems biscuit. When I was a little girl, the first thing that I got attracted with was the colorful icing on top of every biscuit. The biscuit itself was very good, easy to munch, easy to bite and I always make sure that my last bite would be the icing on top. Up to this date, Iced Gems are being sold in grocery stores. It gave me the inspiration to post about it when I found out that my son loves it too. Every time  I pick him up from school, he would ask me to buy him some. And during our last visit to Tagaytay, we dropped by at one of the pasalubong stations in the city and there I saw a BIG pack of Iced Gems biscuits being sold. From then on, in between meals, every time I'm watching TV, reading a book and even while surfing the net, I have a bowl of Iced Gems that I can munch anytime I want to. Yummy!

Weekend Fun With My Boys

Last week, we were blessed to have a long weekend. Just a few days after my husband was discharged from the hospital. Very timely, we took advantage of it. Even in the process of recuperating, my husband still opted to go out. Being stuck in the hospital was just unexplainable, it plays with your mind. It's not healthy psychologically speaking. Well, it's our first time to stay in a hospital for 1 week straight..

Anyway, Friday we went to Sm Megamall to do a bit of strolling and window shopping. Visited shops we missed and food we've been dying to taste. Restaurant stop was at Bubble Tea. I was craving for their Cold, Lychee Green Tea with Bubbles (related post). As for my husband, we ordered something fat free and salt free. That's what I like about Bubble Tea, they have plenty of options. We continued our escapade Saturday, buy doing the groceries at SM Hypermarket Tiendesitas. This time, we added a little to our regular budget so we can celebrate with my husband's speedy recovery. Had a good massage at the Big Apple Spa (also in Tiendesitas).

Sunday, I took my boys to the barbershop for their haircut. Then drove to a nearby mall, I went window shopping at the newly opened Payless ShoeSource, then had some pampering time at the salon. We had dinner at Sbarro.

Again, I have been craving for another dish. Sbarro's Baked Ziti. This time, I ordered some Chicken Parmigiano with meat sauce to top it. My son finished a big slice of Hawaiian Pizza and for my husband---Spicy Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Over-all, it was a perfect weekend for us. We didn't spend so much just to enjoy and it's still fun as dirt bike riding. It marked a new beginning for us. 

The important things are: health -wise and family-wise, it made us stronger than ever as one unit.

Celebrating Their Birthdays This August

When it comes to celebrations, it's best to tell a little story on the feast that was shared. August 22, 2010, we had an advance birthday celebration for my Dad and for my brother. Their birthdays are 1 day apart. As always each celebrant has his own cake and candles to blow. Having 2 members of the family celebrate together is one of a kind, especially when we're talking about a father and son thing.

We had our favorites cooked for this year's celebration. Ordered pancit for a change, turbo broiled liempo with herbs and spices and it was juicy. My dad also prepared some curried shrimps. He also served us his specialty---steamed Chinese Lapu-lapu. It was a simple get together. Aside from celebrating their birthdays, it was also a time to celebrate as 1 whole big family.

Thank God for the gift of having a complete family. Thank God for the ages 27 and 60. Thank God for blessing each one with good health and a happy disposition. Happy Birthday to our Dad (Aug.23) and To our brother Nano (Aug.25)

Discovering The First Aristocrat Restaurant

All these years, I didn't have any idea that the Aristocrat Restaurant along Roxas Boulevard is the original,  the first ever Aristocrat Restaurant established. July 22, 2010 with my mom and auntie, we took my grandmother to her hometown in Malate Manila to celebrate her 80th birthday. This year marked another year for her to be thankful for the life and love she found after World War II. On our way to Malate, she took us back in time, telling us her stories,  both her pre- war and post war experiences. Pre-war? well I thought of country cottages, fresh air, green surroundings and a quiet life. One her favorite stops when she was a kid was a stall, of now, The Aristocrat Restaurant.

And as requested, we took her to the place she reminded her of her childhood the most. She told us that she will never forget Aristocrat.

An Aristocrat visit will never be complete without tasting their famous Chicken Barbecue and their signature Java Rice. For me and Frank, we ordered our usual boneless chicken, and for the rest, the classic chicken barbecue. My grandmother was overwhelmed with the size of the chicken parts they served. Okay, I have a little ranting to do: How come in Aristocrat Cubao the chicken they're serving are far smaller. Hmmm...

We also had our favorite Sotanghon, which is vermicelli with stir-fried meat, shrimp and vegetables. It was so good and it came with lots of vegetables, which we loved the most.

Another dish to make the celebration extra special, was their Chopsuey . Stir fried vegetables topped with: crab meat, shrimp, pork and chicken and the freshest veggies. This was the ultimate. It was my first time to try their Chopsuey, how good? I can't explain it. Put it this way, I ordered another round of Java Rice.

I can't describe how happy my grandmother was. 

Spending her special day reminiscing the good, sad and bad times of her past, made  her 80th birthday unique. She couldn't believe that she reached this far. She is happy and thankful that she survived the fight of her lifetime.  I am happy that she didn't take World War II  just to become  a weak person. I can say that it was pretty tragic at that time, because she lost 2 of her brothers during the war, she got hit by shrapnels, that left  marks on her neck to her right leg. On this day, she offered prayers for her mom (my great grandmother who died at the age of 92) for being a good example on how to become a strong woman and for the souls of the loved ones she lost. After everything, it was the peaceful time and her fond childhood memories that kept her inspired through the years. Without this lady, I wouldn't be here sharing this extraordinary story.

Jackpot For Microwavable Containers

Only for Php88 

Microwavable containers has always been a must-have in my kitchen. And these containers I just recently bought, were on sale when I accidentally went pass the SM Department store last Monday. I was out  to buy  medicine for my husband. Might as well take advantage while I'm already there right? I went home with shopping bags filled with kitchen towels, table clothes and even a rustic decor for my living room.

But the main highlight of my shopping were the containers. And what a huge sale, the original price of these containers are Php 200+ for the big ones and Php100+ for the small to medium sizes. That night, everything was down to Php88 all sizes. A huge Jackpot for me, because it was timely, I've run out of durable containers. It can be useful as left- over containers, a lunch box for office and school and your food is tightly sealed so don't worry about spills or leaks.

A Slow Eater

I never encountered any difficulty feeding my child. From the moment he is able to eat solid food, I immediately introduced vegetables and fishes. My son can eat bitter and spicy dishes. My son actually made it easy for me to handle his eating habits. He doesn't drink any artificial drinks including juices and soda and he loves cold water.

Looks perfect right? Well, not really, because from the age of 4 years old up to the present, he has become a slow eater. It takes him about an hour to finish his food. For a mother like me, that's something serious. I've been training him to concentrate on eating more than playing around. Even in a restaurant, he's the last one to finish. I had to wake him up 1 hour earlier so that he can finish his breakfast before going to school, everything is done 1 hour ahead or even 2 hours, so that he won't be late.
They say being a slow eater at the age of 5 years is normal for a child. I say, it's not helping. As much as possible I still want him to eat on a normal pace and by not letting his nutritional in-take get affected.

Over the weekend, I took my son with me look for larger sized air mattresses. We went shopping for some materials and stuff both for the kitchen and bedroom. With all the walking we made, I'm kinda expecting the child to be hungry. As predicted it took us another 1 hour just to finish his spaghetti. I guess the main reason is that he is just a child, acting the way he should be. They like exploring, imagining and looking around. That's what I noticed with Franky. He looks around and  he  talks a lot while eating.

Are You Having Trouble With Your Car's Floor Mats?

Infiniti FX35 Floor Mats are the most durable set of mats in the market today. No flimsy threading or cheap rubber. Plus, you can custom-fit your set to your vehicle’s interior layout. No hassles of sliding or overlapping which might even cause accidents. It's security and luxury put together. I've been driving for a long time now. And one of my concerns is to have a comfortable flooring for my car especially at the driver's area. I've experienced the irritating things that would make my feet uncomfortable while driving. My foot getting tangled on some cheap mat and unexpected sliding of the mat while stepping on the brake or accelerator. Tell me, is that safe? Like what I've mentioned before, unsafe flooring may lead to accidents. As we all know that we just recently restored our car after it went underwater during  a strong typhoon late last year. Part of the restoration is changing the interior of the car. Finally, we're able to invest on a durable set of mats fitted for our car's flooring.

Another factor we should consider is keeping the inside of our car clean . It is not something we should take for granted. Just a little drip can lead to a spill. So these are also mats that are easy to clean and easy to maintain. Mats that comes in different state-of-the-art design, top-grade materials, and plenty of style,  you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for in Infiniti FX35 Floor Mats. It is more on the security option. Having durable floor mats will make driving safer than ever. You will be relaxed and at the same time your car will look good and clean.

When I Thought There Was None...

That's for the past week. This week has been the busiest so far, aside from Christmas. I've been meeting with people, some friends talking about free business cards so that on our next meeting,  we can easily have an exchange of information. We met in several restaurants, but my mind was just too focused with our transaction. And I just realized that I missed on 2 good restaurants for this week. Lesson learned:  stay focused but keep an open mind then take advantage of the moment.

I feel so incomplete right now just thinking that I missed a lot for my food blog. I don't even have an Food Trip Friday entry for this week. Because even at home, I got busy. I cooked ordinary dishes for this week and left-overs of course, nothing really new. But after the down side of this blog, I've made use of it as a challenge to be able to fill up whatever " I think" I'm suppose to post on this food blog of mine. There will be chances to visit those restaurants again. Even better, I'm going to be with my family. And instead of 2, I will make it 3 restaurants including Banapple, which is just a walk away from our house.

Not to forget the newly opened Cafe Restaurant of my Ninang (Godmother). So make that 4, yipee!

Home Design Ideas

In a few years time, my husband and I will finally have our own house. That's right my dear friends. I never thought that it is going to happen this soon. They say, while we're still young, grab all the chances to be able to make a good investments and for the family to be happy and comfortable. With the help of my mom, we have been going through several readings looking for the perfect model to match our dream house and most especially our dream home.I'm took in charge of the internet while my mom searched on various magazines and books. Home design ideas all put together. A comfortable and welcoming living room, cozy bedrooms, the perfect kitchen and even an entertainment room. We are also considering on keeping some of our old stuff, but the rest is going to be for the new designs, appliances and furniture. One part of the house I am very particular about is the masters bedroom.

Bedroom design ideas are everywhere nowadays. You don't even need a professional to help you with decorating.

Living room design ideas are one of my favorites.My husband is also very particular with this. He would often buy furniture and other stuff to make the whole atmosphere of the place feel right. He stays a lot in the living that's why.

Also it's because the living room is where we will be entertaining guests. And those guests will be one of the important people who really appreciates a great home.

Something New For The Xtraordinarymom

There's nothing wrong with website hosting, as a matter of fact it is a great source for establishing blogs or websites per se. At the same time, you can still get all the essentials that makes up a reliable blog site or website. Namely, website traffic, features and widgets, advertising and a lot more. As for my site Sweet Nothings,  I decided to change my site's domain name because I want to take ownership of my own site 100%. I just thought of it last week. I'll be honest, right now I am on the verge of doing a major make-over for my Xtraordinarymom website and I want to start by getting my own domain name. The look and the links will follow. I want my site to serve it's real purpose- "an online diary".  It will surely make a big difference once I get my new domain name up and running hopefully next month.

As of the moment I am still studying the process, including the effects it will bring. I'm pretty sure it will give me all the goodness in the blogosphere than the bad. I also think that having a more personalized domain will serve more respect from other bloggers, website visitors, readers from various groups and advertisers.

Coffee Break At Starbucks

It's been a long time since I really spent time in Starbucks. After cutting myself on coffee, I only visit Starbucks to accompany my husband, buy a frapp for my son and some merchandise for me, especially their cds. Well, it's different now, looks like my system can't take it anymore... I'm back to drinking coffee. I  take it in moderation still, I limit myself to 2 cups daily.

Why is it always Starbucks? I've tried so many coffee houses, Starbucks has always been the perfect place. I remember that I often spend  time with my sister-in-law in Starbucks. She's one of my best friends. I miss her company... she's in America now. Once we're all settled in our spot, with some chocolate chip cookies and a slice of chocolate cake, with our favorite Frappuccino, the conversation will go on until we don't know when.

There's so much to like and to love about Starbucks. The ambiance alone is a  good reason to always come back and spend time with friends, families or simply some time for one's self.

And here are my latest loots from Starbucks. A canvas bag and my favorite  house blend coffee with a new coffee passport. I was looking for their cds and went to 2 Starbucks coffee houses, but not a single CD on the rack. I wonder why...

Suddenly I NEEDED Coffee

Cutting on caffeine was really not easy for me. Had to stop smoking when I got pregnant . Not only that, had to totally eliminate caffeine as part of my daily routine. But eventually,  I was able to cope and I was graced not to have a daily caffeine fix. Not until...

Lately...

It's one of the things I can't explain because I am still figuring out why I am craving for coffee. My system is looking not just for any form of caffeine, just COFFEE. For the past week,  yes, I have been taking in some already, but not everyday. Then over the weekend, with all the activities and trying to be awake for the long drive, had to take more than my usual. And as of yesterday, my body's been aching to have more of it.

toothpastefordinner.com

This afternoon when I really couldn't take it, I had to walk all the way to the nearest Shell Select just to buy coffee. I used to have coffee for brewing, freshly grinded coffee beans. But since I stopped drinking years back, there's none stored in my pantry, not even instant coffee. I wanted to drive to Starbucks and spend my coffee time there, but our car wasn't around, I settled for some iced coffee from Shell instead.

After all this, looks like that I'll be a frequent follower of Coffee houses and Café restaurants.

Of Cheese Rolls and My Husband

My husband always surprises me with the most unexpected gifts "pasalubongs" ever! I wasn't expecting that he will finish a basket of Cheese Rolls from the pastry shop for me Well, he didn't really finished a whole basket of it... As to where he got it, I don't really care 

Cheese Rolls is one of my favorite pastries. Especially my mom's rolls. We used to own a bakery, and every morning, my mom would serve baskets of them straight from the oven. I really miss my mom's Cheese Rolls. I remember I would sneak up on her just to get one and not pay for it (lol). Those were the days. Soon, we will be back on making pastries and baked goodies again, (#1 on my list is a bunch of cheese rolls)  we're just waiting for something to finish (wink!)

And to my husband: Thanks again for the Cheese Rolls, it's a true favorite of mine.Thank you for bringing back good memories of  food, love and family. I love you...

Me On Baking

I'll make this easy to understand by giving 3 points.

1. My oven is busted. Well, I'm not really sure. Because I was able to use it last Christmas. After that, it started making weird sounds every time I try to turn it on. And I don't want to risk it.

2. I'm at the point of deciding if I should get a new Gas Range or have the old one fixed.

3. It's not priority (gas range) right now. Besides, all four burners are working perfectly fine.

Mother's Day Treat 2010

The celebration started with 2 kinds of salad, 2 kinds of pasta and 2 rounds of pizza . This one feast I missed with my camera. This was also when we're having a good time with our mom.

At the end of the day, we all went back home to share the cake my Dad bought for my mom. Then, as my Mother's Day treat for everyone, my husband and I bought Starbucks to match our cake.

May 10, 2010  I went to Cubao for an errand. My husband drove for me and to my surprise, it was also his plan to treat me to any restaurant of my choice.

Beef Broccoli from Hap Chan

Lemon Chicken from Hap Chan

Treats from Dulcinea

So what's the best things to do: Order my favorite viands, eat with my family and munch on my favorite desserts after.

Beyond My Kitchen

This entry was posted as an update for my food blog early this evening. Since a new story was set to be shared, I decided to move on and use as an official food entry.

It's been awhile since I last tweaked on my food blog or even posted anything that is food related.
Truth is, I lost most of my food files when my computer got hit by a terrible virus 2 weeks ago. Plus, my family lessened eating fast food, take -out, anything that is processed beyond our kitchen. It was quite an adjustment.

Lesser discoveries, lesser food adventures, lesser blog entries. But lifestyle greatly affects health that's why we had to do it.

It's just weird when you're into organic, and all the other health options in the house, but later on, you opt to eat out or order food to go. I just realized that it destroys the whole idea why you chose to be healthy from the very heart of your own home.

With that, we looked for a better replacement that will keep our minds focused with something else. My husband and I even our son made the Spa part of our regular routine. Well, that's for us.

We are not eliminating the fun of eating out totally though, we still have occasions to celebrate.

Had to think of ways to be able to keep up with the pace, and I was able to. So here I am presenting another phase for From My Kitchen and Beyond.

I know, some links are missing... I'm still thinking if I should put them all in 1 page or just line them up in the sidebar... will see later. Don't worry, I always keep my friends and contacts online. Hopefully I will be able to do some drops and blog hop again.

This Red Theme is very attractive. Thank you for visiting.

update: links are all back in my sidebar :D
edited 3-11-2010

On-Off Online

Been very busy moving to our new home. Had to apply for a new broadband and when everything was perfectly running again online, a virus got my computer. It took me another 3 days to finally get back on track online. But that was only for my main site. A pretty bad virus hit my computer that I had to reformat everything. And so I lost all of my food photos and data. Especially the new ones I have been reserving to share once I get back with blogging. It was kinda hard to start again. My food blog was left hanging for weeks.

I learned a lot from that terrible virus experience. Once you're hooked up online, you're really subjected to get all the safety features you can get with several risks at hand.

What more for the people who does business online. It would be advisable to get a reliable party for business hosting. For every transaction, especially when money is involve make sure you are secured. We can't live without a computer nowadays, that's a fact. Online research, online shopping, blogging and as a source of communication, makes it already an essential.

Viruses and malfunctions will always be part of it. It's up to us to keep safe.