new year's eve and lechons

dec 31, 3pm…and it's mayhem at the side streets of the “lechon capital of the philippines”

one line for “per kilo”

chop, chop, chop!  gosh, the lechon is still steaming yet they hold it and chop it as if it’s nothing… chop, chop, chop!

another crowd, for those waiting for whole lechons…kagulo!

…literally waiting for the arrival of lechons, one after the other...

care for some chicharon bituka and chicharon bulaklak?

kalurquey! i-drawer ba?!!

tsk…tsk… mayhem!  …and we were only there for pansit canton! bwahaha, boo-hoo!   

back to the car... woah, ang dami pa ding lechon!  

i wonder at whose dinner table these lechons will land later...definitely not ours.  but it's ok.  i am very thankful for what we have.  equally thankful for all the blessings of 2011.  happy new year everyone! happy new year X and Y!  mwaaah!

Z

DP black beaded shoulder dress

Because of my work, I rarely go out on meetings anymore. I usually can summon the other party to the office and we discuss there. Naks.. But really that is how it has become...

Last Wednesday though, I had no choice but to join some colleagues at UCC Paseo Center. Over breakfast.

That is a pressure on my part because that means I would have to leave the house already with my hair and make-up done. (sorry, but since my work officially starts at 7, I would usually fix myself in the office.). Unlucky are those who see me on my way in, for they shall see me in all my no makeup glory, whahaha!

To add to that pressure, our manang is on her Christmas off, and so no one would be there to iron my suit.

Thus, I had no choice but to wear my dress, which I was saving up for the NYE, because it is the only ready to wear and most suitable dress that I have at that time.

Here's a photo I got from the DP website of my black beaded shoulder dress. It is polyester cotton so it is practically wash and wear.



Since it is too short to wear on daytime and in a corporate setting at that, I had to wear it with black tights.

I wore with my Zara silver woven ballerina, which I am really loving this season...



X, this is the dress you saw me in. Wink wink!

xoxo, Y

My penultimate day of the year rant

I have always looked forward to Christmas and New Year's Eve. Almost each time, nothing really eventful happens but still, those are the 2 nights of the year when I stay awake and partake of whatever is prepared on the table.

Tomorrow night, I am just unsure. I told the Big Boy that I really didn't want to celebrate it with his cousins in Tagaytay. But despite my protests, he is determined to go.

My hesitation was aggravated by the fact that his cousins keep several dogs inside their house. Those people close to me totally understand why I don't want dogs inside the house and that is non-negotiable. I was told though that we will stay in the adjoining house and so we won't really be bothered by the dogs. Still!

Then I found out that we were also told to bring our own beddings... Er, hello, talk about mega uncomfortable! Then the Big Boy promised me that when it really gets unbearable, we will find a nearby hotel to check in. Oh, man...

I am not really bratty, but this is New Year's Eve we're talking about!

I grew up celebrating the NYE in a way that will please each member of the family, even to the point of cooking red sauced spaghetti even if it does not really match the other prepared dishes, because that is the request of my youngest brother.

Sorry for being a nega, but I just couldn't hide my frustration...

Well, since I love myself, I will just celebrate NYE tonight, hahaha, talk about pathetic.

Nothing can stop me from doing that. Here's my comfort food, potato salad with mayo and mustard dressing, prepared by a friend who reminds me so much of my mom...



It's almost 12 guys... And really, there are fire crackers being sampled outside...

Happy New Year!

xoxo, Y

yay! new year lampins

button-printed lampins for new year...yay! happy!

Z

Huwaaat? Bicycle!

i've been wishing for a bicycle....  one that is vintage or a bit old fashioned but classy...

flickr.com

but preferably with a basket...

projectgadabout.squarespace.com

elizabethannedesigns.com

so i can stroll around the neighborhood or grab fruits at the market (or mercury drug store, or savemore, hehe!) or do a couple of errands here and there....perhaps buy baliwag lechon manok a couple of blocks away from home....or pares or crispy pata, hehe...

i have been searching for my elusive bike for quite a while now and i haven't found the one....

 until this...

although it does not come with a basket, i learned that i can buy it separately (from a different supplier)...

problem?  the bike would cost me a whopping P200,000 (approx)!  why?  it's an hermes bicycle! surprise! yep, it's H E R M E S, which means, dream on (for me), haha!

... as for the basket,  i can probably just get it for free from my suki at dapitan arcade, hehe!

(kidding aside, i'd be happy with any cheap but reliable bike that looks like any of the above).

Z

Peel Tape to Open!

I should have posted this last Saturday (December 24), but I was out of town. 
I received this very very sweet present from my dear sibling and I don't know how, when and where to start devouring it. 

Post Christmas, the present is still intact. I told BH and DS not to touch it.
Don't dare! The selfish in me, I guess. Hahahaha!

One big box 48 pieces of Ferrero Rocher!!! Oh my, oh my, oh my!!! Gold nuggets!
My fave since college and up to now!

Shining shimmering splendid golden Ferrero!

Oh, never mind the calories. 

X 

forgive me, father

...for i have sinned...i can't take my eyes off you...you are muy guapito, can I hug you?! he,he. joke! ... you must admit he is way, way guapo than the "fathers" we are used to, haha!

...father allan samonte of our lady of lourdes parish in camarin...guess how young he is?
papa john lloyd, errr...father allan is 40!!! yep! his secret, according to him, is that he is single, hehe :)

seriously, i love father allan because his "sermons" are so 2011 and pinoy... very practical, very real, very relevant...i think that's why it's more meaningful...

i was told he has a 4:30am show at abc5 every saturday...

Z

yummy: lechon

aling tasing's lechon.  this is the best lechon for me :)  nothing really spectacular but this is the classic lechon for me -- crunchy skin, soft and tasty meat, just the right seasoning and fresh from roasting ... mother hen orders this from malolos, bulacan every christmas and every time we have something big to celebrate.  yum, yum.

notwithstanding that i believe i have tasted the best lechon, i would like to try ulcing's, which Y said is delicious (but the idea that it has star anise is a bit scary for me) and zubuchon, which was acclaimed by well-known american chef anthony bourdain as the best roasted pig.  incidentally, both ulcing's and zubuchon are "cebu" lechons, one that is meant to be eaten without the usual "lechon sauce."  so, in the battle of the classic lechon, winner pa din si aling tasing, wohooo!!! 

Z

yummy: corned beef

when i hear about corned beef, what comes to mind are my favorite canned corned beefs:

for the local ones ---

purefoods, as a default…

delimondo by JAKA (available at S&R)…

very very seldom though, i look for the sweet weird taste of samba...

but never these 2 most wanted corned beefs in local supermarkets….

for the imported ones, my favorite would be palm…

but, libby’s and hereford overtake my fondness for palm because of its easy-open can – di susi! J  i actually eat them straight from the can! he,he…

knowing Y, she must hate me for this…bwahaha!  Y does not like canned products…bwahaha again.  but the good news is, she must probably love me for this…

fresh corned beef J  i do not know why it’s called “fresh” since it is cured and aged but at least, it is not canned!  we had this fresh corned beef with cabbage etc. last christmas and it’s so yummy!  the dish is quite a relief from our usual buffet feast that almost calls for “calcibloc.”  not that the fresh corned beef isn’t fatty but the fact that it has clear soup and veggies makes it stand out at our christmas table … sobrang ngang stand out na wala sya sa buffet table and it is served right in front of us at the dining table (which, in mother hen's language means: “kainin nyo ‘to kahit na ayaw nyo”…hehe…).

i love fresh corned beef and i love that mother hen finally cooked it perfectly! (last time, she put star anise and tomato sauce…good luck!)

it’s similar to the fresh corned beef at dayrits and old swiss inn…yum, yum!

so why is it called "corned" beef anyway?  bestfriend wiki has the answer:  corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef product present in many beef-eating cultures. the term comes not from the grain corn, but from the treatment of the meat with "corns" of salt.  tsk...tsk..

Z

(all images from google, except for the fresh corned beef which is the actual corned beef mother hen served us); fresh corned beef available at primebeef company in kamias road at P455/kilo.

GirlStuff and Edward Lear

GirlStuff and Edward Lear.  How do you find the connection?  Am I nuts?  No, I am Y.  I am not X.  Wahahaha!  Peace X.

Well, think again.  Today, Z handed me this hand sanitizer with rubber holder, with the perfect excuse that it’s my color, aka purple. 

Later when I looked at it again, I realized the flavor is Quince-Pomegranate-Passion.   Quince…  and then I was back on memory lane... 

I remember my little boy’s favorite bed time story when he was barely 1…  what else, but the classic The Owl and The Pussycat by Edward Lear...

They dined on mince and slices of quince which they ate with a runcible spoon. 

(Confession:  In order to keep the little boy interested, I used to make different voices as I go through each line of this beautiful poem.  And whenever I read this line, I use the voice of our controversial former President GMA.  Try it!  It fits!  Ok, hashtag, Iturnednuts.)
So there, my first smell of this curious fruit quince.

GirlStuff – available in mall kiosks, and some department stores like SM and Rustan's; from the information I got from a very reliable source (aka Z, and see her previous post on this), these are NOT your ordinary run of the mill hand sanitizers…  and just because, I truly believe the products are worth checking out.

xoxo, Y

sweet christmas

my pamangkins had a blast courtesy of this table...thanks to my sis-in-law who prepared most of these goodies :) the candy/loot container is actually edible :)

Z

fab alert: zips

Alas, my Christmas gift shopping is finally about to end, and the last gift I had to buy was for my beloved sister.

My first stop was GAP and I almost bought this red clutch with fur tail. I did not take a picture so I got this from another blogsite instead:



While this is something my sister would definitely carry, this is also something I would not tolerate. That's all. Hahaha!

Right next to the GAP store is Zara, and there I found a nice shirt with stars priced at P995 only. I know stars are on their way out as the season is about to end, but what made me buy are the gold zips at the back...



Just a few weeks ago, I saw this photo of the Duchess of Cambridge wearing a Zara blazer with zips, which is actually a summer item but well, it is still in stock in the Philippines..



Did you see the zipper on the waist?

Here's an action photo from Google Images:



(obiter: oh there's the gold clutch I liked, see my fairly recent previous post.)

If you are liking the zips, there are other items that have those. Take a look... ...at this pair of trousers with zips


...at this top


...at this blazer



All items from Zara.

When I was about to walk to the parking, I passed by Dorothy Perkins and saw this black tights with diamond design on the manequin. Well, just in case my sister decides to wear the long shirt as a mini dress, she should a least wear it with tights underneath. Hello!

And sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln, they are priced at only P395. Yes, I did not go over my budget!



So I walked out the store with a broad smile on my face, and as if timing, I heard the sound of fireworks from outside.

Yipee, Merry Christmas!


xoxo, Y

Regina Brett

I was chatting with a good pal at work this morning in her work area. Across her work desk, quotes posted on her wall caught my attention. They were from Regina Brett.I told her, I want those quotes and will search on Google.

Who is Regina Brett? A columnist and Pulitzer Prize finalist. She had breast cancer at 41 and now, she's 54 years old. Her quotes are simple yet so truthful.She has a book " 50 Life Lessons". Paperback is $11.19 in Amazon.




from www.awaytogarden.com


These are the quotes. I'd like to share them.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.


This woman is amazing!
At the moment, I like No. 25


X

"Take it easy"

I bumped into this website and saw symbols for yearly wedding anniversary celebrations.So it's steel for BH and I. We have recently celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. We were planning to dine in a fancy restaurant but DS can't be left alone. So, we tagged him along.


I surprised my dear BH with my anniversary gift on midnight of Friday (technically it's a Saturday already). I placed the bag on our bed and and made sure he goes to bed first before I do. And he did!


He gave mine Saturday evening. (ahahaha, napilitan yata kasi nagbigay ako). It's usually like that. I received my 4th wallet from him. Hahaha! As if telling me, "take it easy with your ATM". My "virtual" thanks to BH! Love yah!


I love the color! He chose red so that it will match my Ipad cover.

aaaawwww! Ang sweet di ba!

I asked if I will still be expecting something for Christmas. He didn't give me a clear answer.Maybe, the gift already includes Christmas. Look at the bag.

Anyway, I still have my surprise Christmas gift for him....Hehehehe!

X

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...everywhere you go...  :-)

Unlike Z who embarks on her Christmas duties early, Y or yours truly is quite the opposite.  My bad habit of procrastination is a its peak at this time of the year.

In fact, I only assembled our Christmas tree last weekend or 7 days before Christmas eve.

Much to my chagrin, our blue Christmas trimmings mysteriously disappeared.  We found only 1 bag containing dark blue balls with some really old bright red ones.  I didn't want to put them up, as I was just not in the mood for a Filipiniana theme this year.

As in denial as I was, given that I have been trying to save as much money as I can for a big project next year, I finally gave in and decided to just shed some moolah for new trimmings.

Thanks to our neighborhood supermarket, I found some affordable ones.  I spent a total of only 800 bucks!

To my suprise, I found green appealing.  Yup, green, the favorite color of X.

So here's my old little Christmas tree

With its new budget look

Don't you think they are nice?

Well they are, at least for me!

(Er, Dr. Seuss, is that you?)

And here are my snowman, reindeer and Santa loot bags.  I got these from Duty Free during my recent Christmas shopping spree with X and Z, thanks to Z's elite card...  They were meant to be hung, but somehow they ended up under the tree.  They house the small gifts.

And then last Sunday, we woke up early for the gingerbread house decorating activity.  I let the boys do the decorating.  I just helped with the piping.  That task turned out to be the trickiest.

Here, I discovered that my Big Boy has a feminine side.  Look at all those marshmallows and the pink pretzels.  Those are definitely not my idea.  Hahaha!

And did you notice the Little Boy's gingerbread man which look more of a scarecrow?  Wahaha!  But that was fun, really.

Well, it's indeed beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door....

xoxo,
Y

1 word can make a difference

i was with Y earlier, "sync-ing" (or more appropriately, "synchronizing") her with latest updates...of my life, hehe. i once told Y that she, X and red angry bird are like my iPad, iPod and MacBook... i "sync" them every so often, hehe :) but sometimes i lose track of who i "sync-ed" that i end up updating one of them twice (or evenn thrice, yaiks!) and at times accuse them of not listening to me (yun pala hindi ko naman talaga na-kwento), haha :)

anyway, as i was doing that earlier, i saw Y eating these berry cute chocolates.

Z to Y: can you imagine how these chocolates were made into balls and wrapped? alam mo bang home-made yan? eto o...tingnan mo ang tag: Baked by Toffee (not real name), phone number starting with 215....hmmmm....binondo area?!!! Parang yan yung peeled castanas, imagine how they were peeled! Hahaha!

Y: i don't wanna know...so malamang nalasahan ko na kamay ni Toffee....

Z: correct, hehehehe!

Then JB, a common friend arrived. Y offered one of these berry cute chocolates and JB gladly accepted. Then this:

JB: (holding on to the piece that Y handed to him and showing it to Y)nakakain NA ba 'to?

Y: Oo.

Immediately and without hesitation, JB popped the piece that Y handed to him.

Y and Z: (in shock)...(2 seconds, 1 second). JB!

...So there....the misunderstanding that caused JB to eat the chocolate with the foil. (He of course spit it out after Y told him that it was still wrapped in foil)

Y is justifying herself --- why would she hand JB an unwrapped chocolate with her bare hands?

Hmmm...how was the chocolate balls rolled and wrapped in the first place? Kamay nga ni Toffee, hahaha! (Joke) And, as JB also explained, he said: Nakakain NA ba 'to? (with matching action) and not: Nakakain ba 'to?

So, where is your vote? Who caused the ambiguity? Hehe. Kinukulit ko lang si Y.

Z

E-book 1 : Entangled

Done reading this nice book by Barbara Ellen Brink, entitled "Entangled". It's a free e-book from Amazon.
Ahem, some good things in life are free.

Entangled from Amazon

It's a story about a young lady lawyer from Minnesota, who was willed by her uncle (the brother of his father) with a vineyard in California.Nightmares haunt her as a teenager. She was a victim of date rape and an even uglier crime.


When Billie (the lady lawyer) was young she was very close to her uncle and spent vacations in his vineyard.
On one fateful day, everything about her time spent on the vineyard and significant moments with her uncle, were erased from her memory.
Weighing her career path - between becoming a vintner in California and a full time divorce lawyer in Minnesota, she decided to stay for a while in the vineyard.
Her decision to stay uncovered its darkest secrets .


A great story. Her love interest  was Handel (or Handy) who is a criminal lawyer in California and helped her get through.


Hmmm... Y, I recommend this.


I'm starting with my next book this week. Gotta rest my eyes for a while though, because I've been getting little sleep lately.


X