a lovely Father's Day weekend

This is one of my favorite days of the year where we remember what a wonderful dad we have. I'm one of the luckiest in this world to still have mine living under the same roof. I have spent the whole night planning what to cook for Sunday when Mom made some phone calls the next morning to Tea inviting their family to spend it with us. I'm as ecstatic as everybody because, this will be the first time I get to spend with my baby nephew and niece. I was kinda disappointed Dad didn't want Pancakes for breakfast, I reminded him that we had to eat something light since we'll be spending Father's Day Lunch at Tea and Joh's place, but he was just too happy to have a big freshly baked Tilapia and rice for breakfast. We went to hear Mass and I was almost always calculating in my head what my last minute grocery shopping details were gonna be. I was still thinking of what dessert should be served without the usual cake or ice cream in tow. Lunch at my sister's was sinfully superb! Her version of Nilagang Shortribs was simply the best! She kept looking at me, trying to see if she passed my standards, and it was the best shortribs stew I had in awhile. The sweetness of cabbage, freshly cracked peppercorns and soft potato quarters had married perfectly with the soup. I think I slurped it so deliciously that I passed on the chicharon and the Pata Tim that was ordered at a favorite restaurant. My brother-in-law served Vintage full bold red that afternoon, but I really didn't like wine, my mom insisted that I take a sip wherein I joke that I had the coolest mom ever. So I obliged, cringing quietly on my seat. We were all so full that dessert never crossed our minds. The rain poured heavily and we had to head out because I was past my deadline on preparing the menu. Hours later, I was still wrapping the egg rolls when my sister Tea and the rest of the family came, I got really panicky because our scheduled early dinner was fast approaching and I still had one food item prepared! Good thing, my sister dragged two of her househelps plus one on mine,and they were just as amazing to execute all the thing that I needed in a timely and prompt manner. We got every food on the menu spread at 7:10 pm. My sister was looking for the dessert surprise, so she sneaked in looking for it at the refrigerator, but to her delight, she saw two big rolls of ice cream cake nestled on the freezer which made her drool even more. i prepared coconut milk shake, my most expensive version of Pansit Bihon which my dad liked so much, baked soy ginger chicken, deep fried spring rolls and ice cream cakes. Everybody had a great time celebrating this day. And they took home doggie bags to enjoy some leftovers as well. Thinking of what event to plan next..;)

my favorite (COMFORT FOOD) finds

I KNOW AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT, that I have a fine-tuned palate. I enjoy good food and good conversations that come with it. But sometimes, it's always best to take a break from Beluga, Duck Confit, Amuse Busche and other luxurious food that's out there. Comfort food stands out usually during the happy and sad times that I I go through. You'd always like something delicious to depend on while pampering or soothing a hurt ego. So let me share my ultimate favorites with you...

• Nestle Ice Cream Double Dutch - this brand is hands down on creamy goodness, marbled with just the right touch of chocolate swirls, yummy chocolate slivers and chips, marshmallows and vanilla. I compared it with other brands and it didn't hold a candle to what the old-school Magnolia is famously known for.


• McDonalds French Fries - who would deny that this is the best fries ever made known to man? To me, at least. Those spuds could cure a heartbreak in a minute. I like it with salt or just happily dip it in my caramel sundae, brings happy highschool memories when all we lived on was allowances


• Tea House Palabok - I love noodles so much I could marry it! Palabok had been my ultimate comfort food. But I had worst one too many times til I stumbled on this. When this gets to the table, the noodles are covered with red-orange shrimp sauce rich with cooked oysters, pork, chicharon,tofu, pork, served with calamansi and patis on the side. Tea House never scrimps on ingredients so that's why it won my affection on my foodie list.


• Macsbox - a college favorite! Rice topping kiosk found at the U-belt and I'm thankful that it exist up to now. With P50, you geta bang-in-the-buck rice topping box exploding with flavors. One of my favorites would be their mouth-watering Binagoongan, big chunks of lean pork, little fat, chives, onion, shrimps topped with chopped unripe mangoes and scrambled egg mixed in bagoong sauce. The bagoong is heavenly, it has a combination of salt and sugar and it was mildly spiced.


• Orville Redenbacher Popcorn - in White Cheddar, butter or plain. For the plain popcorn, I nuke it and sprinkle M&Ms while it's hot and you'll be amazed how yummy this carnival food is.


• Taho - soymilk, tofu or any of its equivalent makes me happy. The gelatinous texture of it that shoots up on the mouth and melts like butter is heaven to me


• Taco Bell Churros - it is kinda greasy, because it's dough deep fried, but just pat it down with a paper towel or a table napkin and get ready to dunk it hot chocolate sauce!

This is part one. Once i'm camery ready, I'll post some pictures!

my Princess Hours

As I fluorished the last piece of Almond Roca that my sister Tea gave me that morning, I took the laptop by my window and checked to see what my friends have been up to for the past few days. My heart flutters for the people who starts to leave the country and start back at zero to a new place. Amazing, isn't it? There's fear and excitement at the same time. The kind of adrenaline rush some are just too afraid to try. I always wonder if life is passing me by so quickly. At the rate things are going, I might be the only one just taking my own sweet time at things. The opportunities just go like running water and I keep missing it everytime. Sometimes, I feel like I'm a freshly-picked grape sitting and waiting to be an age-old prune still hoping to be churned into a classic, expensive wine that everybody celebrates on. I read at one article that "opportunities only come once, so whatever feeling you have, set it aside and just show up," this one just knocked me over.

Being a creature of habit is really hard, getting out of my comfort zone is even harder. But I need to constantly remind myself that I can't live a charmed life all the time when I need to thread the hard experiences to be strong like the rest of my friends and people that I know. That's one of the reasons why I'm as fragile as glass and I could break any day now. I need to experience life outside of what I was used to. And that "used-to" place is not here, it's out there somewhere.
Eventually, I'll get tired of the people who give in to my whims, do what I asked them and like what I love, because I miss the girl who doesn't sit in one place too long. I'm just waiting for my adventure to start, with or without someone. Someday, I will ask myself if I'm ready to take a chance to start my life and take on the world again. For now, that will have to wait and still wear my pink crown, up here on a high horse...

The (so many) reasons why I love Daddy

• When I was little, we would drive down the beach on Sundays and swim all day then get pizzas for dinner, we would eat all the junk that we could find with mom shaking her head in disappointment, he would say, with a boyish grin: "Honey, don't worry. Tomorrow, they'll be back eating vegetables again, "
• He bought me pretzels instead of V-Cut when I was 7 because he thinks that spicy food will make my tummy react violently
• He shelled my first crab because my pink little fingers couldn't break the claw, and he neatly stacked it in my plate, forgetting to eat his own in the process
• He marched to the principal's office upset when he learned a boy my age bullied me and kissed my forehead saying everything will be okay from then on
• My dad made me sing and act in front of my cousins and uncles because he thinks I'm gifted
• He talks about me in front of his friends like I'm always the star of the show
• He got really sad when all of his four girls had received roses for the very first time
• He was ecstatic when my brother had his first date
• My dad spends lavishly on family celebrations because they were important milestones and acknowledging them this way was his way of saying he's proud
• Daddy is a true gentleman in all ways I can think of. I feel like a princess all the time!
• He comforted me on my first heartbreak
• He was there during my first final job interview and my first day at work and for the first three months of my job when I didn't know the where's and how'to's in the big city
• He did the same thing for all my brothers and sisters
• He would give out even his last money if I was short of cash
• He'd stay up all night just to listen to my stories and how proud he is of my acheievements
• He always reminded me that he sees himself in me: eager, determined and headstrong in my decisions
• he laughs at my jokes no matter how corny they are
• he laughs at my silliness and even if I get upset, he'll make me feel that I need to take things lightly most of the time
• He still makes me cry like a little girl when he says goodbye
• He always remind Mom to buy my favorite food every now and then
• He gently reminds me how dangerous a girl should be coming home at the wee hours of the morning
• He tells me how guys act and shares how they can be such jerks because he went through that phase too
• My Dad never fails to show how much he loves Mom
• He never forgets to tell me how important family will always be as a support system in any trials
• He gathers the family for our night prayers and other Holy obligations

The list goes on and on. My dad, like yours, is the best for me. He'll always be the one constant man in my life. He's the man who reminds to always focus on a love that's certain and true. Because of him, my childhood had been a very happy one, full of simple things inspite of all the material things that he can afford for all of us. My father taught me that life is too short to spend it on angst, frustrations and disappointment, he made me achieve for what I dont have and yet value what I have NOW. I am blessed to have him and to God, I will always be eternally grateful for the gift that is Dad...