Christmas 2015: Makati Lights and Sounds at the Ayala Triangle

Every year we go to Ayala Triangle Gardens to watch the Makati Light and Sounds. Since it started, it has been a yearly tradition for us to watch the yearly light display.

Aside from watching the light exhibit we also decided to eat dinner in one of the restaurants. My husband suggested Chef Lau's Pugon Roasters. He said he had eaten from this resto in their McKinley Branch and he said it a tasty and filling.

We ordered Pugon Roast Chicken for only 99 pesos, Sizzling Chicken Sisig for 99 pesos and Chunky Chicken Croquettas for 89 pesos.

The Pugon Roast Chicken is for my husband, Chicken Sisig for me and Croquettas for my daughter.

We love the Pugon Roast Chicken. It is seasoned well, it is like an enhance version of the authentic Chicken Inasal. The Chicken Sisig is spicy, it is perfect with a hint of kalamansi. However, if you’re expecting crispy roasted chicken in the Sisig, you might get disappointed. It is mostly made of chicken isaw. For the Croquettas, it is more like a snack but it comes with rice. If you wanted to order some appetizer and extra rice better go for the Croquettas. It is crispy and filling, but it needs to be eaten with the mayo sauce for it to be complete in terms of taste.

The selection of food is enticing I would also want to order the Kaldereta Mac, Angus Roast Beef and their version of Pancit Lukban, but I know my tummy can only finish one meal. So we might try the other meals some other time

We were so full we can no longer go for dessert, so we decided to stroll around the park while watching the Light and Sound show. The Light and Sound show is really spectacular. Photos will not justify the magical moment,

It is our Christmas bonding day so from here will go straight to BGC to burn the calories and take some selfies in one of the spectacular Christmas displays in the metro. And eventually, we will eat dessert before we end the night.

Christmas 2015: Pizza and Us

                After watching the Lights and Sounds show in Ayala Triangle, we decided to stroll around Bonifacio Global City (BGC). We would like to have some pictures with all the gigantic decorations for the holiday season.

Aside from the nice deco around the area, there was also a live concert for free. With just a few people strolling around, you can simply just sit and listen to good music.

We are planning to buy some donuts for dessert, when my niece Lulu joined us. She won some Papa John’s pizza gift certificate so she brought with her one whole pizza for us to devour.  

It was around 11:00 PM in the evening when we decided to call the night off.  We still have a few slices of pizza so put it in the fridge and ate it the next day for brunch. :)

Atcharang Papaya -- A Labor of Love

  

Hubby volunteered to do the cooking for the Christmas Potlock party in Paranaque, so for this year I'll have a break from my cooking chores.

However, cooking is really something that I love to do, so for this year I'll attempt to make Atcharang Papaya and a little bit of Atcharang Sili. This is an attempt to replicate the Atcharang Papaya of my sister-in-law Ate Vi. Atcharang Sili on the other hand is for us to store the chiles.

The Atcharang Papaya that Ate Vi gave us was so good, I ate 90% of it. :). The one that I cooked is not as perfect as Ate Vi's version, but I think it will be a good side dish for all the sinful and fatty foods for the holiday season.

Making Atcharang Papaya is very inexpensive. For 100 pesos you can already make 3 medium size bottles. I bought most of the vegetables in the local market so it is quite inexpensive in comparison to the prices at the grocery store.

The twist or the kick of the atchara would come from the quality of the vinegar that will be use. Since we have some sukang sasa from Bicol, which is sweeter compared to other vinegar, I have used it to reduce the amount of sugar for the dish.

This very inexpensive dish is labor intensive. Grating 3 papaya takes a lot of time, energy and patience. As I remember, this side dish is usually served in local barrio weddings. It is usually cooked and made by groups of women in the barrio. I remember watching them as they chat and grate the papaya to perfection. It is then stored for a day or two before it is served on the bride and groom's feast day.

Ingredients: grated papaya, grated carrots, diced bell pepper, red onion and garlic

with vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar

3 easy steps:

1. Grate and chop all ingredients. Squeeze the excess liquid from the grated papaya and carrots.

2. Cook the vinegar, sugar, with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, Do not stir.

3. Once the vinegar mixture is ready and slightly warm, mix all the ingredients. Store and enjoy.

*The process for atcharang sili is the same, just replace the papaya with chilies

I remember my Aunts with neighbors and friends as they make this dish during special occasions. There is like an assembly line of cooks with assigned tasks. There is someone who grates the papaya, another would chop the other ingredients and another would do the cooking of the vinegar and the mixing of the ingredients -- and before the dish is stored, the designated "specialist" would taste the dish to ensure the right blend of spices. 

This is how I inherited my love for the kitchen, spending my childhood with my Aunt's who spends most of their time cooking and preparing food for everyday meal and special occasions.

And so, after recalling all the good memories to enhance my energy to finish the dish, I finally made it. After the labor intensive grating and chopping process, I think I won't be doing it again. It is a dish that needs to be cooked with some companions. :)

Love at Sixth: Remembering our Wedding Day

A Second Chance is a very timely movie for our 6th Wedding Anniversary. We may have our own set of arguments and misunderstandings, but just like Popoy and Basha, we can relate to the love that they shared with each other and as well as their commitment to keep their marriage bond.

Marriage is a commitment and a test of maturity. Love is the core of marriage, but as time goes by new values needs to develop in order to shield the love. These values needs to outgrow immature emotions like jealousy, insecurity, anger and dormancy of passion.

Some would disagree with our threesome date, but sometimes we need to make a better choice. Since we cannot just leave Rhian, she is always a part of our date. Since it is a decision that we both agreed to, we are still able to enjoy each others company.

We've always wanted to make things simple. Thus, a movie and a dinner date is good enough to celebrate our married life for six years. Sometimes we have grand plans for vacation, but we make it to a point that it is well-planned and well-spent. We are always after the memories -- it is what makes life meaningful for us.

A simple date started with...

A movie...

A movie is never complete without some popcorn, so we bought some drinks and Chef Tony's popcorn. My husband suggested that I buy some tissues as well-- just in case. It was good though I did not end up with tears as I watched the movie. It may be due to the fact that our relationship had gone through tough challenges and we were able to go over it with God's love. And so, every scene was enjoyed with the popping goodness of Chef Tony's popcorn.

Dinner date...

After the movie we went to Banapple for dinner. Banapple food is on the sweet side so Raffy and Rhian enjoyed the meal, but the cake we ordered was too sweet even for Rhian.

Chicken Breast Parmigiano

Salpicao Rafael

Super Caramel Fudge Cake 

The ambiance in Banapple was so homey, it feels like dining in an indoor patio.

After dinner, we had a few stroll around the area, with all the simple memories for the day.

With God, I have high hopes and confidence that the bond between me and my husband would last a lifetime. I cannot share any perfect formula for a perfect marriage, but what I am certain of is that with God as our guide we will always be able to walk on the right path and make the best of both of our lives.

Christmas 2015: The Moon, the Lights and Everything Nice

                Christmas is in the air. Since we spent Christmas in our home last year, we will be spending Christmas at Lolo and Lola’s house for this year. As we wait for Rhian’s Christmas vacation, we decided to enjoy the beauty of our home and the decorations around the area.

                Since the place is new last year, there were no Christmas decorations around the area, just a few corners with Christmas trees and decors. For this year, the place is filled with blue Christmas lights. It may not be grand by it is nice to feel the spirit of Christmas.

Aside from strolling around our place, my daughter also enjoyed the big round moon that lights up the sweet dreamy nights.

As the breeze cools down each night, we spent more and more time outside – playing and chatting with some hot chocolates, coffee or tea.

We decided to go for simple decorations for our own unit for this year, since we projected intensive work loads after Christmas. Just like our growing relationship, memories and love for each other, we will make Christmas happier and fancier in the upcoming years. Happy Holidays. :)

Rhian's Pizza Bash

             Time flies fast. My daughter is now 6 years old, one more year we will celebrate her 7th birthday. 

                Before she was born, me and my husband already agreed to give her a party for her 1st birthday, 7th birthday and and her 18th birthday. We always wanted her to perceive life in a very simple way. At a very young age, she is very particular with how she spends her allowance, she always saves for her good plans and endeavors.  She never asked for expensive toys. Simplicity and love is her happiness. My daughter is a child who enjoys simple pleasures with grand dreams. 

               There are moments when she speaks to us about her plans in the future. Her dreams to be successful in her endeavor is fueled by her faith in God and love for family. Sometimes she expresses difficulty in some of the challenges that she encounters, as parents we try to be  supportive without going over board.

                For her 6th birthday, we agreed to assist her organize a small party with newly found friends, both in school and in our home.   

School Party

             To make it convenient for the kids and to make sure Rhian's birthday blowout will not make any mess, we decided to order from Jollibee some Chicken Spaghetti Meal. Initially, we planned to get some pizza for the school party, but we decided to change it to make sure all kids would love the food. 

             For dessert, we decided to buy Caramel Bars from Max Restaurant. Most of the kids like it as well, but it was not really a big hit. I guess if it is a kids party, Jollibee would always be the safest choice. 

               For the drinks, we decided to buy some Minute Maid orange juice drink instead of soda. We thought it would be better for the kids to have something healthy . 

                Rhian's classmates were very nice and well-behaved. They were all very adorable.

Rhian's classmates and Teacher Diane:)

Pizza with Rhian's Neighborhood Friends

The Preparation

            We initially wanted to just eat out for Rhian's birthday or maybe go on vacation. Rhian said she would be okay to just stroll around for the long weekend. Days before her birthday, we changed our mind, so Rhian decided to organize a last minute Pizza Party with her friends at home. 

             With just a few creative ideas, Rhian started to make some decorations for her pizza party. Just like all activities that we have at home, we always make it as a learning opportunity for her.

The Party

The clubhouse in our place is not yet completed, so we decided to just held the small party inside our unit. Usually Rhian and her neighborhood friends play in the afternoon, so we decided to have the party around 4:00 PM. It was simple, it was like the usual afternoon playtime with friends, the only difference is that there are some food to munch into while they play.

                                                                 Rhian's Pizza Party!

Food and Friends

Friends and Food 

Food and Games

The Details

The Theme: Pizza! Pizza!

      Pizza is Rhian's comfort food. She always eat it with her cousin Ate Lulu.Most of the time when we go out together with Kuya Benjie, Ate Vi and cousins, we always eat together at a pizza place. 

The Invitation

         I forgot to take some pictures of the hard copy of the invitation that we gave out, so what I have below are the templates. Rhian and I made it together with the help of Microsoft Paint :)

Invitation Template and Giveaway Printout

The Menu

     We just had the basic birthday party menu. Spaghetti, Pancit, Broiled Chicken, Baked Macaroni, Hotdogs and of course Pizza.

The Decorations 

         It is hard to find cohesive decorations for a pizza party, so we decided to do some on our own. It was also a good time for Rhian to exercise her creativity and planning skills. 

Birthday Tarp

        We made the birthday tarp from 5 coupon bonds, we made a layout via Microsoft Word then we attached the printed templates. It was as easy as pie.

Utensils

     We used blue and red plastic plates to hold the paper plates. It is simple and convenient, no need to worry about the dishes after the party.

      We just bought some plastic spoon and forks with multiple colors. To make the presentation cohesive with the theme we placed the spoon and fork inside decorated glasses. We just bought some fancy papers to cover the glasses.

Baderitas

         The idea came from google. We googled what are the kinds of decorations that can be used for a pizza party and we picked the easiest -- banderitas with red, yellow, green and white colors. It is an easy and fun thing to do for a 5 year old kid who is turning 6. :)

Party Hats

          We also made customized party hats that resembles a chef's hat. The paper that we bought is not as sturdy as expected but when the hat was worn the expected result was delivered. We forgot though to distribute it to the kids before the party. Oh well, the fun is still there though :)

Placemats

         We also made customized placemats. It was completed without a hassle. With decorative paper and double sided tape, it was done in 15 minutes. We would be using it to adorned the table for added effect.

Table Set Up

          On the day of the celebration, this is how the birthday table looked like. Simple and chic for my daughter's neighborhood friends. 

Food

     Raffy's turbo broiled chicken is our favorite, so instead of ordering some lechon manok we just decided to broil some at home.

Drinks

       Softdrinks goes well with pizza so we bought some and labeled it with to match the party theme.

Pizza

        We just made a call and the pizza is delivered right at our doorstep. Hot and fresh.

Chicken

                                                           Broiled chicken ala Rafael

Pasta and Pancit

        We also ordered some spaghetti from Amber. We decided to order instead of cooking it to avoid getting messed up before the party. What we did is to add to it our home cooked Baked Macaroni and of course Pancit.

Hotdogs

          It is the kids favorite. It is definitely a must in any children's party. :)

Cake

         We decided to go for the  Choco Velvet Oreo Cake from Goldilocks. Red Ribbon cake was also brought by Rhian's cousin Kuya Ogie. 

Games

         We just prepared a few games that Rhian and her friends can play, in case they get bored. Playing after the party will definitely be a random activity, since they always spend the time playing in the afternoon. 

        After eating some pizza, they spent the entire afternoon doing their usual routine and also they played "Pass the Meatballs" -- but this time it is named "Pass the Plate".

Party Favors 

       We just made small party favors to say thank you to our kiddie guests. As planned, it was just a small get together party, nothing grand. It was fun though :)

       Now that Rhian is growing up fast, her interest and her plans are also growing. With her new learnings and skills, she can now creatively create ideas for her own mini parties and soon I may just need to refer to an article in her very own blog. :)

Happy birthday Rhian, we love you so much! :)