Friday Appreciation

The flag outside the office captured during my usual walk in the hallway on the third floor of the building.

Happy Philippine Independence Day!

My sister was right, unlike citizens of other countries who grandly celebrates independence day, Filipinos take this day as another day to be lazy or to get on a getaway. I, on the other hand, took this day to rest. My body’s kind of in a brink of breaking down from all the stress and lack of sleep (a 90/50 blood pressure???). This is one day break from work I am really thankful of. But I cannot say that I didn’t enjoy this week’s work because besides from being tired, I had fun this week.

Our regional counterparts from all over the Philippines came to Manila for a two-day orientation. It was such a delight to see fresh faces at work after my almost three years. What’s more is that I get to host the event (kilig!).

Finally! Fresh faces!

Mindanao cluster where I belong + the chief

More than the fact that I met new people (and hopefully gained new friends), it was such a comfort to know that there are also young people like me in 16 regions of the Philippines who share my advocacy and passion in agriculture and fishery, or at least are willing to be influenced by it. Influence people: check!

After the program proper, the familiar relief flooded me. The usual photo op happened, and I was happy to get another photo with the team I grew very fond of at work.

Chief + Me + Pogi + Sis + Mother Hen

Last on the gratitude journal this week is seeing a good friend and making Original Sin as part of her birthday celebrations.

24 banana chocochip muffins for Yna's 24 years!

O how great my weekdays were! Happy, happy weekend, everybody!

– C

Friday Appreciation

The hours of the days are not enough for me to squeez everything I need to finish at work. I’ve been spending after office hours in the office. I mean, how tiresome is that, right? There are still tons of agri and fishery concerns that I have to review, document and monitor. I have an orientation to host by Monday and two presentations to make for that day. What I am left are only today and probably Saturday if I opt to go on over time – unpaid, by the way. And at times like this, I find it very difficult to appreciate life in general. The fact that Tuktuk was closed last night (I went there for dinner after swimming)??!! C’mon! I ended up eating at a fastfood. All the more reason to find beauty in every day.

This was given to me by a friend who recently visited the Philippines.

This week, I am soley happy to the joy chocolate has to offer. I have been little by little consuming this after dinner. The thought of coming home and eating this after a whole tiring day in the office is such a comfort.

I hope you also find some little joys at home! Happy weekend.

– C

Books + Crusty Bread and Frittata + A Little Pampering

Sir Ed in his little book kingdom.

Where did I go?

Jerbs Bookstore along Guadalupe. There is a small store along Guadalupe that most people don’t know about (or noticed for that matter) which sells, rents and exchanges pre-loved books for cheaper price. The owner, Sir Ed, who is also the one who maintains the store always gives me a warm smile whenever I scavenge for good reads. He’s also very witty and would often recommend books for the genre you are after. This guy knows his books! He even mentioned to me last Friday night that he has 700 books on his reading list. Crazy, I know, but I feel amazing knowing such kind of person.

This is heaven for bookworms like me.

I need some corny.

Ayu Thai Spa. The short but packed trip in CDO left my body aching for some kneading. After a long Saturday, I headed to this place and let my body relaxed. I was so tempted to eat at the Tuktuk (this is the hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant I was telling you about), but decided to just sleep on the craving.

Metro Market! Market! The fridge (and I) really need some supplies.

Salon. My boss was styling purple nails last week, and it was so cool that I want to color my nails too. I got a blue-greenish shade, and was so happy that I plan to use open toed shoes for work this week. I also got my almost-bushy brows a trim.

The feet and the feed!

What did I bake?

Semi-wheat bread. I don’t know if there is such a thing but I made this bread made out of ordinary flour, wheat flour and wheat bran. Oh, and I added some dried thyme! I basically just dumped all the dry ingredients in my bowl, mix the water and yeast in another, and mix them together. I knew right there and then that it will smell amazing once it hit the oven. I got a little panicky when after an hour of letting it rest, the dough is not yet doubling its size. I realized that the water I used might be too hot that it might have killed most of the active dry yeast. After another two hours, the bread did rise but not as much as I expected. Nevertheless, the bread turned out just as rustic and crusty – a little packed but still yum, and oh so fragrant!

Nothing critical here.

Some salt…

A bit of herbs…

Dry meets wet.

See? They’ll all come together just like that. It’s like magic!

A closer look to that beauty.

Let the dough rest and rise.

….only mine stayed flat 😦

But they still look awesome!

Just before it hits the hot oven, give these loaves some attitude!

Look at them…just look at these two!

I cannot even begin to tell you how victorious it feels pulling freshly baked bread from the oven. And the smell of these loaves, my gosh!

Potato, tomato and mushroom frittata. Out of desperation to eat something good for Saturday lunch (there was no food left in the fridge since Wednesday night!), I invented a recipe. I didn’t have a recipe for a frittata, really. There are left over potato, some dried mushrooms and tomatoes in the apartment which I decided to utilize. The eggs I bought from the tindahan ng kapitbahay. After rehydrating the mushrooms, I sauteed them with the tomatoes and potatoes, piled them in the dish, poured the beaten eggs with milk, topped with cheese and popped the dish in the oven. Ting! And lunch was served.

You wouldn’t ask for more.

Note to self: DO NOT LET THE POTATOES BROWN.

Vegetables done! Next, eggs.

While you’re at it, why not add some cream cheese?

Just before it hits the oven, ground some black pepper in there.

Oh, hello there! My first ever super successful frittata.

Hot, fragrant, creamy, and healthy (?)

I consumed both bread and eggs for lunch.

Closer look of the goodness.

What other things I did?

Aside from the obligatory laundry, I texted my Mama and called Ate Karen, stayed in my bed and read, glued my phone in my hands, and thought of what to eat next.

I had a really strong gingery black tea for dinner that I was awake until past 12 midnight. I almost didn’t make it to office morning cut-off!

To sum it all up, it was a pretty lazy weekend…refreshingly lazy.

Good Monday, yes?

– C

Morning Reads

Constant links on my tabs.

I was never a fan of newspaper reading in the morning. Growing up, watching the morning news while I eat my breakfast has been my custom. Even as an adult, I never learned to read the papers in the morning. But in the past months, I have learned to read blogs, at first, to kill boredom while I wait for my bread to toast and my tea to steep. But this has been habitual that I found myself enjoying the process of reading and looking at the wonderful photos. Since I spend most of my time working in the office, doing field work or just stuck in traffic, mornings have been the most ideal time to spend on leisure reading.

I want to share what blogs I’ve been following that keep me inspired and motivated week after week. You might want to check them if you’re feeling uninspired lately. Here they are:

1. Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily Schuman

I especially like her series on food and the links she loves. Her series, Weekly Wardrobe, has constantly inspired my own wardrobe for the office. The good vibe of her blog just simply influences the readers to be as blissful. I would really, really love to buy her books, but I still need to squeeze them in my too tight budget. Soon, though.

 2. My Name is Yeh by Molly Yeh

Molly Yeh’s photographs are very good – rustic, warm and happy. Her farm adventures remind me a lot of my own home in Nueva Ecija. And I adore her kitchen particularly her open shelf of baking ingredients. I’m also hoping to find my own eggboy someday.

 3. Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

 I like how Joy portrays the I don’t care if it will make me fat so long as it tastes good kind of attitude in her posts. Also, she makes the readers feel that she doesn’t keep secrets from them. If it’s good, she shares it.

4. Come Waste Your Time With Me by Patty Laurel-Filart

This blog is very inspiring as Patty Laurel-Filart is one amazing Filipina blogger that I look up to. There is just this yearning inside me to be like her someday. She just seems happy all the time.

5. 600 Acres by Posie Hardwood

I first encountered this blog thru following the site of Food 52 where Posie Hardwood is one of the constant contributors. Whenever I read her blog, my mind automatically travels into the times when I was still a little girl living in our small fish farm, lying on my warm bed and just staring at the shadows of the coconut trees in my windows. I can deeply connect on how her love for food and adventures rooted from her farm life as a youth.

I hope you enjoy these links as much as I do!

– C

Simply Five

Can someone tell me that today is Saturday and not Friday, and that I can stay in my bed the whole day? No? Okay. Friday then.

There are just a lot that happened in my week, including my first lone travel for work, the bad green tea latte I bought in a coffee shop at the airport, the almost three-hour delayed return flight to Manila and my first ever comedy bar experience!

I was alone in Cagayan de Oro City most of my weekdays to attend two meetings. I was stucked in the conference room the whole time, and if I was out, it’s either I was in the comfort room, fast asleep in my hotel room or traveling back to Manila. Nevertheless, these small moments of almost freedom, I took time to look and appreciate little amazing things about my life.

Here they are!

Celebrating little accomplishments. Yey!

Pepper finally finished her swimming lessons. Can’t wait to spend adventures with this kiddo!

My view from the hotel’s restaurant during Tuesday dinner.

I love this wall piece from the conference hall where my meetings were held.

I could go on roadtrips in CDO anytime with this no-traffic situation thank you!

Have a wanderful weekend, you guys!

– C

Cake Stand + Gourmand (2X) + Ginger Ale + BBW

Hi there!

Okay. Let’s do this!.

Friday.

I was about to leave the office early after drafting a whole lot of memorandum, resolutions and communication when Ate Gladys called up from Australia and asked me to edit her school paper. She just recently bought me a new mixer so this favor is chicken. I will edit all her papers if it means getting kitchen equipment for FREEEEEE! I’m patiently waiting for the arrival of the mixer here!

I met Ate Karen in BGC. We looked at some crafts’ boutique and was happy find this green cake stand. Our first ever!

First of the many!

We ate dinner at Gourmand (Pronounced as goor-mand. Yep! I searched about it.). Gourmand means a person who loves to eat and often eats waaaay too much. Anyways, it was a weekend night market that ran from May 22-24, 2015 to showcase products, usually food, that were made with love straight from the kitchens. Ang daming pogi!

It’s Gourmand, okay? Goor-mand! Haha.

Anyhoo, I was so happy to find there the old fashioned ginger ale by Stanford and Shaw Brewing Co. The first time I tasted it in the Muni Market, I was a convert. The combination of sweetness, the fizz and the lingering peppery taste after you swallow it is just the overall amazing experience one will feel upon hitting this drink. OMG, soooo good!

There is this Game of Thrones feels in this ale. Must be the “ale” part. This should be a regular member of my fridge!

I also tried the bagnet sisig of Mangong’s Bagnet and the cookies of The Baker Bros. They got me the wrong cookie – dark chocolate with mint – maybe because it was already raining and people started to scuttle. Point is, I’m not a very huge fan of mint in chocolates. Their cookies are delicious just the same. I slept dreaming of ginger ale, bagnet and cookies.

Saturday.

I had a deal with big sis. She did the laundry while I organized the shoe rack. You have to understand that cleaning our shoe rack has always been a challenging and nagging task for both me and my sister. But I braved it! You wouldn’t believe how much shoes our tiny apartment can hold. I lined them up and decided on each if they should stay or go. Finally, I asked an officemate if her church is still in need of shoes for donation. Luckily, she answered yes.

OMG!

Name it, we have it!

My first and only pair of Suelas. You did well, baby. Sadly, we will be parting very soon. 😦

These soft slippers are our feet essentials at home.

Uhm…I’m having a bit of a problem in here.

While big sis took her usual nap, I decided to do my own pedicure.

Going neon this time. And oh, the rug I bought from an Ate in the office. Pretty! 

We went back to the Gourmand! This time with big sis’ pretty boy, Dane. Third wheeling, I know. I’m an expert. Whatever.

Shamelessly third wheeling!

We happily introduced the ginger ale to Dane who instantly like it! I bought 2 bottles to store at home and another that went with our dinner – steeeeaaaaak! This combination is highly recommended, you guys! As dessert, we bought The Little Spatula‘s Cocoanut Bliss Balls and bought tea from Moonleaf. Did you know they have a takeout outlet in that little corner in BGC? No? Well, I’m telling you now.

These bad boys will sit on my fridge until such time I decide to consume them all at once. Hahaha!

Guilt-free dessert by The Little Spatula.

The balls and the booze!

My phone died, so I used Dane’s instead.

I bought gifts for a friend and an aunt.

This is such a nice gadget accessory organizer!

We called it a night when our tummies can no longer take another bite of Bliss Balls.

Sunday.

I had a 30-minute yoga the morning after I woke up. I felt guilty after two days of bingeing!

We spent our whole day baking, cooling the cake while reading, frosting and eating the cake with tea. Okay. The cake. Big sis cannot wait for the Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate cake mix to be all consumed, and I cannot wait to try out the new cake stand. We had a deal. We’ll make a double layer cake – one layer Ghirardelli and one layer banana cake. The banana cake was adopted from this recipe of The Cake Blog. I used oil instead of butter and it turned out just as fluffy and moist even after I refrigerated it for a couple of hours or so. The buttercream frosting was a left over from our previous baking. We added the walnuts (c/o Peps) for crunch. Ate Karen named if BBW Cake. As in Brownie, Banana and Walnut. It’s awesome seeing the cake sit in the fridge. It makes me smile every time.

Patiently cooling the cakes here!

Three gorgeous circles.

Then the buttercream comes to the scene!

And more buttercream!

Presenting the BBW Cake! That’s Brownie, Banana and Walnut Cake. Okay? BBW. Get it?

Show off!

Let me take a beautiful shot before it’s gone!

Of course, I paired it with tea!

Our dinner was composed of leftover red rice, spanish sardines, kimchi and poached egg all mixed in one bowl. It tasted sooooo much better than it looks!

They’re black but certainly not bland!

Please, please, tell me you had a wonderful weekend, too.

Happy come-back-to-work Monday!

– C

Take Five

Yey, it’s Friday – last working day for most of us! Many of you might have been spending your Fridays looking forward for the fun activities you so carefully planned for the weekend. I used to be like you. But from now on, I will spend my Fridays not only looking forward for my weekend but also looking back to what transpired from my Monday through Friday. Specifically, I’d like to share to you the small details – that most people might not notice – which made me feel happy, excited, fulfilled and all other sort of positive vibes.

Here are the five things that made this week really special.

A funny drawing of Leny (an officemate) by Alvin (another officemate)

An officemate brought these boxes of buko (coconut) pie from Laguna for everyone in the office. Isn’t he the sweetest?

I felt like a grade schooler receiving her first star!

Back to Army Gym for some late night swimming

Guess what? I discovered a hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant just 10 minutes away from my apartment. This Pad Thai of theirs is my favorite!

What made your week extraordinary?

Happy weekend, people!

– C

Project Saturday + Sunday

Hi!

How was your weekend? Did you eat your favorite ice cream, stayed in your pajamas until 3 in the afternoon, or read that book that has been in your bedside for months? Whatever you did these past two days, I wish you had all the fun…as usual.

Anyway, this weekend’s projects are both unusual and familiar. I know. Weird.

I woke up past 8 o’clock because no matter how much I tried to sleep past that, I can’t. Body clock sheez! I grabbed the egg bin, attacked the only vegetable (carrot) in the fridge, handful of cubed white cheese, some pepper, a dash of dried rosemary and chilli flakes, and poof, I’m ready for a frittata never was! Though it tasted tolerable, it didn’t have the best appearance. I was disappointed that almost everything fell from my ladle when I tried to flip the whole thing from the pan. I didn’t take a photo of the disaster, obviously, which I regretted. I reminded myself to document both the disasters and the successes in my kitchen endeavors. Luckily, my sister was fine with everything I put in her plate.

Frittata (or not) in the making

Dearest sister was off to a sports fest after breakfast which left me with the hill of soiled clothes that badly needed to be washed. Thank heavens, laundry is my thing! I did some cleaning in the bathroom and the kitchen, too. Na-very good ako ni Ate Karen! I was hungry, tired and sweating like a pig by the time I was finished with the house chores.

After resting and filling my tummy with what was left in the fridge, it was time for Project Saturday. If you are following me through Facebook (I hope you do!), you would know that I also co-own the small online bake sale, Original Sin, with my sister. Every Saturday, we try to bake something new apart from our original selection. That said, I will be posting my Project Saturday together with my Weekend Wonders here as it is only fitting.

So…I was off to baking, the best part of my weekends…ALWAYS! The goal: USE COCO JAM which an officemate so kindly bought for me in Bicol. I originally planned to make a full cake with coco jam center filling and cream cheese frosting. But tired as I am, I didn’t think that my arms can stand a long time of whisking batter and more whisking for the frosting. The next, but still best, option is CHEEEEEEESECAKE or the Coco Caramel and Walnut Cheesecake. Yep, I invented that name! Hihihi!

BUT THE EGG BIN WAS EMPTY!

Where are the eggs???

I found myself walking to the nearby store to buy eggs! Desperate (haha!). Few minutes after, eggs are in my work table. I was happy.

First, the sweet and flaky crust, then the creamy, tangy filling, and finally…the coconutty, sticky and dark topping, plus a little extra crunch from walnuts. I will just let the  photos speak from here on, and imagine your nods and smiles.

All the good for the crust!

So happy just seeing those eggs 🙂

Butter working overtime in here!

You know your crust will be amazing when it does not stick in your fingers like this.

And also when it comes together like this! 🙂

Spread and press!

Then flatten. Just like that. Simple.

Feeling filling!

Filling, crust and topping. YUUUUM!

Of course I’m not professional and I make mistakes along the way of baking. I will still eat this. I bet you would, too!

Coco jam to the rescue! Hihihi

And more rescuing here, you guys!

And a little flattery from our friend, walnut

This is not a pie. This is a council meeting of unknown insects.

Dark, dark pool of goodness!

By Sunday, it was Ate Karen’s turn on cleaning as I wait for the butter to soften. An officemate ordered some (very) good old Pistachio-Choco Chip Oatmeal Cookies for Monday. What to do while waiting for your butter to soften? DO SOME ART!

One of the pro parts of Saturday cleaning was gathering materials to be recycled, such as used yogurt plastic jars. Once cleaned, they are perfect as herb jars. With the limited lessons in watercolor painting I had last February from Gail Javier of Paper Stars (you may check her works and schedule of workshops here), I tried to label the jars accordingly. Though my painting style (painting style talaga?) will not make it to the museums, they are respectable enough for the kitchen. The calligraphy was my sister’s.

Art in my super cramped room

Can you recognized what could be inside the jars based on the paintings?

Oh, how I love herbs!

Finally, labeled properly!

After labeling the jars and my sister’s tidying, the butter was soft enough for the cookies. The fragrance of the batter as it baked in the oven made me high. Like what Edward Cullen said:”Like my own personal brand of heroine” (I’ve read the books. I know. Don’t preach!) The cookies are buttery, tenderly crumbly in the outside, chewy in the inside, sweet, and surprisingly creamy because pistachios!

Nothing too much! 😉

Essentials: chocolates and nuts

Sneak peek!

Almost!

And just like that, pure goodness straight out of the oven!

To end the weekend, my sister and I went out for dinner at the Blackbird with friends.

Friends (Photo by Cyhsi Barroga)

I’d like to hear about your weekend, too.

Happy Monday!

– C

What Is My Favorite Color?

I don’t know, really.

What I know is that I love the color of the sky when the sun starts to peek through the morning clouds or just when it starts to disappear in the darkness of the coming night. I am always mesmerized with the effect of the burst of light in the horizon at the beginning and the end of the day. Both moments are just very warm and comforting.

Here are some of the best views of the sky that I captured in my phone while riding the bus going home or back to the metro, or the train, or while sipping tea in the balcony.

I hope you spend some of your time appreciating the sun and the sky this afternoon!

– C

So…Weekend

Mine started Friday night. From work, I went straight to the bus station, waited patiently for my turn and Ate Karen’s arrival, hop in, closed my eyes, and just like magic, I’m in Nueva Ecija. I swear, I time travelled! Before midnight, I was, again, greeted by the coconuts trees and the warm summer night air of home.

Saturday morning was not one of my favorite mornings. The house was a mess! Obviously, my Mama, Ate Joy, brother-in-law and little Pepper had a busy week, too. At least I am not alone in that aspect. Thank goodness, I brought home with me a week of soiled clothes to busy myself with. Wash, wash, wash! I felt instantly better after doing some hand work.

After, I busied myself prepping for lunch while Ate Karen and little Pepper whipped some cheesecake in the kitchen. The cheesecake pie was unusually brown. Nope, it was not burnt. My sister opted to use brown confectioner’s sugar because we had a big pack open. She refused to open a box of regular (white) one for reasons only thrifty people like us would understand.

She topped the pie with wild blueberry preserve which she bought from her recent trip in Sagada. The smell of creamcheese and the sweet berries made me want to grab the spoon and eat the pie straight from the pan! Sadly, no one – not even little Pepper – was allowed to touch the pie until Sunday morning for Mother’s Day.

With the pie off hand, I slept, woke and grabbed the spatula and the bowl for my own share of baking. I made a dozen each of banana and carrot muffins for my friends.

I’d like to say that nothings was really very special with the muffins, but my baker self refused not to recognized that I added surprise centers to the muffins. I put chocolate kisses on the banana muffins and cubed cream cheese (I froze them!) in the center of the carrot muffins. I love surprises!

By past 6:00 in the evening, everyone in the house was in a hurry to catch Mama’s Igorot dance performance. She, together with some of our kababaryo competed in the town fiesta’s Sayaw ang Lahi contest as part of the town’s fiesta’s celebration. It was Llanera’s 60th Founding Anniversary and the 7th Kapagayan Fiestival.

I did know my Mama was such a poised dancer. For the past weeks, she’d been telling me stories of the long hours she spent practicing the dance. Both men and women were garb in traditional Igorot clothes. Yes, with putong and banga and bahag.

The moment I saw their performance, I knew they’re going to win. And they did! The shouting and the cheer of my fellow residents of Sta. Barbara was priceless when they were announced as the first prize winner.

Since it was fiesta, I was taken back to the time when my grandmother used to tag me along with my cousins in that same place to enjoy the perya. My last memory was when we all rode the horror train. I tried to play an old game to reminisce.

I went to bed that night feeling happy to witness another side of my Mama and to be able to visit a long gone tradition. The next day, I forced myself to wake up before 5:00 AM. It was a storm-is-coming kind of morning and it was Mother’s Day! What better dish to serve but something soupy. We had some leftover rice noodles perfect for pho. Chicken, herbs and fresh vegetables topped the noodles. Everything scalded with broth. Yum!

And it was finally legit to consume the cheesecake pie! Yehey!

After finishing a hot bowl of pho and a mug of equally hot milktea, I was off with my muffins to meet with some friends I have not see for a while. We were supposed to trek up the Pinatubo crater but a storm was coming. We decided not to risk it and have a small swimming party instead. The meet-up was actually for the benefit of Peps and Keb who work from other countries. It will probably years again before I see the couple together. Can I just say that thought they are the weirdest couple I know (I hope they won’t read this post), Peps and Keb are two of my favorite people in the whole wide world? So back to the swimming party. We did some barbeque. Wait. Actually, I did all the grilling while they all chatted, but anyway. So, we did barbeque, jumped into the pool and tested Keb’s new GoPro (photos and videos soon. promise!).

By past 5:00 PM, I had to leave to catch a bus back to Metro Manila. As I sat alone in the bus I watch the sun set like I always have, and I realized how blessed I was to have such a wonderful weekend.

By Monday, I was already feeling sickly because of too much heat (from the grilling, I’m guessing. Hehe), excitement and lack of sleep.

I hope you had a great weekend, too!

– C