3rd Wedding (8th) Anniversary, and we’re off to Rome!

(via)

Three years of marital bliss and 8 wonderful years of being together, now this occasion needs to be celebrated with a bang. This thought kept running through Honey’s and my mind when we were trying to plan for our anniversary get away. We wanted to celebrate in a place that is also special, if not as special as the occasion is for us. After considering a lot of factors and our circumstances, honey and I finally decided that the perfect place would be in Rome, Italy. We also settled for a date that is less than a month earlier than our anniversary thinking that on our anniversary, I’ll be 30 weeks pregnant and we’re not sure if I’m still up to the task of walking around to explore a beautiful city.

Looking back, I can’t find the words enough to express my gratitude on all the blessings that God has showered upon us. And as tiring as the last weeks have been, the downpour of blessings have been undeniable. More so, I can’t thank God enough for the love, happiness, peace and all the other wonderful gifts he bestowed upon our marriage (and our relationship) over the years.

Honey and I are excited to explore a famed city that we’ve never been to before to celebrate our special day knowing that next year, we’ll have a little angel tagging along with us.

Finally!!! After weeks of waiting, we’re heading off to our trip. After weeks that have been crazy busy, a week of lounging in the pool, lazily strolling to witness the famed sites and feasting on authentic Italian feast is a much welcome relief.

My very own Personal Chef

From the moment I discovered the magic that is baking, I have started drooling over the Kitchen Aid stand mixers. I would imagine how much fluffier my cakes would be, how much faster I can whip up frostings and how easier it would be for me to knead my bread (special my pandesal which our friends here always request for). I have my mind set on having one and I even listed it on my Christmas wish list . However, after checking the prices on line, I was surprised. A kitchen aid model which costs around $250 in the US would be had here in Europe at around €450… what kind of conversion is that?!?

During Christmas season, honey kept on insisting that he’ll just buy me the Kitchen Aid but being the wise shopper that I’d like to think myself of, I told him to hold it off and I’ll do some more researching. After combing the internet far and wide and browsing through reviews upon reviews of stand mixers available in the European market, I have concluded that the better alternative for me is to get a Kenwood mixer. There are reviews that even go as far as saying that KAs available in Europe are not as good as those in the US, this I’m not sure of. I was so surprised when I learned that the specifications of a Kenwood mixer are much better than that of a KA and it’s cheaper. Apart from that, all the reviews for Kenwood have nothing but good things to say about the product, how durable and versatile it is. The only edge KA has over Kenwood is the variety of funky colours. I am more than convinced so I told honey I found the mixer that I really want.



Without much prodding, honey and I ordered the product online and last thursday, honey came home with a huge box in tow. We’ve finally got our very own Kenwood Chef Classic. I immediately popped in the DVD included on the package on the player and honey was amazed by the range of things this chef can do. We can buy additional attachments to even increase the range of what our chef can do in the kitchen, it’s simply amazing.

Of course I donned my apron and baking mittens during the weekend and had a little baking frenzy at my kitchen after all my chef and had some getting-to-know to do… For our first adventure together, we made some blueberry muffins and japanese cheesecake. I must say, I couldn't be any happier with its performance.

Meat Haven and Holy Cow Chop House

Honey and I, we both love our meat, and given the opportunity, we are willing to sample a good steak. Honey, more than me, is in a quest to find the steak the best steak for him. See, honey’s criteria does not only grade the steak itself but also the condiments and side dishes that goes with it. So far, if my memory serves me right, the top two steaks on his list are the one that we had at Planet Hollywood in Dubai and the steak from Wilma & Albert here in the Netherlands.

During our holidays in the Philippines, I told honey we should try the steaks here in Manila as well, only thing is, there are just so many restaurants that we want to try that is why trying out steaks take the back seat. However, after visiting my very friendly OB-Gyn, my sister A, honey and I had our lunch at Robinson’s Place Ermita and while looking at possible options where to dine, I saw Holy Cow Chop House. The restaurant looked so inviting and I remember having read great reviews about this restaurant so off we went and grabbed a seat. For starters, we ordered calamari and nachos, both were really good. For our main course, my sister and I had the Tiger Prawn and Steak Platter while honey ordered the Rib Eye Steak. I really liked the mushroom sauce that was served with the steak, although the tiger prawns were a bit bland and dry for my taste. I think the steak that honey ordered was a real winner, it was tender, the juice oozing with beefy goodness and cooked just right (you see honey and I prefer our steaks to be well done but still juicy) and the matching side dishes and mushroom sauce perfectly blends to the creaminess of the meat. Paired with a tall glass of lemonade, this is one satisfying lunch. Too bad, all of us were too stuffed to order dessert, next time.

(calamari)

(honey's steak)

(tiger prawns & steak)
Although Holy Cow’s steak didn’t make it to honey’s list of favorite steaks, their steaks are definitely worth a try. I know we will once we’re back in Manila.

Bohol Sea Adventure

Our third day was spent basking in the glorious sun, sand and beach of Bohol. We were fetched by our bangkero, kuya George at around 5:30 to start our sea tour bright and early. As part of our itinerary, we were scheduled to watch dolphins at play, snorkel (well honey snorkelled, while I fed the fishes from the small boat) at fish sanctuary and island hop to Balicasag and Virgin (Pontod) Island.



I was surprised that as early as six in the morning when we reached the spot where the dolphins were supposed to show up, there were a lot of other boats, passengers of which were also tourists like us hoping to get a glimpse of the marvellous sea creature. We saw a couple of them dolphins jumping about but each time that we would go closer to the last spot where the dolphins were seen, all the rest of the boats followed suit and the dolphins just swam and went to a completely new spot. After an hour or so of aimlessly going about the wide area, although we did saw some flips and flaps from the ever elusive dolphins, I begun to feel tired of running after them and told Kuya George that we might as well go the next stop. Little did I know that where we were going next would be a much better location for us to spot the flirtatious swimming of these intelligent creatures. I couldn’t help but wonder why kuya George would want to spend all those time running after the elusive dolphins in the first spot. He explained to us that in the first spot that went to, the dolphins were much bigger and they are more playful. Oh, well, I was more than happy to just get closer to the dolphins, the flips and flaps of the bigger ones were a mere bonus.



Next, off we went to the fish sanctuary where honey snorkelled the entire day. I opted to join him and went into the small boat that we rented and thinking that I won’t be going in the water so I can take the camera with me. We took the bangkero’s advice and bought some crackers with us to the snorkelling site. At first, I thought I’d be bored to death while waiting for honey to finish exploring the fish sanctuary. However, while honey was busy floating and dipping and flapping away through the beautiful corals, I took some crackers and dipped my hand in the water. I was amazed by the number of fishes that came to my hand, the crystal clear water made it so easy to see all the fishes and I sure am glad I brought the camera, I took pictures of the fishes as they feasted on the crackers I gave them. I didn’t even have to ask if honey had a grand time, his smile said it all. We were nicely brown and toasted from the burning sun when we went back to the bank where a hearty lunch was waiting for us.






(virgin Island)

After lunch, honey did some more dipping and flapping in the beach but I managed to pull him off from the shore and we went to our last stop for the day, the Virgin Island. This is a half circle stretch of white sand beach that people can see during low tide but is completely out of sight during high tide. This was where we found the henna tattoo guys. Since I’m not allowed to swim and honey also wanted to get henna so badly, we spent half an hour or so waiting for the guy to finish the tattoos. I must say, I loved how my tattoo turned out, it’s so intricate and pretty.



When we finally returned to our hotel, I can’t believe how tired I was, I guess the heat of the sun really took a toll on me. However I must say that I haven’t seen a beach more pristine or sand finer than the ones I have seen in Bohol. It’s breath taking.

Countryside Tour Bohol Part 2 of 2

The incessant coughing and sneezing coupled with the flu and fever that bugged honey and me down for the past couple of days made our wonderful trip to Bohol seems so distant now. That is why I must follow up on my previous post to relax my mind and remind myself of the recent good times that honey and I had in that wonderful island.

The Loboc River lunch and cruise left me yearning for a bed to nap (oh well, in my present condition, my body seems to always long for a bed to doze off) however, that sleepiness lasted only for a couple of minutes for the moment we saw the countryside leading to the place where we would soon be visiting the tarsier, our eyes couldn’t help but feast on the wonderful scenery. We reached the tarsier sanctuary in no time and I almost leaped out of the van as I was so enthused to finally see the infamous tarsier of Bohol. The moment I saw them cute little primates, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh wow… they are so freakin’ cute!” Indeed they were so cute, I wanted to reach out for one of them and start pinching them. Oh, of course I didn’t! I contented myself with feeding them crickets (crickets on stick - which at first gave me goose bumps) and taking their pictures.





I was bummed to leave them cute tarsiers but we had to carry on with our tour. Next stop was the other infamous gem of Bohol… the Chocolate Hills. On our way to the hills, K regaled us with the cheesy legend of the Chocolate hills. She said that one of the more famous legends tells a story of a giant who fell in love with a beautiful lady. Now this beautiful lady was engaged to be married and a part of the wedding ceremony, she has to bathe in the lake naked. Now the giant saw her and couldn’t help but reach out to her. Once the giant picked her up the lady was overcome by fear and died. The giant mourned the death of her loved one and cried for so many days. The tears dried up and up to this day stand as the symbol of the Giants grief and are now what we know the Chocolate Hills. I told you it was cheesy!



K told us that we had to climb hundreds of steps to fully appreciate the beauty of the chocolate hills from the viewing deck. I must say, as mushy as the legend is, there was nothing cheesy about the splendour that greeted us. The moment we were on top, we tried to catch our breath, not only from the steep climb but also because of the beauty that welcomed us. The viewing deck gave as a 180 degree-view of the hills and they were simply majestic. Such a shame this site didn’t make it as a finalist to the 7 wonders of nature for it’s truly breathtaking.

From the chocolate hills, we stopped by the man made forest going to the giant python, Prony. The man made forest has been an initiative of the local government to help the once deteriorating forest of the island and after 50 years, the trees have been kept safe from loggers and they are constantly being monitored. Such feat should be followed by other LGUs I think.

After the man made forest stop, we went on and visited Prony, she is the largest python in captivity ever known (via). In this python sanctuary, it was not the python that caught my fancy, it was Marimar, and he referred to himself as Prony’s twin. What initially caught my attention was when he greeted us in Dutch (heck he knew more Dutch than I do). He started telling us Prony’s history, his eating habits and finally asked us if we want to see him perform which of course we readily agreed. He was amazing, he hung himself upside down while lip synching a Regine Velasquez song. He was really pretty with his make up and the red dress that he was wearing, I even told honey that he really looks like Michael V. (when Michael V dresses up like a woman).





After being amused with Marimar, err Prony, we passed by a bolo making house (there was nothing special there) and a nipa weaving lady (also nothing special there) before we finally made it to Baclayon church. Baclayon church is the second oldest church in the Philippines (next to San Agustin church in Intramuros). The massive walls and the tainted glasses gave me a feeling that I’m somehow in the Spanish era. Honey and I took turns in taking pictures and K kindly asked us if we want our picture taken. She picked the spot where to take the picture and when we all looked at the picture she has taken, she pointed out to the wall which eerily seemed to have a face on it. She said that the face has started to appear a couple of months ago and a lot of people are saying that the face looks like Father Pio (I’m not sure who he is).




Our last stop for the day was the souvenir shop, of course no tour is complete without souvenir shopping. We hoarded several delicacies and some pasalubongs.

The entire day was tiring but it was so worth it. It really pays off to have knowledgeable and nice people to show you around their town. Thanks to K and Kuya Ferry for the unforgettable tour, honey and I enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Countryside Tour Bohol Part 1

Honey and I stayed for 4 days in Bohol. The first day was our free day which was spent in the beach, me lounging under the coconut tree while watching (and getting envious) as honey swam his heart out in the beach and then in the pool, oh well I got to dip my feet in the pool and I got to walk in the beach as long as its only knee deep. Tough, tough, tough.

The following day was the day we explored the many wonders and great spots of Bohol. Our very nice driver, Ferry and our very well informed tour guide, K, took us to a lot of breath taking places in Bohol. Our first stop was the miraculous well of Mother Mary in Dauis Bohol, K explained that some time long ago there was a drought and all of a sudden, water sprung from the ground and the image of Mother Mary was seen floating above the spot were the water welled up and from then on the well never dried up. The other curious thing about this well is that the water is fresh while the entire island is surrounded by sea water. The people of the town built a church with the altar situated where the well sprung.


(the miraculous well)

Next stop was the popular blood compact monument. I’ve seen this site plenty of times in the past in pictures and in some movies as well, but I was not prepared by how beautiful the view is from the monument overlooking the sea and the landscapes of Bohol, it was amazing.




(beautiful Loboc River)

After taking in the beauty of the scenery of Bohol from the top of a cliff, we all decided that it was time to experience the Loboc river cruise where we will also be having our lunch. I believe this meal was one of the best we’ve had in Bohol, owing to the mouth watering mango and shrimp paste combo that I devoured all throughout the meal.

(our hearty lunch)

The painstaking view of the green river made the meal a lot more pleasant. There was also a singer who regaled us with old ballads. The cool breeze that touched my face was more than a welcome relief from the hot and humid weather. In the river bank abounds Nipa tree, all the while I thought they were small coconut trees.



Before we went back to the bank, we stopped by a settlement area for a tribe. We took photos of the native children while they were swinging from the trees with a rope. They even invited us to take a picture with a snake which we can hang over our shoulders, to which offer, honey and I both declined. Hehe.



No wonder a lot of people are enamoured by the charming town of Bohol. There are so many treasures waiting to be discovered. I can’t believe how much beauty we’ve witnessed just at the first part of our countryside tour.

A piece of Paradise in Bohol

One of the highlights of our recent Manila holidays was going to Bohol for a much needed R&R. Since this would be the last time that honey and I are travelling by ourselves, because soon enough we’ll have our little angel always with us, we wanted to make it extra special trip. We had to book everything at a very short period of time making it more difficult to have all our requirements met or otherwise making the trip very costly since it’s the peak season after all. Good thing one of my college friends, M, recently got married and had her honeymoon in Bohol just a few weeks earlier and she was able to recommend an agent who can take care of all our needs.

After browsing through websites and hotel and resort reviews, our first choice was to stay at the Amorita resort. However, after receiving the package options and price list from our very agent, we saw that our preferred resort costs twice as much as the resort that our agent recommends (which happens to be the same resort M and her husband stayed at and she had all nice things to say about it) with fewer inclusions. Our agent explained that this is because the resort is almost fully booked so the prices are much higher than their normal rates. So without thinking any further, we decided to go for Alona Tropical.



I must say, I couldn’t be any happier with our choice. The first indication that the resort really strives to give great service was when we arrived at the resort at around 9 am. Normally we would have to wait till 2pm before we could check in but they readied our room for us and checked us in immediately, without extra cost. At first we stayed at a beach front room that was quite further from the beach front but after soaking in the sun for a couple of hours, honey was able to request for a different room that was literally 10 steps away from the beachfront, perfect!

(in front of our beach front room)


(posing after taking a dip in the pool)

Since my OB in Manila told me that I was not allowed to swim, I had to content myself with lounging in front of the beach while dozing off or reading a book, that was when I noticed that the resort that we initially wanted to stay at was right next to Alona Tropical and that they don’t have a beach front of their own. Since they are located at the top of a cliff, their guests would have to go down the stairs (which would not have been very convenient at my present condition) and use the stretch of beach in front of Alona Tropical. That was when honey and I were convinced that we made the right choice. Anyway, we were able to savour the view from that resort the night we had dinner at their restaurant overlooking the beach stretch of Alona.


I would definitely recommend Alona Tropical to anyone who wants to go to Bohol. It offers great value for money, the service is impeccable, the amenities are great, I love the homey feel of the spacious and well kept rooms and it definitely made our stay in Bohol more special.

Dessert Discovery

A couple of weeks back, while browsing through blogs, i chanced upon a post about Estrel's caramel cake and how good they are. Being a dessert fanatic, I got curious and googled some more and found out that all hits refer to this cake as nothing less than remarkable. I can't believe that anything this good has escaped my radar for a long time. I told honey that once we're here in Manila, we have to drop by the shop and make sure to grab one of these caramel cakes everyone is raving about.



Last week, after accompanying honey and his cousin for a hair cut, we finally decided to look for the famed cake shop. It is a quaint space in the corner of a very busy street. The homey feel of the this shop adds to the charm of the desserts sold. Upon entering, there were several boxes lined up in the shelves so I immediately asked the nice lady for a box of their famous caramel cake. She told me that all the cakes are sold out all the rest of the boxes still in the shop are just waiting for their owners to pick them up. I was about to get so disappointed when the other person in the shop told the lady that they have one more box of cake to sell because there was a mistake in the order taken earlier in the day. The lady told us that we were quite lucky because normally, there are no more cakes for sale at that time of the day. We greedily grabbed the box and bought a box of food for the gods as well and went on our merry way home.

We immediately served the cake once we got home and everyone enjoyed it thoroughly because it's very fluffy, the sponge cake melts in your mouth, nothing I haven't had before but I believe that the best thing about this cake is the frosting, it was quite unique something I haven't tried before although it reminds me of cajeta, i can taste condensed milk in it but it is delicately sweet, not the uberly sweet kind. The food for the gods was a winner as well. I think i'll try my hand and make this caramel cake on my own and see how it turns out.

One should definitely try this cake, this can be a favorite during special occasions but it can get old after a while because this is the only cake that they make.

Creamy Heaven

For as long as I could remember, I have been in constant search for the best cheesecake. From the best recipes to the café that serves the most delectable slice of this creamy, sensual treat. My most favourite cheesecake is the kind topped with one of my most favourite fruits, blueberries. My constant search has always been focused with the New York cheesecake kind, however, last Friday, after dropping by one of my most visited blogs, I chanced upon this interesting recipe of a Japanese cheesecake. Having pledged my loyalty to the cheesecake club for as long as I could remember, I am quite surprised that I’ve never tried this kind before.

Last Friday evening, with my apron wrapped around my waist, I wielded my mixer and started trying my hand on this gorgeous treat. The recipe was quite simple, I don’t have an 8 1/2 “ silicone baking pan so I used the one that I have, I think it’s 10” (I’m not sure) and I baked mine using a baine-marie and it turned out beautifully. Honey was out with some old colleagues that night so I decided to unmold the cake for tomorrow’s breakfast.



The next morning, I’m thrilled to sample the cake that was waiting for me inside my oven. I sliced a huge piece, took a forkful of the smooth cake and the minute it touched my tongue, it melted. It was as light as snow. I savoured every mouthful of this sinful and tempting treat. I couldn’t help but close my eyes as allow my tongue to feast on the sweet, tangy and fluffy heaven. Pure bliss!



This is the only cheesecake that I’ve made that honey enjoyed as well (he’s not a cheesecake person). This recipe shoots up to one of my top cheesecake recipe list.

Honest Scrap Award

After days of complete neglect, I finally had a chance to come back to my blog and a pleasant surprise welcomed me back, a comment from Niko saying that she has gifted me with a blog award, Honest Scrap Award. From what I understand, this award is bestowed upon a fellow blogger whose blog’s content or design is, in the giver’s opinion, brilliant. Thanks Niko this is such a wonderful surprise!

So what does this blog award entails? A receiver is entitled to post the nifty icon on top. You also have to (an absolute must!), choose seven other bloggers, (and to quote the instructions from Niko’s blog) “improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are, if you don’t have 7 friends”. Include in the list the links to their blogs and whoever is chosen should be informed by leaving them a comment in their blog informing them that they were prized with “Honest Weblog”. Finally, the receiver should enumerate 10 honest things about themselves.

Now, about the ten random things about myself….

1) I absolutely love books, any kind of books. I love to savour the smell and texture of paper as I leaf through the pages. I can sit still and be quiet for hours as long as I have a good book with me.
2) I love to travel, but I’ve realized that I only enjoy travelling immensely if I’m with honey, otherwise, the travel downgrades to an OK experience.
3) One of the drinks that I absolutely loved in Singapore is the soya milk with black jelly… yummy!
4) I am not a fruit person.
5) I prefer dogs over cats.
6) I am starting to develop a fondness for orchids, maybe because all the orchids we received as gifts last year for our house warming party are still blooming with vibrant flowers that definitely lighten up our home.
7) One of my most favourite ornaments in our home is the water fountain at the corner of our dining room, its so soothing.
8) My most uber favourite dessert would be blueberry cheesecake.
9) I’m a morning person and during weekdays, I have to be in bed by 10:30pm.
10) I love, love, love pajamas….


Now it’s quite tough to choose just 7 bloggers give this award to because ever since I devoted a significant amount of time blog hopping, I have admired a lot of blogs along the way. Here are 7 of my favourite blogs (in no particular order):

1) Pulse - this is a blog I hop to everyday, if I can, I find all the entries informative and really entertaining.
2) Wifely Steps - this blog’s posts are witty and funny and very entertaining.
3) Witsandnuts - I find it easy to relate to her entries having lived in Dubai/Abu Dhabi for a while. Her posts bring back fond memories
4) This Randomness - this blog is so candid and homey.
5) Mrs G - this is where I found a lot of informative stuff specially when it comes to running my own home.
6) Everything but the Kitchen Sink - this is one very entertaining blog and a cute baby also helps a lot.
7) Fit4All - I’ve browsed through this site and found the entries refreshing.

Singapore Trip: Lions home for the elders

Elderly people have always had a soft spot in my heart more so because of my mom. That is why one of the highlights, for me, of our Singapore trip was visiting the Lions home for the Elders. Our company co-sponsors one of these homes. Initially, i wasn’t looking forward to visiting the home because I wasn’t sure if I can handle being surrounded by the elderly people living in the home, I was worried that it’s too soon for me and I might be fraught with emotions.





When we got into the home, I was very impressed with the facility. The building was well maintained, the entire home was very clean and every one was very nice and caring. Upon seeing the elderly people sitting in the common room, I was overwhelmed. I can’t help but feel sad, they reminded me so much of my mom. When one of my colleagues started talking to me, all I could do was nod in response lest I wouldn’t have enough will to prevent tears from welling up in my eyes. I was moved by the sight of these elderly people living in a home away from their families. They were so thrilled to see us visiting them that their faces lit up and they started reaching for us. It was just so touching.

Our group did the best we can to cheer them up and to at least give them a grand time while we were there. Some of the residents of the home are still active while some only stay in their beds. During lunch, we helped feed the residents, talked to them (and I must say it was fun talking to them in spite of language barriers – most of them don’t speak english). Our group prepared games and we staged these games in front of the more active group and they were very entertained as all of us participated in traditional Dutch games. We also brought with us some small souvenirs from Holland and gave it to the elderly people, which they really liked.




I was impressed with the facility, if only we had a similar facility in the Philippines, I think a lot of people would be happy. The facilities, the bed chambers, the food that is given to the residents, the garden, everything was well taken care of. It’s really nice to know that there are people who take time out of their busy schedule, like the Lions Club, to care for those less fortunate people. It was a privilege to have met and to have spent time with these elderly people.

My favorite breakfast in Athens

I remember the first time I tasted all natural yoghurt was at my mom-in-law’s (Mama Lits) place. I remember telling her that I wanted to eat something very light for dinner and so she brought home a huge tub of yoghurt for me, being the engaging mom in law that she is. The very first taste of yoghurt made my face cringe from all corners, I almost spit the tablespoon worth of the stuff out of my mouth. It was so sour I wondered if I did anything wrong to Mama Lits to subject me to such torture, of course I’m kidding… definitely about Mama Lits but not about the yoghurt. I was never fond of sour food in the first place.

Over the years, in spite of my aversion towards natural yoghurt, I have grown fond of flavored yoghurts. My favorite of which would be the blueberry flavored ones. However, when we moved here in Holland, I was exposed to more types of dairy products that I could ever imagine. This encouraged me to give the natural flavored yoghurt another chance. This is when I developed a new found love of natural yoghurt. I discovered that the key to really enjoy it is to put a teaspoonful of sugar or so or add a tablespoon of comfiture of your choice. By doing so would lessen the tartness and it brings out the creaminess of the yoghurt.

When we were in Athens, it so happens that breakfast is included with the rates of our hotel room so I was expecting a typical continental buffet with the tired fried bacons, eggs, cereal, bread, etc., etc., etc. To my delight, while browsing through all the food that was on offer, I chanced upon this huge tub of brilliantly white yoghurt. I decided to start off with it so I scooped a couple of tablespoonfuls and sprinkled some sugar and topped it off with a comfiture of sorts (I think it was mango). To add a little bit of flavor, after mixing thoroughly, I scattered a generous amount of muesli on top. The resulting yoghurt was amazing. Just enough tartness to excite your palette, a sweetness that cuts the sour aftertaste of yoghurt and a crunch that very well compliments the creaminess of the this yoghurt. I think that this particular yoghurt is creamier and is thicker than the normal ones I find in Holland. I think the Greeks do something different with their yoghurt that gives it a little more umph than the one’s that I got used to.


I tried some of the breakfast buffet but in the end decided to stick with the Greek yoghurt for breakfast, definitely my favorite breakfast in Athens.

Cholatier!

A couple of weeks ago, I have tried making my very first batch of chocolate chip cookies and I was so encouraged with the results so when I chanced upon this recipe from Market Manila, I gave in and decided to make my own.

I couldn’t find any bread flour so I decided to substitute with ordinary all purpose flour and as for the feves or chocolate discs, I didn’t have them as well so I opted to use the bigger chocolate chips that I bought from Manila. I made my cookie dough Friday evening thinking that by Sunday morning, I would serve Honey these spectacular cookies.



Come Sunday morning, the moment of truth has arrived, I molded the dough in flowers and hearts shape and baked them as per instruction. When I heard the “ding” of the oven to signal that the cookies are ready, I hurriedly went and retrieved the cookies. The cookies didn’t hold the shape I made them into before baking but when I tasted it, it was absolutely fantastic. Much better than the first ones that I have made. Honey enjoyed it a lot and even brought some to the office come Monday.



This recipe is definitely worth making again.

Cool summer breeze

During warm summer days, we’ve discovered that there is nothing better than letting in the cool breeze through the humongous windows in our home. It’s even better than turning on the fan. That is what we’ve been doing for a couple of weeks now when the temperature here climbs up to about 31 degrees. My only issue with opening the windows is that because we have such big windows, some mosquitoes and garden flies come in. It’s not that bad, really, I just get pissed off when I hear a mosquito hovering around.

The solution…




While strolling around last Saturday, we chanced upon this cute insect swatting device. Initially I thought it was just an ordinary swatting device but upon closer inspection, I realized it is actually battery operated and emits electricity through the strings and electrocutes the insects as they come in contact with them. Cool huh. It’s quite effective actually, no more pestering, hovering insects for us.

I have a secret

Honey and I were on our way back here in Amsterdam from our emergency trip back home to Manila and while waiting for our connecting flight from Hong Kong to Amsterdam, we decided to stroll and explore the shops inside the Hong Kong International Airport. As we entered one of the bookstores, I chanced upon this book and remembered seeing it quite a few times in the past already. I even saw Samantha from Sex and the City reading this book in one of the scenes from the movie. I got intrigued and since we were still about to embark on another thirteen-hour flight, I decided I could use some books to pass time and bought it together with a romantic novel (Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux). The book was entitled The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

It has been over a month since then and I have finished reading the romance novel long since but I seemed to have forgotten about The Secret book that I have kept on my night stand drawer. I was rummaging through our bookshelf for something to read last weekend when I finally remembered about this book that I have been neglecting. So up I went to our bedroom and started browsing through the pages of this very curious book. It was very easy to read, chapters are short and messages were simple but hard hitting. It talks about how a person should be the master of his thoughts and ultimately the creator of his destiny. The ideas presented are thought provoking and uplifting. All in all, I think this is one book worth reading

Sunny-Side Up

We had a glorious weather here in Amsterdam over the weekend, 27 degrees on Saturday and 30 degrees on Sunday, can you believe that. In the past, especially when I was still living in Dubai, I wouldn’t get psyched up about good weather but having lived here in the Netherlands for almost 2 years now, I know that they’re quite rare. So what else do we do on such a wonderful day, we started it off with a very Filipino breakfast to fuel up for the day ahead, dried fishes and fried eggs… yummy!!!

I was so excited to cook the eggs coz I got myself a new toy in the kitchen. I was able to buy this egg form moulds last week and they looked so cute so as early as Friday night, I knew Saturday breakfast would definitely have eggs.

It was one very satisfying breakfast indeed with the eggs and dried fish paired with fried rice and a cup of steaming coffee, although, my moulds didn’t work out as properly as I wanted them to. I think next time I used them I would use a different pan. When I tried to fry the eggs inside the mold, it leaked in some places and the egg didn’t exactly take the form of the mould. Hhhmmmp. Well nevertheless, the eggs were delicious. It was the glue that bound the crispy saltiness of the dried fishes to the aromatic flavor of the fried rice, simple yet satisfying indeed. Just what we needed to start off a perfect day.

Plurking

I was blog hopping the other day when I chanced upon this entry about Plurk.What on earth is Plurk? Well it is “A really snazzy site that allows you to showcase the events that make up your life, and follow the events of the people that matter to you, in deliciously digestible short messages called plurks.” With a name like that, who will not be intrigued? I gave in, satisfied my curiosity and created my very own Plurk account. Look how cute that message board is.

It’s quite a cool concept where members can send out messages on timelines, earn karma which will enable one to have access to more perks available in the site while getting connected to families and friends. Me thinks, Plurk and me will go a really long way. Plurk away guys! Click hereand be my Plurk friend.