Italian Night - Table for Four

Last Sunday I got a call from Jovan asking if I was going to his place to visit him. He and Makoy went to the dentist that day to have their teeth pulled out (lol i think they went for a cleaning session or something) and decided to head over Jovan's place for lunch. If i remembered it correctly, we actually planned this Friday last week but I thought it was a no go. When I got there we eventually decided to plan what we wanted to eat for dinner and it was awesome.

Italian Dinner - Boun Appetito

The GUESTS

When I got to Jovan's place Makoy and Devine were already there. Hahaha I dont have a picture of Makoy at the Dinner Table.

The Menu

The PASTA

Makoy's One Pot Pasta. We would like to thank The Londoner for the Inspiration. http://www.thelondoner.me/2013/06/one-pot-pasta.html

We also have Jovan's Carbonara Sauce. 

Both pasta dishes were delicious.. I would have had more of it if I hadn't munched my way to obesity while cooking. LOL.

The Meat

Pork Chops with salt and pepper

The Garlic Bread

The Drinks

The NOW "famous" Sun Cooler

Sliced apples, oranges, pineapples, watermelon drowned orange juice.

Italian Night was a blast... Ate so much pasta and drank a pitcher of the Sun Cooler. Creativity Achieved. I wonder what theme I'll co-host next. I am really rooting for either French or Japanese. Give themed dinners a try, It'll spice your weekend up.. :)

Off to my next adventure...

Co-hosted a Boodle Fight

Boodle Fight

May the odds be ever in your favor...

I have no complaints when it comes to eating but I ate so much I was about to burst. After a long day of running around the city, buying and sending Medicine to my dad and a whole lot more, I was looking forward to a long relaxing night to rest. But it did not work out that way.

A week ago, during a badminton session I inserted the idea to my friends that we have a food trip. We initially planned on eating at CnT ( A lechon place here in Cebu) but we opted not to. Today during our weekly badminton sessions I had them explore the possibility of trying out a Boodle Place near Cebu Doc. For those who are not familiar with the term, Boodle Fight is when all the food is arranged in the middle of the table under mats of banana leaves and when you eat you do not need utensils, you use your hands. So going back, we decided to host our very own Boodle Fight and talked about the menu during badminton breaks and how much we were willing to spend. This is the result. 

We spent P 150.00 each to make this work. Our Menu consists of the following:

• Rice
• Chicken Pork Adobo
• Bagoong (Bagoong lol.. its tiny tiny shrimps in salt and stuff)
• Ginataang Bangus (Fish in Coconut Milk)
• Itlog na Maalat (Salted Egg)
• Fried Fish (Fried Fish)
• Coke and Sprite for Drinks
• Watermelon for dessert ( everybody lolled when I complained why this fruit is very watery)

We had so much Fun and ate so much... I really like this hosting gig. It makes me feel happy, excited and creative. Kudos to the chefs (Dona, Erron, Madam, Banjo, Mary Anne, Bryan, Arnel and Ahem Me.. lol)

FYI, I was craving this the whole week last week so I am already good.. hahahaha..

Have a Boodle Fight your friends and/or families and tell me how it went. :)

DIY: Mug Cakes Galore

Cooking Session With my Sister

Our version of the Mug Cakes

Disclosure: Please be warned that I am wearing short shorts here. LOL.. 

This was during my last vacation at home. My sister and I made tarts and cakes for my parent. We had sooo much fun.. so here's the short cut version of what we did. 

the patisserie

Make one too and let me know how you did. Quick Tip? It's more fun if you share the moment with friends or family. (or both) :)

DIY: How to make your own KITE in 30 mins

DIY: KITE

Simple Childhood Kite (I am not an endorser of SM)

Remember when you were a kid and you had so much FUN with your friends? Yeah i remember mine too. Nothing else mattered BUT to have FUN. No bills to pay, no work to go to, no worries on food cause it magically appeared on the table every morning, noon and dinner (thanks mom) and no matter how much fun you make the only thing you had to remember was to go home before the sun goes down. I remembered 1 of my best childhood memories back home today. During Summer, my friends/neighbors and I would go out and just play. Back then Cellphones, Consoles and the Internet was not yet popular. This particular memory was when we made our own kites from things we found in the house and flew them up high. So today I decided to make a kite and I'll fly it tomorrow morning. (I was planning to do it next week but a few friends from Facebook made me realize that making my own kite is fun so i decided to make it today)

First: What you need

• Barbecue Sticks or anything like it
• Glue
• Cutter (please be careful using this, ask an adult to help you if you are 14y/o or below)
• Plastic Bag
• Thread or Strings
• Pen

How To:

First you have to tie 2 sticks together. If you have a longer stick you cut it to your preferred length. Use the cutter to make the ends look like the picture below, then use the string or thread to tie the two together. Make 2 of this.

Once you have 2 sticks together. Tie the 2 to make a cross.

Place the cross on the plastic bag and cut a diamond shape like the one below.

After cutting out the diamond  shape tie the points of the diamond to the ends of the sticks. Remember to put glue after tying so it wont get loose. Then poke 2 holes where the string should be, add tassels and your good. Try that baby out.. 

Imma fly my kite tomorrow since its 2:20am here in The Philippines...

Let me know how your day goes when you fly your kite. :)

How to Host a Themed Dinner

It has always been my dream to live like a van der Woodsen or a Waldorf ever since I watched the Gossip Girl Series. Though I am not that fortunate to inherit the looks, the body and the bank account, I did inherit something much more fulfilling, PERSEVERANCE. To "feel" a little bit like Blair and/or Serena I planned to host a dinner party at my place.

Below is a list of tips and guides based on what i did last weekend for my American-Themed dinner party

Tips:

1. Never bite off more than you can chew - Do not over and under estimate and always make sure you have a plan B (B for Blair.. teehee). Make sure you have resources and location already covered.
2. The Guest List is like the Ten Commandments - Always make sure that you do not commit mistakes when listing the people attending your shindig. One thing I learned when it came to the guest list was to never invite people that makes you scared, insecure, nervous and/or uneasy, it ruins your night and you'll be focusing more on the mistakes rather than enjoying the night with friends and family.
3. Decide on the Theme or Menu at least a week in advance - the theme is important because it sets the mood and the Menu fulfills the mood (teehee). When it comes to the menu, always have a plan B so your world doesn't end when the ingredients fall apart.
4. Clean you Place - have a general cleaning the day before so you won't have to worry about it on the day of the party.
5. Prepare everything at least an hour before - more than an hour everything gets too cold and just in time doesn't leave you enough time to take a shower and prepare yourself.
6. One of the main reason why people don't like to host dinners or party is the clean up - what i did was clean in between. If I'm waiting for something to boil, i cleaned the pots and pans that I already used.
7. One more thing... HAVE FUN... its supposed to be a gathering of friends and family... relax and enjoy.

I found that Carbon (a local market place in Cebu) is the best place to shop for meats and vegetables and pretty much everything else for a steal but if you prefer to get them from big stores like SM, Ayala, Metro Colon or anywhere else then that's fine too as long as you get everything you need.

The MENU

The Burger - Mixed Meat Patty (Beef and Longganiza, salt, pepper and rosemary to taste), Caramelized Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, Button Mushrooms, Lettuce and some Cheese

Sweet Corn (tip to make the corn more sweeter - when boiling the corn add a tablespoon of sugar)

One of the best seller for the night - quartered potatoes boiled, then seared in olive oil, butter, a dash of thyme and flat leaf parsley

Second best seller that night is the Sun Cooler. Orange Juice with sliced real fruits (Watermelon, Orange, Apple and Calamansi) - Mooon Cafe inspired

It was a Fun night and I really felt like one of the characters in Gossip Girl. Check out the blogs below to see how they felt when they got invited to my Elite (ahem) soirée.

http://theunfoldinggene.blogspot.com/2013/09/saturday-night-dinner.html

http://themoxieme.blogspot.com/2013/09/alics-simple-american-themed-dinner.html

Off to my next Adventure... Japanese, French or Zombie.. teehee.. I don't know.. What do you think? Let me know.. :)

How to make your Mother Happy

 

Birthday Bash 2013 - 58 and loving it...

Edible Birthday Cake ( it was hard eating the "body" part but off with her head... teehee)

So my mom celebrated her birthday yesterday and she had a big surprise. For the last couple of years, we celebrated hers and my dad's birthday here in Cebu at The Port Sea Food Buffet but this year was different. She had that cake above and Lechon and a whole lot of food. The bad part for me was, we (my brothers and i) were not there but she celebrated it with her brother and sisters, my lil sissy and my dad with a few cousins.

Her birthday tarp ( tarps are becoming pretty popular in Calbayog)

Foooood so many fooood.. (love makes the world go round... so does food)

Dad with the Roasted Pig (Lechon) Yummy!!!

Brother and Sister for Life

Mama Isa looking for a seat to eat the treat which was neat. (rhyming - not my forte)

I called them yesterday and they were having Fun. I'm glad they did. Wished i was there with them but me in spirit did the job.. hahaha plus, if i was there? I would've locked my self with the roasted pig and that awesome cake in a room for weeks calling it My Precious... hahahaa..

Off to my next adventure with the Mad Hatter!!

ZEN - Work||Life Balance

If you feel that you're dragging yourself to work then 

you're doing it wrong.. Its not your work. Its you.

www.nearsightedowl.com -

#BalanceTips

1. When you go home, spend time with your family, they are the reason you're working. Don't sleep immediately.

2. Do random small projects that will make you proud of yourself. Although supporting your brother or sister financially is great, self fulfillment doesn't kick in till they graduate. Add small stuff like decorating you room or learning how to not burn fried eggs.t makes sense..

3. Visit places during days off that will not cost you much. Don't be a bum or a couch potato during Rest Days. Try going to Ayala, SM, Cmall, Emall, Park Mall, Mall Mall and all the words that ends with Mall.. They're free and it gives you the chance to meet someone you know randomly.

4. Don't be afraid to admit that life can sometimes be boring. It only stays boring if you want it to.

5. Have some alone time once in a while. You will only feel depressed when you have friends and don't know what to do on your free time. Why not focus on you and get a massage. *wink

6. Never forget to smile even if you have to fake it... It adds to your mood and it'll make your day a bit better.

7. And last but not the least. Never judge a co worker and question why they are in their position when they clearly don't know what they are doing. Why? Because your stressing yourself with something that you have no knowledge about. Cause if you did? You should have applied but didn't. Let them do their job and focus on not screwing up yours.

8. Smile. I said already but it makes sense..

Life's always better when you smile! :)