[1: 1,871 of 10,000] Pasta In Italy

The pasta in Italy is the most delicious pasta I have ever tasted in my entire life. Even the packed pasta for mass distribution tasted great.

Whenever I think of Italy now, I would always remember the delicious Pasta al Pomodoro that I have consistently ordered during my visit in Rome because it didn’t disappoint.

I never expected that I will travel the world when I was young. I lived in a simple town in the Northern Philippines and it never occur to me that I must travel. Now that I have experienced visiting different countries, I would recommend that it is great to travel for vacation. It is expensive sometimes depending on preferred set-up like 5-star hotel over lower ones, it needs preparation, but the positive impact outweighs every challenging bits.

Going to a new country awakens all the senses but mostly it triggers excitement and the sense of wonder. If I’ve never visited Italy, I could have not known the best way to be served with the authentic Italian pasta.

Go and plan your next adventure and discover something that will inspire you!

[1: 1,649 of 10,000] Signing Up For A Gym

I’m sweating, anxious, eating rice, and drinking cokes; this is not revenge and stocking up before signing up for a gym; this is me trying to comprehend my future decision if I will be committed to eat right, exercise with a personal trainer, and devote time to drive to the gym on a weekday night and in both early weekends. I had a test run for a day and my body ached for a week, am I going to allow that to happen just before I go for Christmas break. I’m not so sure I am doing myself a good favor.

This is asking me to invest money, time, effort, and dedication. I hope the personal trainer doesn’t annoy me with nonsense and proved to be smart enough in convincing me that he can do a good job. Positive attitude!

[1: 1,527 of 10,000] Forget About Pleasing Everybody

Forget about pleasing everybody. It is very rare to get 100% approval from all the crowd that you wanted and it’s all right.

I love watching food related show and I’ve seen the Masterchef: The Professionals where three contestants must impress michelin star/s chefs. In terms of food, no matter how good you prepare the dish if a person is not really keen on eating a certain food, it would be hopeless to achieve 100% approval. The chef who prepared the appetiser gave the crowd raw scallops, and some of the diners liked that it was ceviche but others wanted it seared.

This is the part where I clearly understand that never get attached with the result. If I would be the contestant, of course I would make sure that I prepare the best dish that I personally vouch that I conceptualised and hopefully made with perfection. I pour love into it and I could only hope that the judges enjoy it. If the judges happen to critique, if it’s constructive criticism well thank you very much so I can improve next time, or if it’s a matter of not everybody will like ceviche scallops then it’s okay as I will surely not be contained in offering just scallops. Maybe the diner liked ceviche squid or fish in some other time? 😉

It’s all right that not everybody I meet everyday will not like how I do things. As far as I am concern, I only have one being to please and He loves me unconditionally, supports my growth, and aims for my joy… it’s God and trust me He does all those matters to you too.

Have a carefree day!

[1: 1,521 of 10,000] Eating A Mango Brought Me Back To Being A Kid

I was eating my mango out from its gigantic seed, yeah, similar to what the baby in the photo above looked like and it suddenly hits me that it brings back childhood memory.

I have not done that for a long time, mango was supposed to be served delicately taken out from its two beautiful cheeks but eating the delectable fruit directly out from the bone has been disregarded. So last night, I got my hands dirty and start devouring the not even the sweetest mango and it suddenly reminded me when I was a little girl.

It was a good feeling. I remembered that when I was a little girl, I have my parents and they’ve provided for me. I could also reminisce that we have a house cook then who made sure that she emphasized that she prepared two dishes that I love. I never worry about anything because I was taken cared of. It was really a beautiful feeling for doing such a simple act.

What about you? What experience makes you curl up and enjoy feeling like a kid again?

Time has passed and I’m all grown up. My parents are gone and I have to cook my own food now unless I go to a restaurant. But you know what didn’t change all this time who loves us all throughout our life? God. He loves you and me, no matter our age, no matter our circumstances, and it’s a beautiful feeling that it doesn’t have to end with unknown when I rekindle a happy old feeling, because today I know that God is with me, making me feel at peace and would love to see me joyful and spreading positivity.

Have a delightful day! 🙂

[1: 1,460 of 10,000] Toasted White Bread & Butter

Who do you believe nowadays? They said brown bread is better than white; and then another study says all along white bread is better at keeping your brain healthier in the long run. Who is telling the truth?

Here’s what I live by.

I listen to my gut feeling even if it’s not nutritionally smart like who wants to eat greasy Chinese noodles (I do!)

Since the beginning of time, I love white bread, whether it’s good or bad to my body, I eat what is palatable! I also like butter on top of my bread, salted preferred, and I want white sugar for my tea or coffee. To the health conscious reading this, yes I may die sooner than anticipated or I may not.

I think anything in life, moderation is key, and unless a certain action is really inexcusable, then no amount of moderation can defend it. Killing a man with a single gun shot in his head for instance is a no no but giving him white bread and salted butter every single day of his life, well you’re on to something. 😛

[1: 1,459 of 10,000] Will Jollibee At Dubai Mall Serve Half A Million Filipinos First Before I Can Buy?

I adore Dubai because I feel safe and there are always so many places to visit even with luxurious feel into it. Jollibee is a trusted and beloved hamburger (but I love their chicken + gravy + rice, palabok, and peach mango pie – yes, very specific) chain in the Philippines established in 1978 (just 2 years older than me) and it opened its branch at Dubai Mall on May 4, 2015.

According to Gulf News report, there is an estimated half a million Filipinos residing in Dubai (but news been told that Filipinos in other emirates were traveling to Dubai Mall to buy too), and so after 3 days that it is open, how was the queue looked like –

There is still a long queue and I am not a fan of waiting 4 hours just to buy my favourite Chicken Joy with their own concoction of gravy and I was even dreaming I hope they’ve brought the rice grains that they use in the Philippines. People who have tried said that it is as authentic as the one served back home.

Can Jollibee a better basis for patriotism, too much? I tried to visit the store twice yesterday but the queue didn’t die down and I really don’t want to stand in line, I would probably taste it next month!!

It is one of the foods that my sister asks her friend to bring to Dubai when they came from their Manila vacation. And it will be definitely one of the food chains I will grab a bite if I visit Manila. Why do my sissy and I liked Jollibee?

Ultimate reason is the taste. The flavour is exactly the type of food that we love to eat. And maybe subconsciously, we have emotional attachment to it. It reminds us of home, childhood, and what is ‘familiar’. Memories, though should not be dwelt upon, are comforting and warms the heart. I would not blame or discourage my fellow Filipinos to be patient just to have that happy feeling, as for me, Jollibee Dubai Mall you’re on my list!

[1: 1,443 of 10,000] Go On, Bake “Puto” In An Oven

I am probably one of the few Filipino-Chinese who cook that don’t have proper steamer at home. Last time I moved to a new apartment, I thought it’s a good idea to just throw the old ones and still didn’t get a replacement. Aside from not able to cook Puto (Filipino cake), so is Siomai and Dumpling.

At this age, I thought I would find everything in the Internet, especially about cooking frenzy from YouTube. To my surprise, I couldn’t find an instruction on how can I cook “Puto” using the oven. We got cupcake tray and an oven so I thought that should make any cake rise.

I wanted to eat the puto and I want to eat cheddar cheese so I decided that today I will try to bake it in the oven with the basis on how my sissy was baking her muffins and cupcakes.

• Took the 400 g premixed Puto (smells like vanilla) and
• added 2 cups of water,
• 1 cup of sugar (quite a lot I must say),
• I made a mistake of adding 5 table spoon instead of teaspoon of olive oil, oh well, it was EVOO so it must still be good?! 😀
• After mixing all the above ingredients, I pour it half way (or more to some) into the cupcake paper cup, and
• top it with cheddar cheese.

Baked it for 15 minutes at 200 degree celcius.

Viola! 16 putos risen! They look and smell delectable.

Now, I got food for the whole day! 🙂 Happy tummy!

[1: 1,423 of 10,000] Food Instagrammer

Instagram is my favourite app and food, being one of the centre of my attentions, is one of my favourite subjects to double tap.

Why food? It gives me happiness in case you’re wondering or Simon Sinek called it biologically gives me dopamine shots that makes me happy. I love looking at food posts and I admire how they take the top shot of all the glorious food, drooling now with just imagining sumptuous food.

Above is my very first attempt to pretend that I am a food Instagrammer, a good one that gets thousands of likes. I visited Moylo’s, a famous burger joint here in Dubai, the crowned Prince of Dubai even made time to visit and signed a padlock. I used the top shot technique to fit the burger, the tiny amount of coleslaw, the diet Coke, the very delicious Truffle Fries with the special dip and a normal ketchup, the dry and wet tissues too, and it was quite strategic that I should get the colourful resto table.

I was a little embarrass taking the photo while a man waiting for his order was sitting so close to my table, I was shy that he might think people these days do not grab their burger when it arrives, they take out their phone and take a photo. Is it worth it that I cared what he thought of my choice of action? Is it bad that I wasn’t respecting my food as soon as it arrived? Nah! I was enjoying life and I would not have something to post and share to the blogosphere world if I didn’t take that slight 2 minutes or less to snap just what I was about to eat. Plus my food wasn’t cold when I dive into it.

I was enjoying life and in everything we do, I think that should be the key, did we enjoy it, if yes, fuck everything else. Did I harm anybody, no, then I may do it again probably in a slightly different way, I’ll order another set from the menu! What do you think?

[1: 1,400 of 10,000] Fasting For 7 Days

It is possible not to eat solid food for 7 days. My tummy growl every once in a while, I could feel my energy fading, and I would rather sleep than run but I function like a human being without solid food for the whole 7 days.

Whenever I feel quite weak, I utter a prayer, and I always try to remember my goal for doing the fasting, to be able to hear God and not the no nonsense petty talks inside my head that destruct me.

I didn’t deprive myself of drinking water and order pure fruit or vegetable juice. I was a bit scared that I would go overboard and could go on for more than 7 days.

The other plus points are the thoughts that I was able to detox and lost the unnecessary bad fats but fasting will never be a replacement for a proper weight loss regimen. And on the 8th day, I was’t pretty excited to chow down food, all I know is I have to be careful not to shock my stomach with solid food.

I hope the conscience, the little voice inside my heart, is truly God that I could hear clearly. I hope He is guiding my every decision and that I have done my best in all my actions even if I have won wrath from other people. I hope I am holding true to who I am and I wouldn’t compromise for others.

[1: 1,322 of 10,000] My Childhood & My Avocado

How do you have your avocado?

Avocado reminds me of my childhood. It’s a seasonal fruit so whenever it becomes available, our household purchase some and put it in our rice dispenser, which is a gigantic antique can, and waits for it to properly ripe.

As soon as ripe, it is chopped in big irregular shaped chunk, sprinkled with lots of powder milk, white granulated sugar, and ice cubes are added. Crazy right?! I am not really keen on the ice cube, but I love the mixture of the ripe chunky avocado, milk, and grainy sugar in every spoon.

When I grew up, introduced to corn chips, then I found the greatest purpose, which is of course “The Guac”!!!

Writing this blogs makes me want to get myself an avocado from the supermarket. 😛