Discovering Instagram

Isn't he adorable?

Taking a break from studying

The serious pose .

My son happily  told me this morning  that he got a perfect score on his Math exam . Wahoo ! All his hardwork paid off ! He feels so proud of himself , he  told his lolo, lola and friends about it ! :) I'm so happy for you Tomas !



A photo of moi in Instagram

 Studying is no fun !  This was how I felt growing up . I remember dreading to go to school every morning and  wishing to all the saints and stars that I would get sick so that I would have a reason NOT to go to school . The only time I was happy was during History and Science , my two favorite subjects . History because even at young age , I was already nosy . I was interested with the past , different people , culture and places . Science because I was naturally curious about the world around me . How about the other subjects ? I hated Math soooo much I barely passed every quarter from grade 3 to 2nd year college ( thank God I didn't have any more Math subjects after that ). I  enjoyed English only when I was in 3rd year high school thanks  to Jane Austen and to  my all time favorite teacher , Mrs. Baldovino who was the best teacher I ever had . To this day my love for English literature endures, thank you Ma'am ! Luckily , I discovered the world of crushes and puppy love in high school , going to school meant seeing my crush . That made me want to go to school every day and it also inspired me to do better in my studies cuz I thought that doing well might impress my crush . He,he,he. It was only in college when my outlook towards school and learning changed . Maybe it was because at this point I have outgrown some of my insecurities , or maybe because I thought that this was a new beginning for me and I was determined to be a better student , I'm not really sure . But things got a lot better for me then , I even ended up recieving a medal when I graduated , ehem .   Anyway , I promised myself that my kids would have a totally different experience from mine when it comes to schooling . I was certain that if they started school prepared and confident with  their skills , they wouldn't be plagued with insecurities like I was .  It was these insecurities that kept me from doing well , so I wanted my kids armed with the correct tools that would enable them to perform better than I did . It is this belief that inspires me to teach them and  help them with their school work  no matter how tired or busy I am . Hence the past few days , all my energies where focused on tutoring my son and helping him get ready for his exams .  However , no matter how serious we were with the reviews I made sure to inject some fun moments here and there and take a break from the tediousness of it all . One of our fun moments was goofing around with the Instagram which I recently discovered through Yvestown and Daphne Osena - Paez's blog .  Instagram is a great way to add texture and mood to your photo's  , I enjoyed experimenting so much I took LOTS of photo's just for the fun of it . Too bad it's only available for iphone :( . Here are some of my photo's worthy of sharing !

The flowers of Kadayawan festival 2011

I always found the Catleya to be elegant . This purple one is no exeption .

If people in the west buy new plants and revive their gardens during the spring , I do mine during the month of August . Not that my garden needs reviving since I live in the tropics and my plants pretty much stays alive most of the time . However , it definitely needs a little sprucing up to give it that "fresh" vibe . I usually get tired at looking at the same colors month after month , so a little change is always welcome . The month of August is the month of the Kadayawan festival . It is a thanksgiving festival for good harvest. One of the festival's events is the Kadayawan plant exhibit at the SM Mall of Davao parking lot. Different nurseries from around Davao city and it's neighboring towns showcase their plants and flowers at the exhibit . It is usually the venue for the horticulturists to display  new varieties of plants , flowers and trees. I found myself visiting the exhibit bright and early last sunday . I wanted to avoid the heat and the traffic . Like a little girl at a candy shop , I eagerly looked around and got overwhelmed by the countless choices on display . Since I love colors , I headed straight for the flowering varieties  and found myself surrounded by different orchids , bromeliads , roses , variegated bougainvillas , hybrid hibiscus , yellowbells , bluebells , violets ..... ohhhhh the numerous choices made my head spin ! I traipsed around the aisle checking out one stall after the other , exchanging friendly greetings with several familiar faces . Pretty soon , I found myself caught up in the vibrant colors and the heady fragrance of the flowers . I had to supress the impulse of closing my eyes and imagining myself in a tropical paradise surrounded by exotic flowers ( a picture of Bali Hai comes to mind ) , lests I give and impression to the exhibitors  that I've gone loco  . After much deliberation , I finally settled for some orchids , bromeliads , a few herbs to add to my collection and a cinnamon tree.                                            

Another purple orchid . :)

Have I mentioned how I love purple or violet colored flowers ? This one is a bromeliad.

More flowers !

What do you think of these beauties ?

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Plants vs. Zombies cake

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Plants vs. Zombies cake: "Check out the Michael Jackson zombie  ! Have a brain-y birthday ! Let me share with you the Plants vs. Zombies cake and cupcakes th..."

Plants vs. Zombies cake

Check out the Michael Jackson zombie  !

Have a brain-y birthday !

Let me share with you the Plants vs. Zombies cake and cupcakes that I made last week  . It was made with moist chocolate cake and buttercream icing . The cupcake toppers were made with royal icing that was dried for 3 days . I used Wilton star tip # 16 , 17, and 19 for the cake decoration .  I think the celebrant had a brain-y birthday indeed !

Duchess of KAYmbridge: What's for Dinner ? Chicken Binakol !

Duchess of KAYmbridge: What's for Dinner ? Chicken Binakol !: " When my husband and I were newly married , we would frequently visit the city of Mati in Davao Oriental. His cousins have a farm there were..."

What's for Dinner ? Chicken Binakol !

 When my husband and I were newly married , we would frequently visit the city of Mati in Davao Oriental. His cousin has a farm there were we are always welcome to visit . We would use every holiday as an excuse to drive off to Mati and stay for a day or two . The idyllic farm setting , the then undiscovered beaches and Manang Bibing's Chicken Binakol were the things that would pull us back to Mati every chance we had . Manang Bibing is the cook of my husband's cousin and she has spoiled us all with her cooking . After every meal , we would be too full to even stand up so we would linger by the dining table and swap stories . Among all of Manang Bibing's specialties , my favorite is her chicken binakol . I would make sure that I would be by her side watching her every move whenever she cooks this dish . According to " Memories of Philippine Kitchens " by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan , chicken binakol is a traditional Filipino dish which originated from Bacolod . The original chicken binakol was cooked using a bamboo tube as a cooking vessel for chicken , young coconut and herbs . The tube was sealed with lemongrass , covered with a banana leaf , and tied securely with a string . A hole would be dug in the ground just big enough to fit the bamboo . Live coal would be put at the bottom of the bamboo and the bamboo fitted into the hole . It was then regularly rotated and banged against a hard surface to prevent the chicken from sticking to the sides . Whew ! Before you get any ideas  let me tell you , I don't cook my chicken binakol that way , okay ? I don't have the time nor the inclination . Neither does Manang Bibing for that matter . So , whenever I crave for Manang Bibing's chicken Binakol        ( like last night ) I would just cook it Manang Bibing style . Let me share with you her recipe .

You will need :
One whole chicken , cut into pieces ( I use free range chicken , it's tastier )
2 tomatoes , quartered
1 onion , quartered
3 cups young coconut meat
3 cups coconut juice
2 stalks of lemongrass , quartered
1 small piece of ginger , sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. juice from calamansi
few pieces of sili (chili) leaves
Procedure :


After cooking , I transferred the soup into the empty coconut shell for a more authentic presentation .

 Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil . Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender . When almost ready to serve , add the sili leaves .

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Happy 4th Birthday FunCuts !

Duchess of KAYmbridge: Happy 4th Birthday FunCuts !: "When my daughter was a toddler , I would bring her to the kiddie salon at Rustan's Makati whenever we were in Manila . I would look for..."

Happy 4th Birthday FunCuts !

FunCuts Kiddie salon is located at the 3rd floor of Gaisano Mall of Davao .

When my daughter was a toddler , I would bring her to the kiddie salon at Rustan's Makati whenever we were in Manila . I would look forward to this trip to the salon because my daughter has very thick hair and it usually takes a  stylist atleast 40 mins. just to give her a nice trim . Now , all you mother's know that 20 mins. for a toddler is an eternity , how much more 40 mins. , right ? It was unbearable for her , she would fuss and fidget and I have to do everything short of breath out fire and walk on my head, just to keep her entertained . That is why kiddie salon's are a mother's best friend when it comes to having their kids hair cut . It is usually equipped with a TV with DVD player which plays the child's favorite show , my daughter's show of choice at that time was Barney . So while the friendly staff is snipping away at her hair , she would happily watch her show and sing along with Barney . Needless to say , it was  a much more relaxed and pleasurable experience for both of us  . It was around that time when I , together with my  friends Yvonne and Camille decided to open a kiddie salon in Davao . We felt that therewas a growing need for this type of service in Davao city . Fastforward to today and we are happy to be celebrating FunCuts Kiddie Salon 's 4th year anniversary . From the very beginning the response from the public has been very encouraging . Our customer's have stayed with us through the years and we have seen their kids literally grow before our eyes . It warms our hearts everytime we see a child excited to have their hair cut which as any mother would tell you is very rare indeed . We try our very best to maintain a friendly , threat free environment and we consider everyone as part of our big FunCuts Family ! To all our precious customers , thank you so much for your continued support and patronage !

Doctor's Orders... I Think.

Warm calamansi juice  to keep the flu away .

Since my misadventures with our beloved dog Ali , I have been feeling under the weather . Apart from my sore muscles (which makes feel like I have been in a boxing bout with Manny Pacquiao ) , I felt like I was going down with the flu . Now , this is the worst time for me to get sick . Not only do I have some pending cake orders but  my son's quarterly exams are coming up as well  which means that I have  to turn into one of my multiple " secret " identities .... the tutor mama . Mother's these days juggle a million and one things , we like to think that we can do it all and have it all . I am no exeption , however I am realistic enough to realize that I cannot do everything all at the same time . I have  my priorities and they are in this order , my family ( husband and children) , my business and career growth ( as if  ! ) , my social life ( really ?! )  and my blog ( ha!ha!ha! ) . Funny how the word "family " sounds so simple when in fact it is loaded with challenges that I happily try to overcome on a daily basis . From the very beginning , I made the choice of putting my family first before my career . I gave up my previous job and decided to commit 100 % to the role of wife and mother .This is a decision that I've never regretted and I consider myself to be extremely blessed to have the option of staying home to take care of my growing family . I have learned so much from the different roles that I play , just the word mother means that I have to be a  nurturer , friend , confidant , teacher , nurse , cook , protector , the list goes on . True , these roles takes so much from me but I wouldn't have it any other way . No amount of wealth or success would come close to the  pride and happiness that I feel everytime my husband or kids thank me for something as simple as a good meal . To quote Jackie O . " If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much " .   So , as I have to spend most of my time this week preparing reviewers for my son and tutoring him , I have to fortify my body and not allow it to succomb to illness . I loaded on vit.C  ( drank 2 liters of warm calamansi juice everyday for 2 days )  and got plenty of rest . No malling for 2 days !  Thankfully , when I woke up this morning I was feeling soooo much better . Tutor mama is on !

Wonderful Winnie the Pooh cake

After attending the 3D cake decorating workshop by chef BooBoo Maramba , I Was finally able to put  what I learned to use . BabyCakes had an order for a Winnie the Pooh 3D cake for a baptismal party . An actual Winnie the Pooh mold / pan was not availble so I used a Care Bear mold intstead . Here is what it looks like .

I used chocolate cake since it's more dense , no chiffon or sponge type cakes for this one . It doesn't look like Winnie yet but not to fret , it WILL look like Winnie after . I used buttercream icing and star tip #16 and #21 for piping the icing .

Ta Da ! Hello , Winnie !! For the blanket , I used rolled fondant and gumpaste for cute little Piglet .



Add caption

 Here is what the whole set up looked liked . 3D cake with cupcakes for giveaways . The Pooh friends cupcake toppers were made of Colorflow icing . Colorflow is actually a Wilton product that you add to your Royal icing for a glossy effect . You use it to make whatever design for your decors and let it dry for 3 days.
What do you think ?  Winnie and Piglet looks adorable right ?

Joey's Birthday cake

 A few days ago , it was our dear friend Joey's birthday . His wife wanted to surprise him with a "gym " themed cake . For that personalized effect , I went to their home and did a bit of research . I snooped around his personal gym and asked his wife  which equipment he normally uses . I had to go back twice , each time making sure that I wouldn't get caught by him . It was very "cloak and dagger " like .


Making the fondant figure and gym equipments was  challenging but also very fun to do . The cake is actually chiffon with butter icing . Not only does it look good , it also tastes yummy . :) 



I made sure that I got most of the details of his gym correctly . The floor is actually the same color as the one in his gym and yes he has A LOT of dumbells .  All in all , everyone was happy with this cake . I was pleased with my work  and most importantly , the birthday celebrant was bowled over by it . Happy birthday Joey !

Who Let The Doggie Out ?!



Meet Ali , our "puppy " .



Isn't he adorable ? :)

I was walking our dog yesterday when I figured in a minor accident . First , a little backstory . Ali is our German Shepherd who's 1 year and 6 mos. , still a puppy in dog years . Puppy ?  Yeah right ! There is nothing" puppy like" about him except for his attitude and temperament . He is a huge dog , he weighs around 50 kilos . Compare that to my weight then I would say that we would be even pound per pound . Now here's the glitch , while his body weight is probably oh I don't really know maybe 90 % pure muscle ( I'm guestimating ) mine is 100% flab . GRRRR. No one to blame but me , I know. So anyway , Ali has managed to intimidate his previous "walkers" which were mostly our driver and helpers . I would see  Ali walking them around the village and not the other way around . He ( the dog ) would be pulling the unlucky walker who's holding on the leash for dear life ! We hired a couple of trainers but long story short , it didn't really work out . A couple of sundays ago , I was watching the "dog whisperer " and had my big Oprah " Aha ! " moment . I was so inspired by Mr. Millan that I thought , " why don't I walk Ali ?" Somebody has to take control of this dog and it's gonna be small , petite , never -had- a - sport - in - her - life -  before me . Yep , I was gonna be the leader of Ali's Pack .The Alpha Male , whatever . Ha!ha!  Anyhow , I have been walking Ali for about two weeks . There were no major mishaps , I tapped into my inner alpha male and followed Mr. Millan's pointers . Yes , I even peppered our treks with the occassional TSSSST ! I was so proud of myself as  I BECAME the Alpha Male , I AM  the alpha male ! YEAH !  Piece of cake . Finally , this big hunk of muscle is under  MY control  !Oh , how I naive I was !!! So back to yesterday . Like I said , I was walking him feeling confident BUT NOT complacent . You can never be that with this big a dog, believe me . We were both enjoying the breeze when out of nowhere we were bombarded by angry barks by two small dogs . A Pekingese on our right and some sort of Terrier on the balcony on the left . You can guess what happened next . Ali went berserk and unleased the power of those muscles , down  the gravel I fell while he proceeded to DRAG ME TO HELL  !!! Uhmm sorry ,  I'm getting carried away here . Now where was I , oh yeah he dragged me  towards the pekingese since duh he can't reach the one in the balcony, right ? I found myself holding on for dear life , determined not to let go of his leash cuz Ali on the lose would be a disaster . Thank goodness I managed to stand up , controll him , move on and check if anyone saw this most embarassing  spectacle . Luckily , no major damage was done . I have some not so minor scratches, bruises and so on and oh ofcourse the HUGE GAPPING WOUND ON MY PRIDE !! Sniff , sniff .  I believe that the joint attack of those two pesky dogs just did it for Ali . We passed these  houses before and we would encounter these dogs but it was always one or the other  . Ali did get a bit excited at first but after a few days he got used to  them . Who knew those two would join forces and bring us down , well bring me down atleast . I have since forgiven Ali  for losing his cool . My husband decided to  enroll him in dog obedience school , this time for real since  we have thought of doing this  before but never  got around to  it . It's a different story for my son though . I heard him telling Ali that as punishment for "hurting " me there would be no belly scrubs from him and no whistling to Ali for 10 years ! Wow! How sweet . :) I had to explain to my son though that it wasn't really Ali's fault , in his mind he was just probably trying to protect me ..... OR WAS HE ? Hmmm . Cesar Millan aka, The Dog Whisperer .... HELP !

My Deep Dark Secret

Lately , I've been consumed by a single thought . So , I decided why not write about it and let you all in on a little secret about myself . Dear friends , I am ( deep sigh ) .... a bag hag . There , I admitted it . That is my deepest darkest secret ! What ? What did you all expect ? :) Now , I like to think of myself as a practical sort of person EXCEPT when it come to bags . Clothes : I can resist , shoes : I like them cheap and cheerful but when it comes to bags , I literally drool . Over the years I have amassed a modest collection , nothing over the top and I draw the line at a Birkin . Afterall , I am a baghag with a conscience . I just refuse to buy a bag that costs as much as a low cost housing here in the Philippines . On second thought , If I win the Lotto or by supreme luck would happen to chance upon the said bag 70 % marked down .... I just might give in . I'm just human after all . Ha!ha!ha! Anyway , since my birthday is coming up next month I can't help but obsess about the Tod's D bag . I usually get a bag for my birthday ( I force my family members at gunpoint to get me one ! Ha!ha!ha! Joke ! ) and this is definitely my bag of choice for the moment .  I am in love with the softness of the leather and I have been a great admirer of classic bags . I like to collect bags that I could pass on my daughter and would still be in fashion 20 years from now. Practical , remember ? . So will I get this bag for my birthday ? I'm keeping my fingers and toes  crossed !

Picnic Fun !



 I like to mix and match patterns for my table, it makes it more interesting .



Chloe was saving this sparkling cider for a special occassion . She declared that this day was definitely special !



The flowers were from our garden . In case you are wondering how come there's ketchup on our table , my son likes to put ketchup in almost everything he eats . I am hoping this is just  a phase and that he'll soon outgrow this.



Cath Kidston mugs . I just love Cath Kidston , I ordered some plates and bowls from her website . I can't wait for it to arrive !

Smoked fish pasta and chicken pesto sandwiches with sun dried tomatoes. Yummy !

My children had been begging for a picnic for quite sometime . As we were enjoying a fine weather last weekend , I decided to indulge their whimsy . Out came the picnic table and the usual picnic wares . My daughter Chloe and I made some pasta and chicken pesto sandwiches .....Voila ! Instant picnic for lunch . I lounged lazily on the picnic mat while my kids worked up an appetite flying their kite . After lunch , we swapped stories about insects and worms , two of my son's favorite topics . I was glad that I gave in to their wishes cuz I ended up having a most  wonderful time  . Sometimes we have to listen to our kids and just go with their suggestions , we usually end up having the best time . When it comes to having fun , I'm convinced that kids are the experts . That saturday afernoon was proof of that . We didn't have to do anything fancy which is unusual for me cuz when it comes to gatherings ,  I usually need atleast a half day lead time . I like to obsess about the menu ( which food goes with what , what wine goes with what food ) , arrange the table just like so and get consumed with the smallest details that I usually fail to really enjoy the moment . I am kinda OC in this way . This picnic was different however, I let my kids take the lead and I just went with the flow .    My kids enjoyed it so much , they want to have a picnic every weekend ! Well , why not ?

Dried Beef Tapa Recipe

A whole week has passed and I still owe you that Beef Tapa recipe . So here it is , I hope your family will enjoy it as much as mine does .
You will need the following :
- 2 kilos Beef ( preferably sukiyaki cut since it is already thin , no pounding necessary . I usually get it from our local meat shop already packed by 500 gms . more or less ) .
- 1/2 cup soy sauce .
- 2 heads of garlic ( pounded )
- 1 Tbsp. peppercorns

Crispy tapa served with atchara .

If you can find sukiyaki or tapa cut beef then you can proceed to marinating it. If not , try to get the thinnest beef possible and pound it until it becomes around 2 cm. thin  ( if you can manage to make it thinner than that , better ). Mix the beef with the soysauce , garlic and peppercorns and marinate it overnight . Arrange the beef in a cookie sheet or tray, place it in an elevated area outdoors unreachable by pets or other animals  and let it dry under the sun . Make sure to turn the beef and let the other side dry as well . it usually takes one whole day to completely dry the beef. When the beef is ready, fry it until crispy .

Good Morning Sunshine

My garden doesn't fail to surprise me , I've never seen a butterfly like this before ! So chic with it's black and white polka dot pattern . :)

My blooming Vandas .

Like moi , the Bougainvillea's are sun lovers as well .

Don't let the size of these native Filipino chillies decieve you . They pack a mean punch . They are actually considered as one of the hottest variety of chillies in the world .

I love purple or violet colored flowers . They look so bright and happy against a predominantly green background .

So pretty and delicate .

Glad to see this Oregano bush which I planted last year,  thriving . I get a lot of my herbs for cooking from my garden .

 I opened my eyes this morning and was greeted by the gleam of sunshine streaming through my bedroom windows. AHHHH! I love mornings like these ! These mornings are meant to be spent outdoors . Not wanting to waste the sunshine , I hurriedly dressed and headed for my garden . Armed with my pink pruning shears , I tended my garden lovingly . A little cut here , a little snip there with a bit of weeding in between . I was delighted by the sight that greeted me . My orchid's are blooming , the Bougainvillea's look bright and happy and my herbs are thriving . I actually have a gardener who comes in twice a month to tend  my garden . For years , I have been a budding gardener ( or so , I try to convince myself ) but as my business got busier my beloved garden suffered from lack of attention . However , on this day nothing and no one can keep me away from my tiny patch of Earth . There's nothing like the feel of the bright morning sun  caressing my face and the glorious sight of nature to lift my spirits up ! Good morning everyone !

Life in Paradise

Have I ever mentioned before how wonderful it is to live in Davao City ? Our city is the biggest in the Philippines but it's interesting how you can be at the beach or the mountains in 30 mins.... or less . For beach lover's like us that means that we can be out of our beds and into the water ( sea water that is ) in a heartbeat ! We try to go to the beach atleast twice a month , more during the summer . Our favorite beach shack is Paradise Beach Resort in Samal Island . It has sandy white beaches , sparkling cornflower blue waters , abundant marine life , superb food , attentive and polite staff .... what more can one ask for ? We head down to the beach wearing our cover-ups over our swimsuits toting only a favorite book , wallet ,mobile phone and sunblock . Everything else that we can possibly need , we can find at the resort . We hop on the pumpboat and enjoy the ride which lasts for barely 10 mins . As soon as we get there , the kids hit the water and I settle down for a day of fun and relaxation . Life doesn't get better than this .

Saizen obsession

To my delight , a new mall opened in Davao city . Abreeza mall opened last May 12, 2011 . Finally , I don't have to go to Manila to satisfy my hunger for a new book from Fully Booked . Brands like Promod , Aldo , Nautica , Nine West , etc. are just a hop and a skip away . However , among all these delightful shops , I have to say that my favorite is Saizen . I just looove how everything is P 85.00 (around $ 2.00 )and I always find cute and useful things there . From office supplies to personal grooming tools to kitchen utensils . They have it all ! I make sure to drop in every week just to check out their new inventories . I swear , I'm obsessed ! This week was no exception . Here are some of the things that I bought . Shopping is bliss ! :) .

Pink polka dotted multipurpose jars . Perfect for storing odds and ends .

Sauce or relish containers . I love these colors !

Isn't this milk tooth box cute ? My daughter definitely needs this  !

My Battle with Dengue

A few years back , my husband got bitten by the dreaded Aegys Aegypti mosquito which transmits the Dengue virus .He was hospitalized for 2 weeks and it was agonizing to watch his platelet count fall continously. There was nothing the doctors could do except monitor his condition , hydrate him and then later gave him RBC and platelet transfusions . I was praying day and night that his platelet  count would go up . It was not easy for me to absorb the reality that my husband would fall prey to this virus as my husband is a big guy and he just seems to be invincible . However , fall prey he did ! It was like David fighting Goliath only I was praying that in this case , David would lose . To my relief , after 4 days of transfusions , his platelet slowly went up and he eventually got better . Sigh of relief here . After this terrifying experience , I became vigilant on protecting my family from the virus . I uprooted all the plants in my garden that had the potential to store water on their leaves and trunks . My Bromeliads which I had been collecting for years where transferred to the farm . I also made sure that all the water containers were covered and that my kids would use mosquito repellant ( deet free ofcourse ! ) whenever they play outdoors . We also installed several electronic mosquito zappers around the house . It's been three years and so far my family has been free of Dengue   . Nevertheless , since the wet season is upon us , I know that now more than ever I couldn't let my guard down .

I just discovered the Parakito mosquito repellant . This is better than the spray ones since I just strap it on my kid's ankles and that's it . No need to re-apply and no sticky feeling . The pellets lasts for 30 days which makes it more economical.

    

These are the mosquito repellants that I normally use . They are all Deet free , all natural plus I like the smell.

My favorite Filipino breakfast

Beef tapa , skinless longganisa and fried egg . I wish I could eat this everyday!

Our favorite kakanin :  Bibingka , Puto , Suman and Sapin-sapin.

From Monday to Friday , I eat like a bird . However , I make sure I treat myself to a little bit of indulgence on weekends . My  2 days of indulgence usually starts with a hearty Filipino breakfast . My family loves homemade dried beef tapa ( I will show you how make it next time ) . I have to make a big batch every time, since my husband alone can finish one whole serving. Our weekend breakfast is never complete without fried egg , hot Tsokolate and our kakanin of choice . My Favorite is the suman while my son favors the sapin- sapin and my daughter loves bibingka . We usually have our breakfast outdoors when the weather is fine  . It is a time for us to enjoy each other's company without rushing  off to go to school or work . My daughter would be telling us endless stories and my son would be cracking jokes . The breeze is usually cool  and the sound of the birds chirping is music to my ears .This is a day I definitely look forward to every week .