THE SUNDAY CURRENTLY #2

We just got back from our weekend getaway in Florida. I mentioned in my previous post that my son suggested going to the beach but because we still have unused Aquatica (Seaworld) tickets, we decided to go there instead. My little boy didn't get his beach fix but the good lot of sand in Aquatica, the rapids, and the wave pool made up for it. 

So now that I have access to a laptop, here's my entry for The Sunday Currently:

CURRENTLY

Reading

I'm still reading The Book Thief and the Bible. I thought I'd be done with the book of Job this week but I was unable to finish it. I still have about three chapters left, so I'm making it my goal to finish it within this week and start Exodus.

Writing

this blog entry.

Listening

to my father, mother, husband, and son all talking at the same time. LOL. We're Skyping and trying to iron out the details of my parents' flight this weekend. Yehey! We're excited for their arrival here. Super excited!

Thinking

of the tasks I have at hand. I need to stop procrastinating. Ayayay!

Smelling

what little Arroz Caldo left in my son's bowl. 

Wishing

for a smooth and safe travel for my parents. With all the "laglag bala" incidents at NAIA, we can't help but feel anxious and worried for them. Pray, pray and pray. That's what I need to do.

Hoping

to finish my Christmas projects on time. I'm currently hand sewing throw pillow covers. I finished two already and I still have to make 8 pillow covers and 1 bench cushion cover. I'm also going to make an advent calendar for Christmas countdown. Honestly, with zero to little artistic juice flowing in my blood, I'm going to need lots of Pinterest ideas and DIY tutorials for these projects to materialize. 

Wearing

my regular house clothes.

Loving

my very loving and supportive husband more and more each day. We had just celebrated our 5th anniversary, hence, the weekend getaway. We would've gone somewhere romantic with only the two of us, but you know, with a toddler in tow all the time, that's never going to happen. LOL. That's also one of the reasons why we're so excited that my parents are finally coming! Hehe. Date nights and couple getaways already brewing and in the works. Ahihihi!

Wanting

to lose weight and a couple of inches particularly in my midsection. This tummy bulge has got to go away ASAP. We're thinking about baby #2 next year, and I want to lose about 5 pounds more before we start the baby making project. Haha!

another haircut. I'm thinking of chopping off a good chunk of my hair. I just had a haircut recently, and as expected, my hair had a growth spurt since then.

Needing

to book a hotel for the weekend. We're always traveling, going somewhere, even for just a couple of days or so, and I'm not complaining. #thankful

to do our church's financial records. I really need to work on this. I'm two months behind now. Uh oh!

Feeling

stinky. I haven't taken a shower yet. Hehe!

Clicking

the keyboard. Dvorak typist here.

Feel free to join the meme and link up at The Sunday Currently by siddathornton

THE SUNDAY CURRENTLY #1

My desire to update this blog and the free time I have in hand are inversely proportional to each other. On some occasions when I actually did have extra time to spare for blogging, I'd find myself ironically hexed with writer's block. Aaaarrggghhh!

Thank goodness for memes like this for they help dwindling blogs (and minds) like mine to stay afloat.

So here goes nothing:

CURRENTLY

Reading

Currently - like, as in at this very moment - I'm reading Maine Mendoza's blog, The Pessimistic Optimistic Bella. AlDub has taken over my Facebook news feed since day 1, and honestly, I find this tandem adorable. My sister is a big fan and she has been bugging me to watch all the episodes which I would love to do if only I had the time (yeah, please see introductory paragraph above). Curious as to what all this hype about, I brought my iPad with me at the gym one time and watched a few episodes while doing my run on the treadmill. I must say that it was pretty entertaining and I had a good laugh watching the kalyeserye. I love the randomness of their skits. So adlib! I saw a 15-minute clip from the most recent Tamang Panahon concert, and it gave me all kinds of good feels ;) I hope the best for these two young artists career and relationship wise. On a side note, reading Maine's blog is how I stumbled upon The Sunday Currently meme.

For my current reading list, I have started reading four different books:

1. The Maze Runner - read a few chapters and this is at the bottom of my list.

2. A Game of Thrones - read several chapters already and will definitely get back to this.

3. The Book Thief - just started but really easy read, so it looks like I'll finish this soon IF I find time.

4. Bible - I already finished reading Genesis, and currently about midway through the book of Job.

Let's see how I do with this list.

Writing

this blog entry.

Listening

to the dullness this late Sunday afternoon brings that is only minimally disturbed by the sound of my keyboard and mouse clicks... and by a napping toddler's sudden cry! Jeez, I gotta hurry and finish this now before my boss wakes up.

Thinking

of exciting days ahead. My parents will finally be able to visit us here for the first time. Vacation plans have been made already for Thanksgiving - Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Vegas baby! - and I'm looking forward mostly to finally some date nights (and even third honeymoon maybe #Europe #Caribbean #cruise #wherever #webadlyneedagetaway) with my husband.

Smelling

my hands. Bath and Body Works hand soaps (and scented candles) are my favorites. I should remember to buy some more next time we go outlet shopping.

Wishing

my son would sleep better at night. My gosh! This has been a longstanding challenge for us already. He's nearly 3 years old now and yet we're as much sleep deprived as parents of a newborn. There are days when I still feel like a zombie, and I can imagine my husband probably feels worse than I do as he has to wake up sooooo early in the morning to go to work. Poor daddy!

Hoping

for more blessed days ahead.

Wearing

The "A Day for Divas" T-shirt and white shorts. In lieu of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the hospital where my husband works at sponsors annual "A Day for Divas" event. For the first time yesterday, my son and I were able to attend the said event.

Loving

the Georgia weather. We're still peaking in the 80's while our friends up north are bundling up in the low 40's or so.

Wanting

a new laptop... wait, this isn't a want but rather a NEED. All our laptops at home keep on crashing and we mostly rely on our tablets and my husband's work laptop which I'm currently using now. I need a new laptop especially I work on excel stuff for our church.

a DSLR camera - now that's definitely a WANT. Something I can put on my Christmas wishlist BUT considering how much my loving husband spends on me and our family, I can hold off on this. For now, I'm going to have to suffice myself with our point-and-shoot camera, our waterproof one, and the high-zoom I've had for a while. #BeContent

a new designer purse - again, another WANT but I resolve not to put it on my Christmas wishlist or any wishlist for that matter. I don't need another purse. I don't need another purse. I don't need another purse. I don't need another purse. Sorry, I just have to say that a few times to remind myself that I.DON'T.NEED.ANOTHER.PURSE. #selfcontrol

Needing

a new laptop - see above.

to book my parents' flights plus the whole fambam's Thanksgiving trip to Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Las Vegas, but first, I need to book our getaway this weekend. It's my husband and mine's 5th wedding anniversary on the 30th and my son said yesterday, "We can go to the beach." There you go. #WeLoveToTravel

Feeling

Happy for this new entry in my blog. Yay! Can't wait to finish this up and publish it ;) 

Clicking

the publish button in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...!

Feel free to join the meme and link up at The Sunday Currently by siddathornton

SNORKELING AT HANAUMA BAY

A short drive from Waikiki lies a gorgeous snorkeling heaven, Hanauma Bay. Preserved and protected, this marine sanctuary is home to fragile marine life including corals, reef fish, honu (green sea turtles), sharks, rays, eels, as well as the colorful Hawaii state fish, humuhumunukunukuapua'a.  The park is dedicated to conserve and safeguard the bay, so all guests are required to watch a short video regarding a few things and rules to keep in mind when visiting Hanauma Bay.

Rule #1: Do NOT step on the corals.
Rule #2: Do NOT touch the fish, honu, and all other marine life in the bay.  Our body sweat, bacteria, etc., are harmful to these animals.

The park is open daily except on Tuesdays, and operates from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  As this is one of the major tourist attractions in Hawaii, guests are encouraged to come early.  There is a $7.50 entrance fee and $1.00 parking fee.  Snorkeling and diving gears are available for rent at a reasonable price in the beach park.

For better snorkeling experience and to explore the deeper part of the bay, Vince and I joined a guided tour by Hanauma Bay Dive Tours.  There were five of us in the group plus a certified diver tour guide.  Transportation and snacks were included as well as quality snorkeling gears.  Although we had to shed extra buck$$$ for this tour, we never regret it because it was all worth it.  I remember the other lady in our tour group saying, "This is the most awesome thing I've ever done in my life!"  I definitely agree.  That was the best (and most scraped and bruised) snorkeling experience for me as well.

These are just a few of the various marine life that thrives in the bay.

A honu (green sea turtle) in action

...and here are a few more pics from our Hanauma Bay trip.  Feel free to click on the pics to enlarge:

That's about our second day in Hawaii.  Day 3 was another full and exciting day, so stay tuned to find out ☻

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TUESDAY TRAVEL

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WATERY WORLD WEDNESDAY | MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY |

WE GOT LEI'D

How Vince and I ended up vacationing in Hawaii last month was due to a "wrong presumption." We were leaning on travelling to the Philippines or somewhere in Bahamas but we were mistakenly advised that if we exit the US, we will not be allowed re-entry, while transitioning with our visa status. It was only after I've booked our trip to Hawaii that the immigration lawyer realized that Vince and I are Canadian citizens, and we are in fact allowed to leave and re-enter the US provided we have a valid extension of our current J visa, which we do have.

So anyway, I was itching to go on vacation then. I was kinda feeling stressed out at work, and I felt like I badly needed a getaway. Quick. ASAP. Or else, I'd go nuts. That kind of feeling, if you know what I mean. Since we thought we're limited to travel within the States, I searched the Internet for top beaches in the US, and lo and behold, Hawaii beaches dominated. There were several here in the mainland that came up the top 10 including beaches in Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina and California, but to me they weren't as appealing as Hawaii. Plus, we're thinking that when we move to Georgia, we'll be a sneeze away from Florida and South Carolina, so might as well save those trips in the future when we're closer there. Therefore, Hawaii was it.

We flew out from Newark (EWR) airport, connected in Los Angeles (LAX), and arrived at our destination, Honolulu, after 12 long hours.  That was toooo taxing for me (and my little bun in the oven)!  That was my worst flight experience so far.   There was one time that we experienced turbulence for an hour-and-a-half! Can you imagine that?  I got terribly crampy and nauseated, I couldn't believe I survived that without *barfing.* Ooopppsss.

Vince and I were overly relieved when we finally landed in Hawaii.  I had arranged a shuttle transportation pick-up at the airport to our hotel (and vice versa) which included a "lei greeting" package.  So, after an hour delayed and bumpy, rough flight, Vince and I couldn't hide our giddiness and smiles when we heard locals at the airport greeting us "Aloha, Mahalo." The shuttle service representative was equally welcoming as well as she hung the fresh leis on our neck and volunteered to take pictures of us :)

We stayed at the Ala Moana Hotel which is about a 20-minute drive from the Honolulu International Airport. On the way, the shuttle driver gave a quick round of what to do and where to go in Oahu and the basic what-is and what's-not.

After we got settled in our hotel room, we went to the Ala Moana Center, one of the largest open-air shopping centers in the world, which is just beside the Ala Moana Hotel.  It's a very huge mall, but we weren't thinking of shopping... (yet)!  We were starving, so we headed to the food court, and oh my, there were so many selections! Too bad, my first-trimester appetite wasn't very cooperative, I settled for a beef teriyaki meal. Vince went for Loco Moco, a local comfort food. It's basically made up of burger patty and fried egg on top of Japanese rice generously smothered with brown gravy. It looked yummy, but my tastebuds were acting weird at their best, so obviously, I didn't get to enjoy it :(

Loco Moco

Our first day in Hawaii was wonderful and very promising. Vince and I were overly excited for the rest of our vacation :)

I'll end this for now, and will share more details of our Hawaiian escapade in my next posts. Stay tuned! Aloha and Mahalo ;)

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Oahu Travel Bits and Tips:

Oahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian islands, and where Honolulu and Waikiki is located.

Instead of taking a cab from the airport to your hotel (or vice versa), pre-arrange a shuttle service. You can search the Internet for companies that provide these services or even call the hotel where you'll be staying at and ask for their recommendations (some hotel provide free shuttle service).  With an added lei greeting, you get the full experience of your first time arrival in Hawaii ;)

The farther your hotel from Waikiki, generally, the cheaper the accommodation is.

Aloha translates as Hello or Goodbye. Mahalo means Thank You or You're Welcome.

PS: For those who have a bucket list, I recommend that you add Hawaii to it, that is if you have not included it yet. Seriously.

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TUESDAY TRAVEL

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TUESDAY TRAVELS | BLUE MONDAY |

ICING A CAKE SMOOTH

I mentioned in my previous post that I was to decorate my final cake for Wilton Cake Decorating Course 2 yesterday.  Unfortunately, that did not happen.  I got busy at work, so I wasn't able to finish my cake on time for my 6:30 p.m. class.  When Vince got home to pick me up, I was having tantrum fits.  My class was about to start shortly, and there I was, still in my home clothes with an offset spatula on hand, messy kitchen and all that, not to mention that my cake was not even halfway done.  Another thing that bogged me down is the fact that my work was not yet done, and that I would have to log in back to work afterwards should I attend my cake decorating class which finishes usually around 8:30 p.m.  Sigh.  Ultimately, I decided to skip class, so that means I need to arrange for a make-up class with the instructor.

Well, despite that, I'm quite happy because, I finally was able to ice a cake presentably smooth.  If you would remember, I had been complaining about my struggles on icing my two previous cakes for course 1.  In my desperation, I resolved to buy cake icer tips (which confusion had me buying two of the same kind *toinks*).  You bet I tried the cake icer tip, but since I was on crunch time and I didn't want the fuss of putting icing in a piping bag, I eventually ditched that and went back to the lovely offset spatula.

Markings slightly visible on top icing were from paper towel. 

I realized that time is a factor for a successfully iced caked - at least for a slow poke like me. I crumb coated the cake, gave it generous amount of time to dry, then iced it, and again gave it ample time to dry. When the icing was dry enough (it didn't stick to fingers when lightly touched), I pat it smooth with a paper towel instead of wax paper.  It's cool how the paper towel markings got transferred onto the cake icing.  I learned that trick from a video I saw online (sorry, I can't remember now which site).

So, I'm saving this cake for now in case I can arrange for a  make-up class this week.  Next Monday is the start of course 3 (fondant decorating).  I am so excited to sign up for that, but I wanted to check with the instructor first if I can do that even if I haven't made up for my course 2 final class yet.  Bummer!  Oh well, even if I don't hear back from my instructor, I'll still go ahead and sign up for the third course anyway ☻

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To see my progress in cake decorating, visit this link:

KARENINA'S KEYK/KUPKEYK DECORATING ADVENTURE

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WEDNESDAY WHITES |

FORGET-ME-NOTS CUPCAKES

I was out the whole day yesterday (and pretty much the whole Saturday too), so I apologize for not being able to get back right away to all of you who visited my blog, and left comments, as well as my meme hopping buddies.  Thank you!  Right now, as I write this post, from 46 comments or so, I'm down to just 22 more to approve and get back to at least on this blog (I have about 18 more on my other blog plus the Happiness Is participants that I need to visit too), so I still have a lot of catching up to do.  Hehe!

As I've said, it was a busy weekend for me.  Vince and I drove down to New Jersey yesterday.  We were invited to a lunch celebration for my goddaughter, Samantha, who I haven't seen for seven years.  She was just a baby when I last saw her in the Philippines.  Her mom (Momsie) and dad (Kuya) were both very close friends of mine way back from college.  I was one of their bridesmaids when they got married, and when the firstborn (Samantha) was christened, I was given the privilege to be one of her godmothers☻ I last saw Momsie in 2005 before I left Philippines, whereas I last saw Kuya in 2009 in New Jersey.  The story of our friendship deserves a separate post, plus I want to share some pics of us too, so I'll reserve those for a future post.

Anyway, before I end this post, let me share these cupcakes I made for my friend, Momsie.

These are chocolate cupcakes baked from scratch.  For the decoration, I used thinned royal icing and gum paste and fondant.  I was supposed to make buttercream icing, but I found that I still have a lot of royal icing in stock, so I decided to just thin the royal icing out and use that instead.  The forget-me-nots flowers were made out of gum paste and fondant mix, and the rest of the decor were thinned royal icing.

I need to practice more to improve in decorating cakes/cupcakes, especially work on my piping techniques.  I'm almost done with my second Wilton course, and later today, I will do my final cake in class for course 2.  Oh, wish me luck!

Do you know that you can store uniced cupcakes in the fridge for a week,
and in the freezer for three months? ☻

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You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

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366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

DATE SQUARES

Vince and I already finished the cheesecake minis I baked last week, and the next on my recipe list was date squares.

The first time I had date squares was at a Druxy's down at the building of my workplace in Toronto.  I didn't know what it's called then but I really liked it.  So, one time I was Skyping with Vince, I told him about my newly-discovered-snack-the-name-of-which-I-don't-know, and based on my description, he thought I was referring to date squares.  It turned out he was right, and guess what, he likes date squares, too!  ☻

Since I left Toronto, I somehow forgot about this tasty snack, until last week when I saw a recipe of it at Joy of Baking.  I was excited to try it, so I made sure to get all the ingredients when we did our grocery shopping last weekend.  One thing though is that we don't have a food processor.  We do have a blender and a fruit juicer, so I thought that would suffice in place of a food processor.  It did, though I kinda encountered some challenges.  I initially dumped all the ingredients into the blender just as how one would do it with a food processor, but of course, that didn't work as the blender has smaller blades.  Therefore, I had to take the dry ingredients out of the blender, and then blend them in increments.  I even used my electric mixer alternating with the blender to get them all mixed together.

Anyway, in spite of my rubber spatula getting partially ripped as a result of entanglement with the blender blade while I was trying to scrape the pureed dates off, and with all that fiasco I went through while mixing the dry ingredients, I was able to pull it off.  There, I baked a pan of yummy date squares!

Hot! Fresh from the oven!

The instruction clearly said that you should wait for it to cool off completely on a cooling rack and in the fridge before slicing into squares, or else it will just fall apart.  The impatient and curious me couldn't wait that long, so before I placed it in the fridge, I sliced a square for a taste test, and here's what it looked like:

Notice that it crumbled apart and compare to the first picture above,
which looked firm and well-formed.  Oh well, at least I found out right away
that it's delicious! ☺

So, if you're interested to try this, you can find the complete recipe (with video) at Joy of Baking (site is linked above).  Like I've already said, this recipe calls for a food processor but if you don't have one, you can use a blender like I did.  You just have to mix the ingredients in increments or batches until all of them are well incorporated.  Ciao for now! ☻

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You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | YUMMY SUNDAY | BLUE MONDAY |

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

WORKING HARD

My job used to be very demanding that at some point I was working almost 50-60 hours per week. Believe it or not, there was even one time that I worked from 9:00 a.m. to almost 11:00 p.m., and some of my coworkers were working even until 1:30 a.m. (and would come back at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. later for another helluva shift!) Yes, it was that bad and crazy, and there was just sooooo much to do that it felt like I didn't have much choice but to work overtime. Naturally, you'd think that working really late would mean a lighter load the following day, right? Of course not! I'd go to work the next day only to find myself in much deeper swamp.

Anyway, when your life pretty much just revolved around work, it could get depressing and frustrating. One time I was really feeling burnt out, that I felt I need a quick de-stressor ASAP, and the first thing that entered my mind is SHOES. My workplace, being located only a couple of blocks away from the biggest shopping mall in Toronto (Eaton Centre), retail therapy was definitely not an issue. At a little over 6:00 p.m., I logged off at work and walked my way to Dundas and Yonge. It didn't take me long to get to one of the four Aldo stores in Eaton Centre. I quickly scanned the store and a pair of gladiator wedges caught my eye. I asked the sales associate for my size but as expected, they didn't have it. I really liked it though, so I tried my luck with the next size, and wow, I felt like Cinderella when the shoes magically fitted me just perfectly fine like it was really meant to be!

So, the next day when I came to work, my work pile was still over my head high, but at least the few inches of my new wedges gave me a little boost, literally and figuratively :)

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I hope you enjoyed reading this post.  Come back again next week for another edition of:

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

For a sneak peak of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WORDFUL WEDNESDAY |

THINGS TO SEE IN D.C.

Have you been to Washington D.C.?

This year (March 20 to April 27), D.C. celebrates the centennial anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry blossom trees to US. The National Cherry Blossom Parade and Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival was held last Saturday (April 12). Vince and I didn't go this year but from our experience last year, I'm sure the festival and parade this year was a blast, especially that it celebrated the 100th year.

Here are some of the famous attractions worth visiting in D.C.:

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

"Four scores and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth
on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
- Gettysburg address

THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

"Upon the altar of God I pledge eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
- Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father
and third President of the United States

UNITED STATES CAPITOL

The United States Capitol is the meeting place of  the
United States Congress, legislature of the federal
government of the United States. - Wikipedia

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The Library of Congress is the research library of
United States Congress, de facto national library of
the United States, and the oldest federal cultural
institution in the United States. - Wikipedia

WASHINGTON MONUMENT

The Washington Monument is the world's tallest
stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk. - Wikipedia

WHITE HOUSE

Keeping up with the Obamas ☻

NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL

One of the 56 pillars surrounding the
National World War II Memorial plaza is
dedicated to the Americans who fought at the
Battle of the  Philippine Sea.

KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL

"Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call
to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

POOL OF REMEMBRANCE

"Freedom is not free."
Inscriptions on the black granite lining this pool  list
the numbers killed, wounded, missing in action, and held
as prisoners of war during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

TIDAL BASIN

The Tidal Basin is a partially man-made reservoir
between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel.
- Wikipedia

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TUESDAY TRAVEL

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366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

CHEESECAKE MINIS

My home cooking adventures continue, and recently, I endeavored on baking cheesecake minis.

Having spent a good amount of time reading on different recipes from the Internet and a few food magazines, I learned that baking a regular sized cheesecake employs the "water bath" technique. While I found some recipes which do not necessarily follow that, majority advises that it's best to still use water bath when baking to prevent the cheesecake from "cracking." I wanted to try it but then that meant I (or rather Vince) would have to unearth from our mystical closets full of anek-anek the large roast pan we got as a wedding present so I could use a water bath for my cheesecake. I didn't want to bother Vince, so I held off on baking the real deal. It didn't really occur to me that I can bake mini cheesecakes and not having to worry about water bath until I came across a recipe for it. So, having said that, I think we can all guess what happened next.

Yap! I baked my first ever cheesecake minis. Yay! I think it was a good idea that I tried the minis first, because it kinda gave me the feel on how to achieve the right consistency and not overbeat, how long the baking time and what firm yet jiggly on the center means, and stuff like that, so that when I finally attempt to bake a regular sized cheesecake, I already have an idea on what to do ;)

Anyway, I've blabbed too much already. It's time I give credit to where I got the recipe from:

INDIVIDUAL CHEESECAKES RECIPE

If I may just mention, a variation I did in terms of the technique is that I added the egg last. I learned from reading that it's important to avoid introducing air/bubbles into the cheesecake mixture. What happens is that those air/bubbles will "escape" out of the mixture as it bakes, hence, causing the cheesecake to crack. I also read that the more you beat the egg, the more air you introduce, so it's best to add the egg last and then beat for a short time just enough to incorporate it into the mixture.

It's a really delicious and easy version of New York style cheesecake - I hope you try it ☻

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You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | RUBY TUESDAY 2 | MEMORY LANE MONDAY | FOOD FRIDAY | FOOD TRIP FRIDAY | WEEKEND EATING |

CREAMY CHICKEN PESTO FARFALLE

I'm sharing over here an easy-peasy recipe I found on a Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup label:

Gone too soon!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubesd
1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup pesto (I used Classico Traditional Basil Pesto)
1/2 cup milk
3 cups farfalle, cooked as per package instruction, drained

INSTRUCTION:

1.  Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

2.  Stir the cream of chicken soup, pesto sauce and milk in the skillet, and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through.  Stir in the pasta and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

3.  Serve and enjoy!

Don't you just love quick fix meals like this? Try it yourself! ☻

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You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | YUMMY SUNDAY |

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

While waiting at the TTC subway, wearing these boots,
a random lady approached me and exclaimed,
"Oh my, what tiny, little feet you have!"

MY HERCULES BOOTS

When I was still living in Toronto, my BFF there used to own a very adorable Pomeranian named Hercules - or Herc for short. Herc, as a puppy, was very friendly and sociable, so he never failed to amuse people. Anyway, one winter time, I went to my BFF's apartment, and Herc, being his usual jolly self, greeted me at the door with his yaps and yelps and wagging tail. So, I said hi to Herc and gave him a little petting, and I went on to take my boots off and headed straight inside the apartment. Not long after I've entered in and my BFF and I had started talking when we noticed that little Herc had been incessantly barking at something by the door. We looked at him and saw that it was my furry boots he's barking at. Herc thought that my boots was a dog! LOL.  Hahaha!  That was funny and cute at the same time.  Herc would nudge at my boots, then he'd back off a bit as if anticipating a comeback from my boots, then would bark at them again.  In the end, my boots disappointed Herc by giving him the silent "deadma" treatment rather than the fight he was hoping for.  Since then, Vince and I called these pair of boots, "Hercules."

Me and the real Herc

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I hope you enjoyed reading this post.  Come back again next week for another edition of:

MY SHOES AND THE TALES THEY TELL

For a sneak peak of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WORDFUL WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY BROWNIES | ORANGE TUESDAYS |

YS FALLS

Another tourist spot that is worth seeing in Jamaica is the YS Falls.

Nestled into the rich grounds of YS Estate, the YS Falls is a little bit of paradise with the beauty of the waterfalls surrounded by lush gardens and magnificent trees.  Down from the farm, tourists are transported by a tractor or jitney up to the falls, giving them the chance to see livestock including Zebu (cows) and horses that graze into the luscious greenery of the vast YS Estate.

YS is the shortest named place in Jamaica.  It's not an abbreviation or an acronym for something.  It's just YS - nothing more, nothing less.

The YS Falls is a seven-tiered waterfalls that cascade into natural pools.  Some parts are really rocky and do not allow swimming.  However, there are lifeguards on site to assist and inform guests which parts of the falls are okay for swimming, being able to swim a requirement.  At the very foot of the falls is a man-enhanced natural pool which is suitable for children and guests who cannot swim.

By the shallow part of the falls.

Water shoes are strongly recommended considering that for the most part,
the falls is rocky and slippery

You'll be surprised at what other things you can do at this nature-based attraction. You can swing from ropes hanging on trees (just like Tarzan) and then jump and dunk yourself into the water.  Ziplining is also an option, as well as river tubing.  Clean comfort rooms and change rooms are available in the area, and all efforts are being made to preserve this beautiful paradise.

Those girls behind me surely had fun swinging on the ropes.
I didn't try it.  I didn't even swim.  I thought the falls was too rocky and
slippery, but the main reason why I didn't get myself wet is that
I didn't remember to bring my change of undies/clothes!
I know, right?  Of all the things to forget... Tsk!

More YS info here at this website:  YS FALLS - The Natural Adventure

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You can read more of my Jamaican vacation here:

I BEG YOUR PARDON MAMA WHAT DID YOU SAY?

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | WATER WORLD WEDNESDAY | WATERY WEDNESDAY | COLOR CONNECTION | MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS |

CHURRASCARIA

Vince and I were in Maryland last Saturday for an appointment with our tax preparer.  Of course, the foodies in us grabbed that chance to experience Fogo de Chao - a quite popular churrascaria or Brazilian steakhouse in Baltimore, MD.  We tried to make a reservation last month we were in Maryland, but it seems like it is a very busy restaurant that the only slot available was for 10:30 p.m.  Ahhmmmm, who eats dinner that late, right?  Maybe if we live in the area we would've gone for it, but since we're from PA, we passed and made plans to do it the next time we're back - and that's what we exactly did last Saturday.

I was hoping I could share photos of my Fogo de Chao dining experience but unfortunately, I can't.  The valet parking attendants there (which were all Pinoy) were in such a hurry to get us out of the car (my purse even dropped on the road when an attendant nonchalantly opened my door), hence, we forgot our camera in the car.  Never mind my iPhone, I forgot it at home *toinks* 

Anyway, that wasn't our first time churrascaria dining experience.  Vince's first was at Brazil! Brazil! in Manila, Philippines, and mine was at Copacabana in Toronto, ON Canada. When we compared Fogo de Chao to our previous Brazilian steakhouse experiences, our verdict was that we liked our previous experiences better.  Vince said he enjoyed Brazil! Brazil!'s flavors better.  I thought the churrasco they served in Fogo de Chao were very tasty to the point that the flavors could get overpowering you wouldn't want to have seconds.  Although, in terms of price, Fogo is quite comparable with Brazil! Brazil! and Copacabana, however, I felt that since I didn't eat much, I didn't get my money's worth :(  Vince paid around $120 for both of us, but it seems like I only ate $20 worth of food.   The servers in Fogo de Chao, however, are very prompt, fast paced and courteous (they'd pull out chair for ladies; they check every now and then to see if a table needs side dish refills; etc.)

Speaking of servers, on the other hand, there are really good looking servers in Copacabana that you would want to keep your "hot" sign on.  LOL.  (You flip the "on fire" sign if you want servers to bring you churrasco or flip it to "cool down" if you want to pass).  I remember having so much fun with my BFF the first time I ate in Copacabana.  Like I said, they had a bunch of guapo servers that we gave each one names like Manong Matthew McCounaghey, etc. There was this one particular server that caught our attention but he was kinda timid compared to the other guys, and he manned the salad bar, so he rarely went to serve tables.  When I saw him doing his rounds with a pitcher of water, I poured my water to my BFF's empty glass just in time for Mr. Good Looking Server to see that I need water refill.  All smiles to Mr. Good Looking Server when I said my sweetest, "Thank you."  Hahaha!  Also, what I love about Copacabana is that they have very nice entertainment there including a live band, Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts) exhibition, and colorful Copacabana dancers!  Those and the good looking servers, on top of the churrasco they serve, make it all worth the fancy bill I paid ;)

♪♫ Her name was Lola.  She was a showgirl!

With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there.

...At the Copa, Copacabana ♪♫

I miss the busy and lively Eglinton Street East!

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You can find more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

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My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE | MEMORY LANE MONDAY |