Channeling Our Inner Max and Caroline

Since last year, I have attended numerous featured classes at The Maya Kitchen. Each and every time, I was given a bag of goodies containing different Maya products, and as much as it helped me cook pancakes and champorado (chocolate rice porridge), receiving boxes of cake mix made me want to try it. We don't have an oven at home, so at first I used the steamer to "bake" cakes, but I guess it's a human thing not to be satisfied, and we truly wanted to really learn how to bake cupcakes (to start with).

When I tried baking the Butter Cake Mix in our oven toaster, it produced mixed results. The look wasn't what I wanted it to turn out, but we realized that there was a difference in texture and flavor between cakes cooked in a steamer and an oven toaster, and that experience gave us a gleam of hope that we can actually bake our own store-worthy cakes at home.


A month ago, sister and I had a mini-home shopping. It was her choice to go with the mixer. She said she pities seeing me carefully fanning out the lettuce leaves whenever I make salad and this would help me spin the water off the leaves. It also had a paddle and chopper attachments, which will be helpful when we make bread spread and chop a lot of onions and garlic whenever my mom hosts dinner events.

I chose to go with this handy cake decorator, because I truly want to learn how to frost cupcakes.

This shopping moment made my sister and I laugh out loud, because it seemed she and I were already planning to invest on items for the home and we had a funny realization that she and I might end up together forever.


Last Saturday, I decided to bake one box of the Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Mix. Taking the lessons I've learned after baking the Rocky Road Cupcakes, I was able to bake awesome cupcakes. The problem was the frosting. I really thought I could produce good frosting by just using what we had at home (blender), but it was just awful. Watching videos on YouTube, I realized an electric mixer is needed to create good cupcake frosting.

The next day, the girls and I went to the mall (because they initially needed to have a much needed facial session), and after, sister and I decided to check the home section of the mall to take pictures of the appliances and other items we want to purchase in the future - oven, standing hand mixer, juicer, pepper mill, tabletop condiment bottles, stick blender, and waffle maker.


Walking around, we got to see a table of items marked with 50% off, and on it was the stick blender I wanted to buy since last year - when I had a scare pulsing vegetables for my soup using the blender (I tried scraping the sides using a spoon and it the blade). From 700 pesos, it was down to 350 pesos... sweet!


We also got to see an electric hand mixer, which was originally priced at 500 pesos. It only had 100 watts (a salesperson told us earlier that the higher the wattage of the mixer, the better performance it would have), but at 250 pesos... it would be an okay appliance to use to make cupcake frosting while we save up for the standing mixer we wanted to buy.

At 600 pesos, we were able to lightly cross items off our list. Sis and I shared all expenses, just so no one would claim ownership of the items if it comes to it, in the future.

As soon as we got home that day, we quickly put the mixer to the test and tried to cream the cupcake frosting. The final outcome was definitely better. Will share images and full story on my food blog this Friday.

Hooray for sale!

* Jenn *

ps - Max and Caroline, in case you don't know are characters of the TV Show, "2 Broke Girls." They are the ladies behind Max's Homemade Cupcakes.

Blood Splattered Nail Art

Hello guys!

It's the start of another week after a long weekend, and because I wasn't able to do a Halloween-themed nail art a week before the actual Halloween day, my nail art post will concentrate on that.

It was October last year when I started really liking nail polish. While vacationing in La Union in time for Undas (All Saints / All Souls Day), I spent my extra time reading a book or checking each and every nail polish blog I could find. Halloween is one celebration a lot of nail bloggers prepare for when it comes to nail art, and the Blood Splattered Nails was one of those easy nail art designs I hoped to try.

I wanted to try it since then - even bought myself a bottle of white and red nail polish, but small pharmacies and convenience stores in La Union only had the Caronia Nail Polish brand, and the very open space of our house, with wind coming in the big windows proved to be the biggest hurdle for creating the said nail art. This local brand tends to go thick and goopy easily, that I couldn't bring myself to do the first step. I gave up and told myself I would try come following year.


...and this year, I didn't forget to do the promise I told myself.

How to make this nail art?

Recapping a Very Busy Week

The last week of October was so busy, I only had little time to do some things, but I am grateful for it more than anything. This is going to be a lengthy post, so let the recapping begin:



Saturday
26 October 2013

Us three girls traveled to Makati City early morning today - mom and I attended the "Breaking Bread with Our Heroes" cooking demo / class at The Maya Kitchen, while sister went on her way at the Salcedo Weekend Market and Ayala Triangles to walk and jog around. I always receive an invitation for the monthly featured class at The Maya Kitchen, and when I introduced my mom to the person who always invite me, she told mom she has to come with me every month. Mom liked the idea and I think she will be my constant classmate every month.

Sister met us after the class and we went to SM Mall of Asia to purchase our airline tickets. There was a big difference with the price we saw online and the price the airline staff told us, so we didn't buy it. Instead, we just roamed around the mall - had snacks at J.Co Donuts and Coffee, and rode the MOA Eye. At J.Co Donuts, I chose to eat their newest flavor - the Cheese Cakelicious, mom went for Avocado DiCaprio (we always order this whenever we eat there), and sister chose the Tiramisu when her favorite wasn't available yet. When the drinks we ordered were served (sister went for the Matcha, mom and I shared the JCoccino), sister saw her favorite donut (Green Tease) was already available and ordered one as well.

Roaming the grounds of the mall, we saw this big McDonald's Happy Meal Box, with sides like a blank canvass for people to paint whatever they want to. Mom and I took turns, and I heard someone shouted my name. To my surprise, it was my online friend - the Panda Bear. He and I have been online friends for years now, even if it was seldom for us to exchange text messages. There were a few instances that we wanted to meet for some snacks (and I hoped to visit their place during the fiesta), but nothing pushed through. It's good to finally see an online friend in person.


Sunday
27 October 2013

As brother's wedding day comes closer and closer... the more we are stressed about the airline tickets. We all know that an airline fare gets more and more expensive as the date of the flight comes near, so we truly had to purchase our tickets now. Yesterday, we were at the Air Asia Zest office, because they had the cheapest fare going to Cagayan de Oro, the staff told us that the fare was at 2,800 pesos each way and that was the promo fare, check-in luggage not included. It surprised us because a few days ago, the amount was only about 1,700 pesos each way (that was the reason why we didn't buy tickets at the office).

I messaged my brother and we thought of booking the flight at Cebu Pacific, but even if their base fare was cheaper, the total amount was still more expensive. Turns out, the 2,800 pesos projected on the Air Asia Zest website was all-in, with included 20 kilograms check-in luggage. In the end, we chose to book at Air Asia Zest, and the fare was lowered because we didn't opt for the travel insurance and we downgraded the luggage allowance at 15 kilograms per passenger.

One thing to be grateful for - our next door neighbor allowing us to use her credit card to purchase the tickets, so we didn't have to scramble to the nearest LBC office to pay for it.


Monday 
28 October 2013

Mom and I went out to walk and jog. My mom is 64 years old, but she's kind of a showoff that she didn't want to stop to take a breather after jogging around the plaza and hopping on the stairs. I told her to rest once in a while, but she wanted to show the people around that she can still do things at her age. Oh well...

After an hour, we went home, ate breakfast and went to the polling precinct to cast our votes for the Barangay Elections. Her being a Senior Citizen, she can immediately proceed to the polling place bypassing all the people lining up, and of course I went with her, because last May during the National Elections, some senior citizens and people with disabilities were allowed to let their companion vote with them. When we got there, the watcher asked me to line along with the rest because the line we first went to was strictly for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, and I could only watch my mom from afar. I told him, what happens after she vote - let her walk home alone, or let her wait for me until I finish casting my vote? Good thing, another watcher heard us and told the man that it was written that SCs and PWDs are allowed to have one companion. Anyway, we were done in under 30 minutes, and we treated ourselves for a good 20 minutes walk back home.


Tuesday
29 October 2013

I went to SM Mall of Asia for a food tasting activity at Fish & Co., featuring their new dishes. So many dishes tried, but each plate of food were shared by four people, so it was just fine. After, I went to meet with my sister and we had an early dinner at Figaro (my treat).

When we got home, there was a package waiting for me, which contains the books I ordered from another Instagram seller. Buying the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" completes my Harry Potter UK version collection. Yihee!!!


Wednesday
30 October 2013

Quite a laid back day for us, but of course, mom and I went on another morning walk and jog.



Thursday
31 October 2013

Sister's duty at work was until later at night, so today, us three girls went to Novaliches to find a dress mom will wear for brother's wedding. It is true that Baclaran and Divisoria are two places where one can buy cheap items, but a few years ago, my mom got to buy a formal outfit for another wedding at Novaliches for a very reasonable price. Baclaran and Divisoria are way too far from our place - stressful to go there as well - so we checked back at Novaliches, and she was able to find a dress for a great amount. We were also lucky to see a Merced Bakeshop branch where we bought our favorite Pineapple Pie and a few baked goodies.

Lunch, we ate at Jollibee where the girls tried their newest offering - the Thor Burger, which is actually the champ size of the Cheesy Bacon Mushroom burger. I had my usual choice (Chickejoy + Spaghetti), but I did try another new from Jollibee - the Kisses Mix-In sundae.

It was still early, so we went to SM Fairview to pay our bills and we bought mom a new stove because our current stove is on its verge of retirement.  One regret I had today was buying nail polishes... because I didn't know I had the chance to check Booksale, and I got to see awesome titles, but couldn't buy it anymore because the money I brought wasn't enough already. I just hope the books would still be there when I go back.

Anyway, as soon as we got home, I cooked our dinner and painted my nails. I sported the blood splattered nail art for this Halloween and I love it!

Biggest crappie this week was not traveling to La Union to light on dad's grave this Undas (All Saints / All Souls Day). With my sister's shift at work, and the news going around about houses being robbed because most are away visiting their dead loved ones), I just couldn't risk letting mom home alone during the night. We did message Aunt Julie to tell we won't be there, and she understood our situation. We will just travel there next year.

I am starting to feel better now - less dizziness and no more headaches, but I still am not eating pork.

* Jenn *