my son's 3rd birthday/new year's eve/happy 2009!!!

i got sick, december 29th, ranting i shouldn't be sick today,not when i need to do so many things for my son's bday, so i started drinking the sekem flu tea (like four times, hot, so my colds and flu will be gone before my son's bday) i went to my favorite market, "suki market" and bought everything i need. i even got a haircut that day just so i will look good for the new year hehehe!
i marinated the beef that night. i wasn't able to sleep well that night.

december 30th, the day before my son's bday, i prepared everything. as in everything. pre cut the ingredients for the salad, the garlic sauce, the lemon butter sauce, the cucumber raita, the marination mixture for my seafood, and cut all the vegetables needed to make the kebabs. that night, i finished doing all the beef kebabs. i was still sick, so i just managed to do what i think is enough for my son's bday.

december 31st, i woke up so early today just so i can get the freshest shrimps and lapu lapu fish for the seafood kebabs. filleted the fish and took off all the skin and head of the shrimps and made them into kebabs and put in the marination. i actually got time to take a bath and even rest, since i was still struggling with my nose. i started grilling around 11am. since my target was lunchtime. some of my relatives were early to get in here, and my uncle bought one whole lechon (this is one of the best, promise. i grew up eating this lechon being cook right before our eyes at this house nearby, it comes with the best lechon sauce too!) my uncle was the one who cut and serve the lechon. i managed to finished grilling when everybody got here. i really enjoyed the outcome of the kebabs, was really really delicious!(that was everybody's feedback) i was really happy with my garlic sauce too and the salad really went well with the rest of the food.

so my menu was only rice, lechon, seafood and beef kebabs, and the greek salad. i was trying to be greek hehe!

our dessert was the wall-e cake.

i can't imagine he's 3 now.
next year again...

:) this is my only time to show my wonders in cooking a cuisine, every birthday of my son. i don't really have enough time to make these everyday (besides i only get my budget for making alot of food during the holidays)

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR! HAPPY 2009!

we got a lot of food, so this will also be our new year's eve foodies. hehehe!
ok, now i have to rest, before all the fireworks take off later around the neighborhood...

mango butterscotch heaven!

yes! its true! i am in butterscotch heaven!





i went to guimaras for the first time when i was in college with a couple of friends and my family. it was our first time to go on a vacation in the visayas region and we have relatives in iloilo, so we decided to go to guimaras as well. my dad has a friend over there too. and we all know guimaras is the place where we can get the best mangoes in the whole universe! i will always remember our trip there! and we have been there twice and we will always remember the food trips we had there! such fun and luck we had! i recommend guimaras to be one of the best places to unwind and to stay for a long, quiet, get away. and that is where i first tasted mango butterscotch. and i remember i only got one box of it. it was made by a monastery there we visited, they got this store full of mango goodies. from mango wine and dried mangoes and other goodies made from their famous mangoes.

from that point on, i was in search of other mango butterscotch makers. and i discovered miss joyce aragon's mango butterscotch at one of the baker's dozen events at rockwell mall in makati.




its like i have been eating these for the past month, i have been craving and craving, and i can't stop eating it!!! i am getting huge!!! due to this holiday season plus discovering these best treats in town! miss joyce's butterscotch wonders are in variety as well, she also got cashew and choco oatmeal butterscotch. very reasonable prices! so chewy and soft and i really love the sweetness and saltiness in these little bites. i really can't get enough of it. sorry, they really are my favorite!

to know more about miss joyce's products
please visit her multiply site Joyce's Homemade Foods http://joycearagonfoods.multiply.com/
contact her at this number (632) 853-0129

tienda isabel

Tin has become a homebaker friend since i met her when she ordered toppers from me. and when i came over at her little store in her house at San Juan, it was a big treat! i met her cute daughter too, Isabel, hence the name of her bake shop.





it was nice of her to let me taste newly baked buttercake and shavings from the chocolate banana cakes and first time to try the miniature fudge brownies, that kids truly love like popcorn.
again, i went to her store again to deliver cakestands she ordered from me, and i got some baked christmas goodies i wanted to try. of course i got the fudge brownies and the apple walnut loaf and the banana walnut loaf.

i like the banana walnut loaf compared to the apple walnut. i guess i am really a banana cake fan. the fudge brownies of course is a hit here at home, to my grandfolks and to my son.
i really like how Tin manages her shop and her baked goods. i think she is one fine home baker that i know. good luck to you Tin and more baked goodies for you!



if you like to try her products and also she cam make very wonderful celebration cakes. please visit her multiply site Tienda Isabel http://tiendaisabel.multiply.com/
contact number is (632)723-8292
her little shop is along wilson street, san juan. very near greenhills.

cookie cutters and the upcoming holidays

i finally got them all! my first online shopping spree! cookie cutters from singapore and from japan!
thanks so much to wasabees from singapore and dewi from japan.

i have been giving myself gifts for the past week.




i even got "the modern baker" by my master baker idol nick malgieri!

its definitely happy happy happy holidays for me!

i am already at my grandfolks, and i will be cooking for christmas and for new year's eve (that is my son's 3rd birthday too!)

we can't wait for our 3rd year of being a toddler to start!

i thank everybody who has been supporting me, and seven spice shop. my online shop really kicked in some surprises before december. and i am very, very thankful for all the blessings. i found new homebaker friends too, been blessed with alot of opportunities that have been accepted and also been declined. and to top it all off, we will be moving in to a new, permanent home soon!

God is good.

2009 will be our year. i got a lot of plans in store! i can't wait!
:)

HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!