A new "toy". Y'all might have seen it on tv (who else haven't?) My new fitness buddy told me it was on sale. So i got one.
It's so easy to use/operate. Just step on it and twist to your heart's content! Hehehe! 5 - 10 minutes a day isn't bad at all to augment my twice-a-week aerobics session and weekend jog.
I tried it the other day for 10 minutes and i really felt it work up my midsection. And i was surprised that the simple twisting movement made me sweat!
Yesterday's batch of puto came with cheese filling and salted egg as toppings.
shown here with a mini (but plain) version
It was sold for a higher price but the office people didn't mind. They must've really liked my creation that they didn't have second thoughts about shelling out a few more pesos for the yummy munchies. Or it could've been that they had no other options for their afternoon snack. Whichever way, it was a good thing that my puto were sold out.
I'm already thinking of other ways to make these yummy little munchies more interesting. There had been suggestions from my colleagues that i should experiment with other flavors like ube (purple yam) or pandan. The suggestions were noted down and shall be considered for subsequent batches.
How about chocolate-flavored puto? We'll see about that later...
The excitement about my new preoccupation hasn't worn off yet (and showing no signs of wearing off me probably for a couple more months). The second batch of puto was a hit with my officemates (it sold like pancakes!) that they asked some more of it the following day.
Unfortunately i didn't cook another set, thinking that if i do it on a daily basis, people might get used to it and eventually get bored by it. But i guess i was wrong. My colleagues were clamoring for it. Hehehe!
Look, It's Happened Once Again it Happens Every Now And Then feeling The Hurt And Hating All The Men ready To Stop It All
that's When I Need A Friendly Face to See Me Through These Lonely Days just To Put Some Sunshine In My Place don't Take Too Long I Need You
refrain: here I Am i Haven't Gone That Far Away and Since I Am that Kind Of Friend You Know would Stay With You Through All The Pain never To Leave You In The Rain ready To Listen To What You've Been Through your Woes And Blues And Share Each Other's
chorus: points Of View we've Been There Once Before and Kept Our Points Of View it Doesn't Really Matter If They're Never Quite The Same we Have Our Rules In Different Ways we Play The Games Of Different Folks With Different Strokes and Keep Our Points Of View
see The World Seems Bright Again it Only Darkens Now And Then most Of The Time There's Just No Telling When look Up And See You've Got Me
refrain: here We Are we May Have Gone Our Different Ways but Since We Are the Kind Of Friends Who'll Always Stay no Matter What The Pain learning To Love That Cap O Rain ready To Say We're Here To Stay In Every Way although We'e Got Our Different...
chorus: points Of View we've Been There Once Before and Kept Our Points Of View it Doesn't Really Matter If They're Never Quite The Same we Have Our Rules In Different Ways we Play The Games Of Different Folks With Different Strokes and Keep Our Points Of View
points Of View we've Been There Once Before and Kept Our Points Of View it Doesn't Really Matter If They're Never Quite The Same we Have Our Rules In Different Ways we Play The Games Of Different Folks With Different Strokes and Keep Our Points Of View
You can listen to the song here. It's got to be a nice BFF anthem ;)
It’s past 2 o’clock in the morning and I have just finished cooking my 2nd batch of puto.
When I cooked my first batch, I didn’t have my own steamer and mold.But knowing myself, I constantly think of ways to improvise.So I got our big wok, deep enough to fill it with water and spacious enough to fit an 8"x11" aluminum tray. That's quite a big puto that had to be sliced into 3"x2" little pieces.
But this time for my 2nd attempt, I borrowed my aunt’s steamer and bought those little plastic cups to serve as mould.
the finished product
still in their mould, fresh from the steamer
And here's the recipe that you can try for yourself: 2 cups all purpose flour 2 tbsp. baking powder 1 cup white sugar 1/3 cup oil (coconut or vegetable oil) 1 tsp. vanilla essence a pinch of salt 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup evaporated milk, mixed with 1/2 cup water slices of cheese (to serve as toppings)
Sift flour for 3 times.
Add all the other dry ingredients and mix well.
Gradually add the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix well in one direction. This prevents it from bubbling.
Pour by teaspoon and fill up to 3/4 of the moulder.
So.... it's been quite a while since my last "blogging spree". Unfortunately, i've been busy with tasks in the office, places to visit, and all those things in between that i got too tired (and sometimes lazy) to blog about them. I have a lot of backblogging to do. The pics are waiting to be posted, too!
But what i'm excited the most to talk about today is about my recent kitchen/cooking adventure. I signed up in an evening vocational class at my high school alma mater and is now three weeks into my course on Food Trades.
Now i'm not really new into cooking and kitchen stuff. My mother taught me how to cook some Pinoy dishes like Tinola, Sinigang, and Pinakbet to name a few, before i reached my teen years. I even had some experimentations with leftover foods or have come up with my own dish from scratch.
So there were questions why i signed up for the class.
For one, i can say i am a "food tripper". Given the chance, i can be pretty adventurous with food, but lately, i've been pretty much into those carinderia stuff--those little sort of restaurants that can be found in almost every street corner or even small alleyways or backstreets and they serve some mean lutong bahay (home style kind of food) . So, yeah, it's kinda like an adventure too! Manny and i are constantly on the lookout for new carinderias to crash into, for variety with our workday lunch.
But why stop at just eating? Why not make my own food and be able to profit from it? I think it's more fun to be able to create something that i and my family (and friends too!) can enjoy plus the option of earning some dough from it.
Armed with newly acquired knowledge from last Friday's class, i made some puto last night and brought it to the office for some "taste test" before i could finally announce that i am open for business, although Papa and my siblings already gave a thumbs up with the taste.
And i was very happy to see that my officemates appreciate and actually liked my puto! Perhaps i could post some pics later when i cook my next batch coz i was pretty much excited last night and very serious in following the recipe to the dot that i forgot to take snaps of it.
I was at the office when i got a text message from my brother. He said he had just baked his "perfect" brownies (after some hit-and-miss episodes!).
Now usually, it was my sister who bakes the yummy foodies, armed with her baking know-how and experience (she took up culinary arts as an elective in high school). But somehow, she gets frustrated everytime her brownies don't turn out the way it should be.
So when bro told me the "good news", i told him to save some for me-- not just for my consumption but because i also wanted to take some pics of it so i can send it to mom (and also showcase it here in my blog, for the world to see! hehehe!)
It was the first thing i asked for when i got home because i was excited to see (and taste!) it for myself. He'd sprinkled confectioner's sugar and ground cornflakes (for texture, i guess). As per ate's suggestion, he placed halved cherries on top for added color (and perhaps some flavor). And voila!
the tasty treat!
And guess what...
It really tasted good! Not bad for someone without formal training.
As they say, "the show must go on". So despite my stuffy nose and constantly parched throat, i still had to sing the responsorial psalm for yesterday's celebration. We had no choice. I didn't have an alternate for such "emergencies" and we didn't have extra time for an alternate to practice.
Unfortunately, i ran late for our slot. I arrived just in the nick of time but i wasn't able to sing. Apparently, Robin got so worried that he asked Krisha to take over. Oh well! Things happen.
But just when i thought i have failed, Robin told me that i would take over in the afternoon slot. I was not spared. But that was fine with me coz i really love singing.
Some scenes up at the choir loft:
this dude caught some snooze time to recharge before our next slot in the afternoon.
i've been driving around town with my head spinning around everywhere i look i see your '96 jeep cherokee
you're a bully and a clown you made me cry and put me down after all that ive been through you'd think i'd hate the sight of you
but with every jeep i see my broken heart still skips a beat i guess its just my stupid luck that all of boston drives that same black fucking truck
it could be him or am i tripping and i'm crashing into everything and thinking about skipping town a while until these cars go out of style...
i try to see it in reverse it makes the situation hundreds of times worse when i wonder if it makes you want to cry every time you see a light blue volvo driving by
so dont tell me that you're off to see the world i know you wont get very far dont call me if you get another girl baby just call me if you get another car
the number of them is insane every exit's an exboyfriend memory lane every major street's a minor heart attack i see a red jeep and i want to paint it black
it could be him or am i tripping and i'm crashing into everything i can't wait til you trade that fucker in by then they will have stuck me in the looney bin
it could be him my heart is pounding its just no use i'm surrounded but someday i'll steal your car and switch the gears and drive that cherokee straight off this trail of tears
Been battling with a head cold since Wednesday, and now it's gone worse despite taking double doses of vitamin C and guzzling gallon after gallon of water (hehehe!). Our choirmaster once again assigned me as the psalmist for our 9am slot for the feast day masses tomorrow, so despite my condition, i went to the shrine to practice.
Coincidentally, Krisha (a fellow soprano from the Angelites Choir) who's also their psalmist for the 8am mass, has a cold too! But we still did our best to practice, in between sniffles, stuffy nose and all.
Angelite Krisha still had time for a pictorial of some sort. hihihi!
Meanwhile, one of our LecCom member celebrates her birthday today.
Sarah. I hope you had a blast on your day ;) Happy Birthday!
The St. Lazarus Shrine was full of people last Monday because the Holy Mass (and the 4th Novena Mass) was celebrated by none other than the Archbishop of Manila, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.
the streamer and the newly landscaped area in front of the Shrine
And for the first time, the choir loft was finally opened to accommodate the St. Lazarus Choir.
View from the top. We used to occupy the 5th & 6th rows at the right side.
there's Cardinal Rosales during the Communion
It felt good to be up there for the first time and sing our hearts out even without the microphone to magnify our voices. The acoustics at the loft was excellent.
We'll be up there again on Sunday, the Feast Day of St. Lazarus. See y'all there!
Saw this kid inside Surplus Shop while i was waiting for my turn at one of the fitting rooms. He's prolly looking for his mom who's trying out some clothes too!
Last night around 7pm, i was walking home with a choirmate after our pratice. We haven't gone far away from the company gates when a lady caught up with us and exchanged pleasantries with my choirmate. The lady acknowledged my presence and said "Uy, Tsiki, pumapayat ka yata." To which i replied "talaga? ay salamat!"
I was walking ahead of them and was focused on the traffic light at the nearby intersection, calculating the time when it will turn red so we could cross the street. As we were near the street corner, the lady bid goodbye and walked the other way. We waved her goodbye as well and waited for our turn to cross the street.
A little while later i asked my choirmate, "sino yun?"
Boy: yes. at last! it was so hard to wait Girl: do you want me to leave? Boy: no! don't even think about it. Girl: do you love me? Boy: of course! over and over! Girl: have you ever cheated on me? Boy: no! why are you even asking? Girl: will you kiss me? Boy: every chance i get! Girl: will you hit me? Boy: are you crazy? I'm not that kind of person! Girl: can i trust you? Boy: yes.. Girl: darling!
I love lavender. So it's no wonder that i had this window painted with that color. This is from the vacant room i previously raved about. Yeah, it's been quite a while and i haven't moved in yet. There are so many repairs to do and some other people's stuff to put away coz this room was used as a stockroom of some sort after the previous occupants vacated the place.
And there's dad placing a plastic screen so i can always have the windows open for sunlight and not worry about the cat getting out through the jalousies.
Meanwhile, my sister Tet tried to paint her toenails pink -for the very first time...
...by herself! And she is so serious about it.
"my hands are small i know but they're not yours they are my own..."
...and my fingernails are painted with a color i can't name. It's brownish from the bottle but turned kinda pinkish at one angle then fleshy at another (i guess it depends on where the light bounces off) with a metallic finish.
The nail polish would not last long though. I work with my hands a lot. I can't be bothered with maintaining paint on my fingernails and worrying about them chipping off coz eventually, they will chip off and get messy. This is one girlie stuff i can live without.
For the longest time, i've been wanting to change my blog template but can't seem to find a design that would reflect my personality. Once in a while, i would add (or remove) a page element, change the colors and fonts, or pick a completely different template depending on how i feel at the moment.
Then i came across this design which reminds me of those spiral-bound notebooks that served as my diary during my student days.
Back in highschool through college, i wrote a lot about what's happening in my life, my thoughts and my feelings. That was also the time when i have written a lot of poems, most about observations around me and, yeah, my thoughts and feelings.
So, i'm trying this one out and getting the "feel" of it. Perhaps it might inspire me to write some more.
But being the unpredictable person this blogger is known for, expect some more changes in the next few weeks.
