Wedding Photos - Glenn and Lyshiel from Image Nation Photography

  After almost 7 months, I finally get the chance to blog about our wedding photos. Yes, I am really delinquent in posting these photos. Here are some...



   I'm so excited to share some of our photos by Jed Calara of Image Nation Photography, here's the link:  http://jedraycalara.com/?p=1115. Here's also a link to our on the day slide show, http://vimeo.com/32306952.

 

Mother's Day 2012

 

This year's Mother's Day was extra special because we celebrated it with 4 beautiful women... My Mom - who I have learned to understand and know more about as I get older, my sister - a very new mom of my 1.5 months old niece, Inay - Glenn's 91 year old lola and Mamang- Glenn's mom who was in Baguio for Mother's day (but we managed to stay at her house and spend the whole afternoon and night time there chatting with Glenn's brother and sister-in-law).

 Of course, the day will not be complete if I did not cook for them so I baked herbed chicken and cooked bibimbap for my family. Good thing we brought some chicken home as we also served it to Allen and Mona (Glenn's brother and sis-in-law). I'm glad they enjoyed the meals we prepared. I really get a high for doing that. :-)

  Glenn wanted to give flowers to all the moms so we were able to get flowers and we enjoyed handing it to them. They are really exceptional women!

   As Mother's day 2012 has passed, I have a burning desire in my heart to be ready for the time I would become a mom. One day, I know we would want to have kids and I am claiming in God's name that He will give us that gift. So now, I am making a commitment to being ready for that new journey... being a wife (because it is a continuous journey) and a mom. I will prepare my body for it by exercising regularly, kicking some bad habits and eating healthier food.

   I welcome this new desire that God has put in my heart. I pray that one day, He will give us the gift that He has planned for us.

6 Months and counting....

It's almost 6 months since our wedding day and I cannot be more grateful for all the blessings that have gone our way.  There have been a lot of adjustments for us but the most beautiful thing of it all is that we can talk about anything with love and understanding. I have prayed for so long that my husband is my also my friend and not just a partner in life. Someone I can celebrate with and can be with me when times get tough. Thank you, Lord for granting my heart's desire.

For our first montheversary, I'm trying to recall what we did but with whirl of all the birthdays (mine in November and his in December) plus the Christmas season, I have missed out on the details already which makes me sad. :( The only memory I have is that we bought ourselves Samsonite bags for the start of our adventures. hahaha!

For our second montheversary, we had dinner in New World Hotel and enjoyed a cozy, romantic table and cake prepared for us by the staff of the restaurant.

Our third montheversary, was celebrated with our favorite houseblend in UCC Greenbelt. Then, we walked around Makati area. 

   Slow cooked Osso Buco and  Razon's halo-halo were the highlights of our 4th montheversary celebration. I really wanted to cook something for him that he has not tried so my labor of love, Osso Buco! :-)

      5th montheversary was special. It fell on a Holy Thursday and instead of our normal dinner fanfare, we went to High Street and did the way of the cross. Some of the stations made me tear up as I realize how blessed I am for all the challenging and wonderful things that had come to our lives.

Our 6th montheversary is coming up… I hope he likes my surprise… :-)

        In the past 6 months we have been to Bicol and seen the Mayon Volcano, the Baclayon Church, Misibis Bay. Then, we made new memories in Boracay. Watched Wicked and experienced life in Singapore. Watched Mama Mia and hoping to watch Phantom of the Opera soon. Climbed Mt. Pinatubo and spent relaxing days in Anvaya Cove. 

     We've moved together in our Makati Condo and have pretty much adjusted to living together. Hahaha!  We're getting ready to move to a condo of our own very soon. Cooked and ate wonderful meals and had fantastic conversations while enjoying them. Spent time with friends, made new friends and re-connected with old ones. Starting to set up our future for a happy family. And more importantly, starting the dream of Glenn's Odyotek business.  All in the past 6 months. Whew!

   Everyday I am learning how it is to be a wife. I have read a lot of articles and bought a lot of books but one thing I now understand is this, a relationship with love friendship and respect is the best foundation of a start of a life long journey as husband and wife. :-)

November 5, 2011 - A Beautiful Time of My Life (wedding, honeymoon, birthday, marital bliss)

   Three weeks after that beautiful Saturday in Tagaytay, I am now formally a wife. A wife to a wonderful man, Glenn...

   I still feel like everything is so surreal. Just like any other bride, our wedding was unbelievable.

  Thursday and Friday of that week was rainy. It was raining when Dan and Melody picked me up and drove me to Tagaytay. It was raining that afternoon when we had our bridal shower in T Spa, Tagaytay. It was so great to hear the raindrops while I was having a massage.  I accepted the fact that it might rain on our wedding day but I didn't mind anymore. Everything's going to be just as God planned it to be.

   Everything was happening so quickly. We all had dinner at Cafe Breton that night and suddenly all the girls were in my room trying on their dresses. I felt a sudden surge of happiness sitting with them in the bathroom and seeing all of them there. I am so blessed to have them all in there that weekend. I cannot be more thankful.

  I woke up at 6:00 am while the sun was rising (thank you, Lord for beautiful weather that day) just in time to see my Mom making coffee and about to go out to the balcony. I treasured that chance of hanging out with my Mom before the chaos begins. We really didn't chat about serious stuff but being there with her was one of the best moments of my day.

   By 8 am,  I was scheduled to eat breakfast (Ate Lilian will not like it if I don't. hehehe!). Thankfully, I did because that was only 1 of 1.5 decent meals for the day. :-)

   By 9 am, Mela Jimenez, our make up artist has arrived and the craziness is about to begin.  When everything was happening around me as I sit on the make-up chair, I realized.... wow! Is there a way for me to encapsulate this moment and just absorb everything and remember every single detail?!?!? That's when I remembered what Fr. Dennis said, when you release control, that's when you are most in control.  So i picked up the rosary and started praying. I was so full of gratitude... tears where always in my eyes all the time.

  The only stressful moment of the whole day was when my Mom had to rush back to Paranaque to get our rings since she forgot them... Thank God for a good driver and stickers to enter the different subdivisions going to Tagaytay. hahaha! Thanks, Mom for making sure the rings get to us on time.

  By 1 pm, we were set to move and go to the church. I was so excited, to see Glenn! I haven't seen him the whole day and I can't wait! :-)

  When we got to the church, my parents went down and I stayed in the car. Excitement, anxiety, joy and peace. All of these happening at the same time.

   As I went up the stairs of Chapel on the Hill, I was joking with Jed and Randy to tell me when I should look back so I get a good photo while walking up the stairs. :-) When I reached the start of the aisle though, I saw Glenn... GRABE! Kinilig ako to see him smile when he saw me. I can't wait to hold his hand and kiss him... pero syempre, it had to wait. hahaha! Fr. Dennis even came up to us before the mass started and told us not to hold hands, hindi pa daw time. hahaha!

   Sa ikli ng aisle, I didn't get the chance to think of anything else. hehehe! When he held my hand to go up the altar though, I saw our three priests. That's when I thought to myself, I could not believe this is happening.... We are so BLESSED!!! I cannot stop smiling, I am marrying my bestfriend with our Archbishop Panfilo (our spiritual director), Fr. Dennis Paez (our counsellor) and Fr. Vester Casaclang (Childhood friend) blessing our marriage. All our family and friends were there sharing our joy... is there anything else I can ask for?

  The whole communion and offertory, I was just worshipping and praising God. Its one of the happiest moments of my life. I was floating and not wanting to forget every detail of that mass. I remembered after I opened my eyes while in prayer, I saw our three beloved priests in front of the altar, I asked "Glenn, is this really happening? How can we be so blessed? :-)"

 

FIRST WEDDING EXPO - Weddings and Beyond

We went to our first wedding expo in PICC Forum last Saturday. Its the Weddings and Beyond expo. Its not so bad! I thought we would get overwhelmed with all the suppliers but the only area we got overwhelmed with are the photo and video suppliers.

Now, the question is, should we get a mobile bar or not? :-)

First meeting photographer - Bryan Yap

Tonight I met with Bryan Yap of www.bryanyaparazzi.com. Glenn could not join me since he has a meeting. I enjoyed the meeting with him. I'll review his photos again with Glenn so we can understand further what different styles of wedding photography we like.

We really have not checked out the different styles so maybe that's what we need to look into further. Hmmm... one more new thing to learn. :-)

He asked... I smiled and said YES! :-)

YES!!! We are getting ready to say I do in front of God and our friends.

Wedding preparations are on their way... relaxed and steady. I am what you can say and excited wife but a reluctant bride. Our joy is overflowing and we love sharing the good news to our friends and family. We are just really blessed and loved. God has been really good to us and we have Him and Mama Mary to thank.

I can't wait to wake up beside my husband and have a fun and loving marriage. I love my Babe.

Mini Quiche Lorraine

My pack of puff pastry has been sitting in my freezer for a few months now. I've been planning to make quiches but never had the chance. This weekend, I made it my experiment.

Ate Lilian, Kuya Marlon and Rosie, visited us (minus Glenn though coz he had to set up for Ate Lally's party) and I was so happy to serve them my Quiche Lorraine with freshly ground and brewed coffee. Thank you, Rose for mixing the coffee... pang Starbucks owner ka talaga! :-)

Recipe is from Yummy Magazine May 2010 but I doubled the recipe to make more.

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (325g), thawed

1/4 cup butter

1 onion sliced

6 strips bacon, chopped

4 eggs

1 cup cream

1 cup grated tasty cheese (such as cheddar)

nutmeg

spinach leaves to serve

balsamic vinegar as sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Lightly grease muffin pans and pie tins

3. Using a rolling pin and sprinkling flour on the puff pastry, flatten the pastry

4. Arrange pastry into prepared pans.

I used 6 cups muffin pan, 4 mini tart pans

5. Fill each with either kidney beans or rice grains.

6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until pastry puffs a little bit (don't allow it to be golden brown)

7. Remove kidney beans or rice grains. Make sure that nothing is left.

8. Reduce oven to 350F

9. Melt butter in a frying pan on high. Saute onion and bacon until onion is tender.

10. Fill each prepared pastry with an even amount of onion mixture.

11. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Sprinkle some pepper. Pour into prepared pastry.

12. Sprinke with nutmeg and then cheddar cheese.

13. Bake for 20 mins or until firm and pastry is brown and crispy.

14. Garnish with spinach leaves

15. Use balsamic vinegar as sauce if desired.

Improvements:

1. I'll use kidney beans as weights next time. It was so difficult to remove all the rice grains from the pastry

2. Will bake the pastry puff longer on the ones on tart tins.

3. I won't put water in the pan while I'm pre-baking the pastry to make it puff a bit more

Notes:

1. Don't use too much salt since the bacon, butter and cheddar will give the needed saltiness.

Chicken Schnitzel

Making use of left over whole wheat bread, I cooked some chicken schnitzel. My inspiration... Junior Masterchef Australia. :-) And since my boyfriend wants to eat it with rice and sauce, I made chicken liver adobo on the side.

You can find the original recipe here, For the pinoy version, check below. :-)

Good for two.

Ingredients:

4 pcs. chicken thigh fillet

3 pcs whole wheat bread

3 tbsp parmesan cheese

1 tsp rosemary

salt and pepper

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1/2 cup plain flour

2 tbsps olive oil

Directions:

1. Process whole wheat bread and parmesan in a food processor until fine crumbs. Add rosemary and season with salt and pepper, process until finely chopped. Transfer to a plate.

2. Cut the chicken thighs horizontally into thin steaks. Place in between 2 sheets of cling film and lightly pound with the flat side of meat mallet to flatten.

3. Whisk egg and milk together in a bowl. Coat one piece of chicken in flour and shake to remove excess. Then dip the chicken into the egg mixture. Then coat the chicken in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to coat. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken and crumbing mixtures.

4. Heat olive oil and fry chicken thighs for 4 to 5 minutes each side.

5. Serve with rice or salad.

Little Lemon Meringue Pie

So thankful that I was able to find a Lemon Meringue Pie recipe good for two people. We would not have been able to finish the whole pie. Found this recipe in http://allrecipes.com.

Glenn and I are not big fans of lemony desserts but this was pretty good. :-) Also, the colder it is, the better it tastes. Of course, its best to have it on the same day.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1 tablespoon cold butter (no substitutes)
• 1 teaspoon cold water
• FILLING:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• MERINGUE:
• 1 egg white
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 5-in. circle. Transfer to two 10-oz. custard cups. Press dough 1-1/8. up sides of cups. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown

Crust before I placed them in the oven.

2. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. gradually stir in cold water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir half of hot filling into egg yolk; return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice and butter. Pour into pastry shells.

3. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg white and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Things to improve on:

1. I would have used smaller custard cups (ramekins) so its not fattening in one meal.

2. Lesser sugar for the meringue

3. Use iodized salt for the crust

** For custard cups, you can get it in Landmark, Makati at P40.00 each

Kickin' it In Korea

I must admit, my friends really have the adventurous spirit in them. It does not matter whether North Korea fired at South Korea and there is an impending war that week, nothing can stop us from having a great time. :-)

I had my doubts at first but as long as there's no travel advisory, off we went! :-) The first few times in the subway, I was a bit jumpy and observing the local reaction to everything. I would even look over the shoulder of train passengers to watch the local news through their mobile tv… hahaha… not that I understood anything… hahaha!

Another crazy adventure for me, Jacky, Kat, Meme and Grace!!! To Seoul, Anyonghase yeo. Til we meet again. :-)

From Incheon airport:

Get a bus ticket inside the airport before going out to catch your bus. We were staying in Banana Packers and our drop off is Anguk station we took bus 6011 in Exit 5. As soon as we got out of the airport, we felt the 0 degrees weather. MAN! It was like a freezer!!!

The bus ride is about an hour to get to Seoul City. The bus station is around the 3rd stop. You will see an SK gas station. Get off there and walk towards the gas station. Make a right and then cross the street on the first stop sign. Walk into a small alley. Banana Backpackers is about 500 meters from the main road.

As soon as we are all settled in, we ordered food for delivery. Not bad. There was sweet and sour park and noodles in sweet black sauce which cost about Won6,500 (around P300 that can be shared).

First day:

Slept in till about 12… had late lunch and money changed.

Just walked around… first time to taste bibimpap in Korea. Yes… Its a challenge. Point and eat. hahaha! that's what we did.

After having money changed, we walked towards the direction of the main road and it led us to Insadong Market. Went around for a bit and then had coffee in a small bakery.

Even if I was still scared about the N. Korea and S. Korea conflict, I braved riding the subway to go to Dongdaedum market. From Anguk station, take the orange line, transfer to the blue line and then go down Dongdaemun station.

I must admit. I was jumpy and paranoid but I braved it! :-)

After Dongdaemun, we went back to the hostel and waited for Melody and had another serving of the black noodles and sweet and sour pork.

Second day:

SNOW DAY!

Started our day with lunch at a nice resto and then we went to Deoksugung Palace. Entrance fee is W1000 and its closed on Mondays.

The National Museum of Modern ARt is there and there was a show of Picasso's work from Albertina, Vienna. The show entrance cost W10000 but I opted to wait outside and explore the grounds. I chanced upon the changing of the guards which was pretty cool.

After our palace visit, we had coffee at Beans and Berries followed by dinner in KFC. Nothing different, just a bulgogi burger… no rice too. True to form, we really have to try out Mc Donald's and KFC in every country we go to. :-)

After dinner, we tried to catch the lights and sound show at Cheonggyecheon but failed this time since its only until 8 pm. while we were walking we felt that there are small snow flakes falling but it was not until we reached, the shops area where it really snowed.

IT WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF SNOW and it was so much fun!!!! :-) I enjoyed just having the snow fall on me and although it was cold… it felt so real and I felt so lucky having to experience snow (of course being born and raised in a tropical country, this experience is quite a treat)! Photos galore! :-) The best part of it, I experienced it with Grace, Meme and Jacky! Fantastic time! Since this was a moment to capture, I bought my Seoul Starbucks mug! :-) Memories! :-)

After playing under the snow, we had ice cream in Baskin Robbins (I know, right! :-)) and then went home after.

THIRD DAY:

After starting with an early lunch, we headed to a coffee shop and then to Nandaedum market where you can find good and cheap clothes, shoes, etc. And then Mengdong for more shopping.

Street food trials galore is what I did today. From hotdog with fries waffle (how efficient right?), to crispy rice cake, to crispy sweet rice cake, gyoza that loos like a siopao to red bean cake shaped like fish… I tried them all. :-)

We finally caught the light show… you have to go to the middle of the stream to watch this 5 minute show. Dinner in the same area and again, Baskin Robbins ice cream to conclude Day 3.

FOURTH DAY:

Lotte World day. Admission price: W26,000

I was really really impressed with this place. Its no Disneyland but its obviously way way better than Enchanted Kingdom. hahaha! My favorite ride of all is the Pharaoh's Fury... the line going to the ride felt like a museum. Its suer galing!

We had chatting while in line. I think that's the best part of traveling with great friends. You have non-stop conversations about everything under the sun.

FIFTH DAY:

Namsol Hanok Village day. Its nice to be able to see the traditional houses but to be honest, there's nothing much here. Its a good park and good for an afternoon stroll.

I don't remember the sequence of events anymore... hahaha! but I do remember going to Itaewon Market and having a night out in Myeong Dong. We also went to a couple of palaces but its really nothing breathtaking. I think if you see one, then, it'll be enough for your whole trip.

A trip to DMZ was not advisable at that time unless we wanted to be part of the American-S. Korean exercises. hehehe!

Others:

Hostel: Banana Backpackers in Seoul - Nice, clean and affordable. For 8 days there, I only paid around Php 6,000.00. Not bad eh! :)

Mode of transport: Bus from airport to hostel

Train all around

Favorite meals: Street Food - chapchae noodles wrapped in nori… oh!!!! everything actually! hahaha!

There's this restaurant in Insadong Market (it has a small fountain in front - I really wish I can remember the name but just like everything else in Korea, i don't remember any names! hahaha!) which serves the yummiest Kalbi Jim I've tasted. Its pricey but really yummy. We went there twice.

Other tips:

1. Get a Hi Seoul Card. You can get this in any convenience stores and have replenish the used up cash in any subway stations. This is useful most especially if you intend to ride the train all the time

2. There are so many stalls selling clothes, bags and other stuff. They can be seen on every subway station. :-)

3. If you're going in November, bring winter clothes (especially if you are in a tropical country). Or buy shoes and clothes there. :-)

4. Bring shoes that are insulated in the foot are and above the calf area. Ugs type shoes are recommended.

5. The people will bump into you in the subway and will not apologize. Get used to it.

6. They still do not speak english well so get ready to point point in restos and have "surprise" food served.

All-Meat Hand Rolled Pizza with Home-made dough

After Glenn and I had a nice date in Mona Lisa, Alabang a few weeks back, he asked me if I can make the super yummy Pannize that we ate. I said I'll give it a try... and so I did. Here's the result! :-)

I did a combination of a Yummy recipe (Jan/ Feb issue p.44) and a cream sauce recipe I found online. No pizza pans were available but used our pyrex dish. I'm pretty sure the dough would have booked better in a pizza pan but it still tasted yummy according to my siblings. :-)

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

2 tsp instant yeast

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Combine flour, yeast, water, oil and salt

2. Mix until just combined

3. Transfer dough to a light floured surface and knead for about 5 mins until well-mixed. Cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside and let rise for about 10 mins. Punch the dough down and knead for another 5 mins.

4. Divide dough into 2 parts and form into 2 small balls. Knead for about 1 minute.

5. Dust a flat work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, flatten the 2 dough balls and slowly roll into desired shape and lay out in a pizza pan.

Cream Pizza Sauce:

1/4 cup butter

3 cloves garlic minced

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup all purpose cream

some Italian seasoning and oregano

pinch of salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat

2. Add garlic and saute for 3 mins

3. Stir in the cheese, cream, salt and pepper

4. Add Italian seasoning and oregano

5. Remove from heat

6. Spread on pizza dough

Pizza Topping

1/4 cup Pork sausage removed from skin

1/8 cup burger bits

1/8 cup pepperoni

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Spread pizza topping on pizza dough with cream sauce.

Preheat oven at 190C and place pizza for 5 to 10 mins or until the crust is completely cooked.

Toppings for a roll:

Alfalfa sprouts

Arugula

Olive oil

Chili oil

Parmesan cheese

Add a little bit of everything on the pizza slice and roll like paper. Stuff in your mouth. :-)

Areas of Improvement:

1. Use either a pan used for pizzas (stone or aluminum should be ok, I guess)

2. Make the pizza crust thicker (just a tad bit so that its easier to roll)

3. Since its a rolled pizza, maybe lesser toppings

Braised Caramel Pork

The secret of this dish is cooking it low and slow until the pork is so tender that the meat and pork fat is so soft it.

Warning: This dish will make you eat a lot of rice! :-) Enjoy!

Taken from Yummy Magazine January/ February 2011 page 37.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 kilo pork belly, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium red onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup light soy sauce

3/4 cup panocha (for this instance, I used brown sugar)

1 cup water

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 pieces star anise

1 tsp five-spice powder

8 shitake mushrooms, sliced into strips

1/2 cup green onions, divided

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the pork and sear for 5 minutes or until brown all over. Reapt with the remaining pork. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, saute onions until translucent.

3. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.

4. Add pork, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, fish sauce, star anise and five-spice powder.

5. Mix well and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender and sauce has thickened.

7. Add mushrooms and 1/4 of the chopped green onions. Mix well and continue to cook for another 10 mins.

8. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

9. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Bibimpbap

One of the highlights of our trip to South Korea is the food! Super duper good!

For Glenn's birthday, I cooked 4 Korean dishes - Bibimbap, Japchae, Bulgogi and Kalbi-jim. All (ok except for Kalbi-Jim.. hehehe!) received good reviews. :-) Too bad that I didn't take photos of those dishes but I'll try to post them as I cook them again.

Everyday and almost every meal we had in Korea, Bibimbap was part of our orders. So, whenever I want to re-live the fun conversations and the non-stop eating, I cook this dish. Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Oh... and make sure to buy the stone bowl. That makes the rice crispy. There are two major Korean groceries in Makati ave. area. Wang Mart at #37 Polaris St (in front of P&P Tatoo shop) and another one is near Hap Chan Restaurant, I forgot the name.

Ingredients:

Steamed white rice

Bulgogi (for some strips of beef)

1 carrot, julieneed

Cooked bean sprouts, sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

Cooked spinach, sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

4 shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

1 egg, cooked over easy

1 tbsp sesame seed

1 tbsp dark sesame oil

strips of nori (japanese sea weed)

soy sauce to taste

Gochuchang paste (you can buy this from the Korean grocery too)

Directions:

1. Put cooked rice in a hot stone pot.

2. Place bulgogi (with juices from cooked meat) and veggies on top of rice but place seperately so you can see each ingredient beautifully placed on rice.

3. Put egg on top

4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce

When ready to eat, mix all ingredients together with some gochuchang paste to taste. The bibimbap should be moist and not dry. Add more sesame oil and gochuchang paste to taste.

Italian Chicken Burger

I've been buying Yummy Magazine since they released their first magazine. I enjoy browsing through the pages and experimenting with the different recipes every month.

This is my first attempt in documenting my monthly cooking experiment using Yummy magazine recipes. :-)

Mamang gave me a meat grinder and I was so excited to use it. I found a perfect recipe on the front page of the January/ February 2011 release. These burgers are a great alternative to the fatty beef burgers but it takes some getting used to also because it's herby. I didn't cook the french fries anymore.

Makes: 6 burgers

Preparation time: 1 hour and 45 minutes (including meat grinding, and 1 hour chilling time)

Total cooking time: 7 minutes

3 tbsps fresh rosemary

1 cup button mushrooms

1/4 cup white onion

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 heads roasted garlic roasted, mashed into a paste with 1 tbsp salt

freshly ground pepper

1 kilo chicken thigh fillet - remove the skin

olive oil for frying

1. Grind the thigh fillet using the meat grinder. You can also buy ground chicken meat already. Place in a large bowl.

2. Put rosemary, mushrooms, white onion, mustard, ground pepper into a food processor until chopped and blended

3. Mix garlic paste into the rosemary mixture

4. Add rosemary mixture into the meat. Mix well until all ingredients are well blended. Using hands to mix is the best way to blend everything together.

5. Form into burger patties and chill for an hour to let the flavor settle and blend together.

6. Fry in a nonstick pan over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil or until the juices run clear, about 2 minutes on each side. (I cooked mine in a George Foreman grill. Its less juicier but lesser fat.

I'm not a fan of burger buns so I made garlic mayonnaise, spread it on whole wheat bread, placed cheese, burger and pressed it in a panini maker.

Pretty ok... not something I will cook often but it was a good try.

Oatmeal and Buttermilk Muffins

Super yummy and healthy for breakfast. You can even prepare it a day or two in advance and pop it in the oven on a busy morning before going to work. I gave some to Glenn's mom and she liked it. :-)

Makes 12 muffins:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup buttermilk (if you can't find buttermilk, you can substitute this with 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes)

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firmly

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4 cup walnuts or raisins (optional)

1. In a bowl, combine the oats and buttermilk and leave to soak for 1 hour (I leave mine for 45 minutes)

2. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan

3. Preheat the oven 400F

4. With an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy

5. Beat in the egg

6. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt

7. Stir into the butter mixture, alternate with the oat mixture. Fold in the raisins/ walnuts. Do not overmix.

8. Flll the prepared cups 2/3 full.

9. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, around 20 to 25 minutes.

10. Transfer to a rack to cool.

For more recipes, you can go to http://lyshrecipes.blogspot.com.

Is Relationship Bliss = Weight Gain?

At a start of every relationship, the courtship stage is the most exciting. Dinners in different restaurants, movies, dates in different places, all these end up in different restaurants and eating places. Wanting to spend a lot of time together (unless your dates are in a gym everyday), you somehow give up working out time.... Both hands raised and shouting GUILTY!

Yes, I am guilty of not being able to work out the past couple of months... ok, ok.... I blame it on relationship bliss but... but... but... who would not want to cozily watch a movie with popcorn on a Lazy boy with the air con unit on full blast.... oh, and add that you are being cuddled by an adorable man? :-)

Ok... so I have just admitted to gaining a few pounds but I would always choose this over a heartbreak. The pounds, though hard to shed is easy to lose as long as you have someone who can make you smile, laugh and does not care if you have a few cellulites showing on your thighs.

So Relationship bliss do not always equate to weight gain but if it does, I don't mind gaining a bit (coz with diet and exercise, I can go back to my 5 lbs lighter self) because with every happiness that I feel, I know that all the tears (and the weight) I lost in the past is all worth it. :-)

First Philippine Game Development Festival

I had this chance to help organize the First Philippine Game Development Festival on September 14-18, 2010 in UP Diliman.

Its crazy being part of this group but knowing that you can help a lot of people who wants to get into our fun industry is a fantastic feeling.

As I always say, there are still so many things that we need to do to grow the Game Development Industry in this country but hopefully, if we all work together, this will become a reality. I hope that somehow, I am helping in growing the seeds planted by the founders of this group. Its not easy filling in their footsteps but I hope that I can at least do my share.

I may not have been in this industry for a long time but I know that I can help create jobs for young people and that's my strongest driver to make this industry grow.

For more information about this event, please go to www.gdap.org.ph.

See you there on Saturday, September 18 for the Summit for Professionals.

Venus Raj - Ms. Universe 2010 4th Runner Up

Just what the Philippines needed today!!!

After the Philippines went to bed after a nightmare hostage crisis, we wake up to beautiful news... Our very own Venus Raj has made the country smile and hope as she makes the Top 5 of the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant.

I was screaming my lungs out when I heard her name called in the Top 10... That for me was enough to lift up my spirits... and then Top 5. Wow! That made me scream a little bit more (I think my noisy condo neighbors were wondering why I was screaming! :-)).

We may have not won the Miss Universe Pageant, we have not even solved the big problem that is the PNP or changed the image that we have now in the international scene, but for one morning, for one day, Ms. Venus Raj made me hope again and reminded me of my love for my country.

Thank you, Venus... not only for winning the 4th runner up slot in that pageant but for making the Filipinos flash the sunny smiles and making us believe in our fellow country men again.

A Heartbreaking Scene For Our Country

Woke up this morning and felt weak... Food poisoning has hit me bad but that does not even come close to how badly I felt when I turned on the television at around 5 pm. I caught a glimpse of the hostage drama around 2 pm but I didn't think it would end this way.

Around 6 pm, wanting to watch the news, I got glued to the events that were happening live. A man was sitting on the floor crying to police officers not to take him... relatives hanging on to him so that the police won't get to him. I don't blame him one bit for fearing for his life... the PNP's reputation does not even come close to what they are supposed to be doing... saving and protecting our lives.

With all bits and pieces of what I hear in the news, the details of the case is still not clear, but my heart broke seeing that man crying and hold on to dear life, not wanting the police to take him. I feared that he might have a stroke. I cried because if he was a relative or a friend, I will not want to see him in that situation. My heart bled for him... whether or not he has something to do with this, I fear for his life too. You never know what the PNP can do to him and that saddens me.

Watching the different torture videos and the abuse of power that the PNP does, I find it difficult right now to give them the respect that we should give to uniformed officials. There's so many changes that need to be done to fix the system.

With all that has happened, I have so many questions which may or may not be answered truthfully since you'll never know whether you get an unbiased information.

1. Why did the SPO2 Mendoza's dismissal happened when he does not have a copy of the ombudsman's decision?

2. How can a man with numerous medals of honors have a measly Php19,000 ($400)/ month salary? -- Now I understand why he wants reinstatement since he needs his benefits after retirement. He doesn't have enough for himself and his family.

3. Why does media need to exploit the father of SPO2 Mendoza? He's old and frail. He should not be exposed in such a vulnerable state.

4. Why did the PNP arrest his brother that way? I'm pretty sure they know that they cannot agitate the hostage takers?

5. How can you regulate the media in situations like these?

6. Why are Pinoys such usiseros that they need to be in a scene where they are in direct harm's way?

I will sleep tonight with fear and sadness in my heart. There's so much to be fixed in the system. I don't know how they will begin but hopefully the PNP works on their system so things like this won't happen again.

Here's a video of the suspect's brother being forced by PNP to be taken into custody.

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV