recently read - march 2012

Celebrity in Death - JD Robb

Hot Stuff - Elaine Fox

Wine, Tarts, and Sex - Susan Johnson

Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella

Guilty - Karen Robards

The Time of My Life - Cecelia Ahern

There's No Place Like Here - Cecelia Ahern

Sleepwalker - Karen Robards

The Widow - Carla Neggers

Left To Die - Lisa Jackson

Final Justice - Fern Michaels

Man At Work - Elaine Fox

Sworn to Silence - Linda Castillo

Special of the Day - Elaine Fox

Game for Anything - Bella Andre

Game for Seduction - Bella Andre

Game for Love - Bella Andre

New Girl - Paige Harbison

Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

Taking A Shot - Jaci Burton

it's good to be home

I just got home a couple days ago for the Lenten season. It's the time to bond with the family and to catch up with friends. I've been going out with my high school loves these past two days, and it's all fun!

Last Saturday, I watched Wrath of the Titans with Lex, Hans, and Kim. It wasn't bad, but they have lots to learn about basic Greek mythology. Hephaestus was supposed to be scarred and ugly, right? And it wasn't him who built the Labyrinth, it was Daedalus. Blah blah. I could go on. But anyway, all in all it was a good movie. Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike) just gets prettier and prettier. And it took me a while to figure out why Hades (Ralph Fiennes) looks so familiar. From The Dark Lord to Lord of the Underworld. Lord Voldemort just looks so different with his nose intact.

After the movie we met up with Lea, Diane, Gretchen and my cousin June. We went to Leyte Park. Margaritas. T Ice. GPS. RH. Drinks all around. And, food, of course. It was a night of good fun and way too much laughter. It's nice to be with people who've known you for more than a decade, who've seen you through your best and, sometimes, worst, moments, and yet still loves you. It's a bond that hasn't been, and never will be, broken.

We all went home around 3am. More than tipsy but not drunk, our tummies full, worn out with laughter, and just plain happy.

Yesterday, we attended my niece/goddaughter's first birthday. Good food, good friends, good fun. We joined in the games, and it was so funny! We went to Rob after, where we stayed at Bo's for a while before playing Bingo. Harmless fun, but sadly, we just lost money. Rotten luck. We were supposed to watch The Hunger Games, but since we didn't really want to watch it, we decided to stay and play.

Went to Manang's BBQ afterwards, then to Wyomie's. Hans and Lex went home first, so it was just me, Lea, June, Son, Kim and Chen. Lea, June and Kim played billiards while Chen, Son and I had a heart-to-heart talk. =) I got home around 12 midnight. I'm just so tired after two days of endless parties.

I'll end this post with two pictures. The first one is our (Lex and mine) birthday gift to Kaylee. Rumbles. Yummy =) The second one is what made my luggage home a bit heavier than it should have been. Went crazy at Booksale and bought 13 books. A couple of them aren't in the picture, though.

Rumbles. Numnums. =)

I switched to an e-Reader because it's cheaper, but every once in a while, I'd still go back to my first love, real books. <3

making pastries with love ♥

Today marks our last day of Level One. We're done making breads, cookies, and muffins. Now, we just have to show Chef Nick our new-found skills. Our final exam is on Thursday, and I have to make Ensaymada, Chinese Almond Cookies, and Orange Nut Muffins. *excited*

I'll be going back home right after our finals. I can't wait to see my mom and dad, and play with the puppies before we sell them. I'd rather keep them all, but we can't afford to keep 6 puppies along with our 4 dogs, not to mention we don't have the space. Plus, I need the money for myKitchenAid fund.

Anyway, on my previous post, I included pics of my favorites, but I wasn't able to upload all because of my crappy net. So here's part two.

That heart wasn't intentional. One of those amazing coincidences. ❤

Gipfel.

Olienbollen (Dutch doughnuts).

Brownies. Who doesn't love 'em? =)

Morning glory muffins.

Chocolate Orange Biscotti.

Calabrese with Anchovies and Mushrooms.

conquering the world one pastry at a time

Baking. God, how I love it. I feel as if this time, I'm doing what I really love, I'm going to be something I really want. I feel as if this is what I'm meant to be. After 6 months or so, I'm gonna be a pastry chef. I can't wait!

To me, each day is like a treat. We make all kinds of bread, muffins and cookies. And making bread sounds easy, but it's not. It needs a lot of patience, and a lot of work. Trust me, kneading a dough is work.

We're having our final exam next Wednesday, and after that we get a 2-week reprieve from school. I'm so excited, I'm going home right after our exam. It's not all vacation, though. I still have to do all my costing. Ugh.

"Life isn't perfect, but everything you bake in the kitchen can be. It's a moment of order and edible art in a life of disorder and chaos."

-Henry's Sisters (Cathy Lamb) ♥

These are my faves so far:

Popovers filled with pastry cream.

Hot cross buns.

Classic Pinoy pandesal. ♥

Waffles. But we didn't use a waffle pan, so it looks like a pancake. =)

Blueberry muffins.

There's more, but for some reason I'm having a hard time posting pics. I'll just uplload them on my next post. =)

recently read - february 2012

Because reading is always fun. <3

• Always the Baker, Never the Bride - Sandra Bricker
• Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride - Sandra Bricker
• Under the Radar - Fern Michaels
• Payback - Fern Michaels
• Take Me - Bella Andre
• Love Me - Bella Andre
• Heaven Texas - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
• Lethal Remedy - Richard Mabry
• Nine Uses for An Ex-Boyfriend - Sarra Manning
• I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella
• Desirable Residence - Madeleine Wickham
• What's Your Number? - Karyn Bosnak
• Lucky Charm - Carly Phillips
• Lucky Streak - Carly Phillips
• Lucky Break - Carly Phillips
• Seduce Me - Carly Phillips
• Before She Dies - Mary Burton

i gotta blog more often

I've been neglecting my blog yet again for the nth time, but at least this time I'm not losing interest in it. Before, I just delete my blog, and when I feel like it, I start all over again. It's like a disease.

Anyway, I don't have much going on lately, so I don't have anything to blab about. Just normal stuff: I go to school, we bake goodies (one day I'll post more pics), it's pretty much routine stuff. I do my laundry, clean my little place, hang out with friends.

Bf came to visit last February 24, just for the weekend. But it was more than enough. We hang out together, watched a movie. Simple stuff, but it was all fun. I missed him.

I went home last Friday. Mom left for Dumaguete, and Dad was supposed to go to Bohol (but he cancelled at the last minute, don't know why) so I was supposed to watch over our store. Saw two of my BFFs Jo and Janz; sadly Jin has work. Bonded with my Dad, anf played with Reina's puppies. They're all soooo cute! Too bad we can't keep them.

Anyway, weekend's over so it's back to the real world. Went to class today, and, lo and behold, Aunt Flo arrived. I was getting a bit antsy because my cycle got all messed up, and I've been PMSing to hell so I was actually glad about it. But then I got cramps. Not the usual cramps-that-can-be-cured-with-chocolate, but the oh-my-God-this-feels-like-labor-pains kind.

By 3 PM I was pale, and the pain was reaching 8 on a scale of 1-10. I took a pain reliever, but it didn't work as quickly as I'd like. By 4 Pm, I was having chills, and I was getting dizzy and feeling a bit nauseous. I can't even concentrate on my Focaccia by then. Everyone kept looking at me and asking me if I'm OK every minute or so.

Chef Nick told me to just sit down, and stop working on my bread. I decided to go home instead.. I left class early. When I got down, I asked the guard to get me a taxi while I sat down and waited. I told the taxi driver my address, and asked if we could just stop by a pharmacy. I bought some more pain meds, just in case.

When I arrived home, I boiled some water and changed into more comfy clothes. I used the hot water for a hot compress. I was asleep in minutes.

I woke up to the ringing of my phone. I ignored it at first but the caller was persistent. Turns out, it was my boyfriend calling to check up on me. It was so funny coz he was panicking because he couldn't reach me. I didn''t reply to any of his messages and I never answered his calls, and he went crazy. He started imagining morbid things. He thought I that I fainted from the pain and was lying unconscious somewhere. It was sweet. And touching. Told him nothing dramatic happened, I was just trying to sleep off the pain. LOL

I feel much better now, though. Still in pain, but better.

Mom's dropping by Cebu tomorrow, from Dumaguete. She's staying for a short visit before she heads home. I can't wait to see her. =)

recently read - january 2012

January has been a productive month. =)

Some Like It Hot - Louisa Edwards

Wild Thing - Robin Kaye

The Book of (Even More) Awesome - Neil Pasricha

When Harry Met Molly - Kieran Kramer

Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right - Kieran Kramer

Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage - Kieran Kramer

If You Give a Girl a Viscount - Kieran Kramer

A Home By the Sea - Christina Skye

Simply Irresistible - Jill Shalvis

It's All Greek To Me - Katie McAllister

Confessions of a Karaoke Queen - Ella Kingsley

The Accidental Courtesan - Cheryl Ann Smith

Destiny - Carly Phillips

Wild Heat - Bella Andre

Hot As Sin - Bella Andre

Swimming Naked - Stacy Sims

Whispers in the Dark - Maya Banks

Sweet Possession - Maya Banks

Summer Loving - Carly Phillips

this day has been a bitch to everyone

I woke up today with my ankle swollen and way worse than yesterday. The pain started the other day, but it was so bearable so I didn't pay it much attention. But today, damn, it was really bad. I can't even put weight on it so walking is a bitch. It was so bad that I had to take pain-relievers, and I hate taking medications of any kind.

While I was on my way to a nearby Watson's (I took the taxi because I really couldn't walk) to buy some Ibuprofen, the car began to shake. Earthquake. God, people from buildings and establishments were running out to the streets. Turns out a quake hit the Negros and Cebu area with a magnitude of 6.9.

Our class starts at one, and with the ongoing traffic at the Capitol area, I arrived at school with only minutes to spare. I changed quickly (well, as quickly as my foot allows) and went to the bakeshop. We were about to start when Chef Nick got a call from downstairs that classes are suspended because there's a level two tsunami alert advisory.

We wanted to continue on with the class since the alert was only for the west coast area, and we are far, but they won't ignore the warning so we had no choice but to go.

My batchmates, Bogs, Ienne, Cheng, Adz, Joy and I ended up in McDo, though. We were chilling, talking, and trying to hide the fact that the earthquake scared us. Then in the middle of our conversation, two firetrucks went by. At first we were wondering where the fire was, looking up the sky for some indication of smoke. When we couldn't find one, we asked a lady where the fire was. She told us there's no fire, but water's coming our way.

People were panicking, so what do you expect? Fear is contagious, and we also panicked. We ran back to our school, which is just a few meters away, figuring that if the water hits, we'd be safe on higher ground. Plus, if we got stranded there, we won't be worrying about food coz the kitchen's stocked. It wasn't easy running with a sprained ankle, but adrenaline worked it's magic.

It turned out to be a false alarm, but the damaged was done. The mass panic caused traffic jams, people were running in the streets, stores were closed down. We didn't get to see it firsthand, but we heard that the flyover at Robinson's was crammed with people. People gathered around Fuente Osmeña circle for safety. And IT Park was full of people, too.

Apparently some fucking idiot called the fire station and reported that he/she saw a wave coming it. Bad news do travel fast. You can just imagine that mayhem it caused. Damn. So whoever you are, what you did wasn't even remotely funny. I hope karma comes and bite you in the ass.

Prayers for everyone affected by the quakes. God help us. I know He won't forsake us, so let's have faith. ♥

soft dough bread and chocolate cookies

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that my dog Reina gave birth to five puppies.. But right after I wrote that post, she pushed out three more, which brings the total to eight. Sadly the youngest puppy didn't survive for more than a couple of hours. I'm hoping the seven will, though.

So.. Today marks the first day of our bakeshop duty. We made soft dough bread, and while we were waiting for the dough to rise, we baked two batches of chocolate chip cookies.

Maybe I'm a little bit biased, but our bread was yummy. And.. Our cookies were amazing!

We gave my Culinary batchmates who were working in the hot kitchen a piece each, and they kept begging for more. Yup, that's how tasty our cookies were. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. And it was overflowing with chocolate chips, unlike those you buys at stores where you can only see several pieces.

I forgot to bring my camera today, and my phone's camera sucks, so I had to wait till I got home to take pictures. I wanted it fresh from the oven, but sadly, no camera.

The best part bout baking class is that I don't have to worry about breakfast anymore.

Chocolate chip cookies.

See those choco chips? =)

Mini burger and hotdog buns.

recently read - october to december 2011

Hungry for You - Lynsay Sands

The Reluctant Vampire - Lynsay Sands

Before I Go To Sleep - SJ Watson

Lord Langley's Back In Town - Elizabeth Boyle

Mad About the Duke - Elizabeth Boyle

Slow Ride - Erin McCarthy

Handle With Care - Jodi Picoult

The Best of Me - Nicholas Sparks

All I Ever Wanted - Kristan Higgins

Catch of The Day - Kristan Higgins

Too Good To Be True - Kristan Higgins

Until There Was You - Kristan Higgins

Fools Rush In - Kristan Higgins

Maybe This Time - Jennifer Crusie

My Sister's Voice - Mary Carter

The Book of Awesome - Neil Pasricha

Code Blue - Richard Mabry, MD

Medical Error - Richard Mabry, MD

Diagnosis Death - Richard Mabry, MD

Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

A Secret Kept - Tatiana de Rosnay

Along For The Ride - Sarah Dessen

Keeping The Moon - Sarah Dessen

School For Brides - Cheryl Ann Smith

Wouldn't Miss It For The World - Tara McCarthy

Hide and Seek - Fern Michaels

Sweet Revenge - Fern Michaels

Hokus Pokus - Fern Michaels

The Hiding Place - Karen Harper

The Falls - Karen Harper

Avenging Angel - Justine Dare

Take Me Home - Jerri Corgiat