I love pancakes a great deal and I could eat a couple any time of the day (it’s not limited to just breakfast food for me). I even went through a phase wherein I would make them every single day. Haha.
Even though I think I am already done with that phase at present, I still get the occasional cravings and when I do, I like to be creative with my pancakes. The pancakes above are quite delicious and healthier (in a sense). I make them when I am craving for some pancakes and a bit of apple pie – these babies address both concerns. What an invention! I’m a genius! Haha.
No eggs in my pancakes and I add a bit of oatmeal and flax too. I made some apple cinnamon (which I really really love. By the way, you can bake it for awhile in the oven as well), they do have cinnamon sticks that you can use and I don’t use sugar either. If you must, do use an organic substitute.
Perfect for the weekends, complements the much needed R&R and I find them comforting. Have a good weekend everyone!
I know, I was away for quite some time. *doesn’t make eye contact* – Haha. I was actually nursing a tummy pain problem and when I eventually got better, it was this design journal’s turn to experience problems of its own. Anyhow, I’m very very happy to be back. (Insert megawatt smile here).
What better way to start this month than by sharing an experimental concoction I came up with? Cool beans!
During the beginning of the weekend, I was told that they got some fresh scallops for me and I can do whatever I wish with said scallops. The thing is, I get really excited when I experiment with cooking. It reminds me so much of designing, you can play around with different ideas and apply creativity. I also like taking advantage of fresh ingredients because the flavor they possess is simply awesome.
I definitely had a lot of fun doing this and I knew what I wanted to come up with – a savory scallop dish. Though I wanted to use some cooking wine that was especially good for seafood, I decided to just go with an alternative so that in case my mom will eat it, it’ll be completely safe and non-alcoholic. Also, I won’t do a step by step thing but will instead discuss how I sort of did it (i.e. a paragraph or two). On to the cooking!
I do love ratios and stuff but with this, I made my own proportions in a sense. I decided to steam the first half of my scallops (I want to try something different with the remaining half. Perhaps do a play on oriental flavors for the next batch). Steaming is actually a good and healthy cooking option. To start things off, I seasoned the scallops with some salt, pepper and garlic beforehand. I then infused the steaming with some fresh lemon grass and a lemon for some subtle zest. Quick note, cooking time for the scallops is about 8-10 minutes when you steam them.
Do take advantage of the natural “fresh-from-the-sea” flavor of the scallops (I wanted that particular flavor to be the focal/base flavor) and keep things simple. Use the remaining scallop juice/drippings from steaming and make a thick, rich gravy of sorts. On low heat, add some evoo and mix in a couple of cloves of garlic (chopped finely), stir for at least a minute. Add in the drippings and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. You may add some cooking wine at this point to deglaze the sauce but since I wanted this alcohol free (even if its just wine), there are wine alternatives that work as well (examples include white grape juice, water, etc.). Add some fresh herbs (think of herbs that would complement the taste that you are going for) and some fresh chives towards the end. Don’t forget to season with some salt and pepper. Plate your dish and acquaint with your tastebuds. 
This is quite a rich and savory dish that is really good (I loved how it turned out) and would also be perfect for Lent. Have fun in your kitchen and make some art of your own!
Today has been a good day so far, it’s a holiday here in the Philippines to mark the Chinese New Year. I was pretty proud of myself for finishing the design concept and the perspective I was working on (finishing up) the night before – still basking in the aftermath. Yup, all those long hours and times when I was just a blank that I avoided my drafting table all together eventually came to an amazing conclusion – it turned out quite good actually. I’m a genius! Haha.
I had a late lunch and since I wanted something “meat free”, I decided to create some sort of concoction with the stuff I was able to find in the pantry and the fridge. It turned out to be really good actually. I made a mental note of said spontaneous recipe for future consumption. Behold, my button mushroom toppings! I added in some veg and some herbs and some awesome garlic (and a couple of secret ingredients. *winkwink*). So creamy in consistency and yummy!
But my culinary wondrousity did not end there. After a couple minutes, I thought of something else. (awesome!) I guess I decided to take advantage of how gastronomically inspired I was. (I’m joking with the statements above. I’m not really full of myself. Haha.) Lo and behold, amazing pancakes as an afternoon snack. I decided to try out this new pancake flour thingymajig and added in some blueberries and cranberries as well as some oatmeal and vanilla (Yup, and some secret ingredients). I paired this with some raspberry jam – I swear it was delicious! Gone in a couple of minutes. Amazingly, everyone was quite enthusiastic and cooperative with the eating. Haha.
P.S. Look who we have here. Its the little one! Hi Georgia She decided to stretch out on top of my sketch whilst I was tinkering with it. Yup, on top of my drawing of all places. You are just the cutest Georgia Porgia ♥ I had to take a picture.
By the way, we are off to the vet tomorrow for her follow-up. She wasn’t feeling well early on the year and it was scary (Should I do a post on this?). Yup, a couple of x-rays, some stuff and we are slowly going back to normal I hope. If she appears to be a little scruffy to you (she’s certainly not alone. I feel scruffy too. Haha.), it’s because her doctor is putting bath/groom time on hold until she gets better.
Yup, its March. Wow. It’ll be summer soon and more hot weather it will be (sigh).
Today is “no meat” day since it’s ash wednesday and we are preparing for lent. This used to be a struggle for me when I was younger since I am a meat girl. But at present, it’s not much of a big deal anymore in the sense that it isn’t as trying for me anymore to go on a full day without meat. That’s a yey healthwise.
Earlier on today, I was able to drop by and view a couple of units (thanks Franie!) and pick up tips here and there. I took a couple of pictures too. (Note: I didn’t do the interior design for these units but I am posting them so that you can pick up some ideas or whatnot.)
There you go and I am not ending this post without food pictures – take note, no meat. Hearty soup is definitely a favorite and the rice pilaf was really good. Yum.
The past few weeks have been quite crazy (translation: busy and surreal) but good and fun. I have been working on a lot of stuff and we do have a gallery on exhibit at the moment. I will do a post on this soon. For now, au revoir and have a good weekend ahead.
Yesterday was a good day. I even reckon it was a great day.
It didn’t particularly start off like it was gonna be something that would conjure significant memories but it slowly made its transition. I wasn’t able to wake up really early and by the time we did leave, it was raining and the day had a gloomy feel about it. When we got off the train, things were starting to turn around – we were getting excited, we were chatting up a gazillion words per millisecond (nerdy look insert here), I was snapping pictures away and the rain made way for the sun to say hello (hang around) until what was left of the day was up.
Spending time with Ate Tatie, my sister, is simply priceless. We got to catch up, discuss things and store up on memories we can reminisce later on. Our “amazing adventure” or day together was complimented with a perfect meal in my opinion. With a love affair with food, the waiter definitely asked a couple of times if we could finished all the stuff we ordered or if we were sure if it is a wise thing to do – ordering all those dishes (haha). These tiny girls who have big storage compartments for stomachs. Tsk. (haha)
Happy Little Girl
We gobbled all of it up and chatted all throughout the meal until the last piece of strawberry and pancake. It was a very good moment. Their chicken caesar is the best I’ve tried so far and the ribs were cooked just right and were quite tender (the perfect example of a good barbecue rib dish). The dessert dish was quite luscious – coined as Devil’s Delight, it consists of chocolate pancakes, strawberries, cream, chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce drizzled all over. I know – I love food!
We looked for the waiter (he is Polish by the way) to sort of show him the empty shiny plates that once held food – we were a couple of smug girls. (Haha. I kid.)
P.S. I love you, Ate Tatie! Looking forward to more adventures in the future. On a side note, a couple of moi shots below.
“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”
~Anthony J. D’Angelo
A snog, you say.
As what they mentioned, “Snog isn’t a miracle, it’s just delicious pure frozen yoghurt”. Yup, this post is about yoghurt (just a bit) and interiors – sounds great, things that I love all in one post! Yey! (haha)
Snog emphasizes their dedication in providing the healthiest frozen yoghurt. Their blend is a mixture of organic skimmed milk, and fresh non-fat organic yoghurt (with probiotics).
Nom, nom, nom! I love frozen yoghurt – definitely a healthier alternative to frozen treats but has to be moderated just the same. In case you are wondering about the yoghurt above and their names – Chocolate Snog, Green Tea Snog and and Natural Snog respectively.
Snog shops feature really cute interiors – definitely whimsical and they have the playful/fantasy aspect. Check out the pictures below.
The countdown has come to an end. Yup, tomorrow is the best day ever (big smile).
Hello Best Day Ever
These beautiful pictures (specially chosen) are for – 1. All of you, 2. My Birthday Acclamation. I wanted this post to be filled with festive and beautiful pictures – lots of colors and elements that reflect my personality. I would love a “Princess Party” for all my birthday parties (slash) forever. (Forgive me, I am a girly girl.)
I envisioned something like the pictures in this post but different in a sense because I’ll be conceptualizing the design and doing pieces to make it my very own.
This day is very important to me and the promise this one (the next one and the one after that) holds is amazing. They are definitely right when they say that when you turn another year older, you start reflecting on things and reflecting about life. I am doing that by certain bits, I am thinking in the sense of the present (just preliminaries, full-on mode hopefully during the day itself) and the future (being a year older).
I am a bit tired and I don’t feel as eloquent right about now but I am contemplating in a sense. I love making lists but I don’t like the limit aspect part of certain kinds. Let me expound a bit – I love making lists and writing stuff I have to do or work on but I can’t make lists that have limits. “Limits” in the context of numbers, i.e. “Your Top 5 Favorite Dishes,” “_ Things You Should Do On Your _ Birthday”, etc.
When it comes to that, I become sort of indecisive (but it is selective, don’t worry). For example – if someone asks me what my Top 5 Favorite Dishes are, I’ll certainly say “pass” because I love food, there are a lot of food dishes I love and I don’t want to hurt a certain dish’s feelings if it doesn’t get included in the list (haha). Thus, I can’t make a list of things I would do for this birthday (I do know I am simply rambling on – please let the birthday girl be).
A few things are for certain however (even though “limited lists” aren’t), I always get a birthday cake and I get to blow the candles before the night ends.
I also get presents. I love, love, love presents (falsetto voice).
Quick Trivia – 1. That is why I make it a point that Georgia gets a birthday cake during her birthday as well, (Our Mum always made sure we had cakes and presents during our birthdays, my siblings and I, while growing up. Thus, being Georgia’s Mummy – I wanted to do that for her as well.), 2. I had different cakes throughout the years, good examples include a Little Mermaid Cake and a Mulan Cake (I love them! haha), we get to choose the design we want (except when we were really young of course – really cheeky, Pau).
P.S. Making a pasta dish experiment at 11 P.M. on a whim is the best way to start out one’s birthday (in my opinion). Knocking on your sister’s door (since you made her some as well) is definitely the best, best way as well. I am proud to say that the experiment turned out good.
Hello Yummy Pasta (Unbiased)
P.P.S. Goodnight Thursday. I have to wake up really early later (eep). It is gonna be the best day ever! Yey!
What I’ll be doing in a couple of hours – with vengeance (haha).
(Photo Credits – Beautiful Party Pictures by Cary Pennington)
I am having one of my cravings today – something from the cake family (Yup, cupcakes). I can imagine these cute cupcakes, perfectly baked, fluffy and moist (not dry or hard). Something with custard or warm gooey chocolate filling is greatly appreciated as well. Yum.
Don’t mind if I do.
On a design-related note (and since I am thinking about cakes right now), these beautiful cakes are my favorites for today (below).
As they say, wedding cakes nowadays come in all forms, shapes and even flavors. The trio of wedding cakes by Lori Hutchinson are very good examples. Instead of the usual tiered cakes, she came up with these – each one carved into the shape of antique style birdcages and the background of the cages are hand painted.
These Banana Split Cakes (Banana Butter Cake complemented with Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Buttercream Icing) are definitely exquisite.
“Each one I design is meant to be as unique as it’s extravagant affair is to be showcased at.”
These cakes are too beautiful that I wouldn’t want to eat them. I hope (especially since I am in my cupcake situation right now) - 1. They make a replica of these cakes, 2. I can eat one batch and the replicas will be for posterity’s sake and for admiration purposes. Yey! (haha)
P.S. To be more specific, I am craving for Rainbow Cupcakes. They would go in my mouth, I would chew them lovingly and acknowledge their goodness. They would fit perfectly in my tummy. (Dreamy Sigh)
Hello my lovelies. You belong in my tummy.
P.P.S. This is me (being extremely happy and sort of somber) with a cupcake. By the way, 3 more days to go before the big day! Yey!
Happy days
