Ooh, I’m in big trouble. It’s been way too long since I’ve posted but maybe it was necessary. This year probably has made everyone re-evaluate their lives. But anyways, I realized that cooking and eating is a big deal in my life but sometimes my mood would take hold of me and I would either not eat or cook and it became a chore for me. Long story short, I took this free box from Hello Fresh and it has been a game changer for me!
It’s been so much fun cooking and doing a little presentation. Not only that, they taste pretty darn good! If y’all are trying to save some time and money, I highly recommend this. It seems expensive at first but I think if you try for a week or two, it helps take out the thinking of what to eat for dinner.
Mm, this was a great lunch. Andy picked this one out. Glad he did!
Seeing how I find it a struggle to come up with new content, I decided to get some help from a book that asks a question a day. With this, I wanted to try and have creative writing outlet going.. even if it is jibberish and nonsense. I have found in the past that writing has a therapeutic notion for me. So I titled it “To whom it may concern..” For me, I’m thinking if I write more, perhaps I’ll get better at communicating,” right?
Anyways! As we all know, there has been a pandemic going and the advice has been to stay indoors. Other than going to work, picking up groceries every now and then.. seeing the very few friends I have.. I find this very.. normal. I am a tad bit jealous of people who are blessed with the job of being able to work from home. Otherwise, the roads are easier to drive to go to work. People stay away from each other out in public. Of course, this is just me making light of the serious situation that the world is in.
All in all, I hope everyone one of you reading this is being smart, staying safe, and protecting the people you love by following the rules. As always, thanks for reading.
A good day should always start out with breakfast! Especially with this big day, it is a must have!
Filipino Breakfast – daing, garlic fried rice, fried egg with ketchup. (added: corn, hash brown and hot dog)
I won’t spoil you with the usual photos of what happens during the morning part of a wedding, BUT I will entertain you with behind the scene photos! Hehe. Hair and makeup always look funky and us girls don’t always look our best during the transformation but here are some of the bridal pictorial.
It can be a bit challenging to create an authentic moment.. luckily for us, it’s not that difficult!
The preprocess is always fun..
A lot of the time was spent here in the suite so.. here is a glimpse of that!
Of course, being in the Philippines during the summer.. and with that many people in the room, it’s bound to be hotter than the norm!
Amazingly enough, when you see so many people in one room get so many things done in a short frame of time, you can’t help but be a little bit impressed! Heh! In one room, you have the 2 makeup artists working their magic, 1 hair stylist doing her thing, along with the videographer and team.. and in the bedroom, you have the mommies getting ready. Haha, it was a tight fit.
The Bride’s Crown
I remember when we were at the Holiday Flea Market in 2018, I had bought this crown piece for LL because it really brought out the goddess in her. I’m so glad we were able to get it for this occasion.
My best friend
I am pretty lucky to have a friend that is there for me when I need a listening ear. I’m so happy I was able to be there, not only for one wedding celebration but her second celebration!! I’m blessed to get a few photos and moments with the bride. ❤
Where the ceremony happened
The ceremony location was simple but elegantly decorated. The only complaints would be these two trees that felt like they were in the way!!
With audience, well known for using their own phone/camera for memory sake!
A better view, all eyes on the bride
The ceremony was.. well, we don’t have to discuss that. It’s a bit lengthy but it was geared towards a conservative crowd. 😛 Otherwise, it was a beautiful and touching ceremony.
The back view of the ceremony
Finally! The reception at last! Here’s a few shots of the venue.
Reception shots
Of course, what’s a bride to do with out the retouch of makeup!
Making sure LL has what she needs
It took a hot minute to get the ballroom ready for show. The photographers were doing their thing, the DJ getting the set ready (which I heard they did not follow instructions per groom and bride! Yikes!), and gathering all the sponsors.. but once that started going, it was a blast! It’s hard work getting a reception all in order!
Attempting to swoon one of the bridesmaids, NK
The emcee was doing his best to move the program along since the bride wanted more time to dance at the end.
Yes! Like that! Dance, dance!
I mean, besides the drinking and dancing, this pretty much was the ending of the day. Lots of hugging and dancing..
Again, thanks for reading/perusing through the photos. It’s a shame since I have so much photos but it’s not for the internet to see. 😉
This bachelorette planning was intense yet the result was memorable. It’s always interesting when you get a group of girls together who may not know each other very well and plan a trip together. Some just don’t fit but it’s almost ALWAYS a good feeling when it does. This trip made me appreciate all the good people in LL’s life.
In Montreal, they have a ton of cafe, or bakeries around and so it made me slightly obsessed with them. I suppose it’s just me but buying fresh baked goods is such a treat!
– Day 1 –
I believe that was an almond chocolate croissant. ❤
Of course, that wasn’t all that was consumed. LL and I met up first and got a quick bite to eat.
Menu was in French, but the waiter was kind enough to help us out. ^_^
After the breakfast, we quickly headed to our Airbnb to get settled in and wait for the rest of the girls to arrive. NK arrived first and then JG completed the set. We did a night stroll and headed into our first meal together as a group.
Green Curry Poutine from Nom Nom
The atmosphere was unique.. it had it’s creative points. I will say they did hit it very well with the food though, so that’s all that mattered. 😛 (BTW, did a quick look up and they are closed. >.<)
[Borrowed from Yelp]
– Day 2 –
A little party decor for the occasion! It was a bit of a custom made to suit the bride’s personality and . It was a fun surprise for everyone! Although it was a bit chilly, some of us tried to start the day with a quick run. It was pretty gruesome but we made it through.
The day turned out to be a bit rainy and wet but that deterred us none. We kept ourselves dry by entertaining ourselves with the museum galleries.
Comfy chicks!
Yes, those are Disney Princess on our shirts.
With the Fashion exhibition in session, we were kept entertained by the many displays.
Just a glimpse of a few of the exhibits. There were SO MANY!!!
I wish I could remember the name of the exhibit but it was all Fashion and the history of how it became this amazing culture.
The gang being kawaii
After a while, we took a break from the museums and JG found a Barbie Expo happening. They had all kinds of Barbies. It was a bit overwhelming! Cute thing was that they had a Barbie box and we could pose like one.
Ariel, Mulan, Tiana, and Jasmine
Once the Barbie Expo was all checked out, we made out way for some authentic Fish n’ Chips.
I’m really obsessed with the color scheme in the umbrella department!
This place is known by the locals by their style of fish n chips, so we just had to make our way there.
We ordered the Cod, Haddock and Salmon. Also a side of Chips and Poutine and shrimp? There were a few more orders but it was all so good. None of us left disappointed at all.
Afterwards, we went back “home” and made ourselves cozy. It was a long day already and a small rest was needed.
Later that evening, I suggested we grab something late night. So everyone agreed and it was agreed that we try the soup dumplings!
Outside
Inside soup dumpling!
Ugh, it was the perfect ending of the day.. although already late in the evening.. it was agreed that having food so comforting was a small pleasure in life. Also (not pictured), we picked up a small cake from Uncle Tetsu. (Yum!)
– Day 2 –
Day two greeted us with excitement! Our food adventure awaits us! We took the tube, and made our way to the famous St. Viateure Bagel & Cafe. Why this place? Per Google research…
Authentic Montreal bagels are boiled in water with honey, and as a result are sweeter than New York bagels. But the bigger difference is that they are cooked in wood-fired ovens, which gives them a crunchier crust and a deeper, richer crust flavor.
Sure. I mean, 3 of the girls are from NY so we just had to see what the hype was about. Hmm.. first off, it was quite PACKED for the small shop they had and of course, there was a line. 4 girls sharing a very small table. Haha! It was quite cozy though. ^_^
We made our way to the market..
They had all sorts of goodies.. such as cheese, wine, honey…
Had more quick bites here! I wish we had more time to pick up stuff for a cute picnic. (le sigh)
Still fighting the chilly weather and give our tummies a break, we headed towards the historic district to the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.
It’s a beautiful structure. It’s a bit daunting knowing how long ago they were built. (Began in 1824 and was completed in 1829.) Also, fun fact.. this is where Celine Dion got married. So it’s a pretty astounding place.
Girls having fun!
Feeling a little snack-y, we headed towards Délices Érable & Cie. They are known for their maple sugar treats.
Maple candy on a stick but was too slow to eat it so was put on top of a pastry!
We partook in their rolled up maple syrup candy on ice. Then we took our time and enjoyed the coffee, looked around the store for some souvenirs.
Italian Dinner
To end the food adventure, we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy Italian place. The first one we had planned to eat at was too long of a wait. Luckily, there are plenty of Italian places so we just picked one! We certainly ate our way for the day. But the day isn’t over yet.. oh no. We have the night life to experience!
Theme: Sequins!
Inside the bank/club
Dancing the night!
In front of the vault
Party is always in us!
– Day 3 –
Had a later start in the morning but still woke up fairly early to seize whatever daylight we had left in Montreal. We still had a few things we needed to check off the bucket list!
The day was too beautiful to pass up. The first couple days started out wet and cold so the clear sky and warm sun shining was a blessing.
PC| NKPC| NK
We slowly made out way to Mount Royal, the large volcanic-related hill or small mountain in Montreal. The “hike” was a pleasant. We all took photos like no other’s business! There was a van that took tourist up if they so pleased. With the weather so gorgeous, we took in everything we could.
PC | NK
Always in awe of a spectacular view! I love a good city view, especially from a high peak point. We made our way down the mountain and indulged in a feast of a meal.
GaNaDaRa
I treated the girls one last meal before we departed. It was quite much for all of us but it was so good. We couldn’t finish it all but we did our best. Heh.
– Day 4 –
It was a bittersweet day but all ready to head back to our respective beds. We had one last taste of Montreal by having their famous “beavertail.”
All 4 girls split one order since it is a bit on the sweet side. I remember having Nutella with banana on one side, but not quite sure what was on the other side. >.< Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the quick excerpt of this adventure!
Well, so much for consistency.. (>.<) but ya’know!
There has been a lot that has been happening and I just can’t seem to post/upload fast enough.
In January, the start of the new year, I was able to do a getaway to NYC to celebrate my cousin’s birthday! Since last year’s holidays, I basically worked mostly all of it so I made sure I started the year off right! Will have to write about it soon. (XP)
February was the fastest month yet. I was not mentally ready for my trip to the Philippines but man, it was a happy trip. It had a few bittersweet moments yet each moment was heartfelt. I suppose this trip opened my eyes to how much I appreciate my culture, my homeland, and my family. It very much answered a lot of questions I had been feeling very unsure about and I hope to share more about it soon.
But wait! There’s more. There’s a surprise trip that’s gonna happen very soon. I can’t to surprise you all about it but right now, it’s all in the suspense stage.
Thanks for reading, whoever you are. I know my life sounds crazy but it has it’s moments where it’s not. I hope you have a great day or month. See ya!
BUT.. that was just a blip in the week. Here’s what happened the next day!
I made some notes on the chili presented.
1- Very simple beef chili. No extra flavors.. Very watery for a chili..
2- Needs more salt. Literally taste like cook beef in tomato sauce. Lacks some flavor. Has a watery consistency as well.
3- Oh! Lots of cayenne.. or is it paprika? I like the corn bits. Has a lot of flavor compared to the first two.
4- This chili feels like the flavor from the can still there. Not much to say about it. I feel perhaps a smidge of sour taste at first..?
5- A kick of flavor springs from the jalapeño bits. Otherwise not much flavor besides beans..?
6- A slight sweeter flavor from the bell pepper from this chili. Not just a tomato can flavor. I did I like the flavor mixed with sour cream and Fritos. Good meat chunk ratio.
7- Lacks salt or any flavor in general! I did notice it has a few tomato chunks. I’m guessing this was used real tomatoes?
8- This chili has less soup than the rest. Different, but I suppose I prefer a chili with some sauce. A taste that’s different! Has a noticeable smoky paprika flavor. I liked it especially with sour cream.
9- Hmm, I enjoyed this one! Nice, mellow, sweet-ish. Not much to add. Meh?
10- Great balanced flavor. I suppose the mix of beef and pork bring mixture of flavor to the chili. The paprika and chili flavor is tasty altogether. Not too watery or chunky so it pairs well with cornbread.
11- For a chili, this has a great variety of flavors as well, especially with onions. Similar comments with 10.
12- Sooo, this had legit brisket chunks and I REALLY appreciated this. This probably had the more expensive ingredients in this chili and it is bomb. Taste amazing with Fritos and sour cream.
13- Yay! A non-meat chili. Not an easy task but this was tasty! A chunky consistency and all veggies had a sweetish taste. I felt I thought some of the flavor was a salsa flavor but I’m probably wrong. It had a tang that I just cannot describe though!
14- (Mine) This chili’s main flavor is gochujang and it’s not subtle.. Its Got a subtle heat but does not take away the flavor. Taste very different than from the rest of the group.
Overall, the cook off was fun, exciting, and eventful! Even though I don’t know majority of the people there, I know they got to see my face and taste my food. Still learning how to be more confident and feel sure about myself more.
Back in the kitchen! Actually, I was borrowing my friends kitchen so I could cook again. So I took the initiative to invite myself and cook. Thank goodness they were so thankful for me to come over and cook. It was fun! I do apologize because there was no effort for photos for during the process. I was too deep into conversation and there was a moment where I forgot an important ingredient. -.-
The final photo
I added a couple chili peppers and man, there was a lot of heat!! I am glad I did it cause it tasted SO GOOD!!
Here is the Top view of the main course. ^_^
I added a Russet potato to get some starch, carrots, yellow bell pepper, green peas, and grilled chicken for the meat. Oh man, I’m actually excited to eat some for my lunch tomorrow.
Anyways, thanks for stopping by! I gotta get my kitchen back into shape (cries internally) but I’m afraid it’s gonna be a while. I’ll update you guys about the disaster I call the kitchen.
GREEN CURRY: 👍🏼👍🏼 GARLIC STRING BEANS: 👍🏼👍🏼
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👍🏼👍🏼 – Damn tasty; definitely will make again 👍🏼 – Good; will make again, eventually 👎🏼- Eh; may not make again.. might need adjustment 👎🏼👎🏼 – Ew; don’t like and will not make again
I made a video about my trip back in March. It’s a series. We did a lot in such a few days!
I trimmed it down best as possible. I still feel that my writing is better than my video editing but I’ll keep trying. I’ll probably upload some photos of the trip… eventually!
After this long week, and a hurricane on the way… I decided that I needed a day to myself. As I’ve shared before, I’m learning how to heal my emotional and mental state as there are things that can trigger them easily. As much as I can grind away at work, sometimes those wounds burst open and today happens to be one of those days. I decided that I wanted to listen to my body and thoughts. Thankfully, I booked myself a massage earlier in the week and then I decided afterwards that I wanted to get a nice breakfast. I kept the budget for my breakfast under $20, and that’s including tip. I wanted something healthy but nothing that I could make or have at home.
920 International Pkwy Lake Mary, FL 32746 – Another Broken Egg Cafe
Looking at you, Lucy!
Another Broken Egg Cafe is a breakfast place I enjoy coming for breakfast/brunch/lunch. Their menu changes with the seasons and so it’s nice to know you’ll have at least 4 new creative dishes that you haven’t seen. I appreciate that. It encourages customers to try something new.
I enjoyed sitting outside during my meal, but at the end, I was definitely becoming the meal for a couple mosquitos. (>.<)
Classic BEC coffee cup.
Have you ever drank your coffee as is? I don’t do it often but I tried drinking my coffee without any sugar or milk and it was quite delicious. It wasn’t too dark so the coffee after taste didn’t linger much on the tongue.
Product piece
Here I ordered the “Hey Lucy, Omelette.” It consists of breakfast chorizo, onions and green chilies omelette, topped with Cheddar Jack cheese and avocado. Sides of salsa and sour cream. English muffin and home fries.
I don’t know what had more “sustenance” between the home fries and grits, but I guess my heart will have it for home fries. Ordering the English muffin makes me feel chic for some odd reason. I think I felt as if that’s the proper way to have toast. The omelette was good but I have to comment… either the salsa had cumin/paprika or something (perhaps the green chilies?) in the omelette really made the flavors come through out. I enjoyed it very much. It was a very fulfilling breakfast. I couldn’t even finish it all.
I’ve been on a podcast train. It’s been pretty wild because I’m still looking around what kind of podcasts I enjoy. So far these podcast are what I’ve been drawn to.
The Beaw Cast (Bart & Geo) – I enjoy these two and majority of their podcast. I adore Bart and how he really does his best to understand himself and does his best to be better in his relationship with Geo. I also admire how he explains his views or how/what he learned. This probably stems from a past person, and the way they would explain things was very similar. Listening to Bart and his conversations with Geo made me realize how much I would like someone who tries their best to communicate with me and will continue to try to explain their feelings/thoughts with me. I think this also shows me that I’m drawn to people who have a hard time with their emotions. With Bart, he knows that he needs more time to process his emotions. Because they slowly allow their emotions come out, you see so much more of the person that you wouldn’t have seen unless you allow them to share that. It takes a lot of courage to allow yourself to be vulnerable and it’s really wholesome to see someone so “alpha” like Bart be so humble and down-to-earth. Then with Geo. I admire her strength along with her beauty. She does have a very strong foundation in who she is but is also learning to be open-minded when it comes to topics she’s not familiar with. She openly accepts that she doesn’t know much about a subject and is willing to learn. When it comes to conversation with touchy subjects, she knows her boundaries yet does a good job communicating her views with Bart and tells him how it is. Even if Bart would like her to try it his way, he respects her feelings and never makes her feel guilty for something she wants/likes to do. She’s an example of how strong women are also vulnerable and wanting love. It’s nice how aware they are and communicative with their listeners. Plus I appreciate both of them being super honest and open about what they’ve experienced, their past, and their mistakes. They do an outstanding job allowing their listeners feel like they are just talking to them. You feel that community space and it’s comforting. Overall, I’ve been listening to their podcast the most, and the longest and have throughly enjoyed it so far.
Create the Love with Mark Groves – This is fairly new yet I have been listening to Mark Groves a lot recently. I think the topics have been insightful and relevant in my life. I have been listening to this on my way to work or on my break when I get the chance. It’s a bit of a love-hate because I love how informative it is yet I hate how truthful it all is. So I do have to listen with an open-mind and sometimes have to listen to the podcast twice. The content is super potent that there are times where you just need more time to digest it all.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – Man, I love this guy. As much as I love watching The Daily Show, if I can’t.. I am more than happy to listen to him.
Asian, Not Asian (Fumi Abe & Mic Nguyen) – I started listening to these guys because my cousin who lives in NY, her and her hubby to go comedy shows. Well, these guys are locals and she invited me to listen to their podcast. Basically the premise is a couple of Asian guys not from Asia talking about American issues no American cares about. Ironically, it’s not all issues that “no American” cares about because I’m sure there is an ‘merican out there that does care about an American issues. But for the most part, it’s nice to listen to these goofballs just chatting away about the most random topics. So every now and then, if I’m not into listening anything too serious, I’ll listen to these guys for some random laughs.
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness – This one is a bit new for me. One thing though, I am just swooned by JVN. I love that the title is Getting Curious and some of the topics are a little bit politically heavy so I do go easy on it because sometimes I may not be in the best mindset to take in such content (i.e: driving home) but I do admire JVN’s desire to learn more from the guest. Anyways, still getting into the swing with this podcast.
Any podcast you guys would like to recommend? I try to be useful with my time and so far it’s been helpful not having to actually read and just take in information in conversation form and getting perspective of people. Please share!
mmk10q || "mmkay, thank you" 