Good Health for 2011

In 2008, I had a bit of a scare with my ASCUS health issue.  After a year of check-ups and close monitoring, I was given the all-clear by my OB-GYN.  That was right before my birthday in 2009.  I was supposed to get another check-up last year before my birthday but I was out of the country.  I was too busy then that I eventually forgot to reschedule my appointment.  I know, my bad.

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This year, I promised the hubby that I will get that check-up.  It was one of the things that I worked on as soon as we got back from the holidays.  Last Saturday, my results came back.

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It was normal.  Thank God!

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I remember I mentioned this last time:

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My doctor told me from the start that the abnormal cells will eventually clear up on their own, but it all happened faster than I expected. I think it’s because of two things: Cervarix and mom’s prayers. Cervarix is an HPV vaccine that mom, Angel and I have been taking. It’s comes in three doses which are taken in a span of seven months. I already have the first two; the last one will be in October.

More than medicine and science, I also believe that prayers really help. A LOT! So thank you mom for your prayers. Prayers not just for me, but for our whole family as well. 

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I asked my OB-GYN if my Cervarix shots helped and she said those shots can only prevent not cure.  So it wasn't the medicine after all.  It was the power of prayer.  For this, I want to thank mom because I know that we are always in her prayers.  So thanks mom!  I love you!

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"Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, all things are passing, God is unchanging. Patience gains all; nothing is lacking to those who have God: God alone is sufficient."  (St. Teresa of Avila) 

Krisan's Cooking Goals for 2011

This year, I want to to be more productive.  I want to have a purpose.  I want to have direction.  Ooh lala!  Big words!  But seriously, ayoko ng pabanjing-banjing lang.  Now, I don't really make new year's resolutions simply because I know that I do not have enough self discipline to see them through.  I love making lists, though.  So for 2011, I decided to make a list of cooking goals instead.  Para naman magkaron ng silbi yung mga cookbook at Yummy magazines na iniipon ko.

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Krisan's Cooking Goals for 2011 or KCG 2011 for short.

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What's on my list anyway?  Stuff that I've always wanted to do in the kitchen, but I never found the time or courage to actually do them.  I know you won't see much in the photo (no thanks to my kahig-ng-manok handwriting) so let's go through the list again.

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1. POMODORO or homemade tomato sauce - garlicky and chunky ala Chelsea Market (at Serendra) or Pasta 54 (need to use Dy's garlic crusher for this!)  I tried making one before but I know I can do better.My goal is to perfect it and make it my own so I can eventually say goodbye to store-bought ones.
2. FRESH PASTA - check out Jamie Oliver's cookbook.  I cook pasta for dinner at least once a week so I think it makes perfect sense if I learn how to make pasta at home.  That way, I can also say goodbye to store-bought ones.  Now this project will be a bit of a challenge because I don't have a pasta machine.  I will only be using a rolling pin.  Good luck to me!
3. HOMEMADE PIZZA WITH GOURMET TOPPINGS - cheese, pesto, etc. This is for Aly who loves pizza.  I will also get to practice two kitchen skills for this project: baking with yeast and mastering the use of a rolling pin.  Yay!
4. RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING - Yes, I already found the best red velvet cupcakes in Bangkok, but I want to see if I can do a better job.  That way, I won't need to go all the way to Siam for my cupcake fix.
5. PALITAW - the challenge is getting fresh niyog from the market!  Recipe-wise, this is easy peasy, but getting fresh grated coconut will definitely be a challenge because I don't know where to get it.  Plus, if I pull this off, I won't miss Filipino food so much.
6. PULLED PORK - I've read a lot about this on the internet and I've never really tried it before.  I'm adding this to my list out of curiosity.
7. LYCHEE JUICE - ala Baan Naam (my fave place at the lunch market).  If I can do this at home, then I won't need to pay Thb40 for a glass that's so bitin.
8. CHICKEN STOCK FROM SCRATCH - check out chicken cookbook.  Oh, the many magical things you can create with chicken stock!  First on my list is chicken mami.  But first, I want to perfect it, make several batches that I can store in my freezer and eventually graduate from the preservative-laden chicken cubes.
9. HOMEMADE BREAD - (either of the ff not all:) tortillas, dinner rolls, pandesal or even just use ready-made puff pastry.  I've made cake and cookies before, but never bread.  This will definitely be something new.
10. HERB-CRUSTED FISH FILLET - inspired by Junior Masterchef!  I want to do a more sophisticated dish.  I want to create a restaurant-ish dish for a change.  Those 8-12 year olds at Junior Masterchef can definitely put a lot of adults to shame -- me included!
11. ANY RECIPE USING VANILLA BEAN - buy from JJ.  I've used a lot of vanilla extract before but never vanilla bean.  I added it to the list for the experience.  If only I can remember the exact stall in Chatuchak where I saw them...
12. HOMEMADE TOCINO - sans preservatives!
13. SALAD DRESSING FROM SCRATCH - garlic herb, ceasar, poppy-seed...The first and only time I bought ceasar dressing from the grocery here in Bangkok was a far cry from the ones we have back home.  I'm too scared naman to bring home the ones from Santi's because it just might spoil.  So it's this way or the highway!
14. TRES LECHES CAKE - I've read about this on the internet as well.  I only got to try it once in Manila -- bought two slices from Cake@Go (Quatros Leches, actually) in BF while Richard was buying shawarma from SSC across the street.  It was good!  I loved it.  Too bad they don't have it here in Bangkok so I will just have to make one myself.
15. COOKIES THAT WOULD REQUIRE A COOKIE CUTTER - Aly's been bugging me dropped hints several times that she wants to make cookies in different shapes complete with colored frosting.  It would also be a good time to use the cookie cutters we have at home.

BONUS: KOBE BEEF/WAGYU from the Gourmet Market :)  I only get to admire them when I'm at the supermarket but I never really bought them because #1 they're too expensive (Thb1000+/100grams), #2 I'm too scared to mess up such an expensive piece of meat!  Being able to buy and cook this at home will really be something else. 

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So there you have it, my cooking goals for 2011.  I originally wanted to put only 11 items on my list so I can make at least one per month, but so many ideas popped into my mind as I went along.  I eventually had to keep it down to 15.  Anything more than that won't be good for my diet.  I mean, sure I can do them but who's going to eat them when they're done?  And also, I may not do them in that particular order.  I just placed numbers so we'll know how many are on the list :)  Oooh!  I can't wait to get started!  I wonder which one I'm going to do first?  

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Now since we're on the subject of cooking, I want to share with you the new kitchen gadgets that I brought home.

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My new Peugeot salt mill.

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I saw this baby at Santi's in Silang when we were buying rib eye steak for our new year's eve party.  It's a lot cheaper there than here in Bangkok.  Like, half the price cheaper -- Php1,700 in Santi's, Thb3,400 in Central and Paragon.  I knew I would regret it if I didn't buy there.  And I didn't care if we had no more room in our luggage!  I would literally hand carry it if I had to!  Heehee!  So we made a quick stop at Santi's before going to the airport last Wednesday.

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Now I have a salt mill to go with my pepper mill (a wedding gift, not Peugeot though).

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This other gadget is really special because it's a gift from my kumare who brought it all the way from Belgium:

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IKEA garlic press from Dy :)

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I used it when I cooked pasta the other night and I love it!!  Thanks Dy!

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Do watch out for all posts related to Krisan's Cooking Goals for 2011!  And to all my friends and family who have new year's resolutions or goals for the coming year, best of luck to all of us! 

My 32nd Birthday

My birthdays are always special because of Richard and Aly.  This year, though, was extra special because Angel, Jof and Kokoy were here to celebrate it with me.

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First gift of the day: roses from Aly.

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She told her dad to buy these for me.

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Party decor. 

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Richard told me to relax and take things easy on my birthday so he suggested that we should just eat out.  But I chose to cook instead.  Do I like to torture myself?  Not really,  I guess it's just not the same when everything's home made :)

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Lechon.

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Mang Tomas and Hoisin sauce.

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With the exception of the store-bought lechon, I prepared the easiest dishes that I can think of: roast chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, potatoes with cheese, spicy bacon pasta...

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...and lasagna.  Most of these dishes were prepared/marinated the night before so I only had to bake/roast them the next morning.

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The ate cake: a gift from Angel, Jof and Kokoy.  I was super kilig when they brought this home.  Though the cake has long been finished, I will treasure this forever :)

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Another "present" from Aly: my birthday tower, made from stuff that she found in her room.

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She moved it to the dessert table for decoration.  Btw,  I also made brownies using Jamie Oliver's recipe -- sinfully delicious!

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The other goodies that we had were: chocolates, almond chocolate cookies and my favorite strawberry caplico :)

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Ofcourse, no birthday will be complete without the hubby's present!

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According to my Designer Handbag Wishlist, (yes, much to my husband's horror, such a list does exist.  He doesn't want to see it, though.  Haha!) this year is Gucci :)

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Since I've been a good girl, I got another gift -- a new digicam!  Yay!  Even manong in the background is happy.  Heehee!

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Opening my present at home.

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Gucci ladies web hobo.

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My three birthday cakes:

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The ate cake...

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Swensen's Ultimate Choc ice cream cake -- layers of vanilla and sticky chocolate ice cream!

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And the orange marmalade glazed butter cake from Chatrium, which was waiting on the dining table for us when we arrived from our gift shopping.

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It was a great birthday!

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Thank you, Richard, Aly, Angel, Jof and Kokoy for making it a great one!  I love you!

Richard's Wedding Proposal

Three years ago on this very day, Richard proposed to me over dinner at the Philippine Plaza (now Hotel Sofitel) poolside.
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This is the only photo that I have to remind me of that night.
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I still get kilig everytime I think about it :)
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Read all about the proposal kwento here.

My Birthday Gift

My long-awaited birthday gift from Richard :)
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aBaby #2: Damier Ebene Speedy 30.
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aWith my panganay, the Monogram Neverfull MM. I used it nonstop since I got it for my birthday last year. Pwede na muna syang magpahinga :)
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I'm in LVoe. Thank you sweetie!

Ako, tatakbo?!? Tak-boo!!

It's a known fact that I am not athletic. To be more specific, I cannot run to save my life. I always say that if I'm inside a burning building, I won't run to get out; I will just walk faster. Let me just warn you: what I'm about to say will definitely shock you to death. Heehee! Ok, here it goes...I ran last Wednesday. Yes, you read it right! I r-a-n, ran on the treadmill last Wednesday morning. Ten minutes lang naman. The remaining 20 minutes I just walked off.

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Am I losing my mind? Why did I do it? #1 Because I want to lose weight faster. #2 There's this 40-something (or maybe 50-something?) Japanese lady who goes to the gym the same time that I do and she runs on the treadmill for one hour straight. I admire her stamina. I'm only in my 30's and I ought to be ashamed! I also envy the amount of sweat that she produces during her workout. For me, the more you sweat, the more effective your workout is and the more fat you're burning. I might be wrong, but I'm usually in an air conditioned room for most part of the day, so sweating once in a while shouldn't be so bad. #3 It's all over Facebook: I saw old classmates and friends running in marathons, etc. Heck, I don't even need to look any further; my bestfriend Ria climbs mountains, bikes, surfs, runs...So I thought, if they can do it, maybe I can too!
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So I did. Last Wednesday, for a grand total of ten minutes. But now, I'm hoping that I didn't because the lower half of my body has been hurting like hell for two days now. On Wednesday night, dear hubby rubbed Capsika Gel (local version of Bengay) on my legs but I still woke up sore and aching all over yesterday morning. There was very little improvement last night so I decided to drink medicine for pain and a muscle relaxant that my doctor gave me for my aching back a couple of months ago. This morning was a bit better, but I can still feel pain in my legs when I walk.
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The pain is somewhat manageable, but this morning, when I brought Aly to school, we realized that we forgot to bring a toy for her show and tell. Poor mommy had to run back home to get Dora. Good thing our apartment is a short walk away from school, but in my current condition, each step was excruciating! I wanted to go faster but my calves were burning! I really thought I was going to collapse midway due to leg cramps! Thank God I didn't. Or else, nakakahiya. Super. Anyway, I made it back to school on time. When I entered Aly's classroom, I saw her sulking in her seat. She was probably worried about her toy. When she saw me, her smile literally lit up the entire room! She was happy to see me back and relieved that she now has something for show and tell. Ahhh...seeing my little girl happy made the run back home worth it. Her big smile made me forget about the pain in my legs for a while :)
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I really wish the pain will subside so I can be more productive. Today, I was planning to go to the mall to buy a gift for Aly's classmate who will be having a birthday party tomorrow, but the thought of going up the steps leading to the train station made me rethink my plans. Bukas na lang.
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Did I learn anything from this running fiasco? I sure did! #1 Always remember that Friday is show and tell day so we should pack Aly's toy in her school bag on Thursday night. #2 I guess I can run after all :) and when the pain subsides, I will run again because it felt good when I did and the sweat...I never thought I'd say this, but the sweat was fantastic! Feeling ko mas effective yung 10-minute jog than my 30-minute brisk walk. I can't wait to do it again :)

My 31st Birthday

If Richard had his way, we would have celebrated my birthday with a nice lunch or dinner (or both!) in restaurant of my choice and a day at the mall shopping for my gift. Two weeks before my birthday, he would ask me almost everyday: "Sweetie, what do you want to do on your birthday?" "Saan tayo kakain?" "Nakapili ka na ba ng gift mo?"
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I tried to make plans, but I eventually gave up. Nakaka-stress! So one night, when dear hubby came back from work, I told him: "Sweetie, I want to have a simple celebration for my birthday this year. No big production, just low key. Let's stay at home na lang and I'll cook."
"What? Are you sure? Baka mapagod ka sa pagluluto."
"Don't worry. Yung madali lang lulutuin ko. Tsaka sina Angel will be here next week. Saka na lang tayo mag-celebrate pag dating nila para triple celebration kami nila Mick and Chig."
"Okay. Pero pano yung gift mo?"
"I can wait for a few more days. Sayang din ang VAT refund."
"Eh pano yun, wala manlang akong regalo sa birthday mo?"
"O sige, punta lang ako ng spa. Yun ang birthday gift nyo sa kin ni Yan."
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And yet, when I woke up last Saturday, Richard and Aly gave me these:
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aBirthday cards (see how Aly decorated her card with stickers? Cute!)...
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a...another one made by Alyannah (this time she used stamps)...
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a...and flowers.
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You might be wondering about the food that I cooked for my birthday. I prepared:
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Roast beef tenderloin with mustard and herb marinade.
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a The meat was soo tender! It was the best beef that Richard and I had in Bangkok so far. Super worth the price talaga! I was supposed to make gravy pero tinamad na ko. Lea and Perrins na lang. Hehe!
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aFor long life: spaghetti al amatriciana.
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aAnd ofcourse, my white chocolate birthday cake.
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aAly chose the design for mommy's cake.
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aShe even made a map for daddy so he'll know where to pick up the cake.
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aHappy birthday to me! :)
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aOakwood also sent me flowers.
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It was a great birthday! I am thankful for all my blessings: my husband who takes good care of me; my daughter who is smart, well-behaved and mabait; my family, friends, my health...I can't ask for anything more! :)

An Early Birthday Gift

My birthday is still a couple of days from today, but last night I received an early present. A great, early birthday gift.

Remember my ASCUS scare from last year? My OB-GYN and I have been closely monitoring it for a year now and I went back for another check up just last week. I received a call from BNH hospital last night. My test results came back. It's NORMAL :)

Thank you Lord!

I told mom right away because she’s been worried sick. Mom, you can stop worrying now. Everything’s going to be a-ok :)

My doctor told me from the start that the abnormal cells will eventually clear up on their own, but it all happened faster than I expected. I think it’s because of two things: Cervarix and mom’s prayers. Cervarix is an HPV vaccine that mom, Angel and I have been taking. It’s comes in three doses which are taken in a span of seven months. I already have the first two; the last one will be in October.

More than medicine and science, I also believe that prayers really help. A LOT! So thank you mom for your prayers. Prayers not just for me, but for our whole family as well. My mom has also been tirelessly praying for another apo so hopefully that prayer will be answered soon. Right, mom?

New Look

I just noticed that my recent posts are all about food, food, food. Obviously, puro kain lang ang ginagawa namin in the last couple of days. But what's a vacation without food? Anyway, let's veer away from all those calories and talk about something else naman.
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Aly and I got a haircut! My hair was screaming for a haircut na talaga that's why it's on top of my to-do list while we're here. Mahal kasi magpagupit sa Bangkok! And the salon staff speak very little english. The first and last time Aly and I went out for a haircut was a near-disaster so I decided to just get it here.
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Anyway, without further ado, let me show you the photos.
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aWith bangs. Just the way she wants it. Richard and I love Aly's new look because we think she looks younger :)
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aFrom losyang to layered. I love it. And I think I look younger too! Haha!
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So there you have it, the new and improved Aly and Krisan :)
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We will now go back to regular programming -- meaning, expect more food-related posts! Heehee!