corporate greetings and some progress

Hubby advised me last week that we will be receiving a card from his company (our mother cum affiliate company in my previous workplace – gosh i miss work) yesterday. Indeed, I woke up just in time to answer the postman’s doorbell ring. Had to wait for Hubby till I can open it though because it’s supposedly a congratulatory card for our wedding.

My name was nowhere in it though. 😛

Isn’t it just a bit weird? This is supposedly a wedding card, and they even supposedly send this to the actual wedding date but since our wedding is in the Philippines, Hubby advised to have it sent home. But where’s my name??

Anyways, it’s the thought that counts. And the CEO of the company himself is the signatory (although it probably was processed and done by HR). We’re thankful as it is that their company has this kind of thoughtfulness. My previous company doesn’t practice this stuff, although we do receive some “amount” as congratulatory token.

Although I really am not bothered that my name isn’t in the card, I playfully hounded Hubby about it. To make me feel “better” we ate the Godiva chocolates that he gave me for my birthday. But actually, it’s our dessert for the night. It’s been aeons since we saw a yogurt in the supermarkets. Lack or nada yogurt supply is one of the mundane effect of the March 11 Tohoku earthquake.

Isn’t Hubby just sweet? 😀

Godiva chocolates is really good. Even if you eat the whole bunch in one sitting, your throat won’t hurt at all, even for me who’s prone with tonsilitis. It’s one of those once you pop, you can’t stop – and this coming from somebody who really is not too keen on eating chocolates.

As oh, there’s been considerable progress lately, thankfully:

  • misalette draft already approved by officiating priest, with all readings the one we preferred. yey! Answered prayer. 🙂 thanks as well to Ivy of Lipa Chancery and to Erika (Detalye) for talking it out with Fr. Dong
  • already purchased our gifts for the principal sponsors. We were so happy that we can customize the labels – for free!! Japanese customer service is just simply awesome. I’m excited with our labels as well. 🙂
  • our unity coins were also already delivered. Thanks to Kat for receiving them. And since i’m w@w tag holder, i got a discount.

Hope there’ll be more considerable progress soon.

stress buster: experimenting in the kitchen!

Stressed and frazzled over things you really can’t do anything about but to wait and hope (oh please Fr. Dong)?

I vent it out on cooking and experimenting on food. Lately, i’ve been experimenting on some side dishes. Really, it helps.

Tomato tuna sandwich. It’s best with a vinaigratte.

I just can’t get enough of yellow bell pepper. Toss in tomato and brocolli. The bunch is best with roasted sesame dressing.

This afternoon, I had to buy a new pack of the Vit. E globules since we ran out of stock already. Goodness, 50 globules costs 1380yen!!! I just had to buy though, Hubby’s request. These globules better have some effect on my skin considering how expensive they are.

modified paksiw

I wanted to cook Tuna Paksiw (Paksiw –  a traditional Filipino vinegar-based food), Papa’s way. But I wasn’t able to go to Asian Store hence I don’t have any Filipino vinegar at hand. What I have is Hubby’s apple vinegar.

Realizing I need to ask Papa how a real paksiw should be cooked, I ventured on concocting a revised paksiw menu. I didn’t have the confidence to experiment on the traditional paksiw, this time.

I had two slabs of tuna (forgot to take a picture).

Mushroom, sold at 98 yen in Yokohamaya, somewhere in between Maita and Gumyoji. To be cut in halves.

Medium-sized yellow bell pepper. I SO love yellow bell peppers. I can eat them as is.

Cherry-tomatoes, to be cut in halves.

Tsada! Care to suggest a name for this?

yes i know, i need a NEW pan

It was good, especially since the bell peppers and cherry tomatoes weren’t overcooked. Lessons learned though:

  • need to simmer it a bit longer so the sauce could sip into the tuna and mushroom a bit more
  • measure the amount of vinegar – i always cook by feel, no measuring. So i have to learn to measure
  • don’t use apple vinegar if you don’t want a fruity sour taste

energy!

I am most happy with our kitchen. Right now, I have nothing to ask for that’s kitchen-related (well, except for new pots and pans 😀 ). It’s a happy place for me. Especially since we also eat in the kitchen haha. Dining table will only be delivered this weekend hence, we’ve been eating in the kitchen. It’s fine though. We already have lots of kitchen memories. 😀

As for the dishes I cook, well, mostly, they’re experiments. I think i’m on Marj Special # 9 or so already. Maybe I should start taking notes about them. At one point last week, when Hubbie peeped in the boiling pot, he asked me if our dish for the night was Chinese. I laughed and said I actually don’t know what nationality it is. Nor any of the dishes i’ve cooked. They certainly aren’t Filipino since I’ve been using some ingredients that aren’t Filipino. Thankfully though, Hubbie likes ’em all and eats ’em all, even when I estimated we’d have plenty of leftovers.

Will share some pictures next time. For now though, here’s some healthy goodness to share. A medium-sized carrot and a big apple when pulped can produce about 300ml drink. Add in 5ml honey (yes, see the path the honey made? took this before we did some stirring) and you’d have a healthy and delicious drink to cap your meal. Laughed when Hubbie exclaimed “energy!” after drinking his share (it’s a pun for the FM radio station in the Philippines).

By the side of the (energy) drink is an asparagus-tuna omelette. Yum! 🙂

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had another earthquake just now…. 🙁

thankful at chicboy

Chicboy’s Cebu Lechon Liempo sure is not healthy. And it sure is one dish that bride-to-bes and groom-to-bes need to avoid.

But I had one of my best meals yesterday as i was having Chicboy’s Cebu Lechon Liempo. It’s not only because the liempo is so flavorful and tasty. But as I was having my very late lunch there yesterday, I also received one of the sweetest news that i’ve been waiting for for eternity (technically 6 months, and more excruciatingly, the last 3 months. 🙂  ) Yes. Visa!!!

Would always remember that meal. And how funny and embarrasing it was haha.

And we’re thankful. So thankful. 🙂

long walks and food ideas

Came across Mrs. Dexter’s post in Freshly Pressed and came to like her simple albeit quality-time-inducing ideas, especially for married couples who have been living together for sometime already.

I specifically agree on her idea #8, re: taking a walk together. Both Hubbie and I loved our long walks together, in our previous trips, and we both dearly long to have our weekend long walks hopefully in the near future. Indeed, I agree with what Mrs. Dexter said that “we always have good conversations when we go on walks, and I always come home feeling loved and encouraged”. It was what I exactly felt in those long walks. 😀

My imagination and yearning to again experiment on cooking was triggered with this:

I imagine flavored minced meat, with bacon, herbs and bits of boiled egg wrapped in cabbage leaves and then steamed on a flavorful broth. Yum…

For now though, we can only anticipate. And hope.