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Good News From Maangchi!

Posted by aBEE M. on 12/09/2009 05:52:00 PM in , , ,
Just got my good news from Maangchi today, or more likely, i just read her email. I am now featured in her website! yipee! 
When i started this Korean Food Kraze, i started searching the internet for recipes, well, if you've read my first blog, you'll know exactly what i mean... If you haven't, then you should... LOL. First 3 food i made were Jajangmyeon, ddukbokkie and Bibimbap... and i was so happy i made them, i posted a tweet thanking Maangchi for the recipe and a link to my blog about it! And guess what? she thought it was awesome and asked me if i wanted to be featured in her website... along with my fellow Korean Food Fans! I'M SOOO HAPPY! 
i mean, it might not be a big deal to anyone else, but it is to me! hehe... THANK YOU MAANGCHI! :)





here's a link to Maangchi's Avid Fans 

Thanks again Maangchi! woohoo! I'm a Korean Food Fan! Can't wait to try out more recipes! 

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Meat My Friend

Posted by aBEE M. on 12/05/2009 10:11:00 PM in , , , , ,
I have officially entered the real world. I started work last Monday, and to celebrate my success, i took out my over marinated Bulgogi and heated up my grill! Perhaps it was too early to celebrate but, i couldn't help it... 
The meat have been marinating for almost 3 days, and since i am working now, i don't know if i could find time to make it. 
I planned to make my Grilled Bulgogi with some Kimchi Fried Rice, but then again, my life is never easy is it? I ran out of Kimchi... so i decided to just make it with some Shanghai Fried Rice, with the Chorizo and Egg, which turned out quite yummy! 
And then, i took out my grill... oh wait! WHAT GRILL??? I wanted to make the Bulgogi as authentic as i could, but couldn't buy the Korean Stove Top Grill anywhere... ---i know, my life sucks huh? but then again, I've always been smart enough to find alternatives... although, grilling it over charcoal, like we Filipinos do to kebab would've been my next choice, i think at that time, i was too lazy to find the grill bars? and burn up a pit fire. So, i ended up GRILLING? my Bulgogi on a frying pan! LOL...
The end result? 

looks yummy huh? it looks good, but tastes even better... this was the only good picture i took, the rest were blurred and the lighting sucked... probably because i was starving! Not to mention, i forgot to take a picture of the Shanghai Fried Rice... LOL... oh well, there's always next time right? 

this is the grill i was talking about! I seriously need it! I've been from Korean Store to Korean Store looking for this God-forsaken piece of kitchenware and i still can't find it... i wonder if i could order it online? hhhmmm.... definitely something to ponder about!






So what's next? Let's see... i still have to make some Pan fried Tofu, Japchae, Samgyeopsal gui and Soegogi gui, not mention i have to perfect my gyeranmalyee...
so many food, so little time... i hope i can find time to make all these next week... :) 

keep cooking everyone! :)


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My Little Dumpling

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/28/2009 02:55:00 PM in , , , , , ,
I now dub myself, "DIMSUM SAVVY"  for this month, i have totally outdone myself... i rolled kimbap, and now, made some dumplings... i thought it would be very hard at first, but was very surprised to see my first dumpling being flawless... no holes, no tears, it was perfect! for me at least... i even mustered up the courage to make the other shape for the soup...  i'm very very proud!!! LOL, call me a fool if you have to, but this totally made my week...

I made the classic shape for my fried dumplings and the hat looking thing for the soup... i remember holding my breath every time i started making one, it was nerve racking at first, but then, i started enjoying it... I was happy with how i made it, i mean, it's not as perfect as the ones you see at a restaurant, but it was definitely a "moment" for me... 

The taste? well, it was refreshing, very healthy and quite low in fat, if you replaced the meat inside with just tofu... which i didn't... LOL... i think i still have to get used to eating tofu, as i am not really a big fan... well, technically speaking, eating it with something else is alright... but alone? well, i have issues with it, but i'm definitely contemplating on it...


So, what's next on the menu? we'll see!!! :) excited much!

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I Made Sick Food

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/24/2009 10:12:00 PM in , , , , , , ,
Five days ago, i caught the flu from i have no idea who...i had a fever and a headache then after i got better, i then got a cough and a really nasty cold... Maybe it had something to do with the fact that i went to the premiere of NEW MOON with a fever... but i didn't regret it, i think those who have seen it would absolutely agree with me. Besides the fact that i was drooling over Taylor Lautner and his "ehem" hot new bod, the movie was sooooo much better than twilight, and having read the whole saga, i was quite happy with the result...
So anyways, as i was saying before being distracted with my new craze for Jacob Black! I was having a hard time breathing because i had such a runny nose. It baffled me when i was trying out the internet diagnosing or whatever... and for some reason he gave me a diagnosis of SEVERE PNEUMONIA and POSSIBLE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME?????? I was like what? ITS A FLU!!!  i think i would know if i had pneumonia or ARDS seeing as i had an X-Ray 2 days before and I did have a full medical check-up... wouldn't the doctor checking me know better? i mean right? plus, it helps that i am a NURSE... i think i'll know if i have pneumonia or ARDS...

So, for the past few days, i stayed home, rested to my hearts content and drank a lot of fluid...finished a whole box of Kleenex and... marinated some BULGOGI!!! 
 i know, so far out right? well, i cook when i'm sick... i was supposed to make my Bulgogi Barbecue and Stew today, but seeing as i am sick, i might as well postpone it for a while, plus, it'll marinate longer... so, what i did make today was PORRIDGE... very healthy Abalone Porridge with Potato Side dish... 
 



 Truthfully i'm not a porridge kind of person, but i remember when i was little, my mommy used to make me porridge with squash when i was sick, and since me as a child didn't exactly like the squash or any vegetable for that matter, i usually had my porridge with ba'-hoo... i have no idea if that's how you spell it...it's basically pork that's dried and powdery that i love more than anything... i think some call it pork floss, my aunt from Taiwan used to bring a lot of it when they came to visit.. and i remember my dad calling me the ba'-hoo monster... because i would eat it all the time. I had it with just plain rice, sometimes bread and most of the time, i just eat it as it is...





 My Sick food... the porridge did work wonders... i had this for dinner while watching my favorite show (Family Outing) and i could feel being rejuvenated. What i love about it is that, it's not too heavy on the stomach, it was very warm in contrast to the very cold weather, plus, my runny nose, isn't runny and my throat is feeling soooo much better...


The potato side dish, i'm not so sure i'd call sick food, but it was really good... the original recipe calls for just plain 'ol potatoes, but i had sweet potatoes and added a bit of some plain ones... i think it turned out quite well, and maybe it's a bit weird for most of you having two carbs for dinner, it was actually pretty good, though i don't think it works well for those who are watching their weight...

Overall, i think my sick food was great, i didn't feel like barfing, i tasted flavors again today, since my clogged nose had been preventing me from tasting anything for the past few days. And, i am feeling soooo much better everyday. i think i'm gonna have to continue with my sick food for a few days before i can make my bulgogi barbecue or even the stew... I have a whole lot of soups that i'm excited to make... Wish me luck! and... keep cooking!

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New Moon Flu

I had a splitting headache, i had a fever, i had my period plus, throw in some sniffles... BUT I HAD TICKETS!!!! what was i supposed to do? i have been waiting for months to see this movie! I wasn't gonna let anything stop me from seeing it. I even watched Charlie and Chocolate Factory when i had the Chicken Pox and i wasn't even sure i wanted to see that movie... so no FLU is gonna stop me...but, if the movie turned out worse than TWILIGHT... i would've sued... 
I had my outfit ready for the night, i actually bought a shirt to complement? with the movie...

i loved this shirt from the moment i saw it, till i spilled popcorn on it... a few days before the premier, i told my friend who is one of the biggest twilight fanatic, about this shirt, she dragged me around so i could show her where i bought it, and YES! she bought the same one... LOL...


it was a fun night.. and i wouldn't have missed it for the world... The long line, the running in the theater to get a good seat, the screaming girls (including me) every time Taylor Lautner appeared on the big screen half naked... it was very very hhhmmmm, can't even find the word to describe it... But, definitely fun! 

Besides the point that i was having a fever (though it doesn't look like i am having one), or that i was in pain (dysmenorrhea)... The eye candy in the movie was enough to bring out a person in a coma to stand up and watch it on the big screen...I know what the shirt says, but i'm definitely moving to the wolves' side...

I'm a Convert!
I may love Edward Cullen in the book, But I Love Jacob Black on Screen...


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I Wanted Some Fried Chicken...

...So i made some... After days and days of being idle, plus the fact that i did go job hunting and i got sick... i am now somewhat recovered and cooking again... forgive my absence, i did try... 

Chicken is a staple in every ones diet (well except those who are allergic to it, which i find very sad). I love chicken, and so far, i haven't met anyone who doesn't like chicken... it's the easiest thing to cook, easiest thing to eat and it's actually the cheapest...i think... you can find it everywhere... 

So, to put some twist on the regular crispy fired chicken, i added some sweet and spicy sauce, some nuts, and some sesame seeds... it's called Dak Kang Jung or Sweet and Crispy Chicken.

But, it is never that easy for me is it? I actually had to run to the market today to make this.. i forgot to buy some ginger, and of course... i have NO chicken in the freezer!!! 

So i went to SM, went grocery shopping for about 10 mins. was shocked to see the new bags the supermarket provided... 







 I was pretty happy to see they're starting to use the brown paper bags. it's actually friendlier to the environment, plus! you can use their green bags and you get extra points on your advantage card... yay! for SM!






So anyways, i was also happy to make this dish, it gave me the reason to finally use my new found ingredients that i bought two weeks ago when i went to the Korean grocery... I already used my sempio white vinegar making the kimbap last week, and i wanted to open up the corn syrup this time. i actually bought a big bottle so i wouldn't have to keep looking for it if i ran out...

Final verdict?

it was really yummy! it was like main dish and dessert rolled into one... i had 3 of my favorite things in it, nuts, sesame seeds and chicken! I had great chicken today! I had this with just steamed rice and water, and it felt like it was one of the best dinner i had... i think i'll try it with some soup next time, i don't know what would be good... one way to find out! ...keep cooking everyone...

A closer look...


HAVE YOU SPOTTED THE CRUSHED RED PEPPER?

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A Rolling Success

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/13/2009 12:21:00 AM in , , , , , , , ,
I've always wanted to learn how to roll sushi, and today was the day i did. It was very fulfilling i might add and definitely a dream come true. 
Ever since i was young-er... I've always admired those little rolls i had every time i eat at a Japanese restaurant. They were neatly made and looked like some dude in the kitchen spent half an hour rolling them to perfection. And today, i was that dude (or dudette) in the kitchen, and i felt his pain...
When i decided yesterday to make the "kimbap" , it kept me awake the whole night, agonizingly remembering the days when my sister and i tried making sushi...believe me, the memory still haunts me.
And so, setting aside my bad experience and putting on my game face, i woke up early, well earlier than expected, and made rice...which was a nightmare. FYI, the rice they use for sushi and maki and kimbap and whatnot, are short grain starchy-sticky rice, which helps in sticking things together for the rolls. And because the fates hate me, i had to work with long grain unstarchy-unsticky rice... i then had to Google  "How to make Long Grain Rice Sticky," which then gave me the result of "Do Not Attempt To Make Sticky Rice with the Long Grain Kind..." Why do they make my life so complicated? and so, because i was too lazy to go out, and buy some of the sticky kind rice, i used the long grain anyways, just to laugh at fates face! ha! and it worked... 
After searching the internet over and over again...it gave me the answer of soaking the rice for 30 mins. before cooking it... and that's exactly what i did... and voila! i made long grain sticky rice!!! eat that "Do Not Attempt To Make Sticky Rice with the Long Grain Kind..." 
And so, Following my dramatic attempt to make sticky rice, i now had to move on to an even greater dilemma, the rolling!
You have no idea how many times i replayed the video of maangchi (my korean cuisine mentor) rolling the kimbap.... i stared and stared and stared at the computer monitor memorizing each and every step... and i believe it paid off... The Final Verdict? I'll let you decide... 





Not one, not two... but eight! i rolled eight kimbaps continuously on my first try! I was so proud that i just had to stop and give myself a pat on the back...I feel like a Jedi Master of Rolling ( i am so lame). Okay! maybe that's taking it too far, but you have to admit, for a first timer (sushi bad experience doesn't count), i'm pretty good. It actually gets easier when you get the hang of it, and it helps that i had a video that pointed out all the wrong things we did before. 
So basically, I would conclude that i'm not an expert... I may have rolled eight, but looking at the time spent... I'd have to say, i need more practice, and practice i will do... 








Please excuse the uneven edges. That's what happens when you use a knife that can't even cut through cotton... I need a new knife.















 



Here you see a picture of my adorable grandmother eating the kimbap i made...
My ama is sooo cute...










Having rolled eight kimbaps, i had leftovers that even i can not finish on an empty stomach. 
So, i decided to bring some to my dad's office, where hungry people are waiting to be fed...LOL. I did a relocation program on the kimbaps in my handy dandy lock&lock. When i got there... it was like magic... now you see it, now you don't! My dad's office buddies gracefully returned my lock&lock  and told me to return with more kimbap! they actually loved it! 
...and i gave myself another pat on the back!

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An EGGccentric Idea

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/11/2009 06:56:00 PM in , , , , , , ,

Boredom does bring out the best in you. A few weeks back, i was watching Family Outing, and i saw them making rice eggs... they basically cooked rice in the egg... it is what it sounds like... 
the final product? Really adorable egg shaped rice with a subtle taste of eggs. When i made the first batch, i posted them on my facebook account, and a lot of people were fascinated. My aunt and my sister said they'll try making it, but no feed back just yet... They did ask a lot of questions regarding the procedure, so i decided to make them again and do some documentation with it... somewhat like a step-by-step procedure/instructions...and here it is:










Step 1: prepare the needed ingredients and materials: 
* 3 eggs (depends on how many you can consume)
* water
* sauce pan
* chopsticks
* uncooked rice
* bowl
* egg holder (you don't really need it, i didn't use it the first time)
* knife (with a pointy tip)


Step 2: place one egg in the egg holder. on the top part of the egg (with the peak), slowly chisel a small hole with the knife.





















Step 3:  keep chiseling until the hole is big enough for the chopstick to go through.
Step 4: To drain the egg, simply insert the chopstick in the hole and repeat the process until the shell is empty (or you can leave a little bit...whatever makes you happy)



Step 5: Put in the rice. (i recommend you put in dry rice, if it's wet, you'll have a lot of trouble putting it in...) Put in about half of the egg space. don't put in too much, remember, rice expands when cooked, the egg will break if you put in too much.





Step 6: pour water in the egg... you'll know when you've put enough, it'll overflow...naturally!
Step 7: prepare the pan, fill with 2/3 water. put in the rice egg and boil like you do hard boiled eggs. Cook it in medium-medium high heat for about 20-25 mins. , or at the same amount of time you cook rice.



Step 8: Enjoy!!! 




oh yeah, what to do with the egg? i meant the egg white and yolk? you can practically do whatever you want, i usually make egg rolls with it, but if you prefer scrambled eggs, or omelets, then go right ahead... :) I had mine with some rolled eggs (takes a lot of practice, and i'm still practicing...it looks un-neat) and some oisobagi kimchi i made yesterday.


I'd like to know if you'll make some...tell me how it went and you can send me pictures. If you have any questions, leave it in the comment box and I'll answer as fast as i can! ENJOY!!!





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Kimchi Queen

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/10/2009 08:36:00 PM in , , , , , , ,
The first time i ever had kimchi, i barfed. i remember cursing that day quite much. i hated everything about it, the taste, the way it looked, especially the smell! But, that was about a few years ago. If you have read my previous blog, I'm recently in my Korean Kraze phase and "Kimchi" being a staple in Korean Cuisine... well, i had to give it another chance. 

I just found out recently that kimchi isn't all cabbage, i mean, there's the cabbage kimchi and there are others made of cucumber and some made of radish. I decided to make the cucumber one, the oisobagi as they called it... i picked this one because, i generally love cucumber, and i did think i was gonna like this one. So, i got my ingredients prepared, checked my Korean Cooking Bible (www.maangchi.com) and got started... 

                                                                      the end result?



My first ever home made oisobagi or stuffed cucumber kimchi... it was absolutely delicious... it was fresh, loved the juice, there was no smell, and made wonderful magic in my mouth! 
Now, if any of you ever visited Maangchi's site before, in her oisobagi recipe, she made some radish soup to go with the kimchi... and you know what? what the hell! the recipe was one of the easiest i know of, and i had all the ingredients available in my fridge, so i made some...
I LOVE MAANGCHI! She knows exactly what she's talking about! the soup was so refreshing... it was delicious...and it totally complemented the oisobagi... overall... i had one of the best meals and did i mention? this is soooo low in calories! plus! no oil...i am sooo proud of myself!

My very yummy dinner.  Some freshly made oisobagi, refreshing radish soup and i had to have my bowl of steamed rice.

  
photos: by me


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Candle-mania

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/10/2009 01:47:00 PM in , , , , , , ,
Last weekend, i had a dilemma. After my fun lunch date with my friends, they decided to extend the fun-ness, by going on a drinking fest at a park. the problem was, it was on the same day as my niece's 6th birthday. Now, most of you would probably go to the drinking spree, but i already made my promise to my niece that i was going to her birthday party... and i don't like breaking promises, especially to a kid...

Overall, i didn't regret going. the food was absolutely killer (c/o my cousin-in-law from culinary school), the company was great (met my new niece Kierstenne who is 3 months old), and my nieces and nephew were very entertaining. Especially my nephew, Juan Carlo 2 years old, who wouldn't stop putting out the candle... watch the video, you'll know what i mean... and, the children thought i was the best aunt too, coz i started blowing up some balloons...which they found interesting and loved me for it. Plus it helps that they thought i made the cake... when in reality i only decorated it. they're used to the fact that i always bake they're cake, but i didn't have the time for this one, so i bought a pre-made one and just jazzed it up with some decor.



He kept puffing and huffing even when my mom tried to stop him. Isn't he the cutest? He didn't even care almost getting burned with the lighter. And, i love how my birthday girl didn't mind sharing her moment with her cousins (she's such a sweetheart).


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Do You Hold The Key To My Heart?

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/09/2009 11:46:00 PM in , , , , ,


photo: by me

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Brunch, Filipino Style

Great food+great ambiance + great company = ME HAPPY!!!

had brunch with my folks at a Filipino Restaurant, the food was great... we ordered some sizzling squid, sizzling fish (tanguigue), stir fried water spinach (ginisang kangkong), deep fried pig intestines (chicharon bulaklak), of course some rice and Coconut (Buko Juice) for drinks... yummy!!! :) enjoy the pictures!



on top, sizzling squid, the sauce is super yummy that you'd want to put some on your rice. left side, the infamous buko juice; i'm glad i live in a tropical country, i can actually get one whenever i feel like it without spending too much...(prices range from P8 to P100 $0.17 to $2, depending where you buy it). right side, pig intestines, mostly known as chicharon bulaklak, "bulaklak" in Filipino literally means flower, when you cook the intestines, it curls up and looks like a flower, thus the name.






sizzling tanguigue (fish), i'm not exactly sure what it's english name is, but this is one of my favorite fishes out there...it can be broiled (sinugbang tanguigue), cooked in vinegar -raw (kinilaw na tanguigue), placed in soup (sinigang na tanguigue)... take your pick...

















besides rice, this is a Filipino staple... a table without this, would utterly be incomplete...
the "sawsawan" or dipping sauce? a mixture of vinegar (suka'), soy sauce (patis), and chopped onion, tomatoes, and peppers...
so, what do you dip? practically anything... fish, chicken, vegetables... you can even mix it in rice...












couldn't help taking a picture of the native Christmas Tree... made of abaca, ratan and some other organic materials...
topped with the Filipino parol or star...












Restaurant: Chikaan Sm City Cebu
Photos: by me

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The Sunday Habbit

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/08/2009 09:03:00 PM in , , , , , , , , , ,
A lot of people my age don't hang out with their folks anymore, i don't get it. I'm not getting the part where they actually try to get away from their folks... Some people say it's because they're all grown up, some say they find them embarrassing, others? well, i don't know... There was once a time when i was a bit younger, that i used to find this very surprising, going through days and days without spending a whole day just with Daddy and Mommy (well, papa and mommy for me).

For as long as i could remember, Sunday is Family Day! My dad used to get upset when my sister or i plan something with our friends on Sundays. I remember finding it annoying because i wanted to spend time with my friends a lot. He used to say, "Spend the rest of the week with your friends, but give God and your Family Sundays..."

I'm actually quite happy with this tradition, especially in this world we live in. Some parents spend so little time with their children, and in return, children don't spend time with their folks either. I remember, my father used to tell my sister and i, that though he can't give us a lot of money, he has something more valuable than that... which was TIME...
I love both my parents for this, My sister and i used to think it wasn't so important, but we definitely realized that it has such great significance in our lives.

So, what do we do on Sundays? Why Sundays? well, i'll give you breakdown of a typical Sunday...
In the morning, we usually stay in and wake up late...
1:30 p.m. --- we go to church in our parish (St. Joseph)
at aboout 2:30-3:00 p.m. --- we go to the mall, eat our Lunch (i know it's late but were used to that time for lunch)
4:00 pm --- catch a movie (we've been doing this every single sunday since i was in 1st grade---so yes! i've watched a LOT of movies)
6:00-7:00 p.m. ---we go grocery shopping (for food and all the other needed stuff)
8:00 p.m. --- we go home...

I know it's not much, but the quality time you spend with your family is very worth it... you can talk about anything when you're walking around or when you're eating. it's also a way to keep track of what every ones up to. And the why on Sundays question? Church of course...
" a family that prays together, stays together..."

I may not actually be the very very prayerful one, but i am still a devoted Catholic, i'm still God-fearing... I go to Church on Sundays, First Fridays and Days of obligations (like Christmas, Mary's Birthday, etc.), i still pray before i go to bed and when I'm traveling, and i always have a rosary bead in my bag...

I'm very thankful for all these practices, it shows that my parents actually cares that i grow up to be someone respectable, someone with morals and someone who knows the importance of family.


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Shopaholic Me

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/07/2009 10:19:00 PM in , , , , , , , ,
As i promised, one blog ago... my impulsiveness deserves a blog...
if you haven't read the blog I'm referring to... this is the "excerpt?"

"So, while waiting for her text to arrive, we went around the mall, window shopping and chit chatting at the same time... we went into Rustans (somewhat like Macy's or Dillards, stores that sell designer labels and all that) just for fun... we looked around the make-up section (as it is my specialty, I'd like to think), the skin care section and for some reason, we ended in the ladies' BAGS section... ---I'm sorry to cut it short, but this just needs it's own BLOG!!!"

so.. to continue...

Now, i know what all of you are thinking...because i am a girl, i would absolutely without a doubt, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and utterly L.O.V.E. bags...

...you are absolutely RIGHT!

it was love at first sight when i saw it... i tried to resist! as much as i could... but i am human, and my will is weak...
i bought the bag... and i didn't regret it one bit. It was a good investment, it was on sale and i had the money at that moment (which was supposed to be for the boots i was eying at Linea Italia). The downside?
"i can't buy the boots..."



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A Very Long Engagement

Posted by aBEE M. on 11/06/2009 10:30:00 PM in , , , , , , , , , ,
I woke up this morning went to church and prepared myself for the Lunch Date set with my friends. what I didn't prepare for, was an explanation about my current relationship status. My friend Clare told me she kept reading my blogs, trying to find out exactly what happened, and to her bad luck, there wasn't any... ---my explanation? well, I'm not one to talk(plus, i don't like dissing people on the internet...my momma taught me better than that!)... simple right? NOT! Questions after questions after questions came bombarding in... until i decided to give up... i said I'll write a blog about it (still thinking about it)... and this isn't it... I have too much good thoughts at the moment, and I had such a wonderful day, that i wont even dare taint it in crimson... <---too dramatic? i think so too...JUST KIDDING! so, let me start from the very beginning...

______________________________________________________________________

I woke up this morning went to church and prepared myself for the Lunch Date set with my friends. I have been excited about this since yesterday, when i got a tweet from Clare, telling me, Ayen, my other friend is in Cebu and we are going out for lunch... I didn't even hesitate one bit ( i guess it has something to do with the fact that I haven't been out and about for a long time...and) because I miss my friends very much... I haven't seen Ayen since March, and Clare? well, we see each other in school, and the longest sentence we said to each other was, "Good Luck for the Board..." as my poor memory recalls...

and so, at exactly 11:00 a.m., I took a shower again (from church), had my hair did and my make-up done and was all set by 12:30 (LOL). Took a taxi to Ayala and met up with my long lost friends! And after about another 30 mins. of walking around arguing where to eat (God! I was starving), we finally decided on Don Henricos (Pizzeria)... No pizza as Ayen said... and we still ended up there...

If you don't know what it's like to have six fully grown women, who haven't seen each other for ages, as table neighbors... then, you haven't been out that much! I would strongly suggest noise reducer earphones or eat somewhere else... Believe me, you will NOT have a quiet meal.

We ordered the food (which was very important at that time) and ate it (as anyone should)... after eating (this is where food loses it's spotlight) the "chickas" ---as we call it where I'm from... begins. Like any other gatherings, you talk about how everyone's been and what they've been up to... Clare and Shahana were in med school, Ayen just graduated, Jill and I are now Registered Nurses but still unemployed...and the list goes on...

Clare shared about her fellow med student who had a problem with bad body odor... one day, while they were taking a test, Mr. B.O. passed by her desk and she swore she wanted to puke...i guess the guy knew about his Odor-y problem because he gave the excuse that his Armani ran out... --- forgive the randomness, i just wanted to share...


Anyways, we ended up staying for about 4 more hours, chatting and sharing funny experiences, memories of long and winding roads... until it was time to leave (seeing the waiter's face in the corner giving us our cue), but we didn't want to say goodbye just yet, though the lunch date was over, we wanted to hang out for a few more hours (or so i thought).

We heard about our friend's business was opening on that very day (she's only 21) logically, since she's our friend, we decided to head out to her grand opening for moral support. So, while waiting for her text to arrive, we went around the mall, window shopping and chit chatting at the same time... we went into Rustans (somewhat like Macy's or Dillards, stores that sell designer labels and all that) just for fun... we looked around the make-up section (as it is my specialty, I'd like to think), the skin care section and for some reason, we ended in the ladies' BAGS section... ---I'm sorry to cut it short, but this just needs it's own BLOG!!!

so, to make a long story short... my impulsiveness got the best of me...again! i bought a bag, that was a bit expensive for me... basing the fact on, I AM UNEMPLOYED! but, it was a good investment... and i don't regret buying it.
and so, after all the rambling about in the store of temptation, we finally got the text, and we headed off to the opening. As soon as we got there, I wanted to LMAO for Ayen's sake... the sign says it all...



the day before our lunch date, Ayen had pizza...for Lunch today... she had pizza, and for our dinner? yup! you guessed it right! PIZZA!
Now, don't get me wrong... pizza is one of my favorite food in the world... but having it for lunch, and dinner on the same day? well, i was definitely baffled. Fate was definitely playing with us today. Did i eat it, you ask? well... OF COURSE! moral support remember... and i ended up being happy anyways... the food was delicious! kudos to Stephy, it was really yummy and we're absolutely proud of her and her managing this business... Especially since Food is also one of my interests... ( I was wishing I could make something like this at the moment...)

And so, this was how my day went... Lunch Date gone mad... Lunch date/Shopping Spree/Grand Opening!









Photos: all by me

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