Luzern, Switzerland

Just another weekend trip we did. Cold weather and rain greeted us when we got there. Switzerland is beautiful but expensive! We made our way downtown and went to explore the city and since it was a Saturday, they had market day. I love going to these markets! Everywhere I looked, there were fresh flowers, fresh seafoods, fresh herbs and plants, fresh vegetables and the aroma of food cooked on the streets was amazing! 

After stuffing ourselves with food, we headed to the port where we rode a boat and cruised at the lake. It would've been beautiful if it wasn't gloomy, can't even see the Swiss Alps mountain range. Before heading home, I had to get chocolates :) And no, I didn't get a Swiss knife.

The Chapel Bridge - oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland

The Lion Monument

Sleeping duck :)

Barrel of olives in different flavors

Houses in this lake are expensive!

The city train :)

Until next time. Cheers!

Pasta e Fagioli

It's been raining here and a bit cold. Hubby wanted to eat something with beans and soup.  So he searched online and found something that looked interesting but was a little hesitant to ask me if I can make it thinking we won't have enough ingredients in the pantry. I told him to tell me what it is and I will make do with what we have.

Off I went to the kitchen and started prepping. This dish is simple, budget friendly and easy to make. Takes about 30 minutes and you'll have a hearty meal. When I cook, I try to play with the flavor or ingredients, it opens a lot of possibilities on how a food will taste. I also like improvising dishes from take outs and left overs. 

So, I made this soup in no time. Again, I don't make measurements, it's adjusted according to my taste.  I started off by sautéing garlic and onions in olive oil and some butter then added chopped turkey meat (optional), dried oregano, red pepper flakes and cooked it for about 3 mins. After that, I poured a can of diced tomatoes (whole/stewed is ok too), a can of chicken stock, a can of red kidney beans, bay leaves and boiled it in high heat. While it boiled, I turned down the heat to low and simmered for about 20 mins adding  the pasta 10 mins before it was done. Sprinkled salt, pepper and adjusted the taste. Transferred it to a bowl, poured a little olive oil on top and sprinkled some parsley flakes and voila a winning meal!

I had a satisfied customer who had 2 servings of this dish. :)





Until next time. Cheers!

The Proposal

We've only been together for about 3 1/2 years total but it feels like we've been married for a long time. I love him more everyday and I thank God that through out my lifetime, I get to be called his wife.

I shared our story on how we met but I forgot about the proposal part. 8 months into dating, hubby proposed to me. He just got back from a deployment and we went home to visit his parents who were in town. It was few days after his birthday, we were talking about rings and what kind I like. We visited several jewelry stores to see what they have and what I might like and hopefully get an idea. I searched online endlessly to find the 'perfect ring' I wanted.

Back at his parents' place, his mom scheduled for family pictorial. We always do this every time we're on vacation and everyone's home. His parents are based in Taiwan because of his dad's job and they only fly back and forth to the States when they get a chance. After searching for the ring, I finally found the one I really liked and told hubby about it but still no clue as to when he was going to propose but knew it was coming :)

The day of our family pictorial, him and his dad went to check on a 'boat' his dad was planning to buy. When they came home, they were telling us stories about what kind of boat they liked. Then we went to get our pictures taken. Everything looked normal. Hubby excused himself and went to the rest room, he was there long enough for me to ask why he's been gone for awhile.  Our photo session begun. The photographer was taking pictures of his family with different poses. When it was our turn, the photographer told me to pose like I was hugging hubby with my left hand on top of my right on his chest. After that pose, she asked us to look at the pictures and hubby said, 'something is missing on that picture'. Still no clue on what he was talking about until I saw him on his knees opening a box with a ring inside asking nervously if I want to marry him,  while the photographer was busy capturing the moment and everyone was looking at us. I was speechless! All I was able to utter was, 'babe! no!' We were both in tears and I actually forgot my answer until I heard his family saying, is it a Yes? haha! I did say yes and we took the same pose we did the first time, now with a ring on my finger.

Everybody knew about the plan except me, they also connived with the photographer. Hubby went to the restroom not to tinkle but tried to calm his nerves down. The ring I liked was not the ring he picked, it was a solitaire ring like his mom's. I love it just the same!

17 days after the proposal, we got married. I only had a week to prepare after we got back from vacation to find my dress, have it altered and I was also working on top of that, talk about major stress! We pulled it through, we were married on a beautiful winter day in February, and that's how our happy- crazy-roller coaster ever after begun.

Love! :)

Until next time! Cheers!

Mood for Food

I would love to make dinner tonight but I just had my tooth refilled and the anesthesia hasn't worn off yet. It's been 6 hours since the procedure and I can't still feel my mouth. Hubby doesn't even have his home cooked meal lunch at work because I didn't have enough time to make it so I just brought him sandwich from Charley's.

I love cooking! Hubby eats what I make most of the time except for when I cook fish :) I always give him extra so he can share it with his coworkers which I always get compliments in return. Funny thing is, I always make lumpia and adobo but for some reason I always forget to take photos. Anyway, these are some of the food I made with pictures.

Kimchi fried rice

Korean Japchae

Beef steak

Chicken enchilada

Parmesan crusted chicken with veggies

Pancit bihon

General Tso's chicken

Garlic naan bread and curry on the side

I'm actually salivating just looking at these food and I can't eat any of it.

Until next time. Cheers!

How's your nest egg?

Having worked at a financial institution for years, I've seen people crippled in debt that even at their retirement age they're still paying debts they acquired for a long period of time hindering them from enjoying their lives. Just military families alone, debt is one of the top reason why divorce is high. It's alarming and sad to see the negative effect it brings to people. 

Hubby and I has one credit card each. I don't believe in getting multiple cards because it only means I'll have the ability to use it beyond what I'm supposed to and even if I cut them up or put them away, it still won't change the fact that I have them. For some it means easy access in case of emergency, for others they live on it. 

My car is paid off, his will be early next year. We don't have mortgage as we are overseas. We don't have big balances on our cards. We set aside money every month. We don't live above our means, it's scary enough to think of not having to get anything from the government when we retire let alone be buried in debt. So we make the most out of what we can get from being employed.


How do you know you're living above your means?

1. Bills piling up 
2. No savings - they say to have at least thrice of your salary 
3. Use of credit card for every purchase
4. Discontentment - constantly wishing for more or trying to keep up with your friends
5. Paying overdraft fees on your account

It's never too late to reconstruct your budget when you think/know you're headed to this direction. Wouldn't you want to sleep soundly at night without having to worry about a single thing of debt? Or go on a vacation you really wanted knowing you didn't use your credit card to purchase it? Don't waste the time you spent worrying and stressing about your debt, turn around and start enjoying your life instead.

As far as our nest egg goes, I'm proud to say that we are sitting comfortably where we are right now and continuously working to achieve our goal in the next years. 



Until next time. Cheers!

Hilton Head, South Carolina

This place is nice! It's an hour away from hubby's hometown. We spent a weekend here walking around, eating, and of course shopping.  I wouldn't mind getting stationed in this area if ever we move back to the States after our overseas tour, or Hawaii (wishful thinking). We still have a year until we know where we're heading, I'd love for us to extend though as I have yet to explore other parts of Europe.

Oh, to be a child again!

Until next time. Cheers!

Country Fried Tilapia / Ramen Noodles

While hubby is away working, this is what I'm doing--cooking! Last night for my dinner I made fried tilapia seasoned with salt & pepper, dusted with flour, dipped in lightly beaten egg and rolled in bread crumbs. I had the best time eating it with my hand :)

Fried tilapia, brown rice, pickled papaya (atsara) and tomato/soy sauce/vinegar/chilis combo for dipping

 Updated version of the ramen I had minus the kimchi :) Love to eat this on rainy nights!

Until next time. Cheers!

Paris, France

We did a day trip to La Ville Lumiere (The City of Light) couple months ago and we lucked out with the weather, it was sunny the entire time we were roaming around but when nightfall came, rain poured heavily and it was chilly. This is what I like about traveling, I always have excuse to buy something like scarf, jacket or boots when the weather changes because then I will be dressed up accordingly :) My husband shakes his head with this statement haha! 

Let me take you with me to Paris through these pictures.

Cathedrale Notre Dame

Parisian pastries inside Laduree boutique

French macarons, Pistachio is my favorite!

Boat cruise on the Seine River

When I get too excited on the places we go, I tend to forget taking pictures and only when the day is over do I feel regret because I wasn't able to capture things that could've been added to my picture gallery. Oh well, I'll be back in a few months :)

Until next time. Cheers!

Buttered shrimp

Sometimes i love having the house to myself because I can eat whenever I want and cook whatever I want without thinking what to cook for my husband. I had a late dinner after working outside the front yard trimming bushes and pulling weeds, I actually had an arm workout while using the garden scissor :) So far my day had been productive which started from doing 35 squats, making hubby's lunch, washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and doing yard work.

Buttered shrimp with garlic and onion in a bed of brown rice

For this recipe:  Put the shrimp, chopped onions, minced garlic, salt & some pepper together in a pan with the lid on over medium heat. When shrimp turns pink, put some butter and sauté for a minute or two. Do not overcook the shrimp as it tends to get chewy. Adjust seasoning if needed. 

Now it's time to play Candy Crush.

Until next time. Cheers!

Rice cake

I was in the pantry looking for something to eat and came across a box of "Puto" or rice cake sitting in the shelf.  I could've have made it out of scratch but I don't have enough ingredients. The muffin pans I had doesn't fit in my steamer so I decided to use a small cake pan. I've never had a rice cake this big! The verdict? It was delicious! Soft, moist and just the right amount of sweetness Perfect for a gloomy afternoon with a cup of tea.


Until next time. Cheers!

Missing Home

I grew up going to this place. It used to be just another stretch of beach where anybody can go swim for free. Located about an hour from the town proper of Virac, Catanduanes, Puraran Beach is known for it's waves. Surfers from all over the world visits the island and experience big waves when it's surfing season along with the beautiful and less crowded beach, not to mention the great food! There are also public transportation that travels to Puraran from Virac terminal or hiring a tricycle will do too. 

Love the clear water!

My family loves to cook so whenever I get to visit they make all my favorite food! I love the fact that I can get fresh food everyday and devour it to my stomach's content. We have fruit bearing trees and vegetables in our backyard and we don't even have to buy them most of the time! Between the food in Manila and in the province, I will still choose the latter.

Afternoon delights

Before Ipad, Nintendo DS, Xbox, PS 3 was invented, this is what we used to play.

A match between Papa and Ate :)

I also miss Catandungan Festival held every October showcasing every municipalities' uniqueness and talent through dances. Our island came a long way from what I used to remember it. Today, it continues to strive and progress for the betterment of Catandungenos.

Simple living, great food, spending time with family and gorgeous beaches. No matter how long I've been living abroad, I will always find time to come home.




Until next time. Cheers!