Why I Facebook

I joined Facebook more than a year ago, deactivated my account after a few days, reactivated after several months, deactivated again, and so many other things I spontaneously did because I had a love-hate relationship with Facebook.

One of the reasons I stayed is the applications, the games, the things you do that you know waste your time but can't take yourself away from. But like my Friendster horoscope which I religiously ooh'd and aah'd to because of the accuracy, the God Wants You To Know application has become my reason to log on to Facebook more often.

Here's my reading for today:

On this day of your life, Lorraine, we believe God wants you to know...
... that you can't rid the world of sorrow, but you can choose to live in joy.

Sorrow is with us not because we are bad at stopping it, but simply because it's part of being human. What matters is not whether good or bad things happen - both will, but your relationship to them. Just think back over the last 24 hours, - what had you taken hard that you could have taken lightly?

You don't have to believe in God to take this in. In fact, I love they named the application this way instead of the usual daily reading, or horoscope. And for me it almost always wraps up my day just the way it should be. In fact, I smiled when I read the last sentence - Just think back over the last 24 hours, - what had you taken hard that you could have taken lightly? I smiled, because I remember having to troubleshoot my sewing machine which I desperately needed yesterday. Mama was in the vicinity, while I was frowning my way to finding the solution to why my stitches were so small. However, instead of my usual grumpy, violent self, during which I could make all kinds of animal noises and bang and throw valuable, breakable things without feeling guilty, I was singing along Earth, Wind and Fire's After the Love Has Gone. Et voila, I accidentally let my way through the solution, which could have taken eons with a bad disposition. In fact, when I yelled my triumphant "YES!", Mama smiled and told me hindi raw ako sinusumpong, that's why I got to it faster.

Don't you just love how very small things like this connect your day to the previous and the next days? :)
Good night!

Overjuice

Matagal na panahon na silang nakatengga sa selepono. Overdue nga.
Presenting: The Blurred Pictures of Kitchen Adventures in Makati

Chapter One
(October 2008)

Another one of those crying episodes. I love how I feel while preparing this, even better after I have eaten a bowl. Because it's made of fresh produce, I feel I'm giving my body the right attention it deserves..or not. Heat up in the microwave oven with plenty of cheese PLUS a bag of cheesy chips, it's one hell of a fulfilling "meal" that will drag you someplace exactly the opposite. And maybe, just maybe, this is one pleasure you should be guilty of having.

Chapter Two
(December 2008)

Baked this batch of brownies with caramel on top (it was a failed attempt at butterscotch, to be honest with you) for my classmates. If one of them brought a batch for the class too, I'd receive it as well as my classmates did with this one. It's a welcome diversion from all the routinely things we've been doing in our mini-factory.

Chapter Three
(June 2009)

Now, there have been many other kitchen episodes, but most of them I failed to document because it was either a) there were no cameras or phone space available; or b) I was too excited to gobble it all up, there was not anything to capture anyway.

Since I bought a bottle of dried basil leaves a few days ago (I don't like fresh basil, and I don't have a green thumb to grow one), I've been tinkering with the thing plus a bunch of tomatoes, because Giada says so. Shown here is some spaghetti, with chopped tomatoes, dried basil and a hefty amount of cheese. I forgot to mention some leftover meatloaf. It's pale and unappetizing to look at, but if I had left for you to take a bite, I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed. :) I'm lactose intolerant so that much dairy didn't do well getting inside my stomach, but it's all worth it.

My three-day white wine challenge failed. HAHAHA. The one and only dish I made, which had chicken fillets soaking up in cream and mushroom (and white wine) sauce was so overpowering, I couldn't take more than a bite. Ang problema kasi, ang tapang nung mushrooms, kaya nagkaganun. But anyway, I love love loved adored the well-seasoned chicken, and everything mellowed out two or three days after. B to the U R P.

Bitch is taking so long

As I am writing this, I am waiting for my meal to bake in the oven. Or I am waiting for the cheese to melt on top of the glorious pasta (tuna pasta, which tasted very Italian, as what I described it yesterday) my sister made yesterday.

First of all, let me give myself a tap on the back for getting a deserved good night's rest (from 11PM to 5.45 this morning), after almost a week of staying up late to finish term papers. Admittedly, some of those were crammed, but most of them I gave up sleep for because I wanted to finish them early. And I did :)

Lastly, another tap on the back and maybe a high five for having the drive to even bake the leftover pasta, instead of eating it as it is. Reheating would have been a tedious idea on normal days, but alas, I made a cream sauce, poured it on the fettuccine, and set the oven on fire.

Nom nom.

---

UPDATE: Glorious indeed. Not a fan of spicy food, but this one is.. nom nom.

Apple Pie

When they say that what you cook yourself you always love, I believe them. I am not sure if this inclination is based widely on bias. I guess not because today I met an exception:

Apple Pie.

Of course I am proud that like my Caramel Cake, I made this for the first time myself but not without the help of my trusty assistant-slash-consultant, Macy. The process was nearly perfect until we had to bake the thing and it had to endure circumstances that were beyond our control, or maybe just unwillfully chose to be under.. like forgetting to use egg wash so the pie looked uncooked even after two hours in the oven - the oven which had a broken thermometer and degrading insulators.

Hmm.

This needs improvement. And for the cook to have a better sense next time to follow foolproof recipes. Tsk.

All images after the second are courtesy of Macy Bautista. At sorry naman camera phone ang gamit ko, hindi ko alam asan digicam. Pakihanap Inday. Tengks:)

At dahil atat ako, tignan nyo na lang post ni Macy :)

Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting

Daring Bakers November 2008
This is the first EVER cake I made and baked and decorated myself. Whew. This is also my first Daring Baker Challenge, and I feel extra extra proud. :) Because of that, I went ahead and made a classic-looking cake, not that I can even make it look like, what, a huge dressform or a sinking ship?

I was scared out of my skin to do this, I must say, but when I started I just couldn't stop. It's a miracle the cake didn't fall, neither tasted like *bleep*, or ended up in some ways we wished it didn't. It's incredibly moist and rich and lovely and dare I say it, perfect. Mmmm.

Helping Dolores (http://culinarycuriosity.blogspot.com/) host this month are Alex (Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo: http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/), Jenny of Foray into Food (http://forayintofood.blogspot.com/). And since none of us know jack about alternative baking, we’ve once again turned to Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go (http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/) to assist us.

Our leading lady this month is Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater (http://eggbeater.typepad.com/) and her signature caramel cake.

RECIPE SOURCE
Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon (http://eggbeater.typepad.com/), as published on Bay Area Bites (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/). Shuna Fish Lydon’s recipe (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2006 … he-recipe/)

Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, Artisan Press, Copyright 2007, ISBN: 978-1579652111
If you’re looking for additional guidance on the cake, Shuna’s got some great information posted here as well (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2006 … he-recipe/) and here (http://eggbeater.typepad.com/shuna/2007 … ake-a.html).