i'm back!

with a shameless plug ... :)

are you still there?

whew! that was a long break if you'll ask me. so, how's it going? i hope things have been going great for you.

for me, well, i've been cruising along. so much has happened since my last post. i've been reborn (my 40th birthday), nourished (latest food updates), and released (moved out of the darkness)!

as always, nourishment is the name of the game; chiechay's game anyway. so, what will i share with you? well, remember this post? it came to me in time for valentine's day. oh yeah, that dark bar, wrapped in brown-streaked red paper, presented itself to me through a window display. odd that the red package stood out from amongst the rest. and there were about three or four more packages in different colors (well, i know red always stands out). but the words dark + chocolate + chilli (oh yes, double L...they might as well just write chillyn) were more than enough to reel me in, hook, line and sinker. oh yeah. i walked out of the store looking like the cheshire cat (have you seen 'alice in wonderland' yet?). i couldn't wait to get home!





so, i took the pictures. i was getting so impatient (yeah, my eq was at an all-time low) that i never bothered with the lighting and all that stuff, i just snapped away then i took that first bite. i ate a square (the bar was divided into squares, 24 to be exact). hmmmm, ecuadorian dark chocolate is delicious, but where's the hotness? so, i take another square and another until i've devoured 4 squares, one after the other. i ate the bar like i would a snack, i chewed the chocolate squares, not waiting for it to melt in my mouth. and you know how chocolate sticks to your teeth? well, when i got the chocolate that was on my teeth and gums, that's when it got hot. hmmmm, subtle, very subtle but you can definitely "feel" the chilli (it really is double L). ha! so i eat another square actually another four squares but that was the maximum heat it generated. just subtle "hotness".



i was hoping it would reach that level where i'd need something to bring the heat down. don't get me wrong, the dark chocolate was delicious. it's an overall 6.5 for me. nevertheless, i know what to expect when i get my hands on what i'm looking for.

maybe i should try a spicy hot chocolate drink to whet my craving in the meantime. care to join me?

care for a stick?

for a couple of days, i've seen this stand at the cinema level of trinoma. from afar, looks very simple but upon closer inspection, the freezer display shows you what's inside...gelato on stick. yup, gelato. yesterday, i decided to satisfy my curiousity and craving. when given the chance to have gelato, jump on it. gelato is gelato. so, what will it be? i found myself "torn between two lovers" - pistachio and gianduia (hazelnut) ... which is which? i gave in to my "green" side.







the also have mango, strawberry, coffee and chocolate sticks...i didn't have time to memorize the menu. of course, gelato is more expensive than ice cream and at Php80.00 per stick for a plain one, it is expensive. (per stick is half; you can order a pair as well, i guess that would be two sticks more like the popsicle, right?) you can add toppings, dip it in chocolate, and i think there are other add-ons. the guy before me bought a half gelato with some toppings and he paid Php225.00! hmmm, expensive.

but when you "devour" ;) the gelato stick you'll think it's worth it; it's a treat, a reward. gelato is more dense than ice cream and sorbet and creamier too. delicious. :) i wonder when can i reward myself again?




stick house is found on the cinema level of trinoma (beside fuzion cafe and the candy stall). if you're like me and forget where i found such a delight, just look at the ice cream stick :)



you may also want to visit their website: http://www.stickhousesrl.com/ (they have gelato making classes!!! i want to enroll! unfortunately, the classes are in held in italy ... on second thought, i've always wanted to go to there...an added incentive!)

headbanDgers

this afternoon, my sister and i went to the mall. we had an early dinner, saw a movie, and went around the mall. i remembered that i needed a headband because of my hair that has a mind of its own (i have bad hair days every single day). i bought 2 headbands and my sister bought one to complete her new year's eve outfit. when we got home, we tried them on and so did logan :)


proof of our kabaliwan:










see? kabaliwan talaga hahahaha :)

should old acquaintance be forgot...

yup, 2009 is about to end and we'll usher in 2010. wow, 2010 - whether we pronounce it as "two thousand ten" or "twenty ten" it's still two thousand and ten years that mankind has chalked up.

for me, it'll mean forty years of existence (hmmm...they say that the 40s are the new 20s - so i think i'll look forward to that. but, to be completely honest, i'm actually ambivalent about it....) and another shot at starting anew. i actually make my resolutions on my birthday but since everyone is talking about resolutions, i have several that i really hope i do get around to realizing:

1. do something about my health - i've ignored my health for the longest time. ignored for me means, simply that, ignoring it. i've never undergone any lab tests, bloodwork, or annual physical exam even if diabetes and hypertension run in the family. when i have a fever, headache, stomachache, asthma attack, or whatever kind of attack, i reach for a tablet or a capsule. maybe it's time for me to know exactly where i stand in terms of my health.
2. do something about my diet - this might actually happen when i get the first item done. undoubtedly, there are going to be changes in my diet (or lack thereof) when i know whether i need to watch my blood sugar or blood pressure.
3. have my eyes checked - argh! i don't want to wear eyeglasses but i suspect that i'm going to ... soon
4. do something about my means of livelihood - at my age, i should be gearing towards a retirement package (HAHAHAHA). unfortunately, i've been moving from one job to another (or as me and my friends call it - jobhopping). where will i find that dream job of mine?
5. blog more - time and again, i've said this to myself but i get sidetracked - fb, no internet connection, nothing newsworthy ... :)
6. travel more - i sort of stayed put this year, no trips anywhere and i miss that. there are places here in the philippines that i still want to see and i hope that in 2010, i can get on at least 2 trips (if #4 will allow it).
7. strengthen relationships - existing ones and those that will develop ...
8. stay strong - those who know me well know what i've been through; not just in 2009 but several years running now. and the road to survival hasn't been easy and i haven't reached the end yet. i am amazed at the fact that i'm still alive. there have been instances when i want to throw in the towel but somehow, i keep getting up everytime i fall. i know there is Someone keeping me alive, making me strong, and telling me to keep on believing. even if at times i question all this misfortune, Bro tells me that i can do it and that He is always here for me.

i truly hope and pray that 2010 will be a better year for me, for you, for everyone. for the whole world, for all of mankind.

"costume change"

i finally got some downtime from christmas preparations and activities; not really frantic but busy enough to say, "whew!" how was christmas for you and your family?

well, i was about to post some pictures of food we prepared for noche buena when i thought of changing my blog template. a new design, a new look, or even simply rearranging stuff on my blog. the default templates in blogger weren't really appealing (sorry blogger!) so i decided to look around for other blogger templates. i found some and went through several designs before i settled on the current template: coffee desk

my sister says it's "me" because i'm a coffee addict (hehehe) and i still use a planner (yeah, i'm a bit old school).

i'm still trying to put it all together by placing my old widgets but i know i'll get there :) what do you think about my new template?

happy holidays to you

well, it's december 24, 4 p.m. ..thought i'd squeeze in a post now before we all get busy preparing for christmas eve...

let's stop thinking about our problems, tight financial situations, fights, what you hate about people you know, and all the negative stuff...focus on family, dear friends, the mere fact that we can celebrate the holidays whether it's a lavish or super simple celebration, and the real meaning of christmas - birth of jesus christ.

a wonderful christmas to everyone :)

who do you call? stressbusters!

sometimes stress can really get to you. it's how you handle it that helps you get on with life. lately, i've been going through prolonged stress attacks :) LOL those who know the source of my stress would probably just laugh but me, i can hardly laugh let alone smile ... vacations are not the way i deal with it although i wish i could. i've realized that there really isn't any vacation for the kind of job i have. i deal with it by eating - LOL! now, why am i not surprised? i guess that's how i deal with any kind of stress :) right now, i find myself eating only when i feel like eating. and sometimes, what i feel like eating doesn't really constitute a healthy meal but it does satisfy my craving.

kitkat dark chocolate - at the grocery i frequent, the kitkat boxes are close to another chocolate (the brand of which escapes me at the moment) that has the same colors, red, white, orange... so imagine the look on my face to see something dark brown/black with the words "kitkat"..upon closer inspection, i find that kitkat has gone dark...as in dark chocolate!

sebastian's bananutella - after a japanese dinner, my friend and i wanted to have dessert. someting other than coffee and cake, chocolate, etc. then we remembered sebastian's ice cream! lady luck was smiling at us because there is a sebastian's stall in trinoma. i already knew what i was going to get: butter pecan. turns out i was wrong. my curiousity got the better of me so i peered at the tubs of ice cream in the fridge and i saw they had banananutella ... have you ever tried eating a banana smothered with nutella? try it, you'll like it and if you're like me, a third of the nutella jar will be gone together with one or two bananas :) the ice cream was good but could be even better if they added more nutella...the banana part, they've got down pat. more nutella please :)

next post: more stressbusters

damn ...

on the eve of the fourth year - still no retribution in sight...

i hate getting the bad end of a deal...

finally, i got it :)