Coffee Break---Not!

I am currently on a semestral break from school.School's out for a couple of weeks! Yehey! So much time,so little to do! In this connection, I thought of taking a break from coffee. Lately, I realized that I have been drinking more cups of coffee compared to my usual two cups a day. Usually, I only drink coffee right after I wake up and after I eat my supper. Since this path I'm taking is requiring so much of my time, I have to do something to keep me awake for more than twenty hours. This more than twenty hours of waking day also include hours of tweeting and pinning and lurking and stalking and procrastinating and watching tv. So from two cups of coffee I was up to four cups. I drink once I wake up, after I eat my brunch,once I arrive in school and after supper. Sometimes it goes up to six cups whenever I feel the need. This, I think, is the main reason why I sometimes catch myself zoning out from the class discussion and sometimes I wake up feeling restless because I thought I was somewhere else.Coffee triggers sleep disorder! So there,I planned on not having coffee and drink milk instead for the whole semestral break.The plan took off on Saturday and ended the next day! HAHAHA What a failed attempt! And this is what prompted me to abort the plan:I dozed off while I was attending the Sunday's mass.I don't want the same thing to happen again while I'm in public places. Someone might catch me doing that,take a picture and upload it somewhere. That will be so embarrassing! HAHAHAHA I couldn't live without coffee in my system! Yes I can live a day without it but not longer than that! Milk is now stricken off my grocery list. I'll try again next time. :)

Happy Sembreak, everyone!!!

DIY Ring Box

I've been going around the city for months now looking for a ring box where I can store my fancy rings and yet I haven't seen one that is for sale.I thought of making my own ring box but I didn't have a smaller box. What I have are shoe boxes that are too big and does not have the aesthetic value for a ring box.

Last Saturday,after we had lunch with our Cebu friends,I tagged along with Bambi and Kylie to their grocery shopping for stuff to bring back to Singapore.The nyors are so generous, they gave me a box of chocolate and a tub of pistachio ice cream .

On Monday,while eating lunch alone,I remembered the box of chocolate that I put in the fridge.I took it out and ate one bar.I realized it was not a good idea to put the chocolate inside the fridge as it becomes so hard to bite into, my teeth are complaining.I transferred them to a glass jar and left the box on the table thinking I could still use or do something about it. When I returned to the kitchen hours after to wash the dishes,I examined the box again and jumped out of excitement with the DIY project thought that came to mind.



That is the right one for my ring box!



Want to see the outcome? Say please! HAHAHA



Here it is,my ring box made from a chocolate box!

Can you see the brand name?Can you guess what chocolate box is that? :)
It's not yet 100% done.I ran out of double-sided tape and I haven't had the time to go out and buy one. :D Nevertheless,I'm already happy the way the DIY turned out.I'm so proud of myself! Naturaaaaal!

Want to know how I did it? Here's how.

1.Have your materials ready first.

2.Measure the height of the box.Cut a paper that is of the same measurement of the height.Set aside.

3.Decide on where you would want to make a cut on the box.Take the measurements,draw a line and slice through it using a cutter.(By this time,the box is cut into two,the top part which would be the cover should be smaller than the bottom part.)

4.Paste the paper(from instruction #2 )on the inner sides of the box.This will help keep the top part/cover of the box from falling.

5.Cover the bottom part of the box with a gift wrapper of your choice.

6.If you want to have a window on your ring box,draw a rectangle and slice through it with a cutter. (I was lucky the box that I used had its top part open so it saved me more time and effort.) If you like to keep your box 'closed' ,then it'll save you time and effort too! :D

7. Once you have the 'window' ,trace and cut an acetate that is bigger than the window's size. Seal the acetate and the box together from the inside with the help of the double-sided tape.

8.Cover the top/cover with the wrapper of your choice.

9.Take the measurement of the styropor.Trace a cutter through it.This is going to be the part of the ring box that will secure the rings. Wrap it with a fabric of your choice or whatever you fancy.I cheated on this part.HAHA.I didn't know how to make it look and function like normal ring boxes do and I was already too tired from figuring it out I wanted it to finish soon.What I did was I covered the styropor with a fabric and traced/sliced through the covered styropor 3 lines that will serve to secure the rings. Good thing I was using a pin-stripe design fabric,so it was easier to 'trace' a line. HAHA.

Materials

box
styropor
acetate
gift wrapper
paper
fabric
double-sided tape
glue
cutter
scissors
ruler
pencil


I hope you learned something from this DIY.I had so much fun from doing it albeit the tedious effort of taking the closest-thing-to-perfect measurements.And,by the way,the box was from my good ol' trusted Cloud Nine chocolate of Jack'nJill.

Definitely,I am on cloud nine. :)

Your Tongue-in-Cheek Guide to Sinulog

An article about where to stay,where to dine and what to do when in Cebu for Sinulog came out of my favorite newspaper last Saturday. While the article was informative,it does not apply to the majority of people whose purpose of going to Sinulog is to experience that one big street party that it is known for.So I thought of writing my own version of where-to and what-to.This is based on personal experience, so allow me to indulge. :)

WHAT TO DO

Let me correct myself there.Most people come here to honor and pray to Sto.Nino.They are the devotees and pilgrims who will brave the thick crowd,not minding if it's chest to chest,nose to nose,(we were always just that close.haha) just to get a glimpse or be near the Sto.Nino.But a lot also come here to party.Theyr're the ones who wouldn't mind sitting on the gutter or on the sidewalk,with a plastic glass full of beer or any alcohol mix in one hand or those whose faces are covered with paint ,with one hand holding a bottle of beer of which that same hand is raised on mid-air while dancing to the beat of the Sinulog drums.That's why I think it's important to know first what is your purpose of coming here for Sinulog.If you're here solely for the Sto. Nino,then I don't think I'd be of help. I have not attended a novena mass nor attended the high mass on Sunday,never been to the fluvial procession which happens on the day before that and counter-flowing a procession in the afternoon of Saturday does not count either.But if you're here to get drunk and throw up in the streets then you may continue reading.

WHERE TO STAY
It's only a few days more before Sinulog and I don't think you'd have an easy time finding a hotel or pension house to stay at this time.Most are fully booked by now.Where to stay should be thought of months before.Not to worry though, for Lapu-Lapu City has more hotels and places to offer.That may be far from the center of Sinulog,but you wouldn't mind,would you? HAHAHA If you have friends or relatives who live here, you can ask them if you could crash their place for the weekend.If they say yes,don't forget to bring them something. :) By the way,a DOT personnel was interviewed by a local tv news here yesterday.She said that it's okay to check in motels for it is as safe as checking in hotels. It is cheaper also and is more practical considering that you only pay for the few hours that you get to stay there.And besides,you don't need a lot of sleeping when it's Sinulog. You're at the streets partying most of the time. HAHA


WHERE TO DINE
It'd be easy to say Casa Verde since the main branch is also near the epicenter of the street party, but the streets on Sinulog Sunday have got so much to offer that you'd have a hard time deciding which one to pick. HAHA. Seriously,the whole strip of Gen.Maxilom Ave. and Jones Ave. will be lined with food stalls,some are from known names or brands but you should check out those you barely know for they also sell tasty food.Just make sure that it is clean.You will know how clean they are by checking how clean and organized their stall is,the utensils they use and how they prepare the food. If in doubt,don't eat! You may opt to bring your own sandwich or trail mix,something you can munch on when the tummy complains.


WHAT TO WEAR
You will be walking most of the time,so please wear whatever you are most comfortable with.You'll be at high risk of getting stepped on,so wear some closed shoes.Wearing shorts is okay but keep an eye on 'drunk' people.This is not the best time to strut your stuff.Leave your expensive jewelry at home.Don't bring a lot of cash and keep an eye on your valuables.Your bag should be stashed with wet wipes, tissue, alcohol and extra t-shirt(secure in ziploc) in case some dudes will shower rain beer bottles. HAHAHA There's going to be a long cue in restrooms so practice how to hold it longer.HAHA


Remember that although your purpose here is to have a good time there'd be a few who would spoil it.Keep your cool and it's better to go with a group so you can keep an eye on each other.One big street party that is Sinulog only happens once a year. So go out and take yourself to the streets.You will have the rest of the year to chill and lounge. :)

If you don't want to get down and dirty,adto nalang kas coffee shop magtambay. Pag order ug kape,maulaw sad ka.Picture2x dayon para naa kay ma-post sa Facebook nga 'Me in Sinulog' nya nas sulod sa coffee shop. HAHAHAHA


Pit Senyor!


for a more serious guide to surviving Sinulog visit wearesolesisters.com

photo courtesy of wheretheblog.wordpress.com

Yogurt Invasion

Yogurt Stations are sprouting like mushrooms here in Cebu.So before it conquers each and every corner of the city,we have to invade it first--one yogurt tub at a time. :)



YO-GO BOY
BTC,Banilad

YUMMY-YO
near GrandCon

TUTTI FRUTTI
SM

YOGO
Coffee Cat,E-Bloc Bldg. IT Park

RED MANGO
Ayala Center

Take Note

It makes a LOT of difference if you write something that needs to be remembered all the time in a paper rather than just taking note of it mentally. More so if you post it in your wall,where you get to see it everyday. :)

Poor Man's Spaghetti

My sister E and I had poor man's spaghetti for dinner. Haven't had this for a long time. Gaaaaahhh, I missed this although I have to say that this poor man's spaghetti is one of the items on my long laundry list of food.Poor man's spag is palatable,best served with hot steam rice,but I rarely crave for it---because first I don't like the strong smell of canned sardines,second it leaves a strong smell to the cutlery and especially to your mouth that you want to brush your teeth forever and third it reminds me of days when we used to always eat it because we're poor. FYI we are still poor but we now have a lot of options since my siblings and I appreciate veggies now. LOL.

Living away from home is quite stressful for a number of things. One,and I will only be talking about this item since I think this post is getting a lot of side stories,is deciding what to eat or what to cook.So when I asked my sister what she wants to eat, since we always eat what she wants to eat lest I deal with Little Miss Grumpy again, she answered "Sardinas na may Odong!" followed with a big smile. Yes you read it right. Poor man's spaghetti is only sardinas na may odong! I just made it a bit classy. HAHAHA. Gotcha!

By the way, I first heard about the term Poor Man's Spaghetti from my Boy Scouts of the Philippines friends when in 1998,during the peak of our boy scout and girl scout days, I asked them what they prepared and cooked during their training camps. I thought how great their troop masters were because they were allowed to prepare such and how unlucky for us girl scouts because we had vegetable overload.Then came the aka sardinas na may odong.HAHAHAHA.Jukir (Another side story :p)

So as the name suggests, poor man's spaghetti is very affordable and easy to prepare. Here's my sister's recipe:

1 can(155 g) of Seňorita Sardines in Tomato Sauce
2 small packs of El Seňorito Odong Noodle Soup
1 medium size onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of oil

Cut the onion and garlic in whatever you like,we had it in dice.Sauté onion and garlic.Put in the sardines,let it simmer.Throw in the odong and make sure you don't overcook it.You can always throw in up to 5 small packs of odong.

See,easy as 1,2,3. :) And we only spent less than Php 30.00!

We had the perfect dinner,perfect for the windy & rainy night,perfect for the budget. HAHA.

And here's the bonus.

Buyad and Chokolate



P.S. Did you notice the brand names? Laysho!

And they call this CHEESE bread.

LOL

ICED-GEM CHOCO BISCUITS

Familiar? Not familiar?

This is the biscuit of our time. This is what reminds me so much of my childhood---happy childhood.

I remember this as the biscuit that my siblings and I loved to have--- what with the combination of biscuit and icing. There is just something so delightful about having a plain biscuit with an icing. And a colorful icing at that! Every time my older sister and I reminisce about the old days we always include the Iced Gem Biscuits as one of the things that made us happy. It was not only a favorite but a biscuit we all loved to have during typhoons.

Typhoons frequently visit Surigao at the time when we were still in kindergarten. It was during those times that our roof was still made of nipa shingles. So whenever weather advisory would say that a typhoon is coming and is going to hit our province, Mama would make sure that we’d be able to survive the ordeal should it last for days. She’d list down the items that we all need to have and made sure we had it even before the typhoon hits our province----sort of an emergency or survival kit. So alongside dry cell, candle, matchstick, instant noodles and what have you she’d also buy this iced gem biscuits. Call it unadulterated innocence but typhoons are one of the things we looked forward to during those days. Typhoons meant abundant supply of the said biscuit. I think about it now and I can only shake my head.

Anyways, I don’t know what happened but we lost track of the biscuit when we reached grade school. We never looked for it maybe because we were introduced to other existing biscuits, say Jolly Sandwich or Rebisco Strawberry Biscuits or Presto Creams. We simply forgot about the biscuit we only loved. If it did stop making and distributing at that time, we wouldn’t really know.It was only in the later years when my older sister and I thought about it. We searched for it in every store in the province but we couldn’t find a single pack. We conceded. We thought that maybe the company lost revenue and decided to just stop.

I was in Cagayan de Oro City from 2002-2007 for my college education. I no longer remember the exact date or year as that detail already escapes me now, but one day while I was walking and passing through each aisle in a supermarket (which by the way is one of the things I love doing!)I saw a familiar pack of biscuits---a pack of biscuits that had me make a second look. Lo and behold, it was the Iced Gem Biscuits! I couldn’t contain my happiness that day that I immediately grabbed two packs and went straight to the cashier. Right after I paid the items I opened it and devour on the biscuit that I missed so much. I felt like I just reunited with an old pal! I gave some of it to my dorm mates and classmates but not without a background story and a wide grin. And it was the start of my frequent visits to that supermarket.

I did not tell my siblings about it because I wanted it to be a surprise. During the school break that followed after the ‘reunion’ I brought home packs of the iced gem biscuits. When I showed it to them I saw in my sister the delight of having seen the biscuit again. She can only say, ’Hala Leng, paborito man ini nato! Haman nimo nakita?’ (Leng, this is our favorite! Where did you find this?) Mama can only smile at the thought. I realized then that it was only me and my sister A who had a vivid memory of the biscuit. My brother barely remembers it, D does not remember and neither does E because she was still unborn at the peak of our love affair with the biscuit. But my siblings C,D and E love the biscuit anyways.

And that was the start of the rekindling love affair.

I am now in a different city but I must have been this good to be able to find the biscuits here. HAHA. I still buy a pack or two from time to time whenever my feet leads me to the store. And at times I buy more of it to bring home for my siblings, nieces and nephew.