Last Weekend

Weekends are the best because they're like our prize after the weekday rush and I also see it as a great way to start the week. It's like having a reset button for your life and get to start fresh again on Monday.

Last weekend is one of those laid back ones where I got to do stuff that I love like hanging out with friends and family (and Bruce the cutest pug ever!), finishing a crossword puzzle, eating yummy yummy food, and getting a late/early Christmas gift. I am really  blessed that I get to do these things and I always remind myself NEVER to take people or moments for granted.

I hope you also had a great weekend!

spice girl

no, I'm not talking about a popular 90's girl band :p

McCormick through the years

funny brand name

I was cleaning and reorganizing my lola's (grandmother's) spice cabinet and found these really old bottles and tins. The parsley flakes are older than me and the tins are at least 15 years old! She said she kept these because she found the packaging cute and wanted to reuse them but never got to. I washed and kept some of  them - I reused a few bottles for storing spices that are packed in plastic. I'm still thinking of a way to reuse the tins, maybe use them as candle holders?

I now use the spice cabinet and I'm slowly organizing the kitchen so it can be used more efficiently. C and I are planning to repaint and renovate the house a little. I can't wait for this to happen :) 

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

It's my first time to bake from scratch on my own!

I needed a break from chocolate so I chose this simple recipe.

bless this mess

it came out looking a bit burnt

but it was yummy :)

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

From Cooking for Two by Vicky Veloso Barrera (Anvil Publishing)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
grated rind of one lemon
powdered sugar for topping

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a mixing bowl, gradually adding the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a wooden spoon, stir in one third of the flour into the butter mixture. Add half of the yoghurt. Continue alternating the flour and yoghurt, beating after each addition. Blend in the lemon peel. Pour the batter into a buttered and greased 9" x 5" loaf pan and bake at 350 F(180 C) for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. When cool, dust the top generously with powdered sugar.

Notes:

• No need to use an electric mixer
• I halved the recipe because I only have a smaller loaf pan. It was a fun math problem.
• I halved a whole egg by putting it in a separate container first

Raving about POSH Pocket Shoes

POSH logo

I'm usually not loyal to a specific brand of shoes until POSH Pocket Shoes. I completely adore them and these are some reasons why:

POSHies are soft and comfortable. I've walked all over Manila, Batangas, Pampanga, and Hong Kong wearing POSHies and I still can walk for miles more!

the only white shoes I can wear

POSHies are portable. They come with their own bags and can be folded so you can bring a lot while traveling. (Tip: Use the bag to fold the shoes after using it so your hands won't touch the soles.) They're actually marketed as back-up shoes when your feet get tired from wearing heels but I know some girls who wear these all-day, everyday.

POSHies are versatile. They can be worn at work, while shopping, even during night-outs (they have metallic and glittery styles). They can be matched with dresses, pants, shorts, skirts, or whatever you feel like wearing. Just don't wear them for gym, k.

<3

POSHies come in different styles. Visit their website and Facebook page to browse through their collections and you'll find yourself wanting every single pair in every collection in different colors! But don't worry, because..

POSHies are affordable. Nothing is above P 1,000 so you can collect as many as you want. I suggest you order an extra pair of your favorite style because trust me, it will be worth it. :) They're proudly Filipino-made and make great gifts as well.

Kitsie wearing special POSHies in Oz :)

To ogle at their collections and order your own pair/ssss:

http://www.poshpocketshoesonline.com

http://www.facebook.com/poshpocketshoes

Follow them on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/poshpocketshoes

Green School in Bali

The geekiest part of our honeymoon was visiting Green School. It is an international school that integrates sustainability and creativity in their curriculum. Their structures and furniture are mostly made from sustainable materials such as bamboos, recycled materials, etc.. Their main building, the Heart of School, is a work of art and is studied by architects all over the world. 

Education + Sustainability + Design = My Dream Destination.

while waiting for the tour to start, i ordered sugar cane juice. here's the sugar cane.

even the goal post is made out of bamboo!

their gym

the left one is for number 1 and the right one is for number 2

Ben is their Communications Head and our tour guide

the students have mud wrestling fights in this area

kiddie-sized benches

ceiling

I'd love to have a bamboo pirate ship!

the Heart of School is the tallest structure

the bridge was being renovated then but it's done now

this can be covered by inflating a canvas to form a bubble (video)

their whiteboards are made out of bamboo, recycled glass, and paper

of course I had to see their library

inside the Heart of School

amazing furniture

a green village is also being built nearby

Thank you so much Green School for sharing your space with people who has the same dream. I was completely awestruck the whole time I was there. My ultimate dream is to build a school like this in the Philippines and teach children how live in a sustainable manner and appreciate what we already have. *Deep sigh* Of course my dream school will have awesome reading, math, and sports programs!

Below is the TED talk of John Hardy, Green School's Founder:

Green School, Bali, Indonesia

http://www.greenschool.org/ (their newsletters are very informative)

https://twitter.com/#!/greenschoolbali

http://www.facebook.com/greenschool

Today's Lunch

butter + leftover pesto

seriously, it's more delicious than it looks

stuffed tomatoes

I made pesto a few days ago and I only realized how messy it is to make but it was worth it because it tastes A LOT better than store-bought ones. I mixed some leftover pesto with butter which looked kind of yucky but tasted great. We also had some leftover nacho toppings from the other night (spring onions, longganisa, and tomatoes) which was mixed with rice to make sinangag.

To start the Chinese new year on a healthy note, I made stuffed tomatoes for lunch. It was very easy to make and looked really good. I originally wanted to put kesong puti (white cheese) in it but since it wasn't available, I used cottage cheese instead. Here are the basic steps on how to make it:

Easy-peasy Stuffed Tomatoes

1. Make tomato cups by cutting a thin slice on top and scooping out the center.
2. Drizzle the center with olive oil and season with your choice of spices (oregano is a good choice), salt and pepper. 
3. Bake/toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until a bit brown.
4. Remove the cups from the oven, spoon out the oil and spices and set it aside.
5. Fill the cups with your choice of cheese (I used cottage cheese mixed with coriander but any white or melty cheese works).
6. Drizzle the removed oil on top of the cheese. Bake/toast for another 5 minutes.

Pair with buttered toasted bread to make a hearty and healthy meal!