Ever since Rafael officially became a toddler and learned how to walk on his own, he started to turn into a more curious little creature who would always point on things to communicate what he wants.  This pointing attitude had been a big help for us to understand more the things that he likes and eventually made us notice that he would often point to a door as if he wants to say "mommy, lets go out!" Then I realized my son has really grown a lot in that one year span of time.

When he was still a few months younger, he would happily enjoy just crawling around and playing in his room.  He was already contented staying inside that small room full of colorful posters and cute baby toys.  However, a day came when he decided that he doesn't want to just stay inside his playroom anymore.  He started crawling around the house exploring every corner of each room.  Then he learned how to walk on his own and started invading even the kitchen and bathroom area!  Eventually, he realized that our house was no longer as interesting as it used to be, so he decided he wanted to go out of the house and discover a bigger and more exciting environment.

We knew we had to respond to Rafa's changing needs.  So every afternoon, after my husband gets home from work, we take the little man to the park where he can run and play until he gets tired.  (I don't actually know if he really gets tired.  Maybe what I was trying to say is that we allow him to play in the park until my husband and I are both tired of  chasing him.  I guess, that's more accurate.)

I believe we have already been to all parks within the city.  That is because we used to go to different parks before until we discovered Delma Park.  For me, this park is "love at first sight."  I love it for several reasons:  free parking, free entrance, clean restrooms, fitness area has several gym equipments which can be used for free; and they have a playground especially designed for toddlers (1-3 y/o).

Just by looking at Rafa's photos below, I guess it's not going to be too assuming for me to say that I think my son loves their playground too!

Our decision to take Rafa to the park every afternoon has really helped a lot in the development of his gross motor and socialization skills.  This is where he actually learned how to go up and down the stairs.  (We don't have stairs in the house that is why he was so amazed when he first experienced how it's like to climb up and down each step.)  In addition, he also gets the chance to meet new people and gain new friends whom he can talk and play with.  Yeah, our little man is a very friendly toddler!  He's the kind of kid who would never hesitate to give anyone a smile, even strangers.

While Rafa was busy enjoying the playground and exploring the park, me and my husband would take turns in watching over the little creature so that we can also have the opportunity to burn our excess calories in the park's fitness area.  I so love their facilities!  There's no need to spend on expensive gym membership fees anymore.  (We have never spent on such anyway.)

Aside from the children's playground and fitness area, they also have a football court, tennis court (which gave me the motivation to learn how to play tennis), and free circuit training facilitated by professional fitness trainers every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

I am really glad and grateful that we have found a perfect family park where both kids and adults get equal opportunity to be fit while having fun.  Going to the park every afternoon is indeed a family affair that promotes a healthy active lifestyle.

It's my first time to bake.  Actually, I really wanted to learn how to make irresistible desserts ever since but whenever I watch youtube on how these sensational cakes and cupcakes are being made, I just cannot imagine how so much sugar and butter are being put into the recipe.  No wonder desserts are sometimes described as "devilishly" or "sinfully" delicious treats because you really have to forgive yourself for consuming too much sugar and calories.

When I was younger, I never really prioritized nutrition.  I would always choose what's more delicious and what's going to make me enjoy and satisfy my cravings.  But after getting married and having thought of me and my husband's five years age gap plus having kids, I just suddenly changed into a more mature or should I say, a "kill joy" wife who would almost always choose the healthier option when it comes to food.  So don't get surprised once you see our kitchen and find most grocery items labeled as non-fat, no cholesterol, or light/er.  That's me!  So imagine how much hesitation it took me before I finally decided to bake.  I just told myself, "Alright, learning how to bake doesn't mean I'm going to do it everyday.  I'm gonna give this thing a try."  Of course, the healthy geek in me still made a compromise to make my baked creation a little less sinful by using olive oil instead of canola and by excluding the frosting/icing of my cupcake topping.  Yeah, I know.  A cupcake without frosting is boring.  I am boring.  I admit!  Maybe next time, I can consider adding a frosting to my cupcake but for now, allow me to just learn first how to make a moist cupcake.

If you want to ask how my first baking experience went, well, I must say that it was a success (although I got a little burn injury during the process)!  Everyone in the house loved my cupcakes, especially my little Rafa.  My husband didn't like how it tasted at first but after chilling it in the ref overnight, he said that the cupcakes improved and tasted way better than when it just came out fresh from the oven. 

Since my first attempt in baking had been successful, I will be sharing with you the recipe that I used to make my yummy cupcakes!  If you want to get the recipe for the frosting of this moist chocolate cupcake, you may visit this website.  Happy baking!  

1/2 cup Chelsea White Sugar

1/2 cup Chelsea Soft Brown Sugar

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp plain flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup of milk

1/4 cup of Simply Pure Canola Oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional 

Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, oil and vanilla then beat with a mixer until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl then add the boiling water and mix until just combined (the batter will be runny). Pour the batter into a measuring cup and pour evenly into each paper case until ¾ filled (don’t over fill or the mixture will overflow).

Place into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Today, I will be sharing with you my Chicken Parmigiana recipe.  Wow!  This is the very first time I will be writing a blogpost about a dish I prepared.  Honestly, I've always wanted to do this ever since but my kitchen skills are just horrible.  I can even remember the time when I was still in high school and I tried to cook "palabok" which became a total epic fail because even our dog didn't care to eat it.  I don't want to elaborate further but the bottom line is, it was a disaster!  I was disappointed.  I felt embarrassed.  And I never tried cooking again since then.

I'm also scared of using knives (because of my unpleasant experience of having cuts) that's why chopping, mincing, dicing, or anything that has something to do with knives will take me forever to have it done.  I cannot tell when a meat is cooked, half cooked or if it still needs more time on the stove.  So whenever I cook, I just make it sure to get it well done (maybe a little bit over cooked but not to the point of tasting burnt).  And I have terrible tastebuds that cannot discern which spices or seasoning should be used to adjust the taste of my dish.  I am one clueless woman when it comes to cooking and the kitchen is my least favorite part of the house to stay in. 

I know exactly what's running on your mind right now:  "ang malas naman ng napangasawa nito."  I cannot agree more.  While I may have been the luckiest woman on earth for marrying my husband, I think it must have been unfortunate for him to have me as his wife.  And it hurts.  Truth hurts.  Cooking is one of my biggest frustrations in life.  I cannot even think how my husband can be so patient and understanding of my terrible cooking skills.  He must really love me that much!  And I wanted to be the woman who deserves that love that's why I am doing my best to learn how to cook.  So last friday, I asked for the Heavenly Father's divine intervention that I may not screw up with my dish and include this in my long list of failed kitchen attempts.  And my prayer was answered!  My dearest husband loved my first-ever Chicken Parmigiana and I was sooo happy I couldn't help smiling from ear to ear.  So I am going to gladly share with you below the recipe I used for this dish.

If there's one thing I realized about my terrible kitchen experiences in the past, perhaps it would be that cooking is a lot like love.  No matter how bad the food you cooked tasted, how embarrassed you felt, and how awful the experience was which made you swear you're never going to do it again, a day will come when someone special is going to inspire you to become a better version of yourself and will give you the courage to try it once more.  And seeing that person happy because he knew you have done a great job in something you're too scared to do, will make you tell yourself that he is definitely worth the try.

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

3 cups full cream milk

3 tbsp vinegar

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

salt and ground black pepper

Bread crumbs

Mozerella cheese

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 medium sized eggs

1/2 cup olive oil

500gm Tomato Sauce Guisado

10 ounces mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp basil

1 -  Split chicken breasts in half horizontally, place inside a plastic zipper-lock bag and pound with a meat pounder or the bottom of a skillet to an even 1/4-inch thickness. 

2 -  Prepare buttermilk mixture:  Add 3 cups full cream milk into a bowl with 3 tbsp vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes inside the refrigerator; do not mix.  After 5 mins, remove bowl from the ref and mix.  Add minced garlic and season with 1/2 tbsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper.  Put chicken into the bowl of buttermilk mixture making sure all chicken are well coated and refrigerate overnight.

3 -  The next day, combine breadcrumbs, mozzarella cheese, and ground black pepper into a large shallow bowl.

4 -  Place flour in a second shallow bowl.  Whisk eggs in a third bowl.

5 - Working one piece at a time, remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and add to flour. Turn to coat, shake off excess, and add to egg mixture. Turn to coat, letting excess drip off, and add to breadcrumb mixture. Turn to coat, piling crumbs on top and pressing down firmly so a thick layer adheres. Transfer coated chicken to the wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

6 -  Preheat oven to 200°C.  Place sauce in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until barely simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.

7 -  Heat oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Working in batches, carefully add chicken by lowering the cutlets away from you into the oil. 

8 -  Cook until chicken is golden-brown and crisp on both sides. Transfer chicken to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and repeat with remaining chicken.

9 -  Spoon 1/3 of sauce onto the bottom of an oven-safe serving dish. Shingle chicken pieces on top of sauce. Top with more sauce, forming a line down the center and add mozzarella cheese.

10 -  Transfer to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes, top with chopped herbs, and serve immediately.

The Dambana ng Kagitingan was not really included in our itinerary when we had our vacation in the Philippines last year.  However, while we were on our way to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, this huge white cross standing proud on the summit of Mount Samat really caught our attention.  We were still too early then to check-in in Las Casas so we decided to drive all the way up the top of Mount Samat to discover what such gigantic cross is doing there.

The journey to reach the white cross had been scary for me.  Maybe because I have this fear of heights.  The zigzag road to the top and the constant need to step on the accelerator for gas made my heart beat hard and fast and I was like praying all those times for us to be able to get through this adventure alive.  This cross must really be effective on of making people closer to God because it will definitely leave you praying for your safety.

After a few minutes, which for me seemed like forever, we finally reached the top and discovered that it was actually a historical shrine dedicated to the brave soldiers who fought for freedom and died in the battle of Bataan during the World Ward II.  The shrine was built from 1966 to 1970 and was commissioned by the former president Ferdinand Marcos.  By the way, we paid Php 20.00 each as an entrance fee to the shrine and Php 30.00 for the parking.

The historical shrine consists primarily of a colonnade and a huge white memorial cross.  The Colonnade is made of marble where you can find several bronze chandelier hanging on its ceiling, an altar, and a stained glass mural on the background.  The shrine complex also has a war museum where you can find a collection of several paintings and military weapons and equipments used during the second World War.  However, photography is strictly prohibited inside the museum so I don't have a photo to share.

On the other hand, the Memorial Cross is a concrete structure standing 92 meters in height with a viewing gallery (on the arms of the cross) where you can see a great view of Bataan, Corregidor and Manila.  You would need to take a lift (Php 10.00 fee) which was too small and too narrow it would make you feel like you're inside a can of sardines.  Riding that elevator made me realize for the first time that I'm a little claustrophobic too.  I was having a bit of hard time breathing and I found myself praying again for our safety.  You might think I'm going crazy but really, that lift looks too old or should I say "ancient" it seems like it can malfunction anytime.  Thank goodness we were able to get out of that lift alive!  I survived!  Lol.

Looking at the base of the cross, you would find several sculptures showing several historical events and significant battles made by no less than the National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva.

Overall, our journey to discover the Dambana ng Kagitingan scared the hell out of me.  This place is perfectly beautiful, peaceful, and serene but definitely not recommended for acrophobic and claustrophobic people like me.  If you're neither afraid of heights nor afraid of closed spaces, you would perhaps enjoy this place and find the view on top of Mount Samat priceless!

Here's another long overdue post of our family's overnight stay in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar last November 2014.  That was five months ago already, I know.  I was actually planning not blog about it anymore but I realized that our family only gets the chance to enjoy a vacation like this once a year, so I cannot afford to miss a blogpost of such precious memories with my loved ones.

We have never really known or heard of Las Casas Filipinas before until my husband came across their promo offer in Deal Grocer.  Their super "sulit" overnight stay for 6 including breakfast which costs Php 6,000 was perhaps the greatest deal we had ever found online!  So without thinking twice, we bought the voucher and braved the long drive to Bataan.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a heritage park owned by Architect Jose Acuzar of the San Jose Builders, who bought several old houses from different parts of the Philippines and transported it to his property in Bagac, Bataan (which is approximately 3 hrs away from Manila) to make a Spanish colonial inspired village.  This place is really perfect for kids' educational tour/ field trip and for people who have great love for history and culture, like my dearest husband.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with a smile by the front desk officers wearing the traditional "baro't saya".  We actually came here at about 10am which was too early for check-in but they assisted us anyway and allowed us to get into our room to have some rest.  We were also given a map of the vicinity and several coupons for claiming our welcome drinks and breakfast for the next morning.

We stayed at Paseo Escolta's Executive Suite which is basically a two story house with a loft type bedroom on the second floor and a living and dining area on the ground level.  It also has two bathrooms, one of which is big enough to have a tub where you can soak yourself and enjoy a relaxing bubble bath after a day's tiring tour.  This accommodation is really spacious for 6 persons at a rate of Php 1,000/head.  Now that's what you call value for money!

By afternoon, we joined a guided walking tour around the village where we learned about the untold stories and history of each heritage house.  We also got the chance to enter some famous houses which will surely make you appreciate the beauty of vintage architecture and design.  By the way, please take note that you will be required to remove your foot wear before entering the house so better wear something that's easy to slip on/off.

Among the 27 heritage houses, the most popular and most expensive place to stay-in is the Casa Bizantina with a rate of Php 150,000/night.  It is a three storey building with 7 huge bedrooms complete with butler service and Hermes toiletries.  So that explains their 6-digit accommodation rate.  I hope someday we'll get the chance to experience how it feels to be a VIP in Casa Bizantina.  I better start playing the lottery to get that chance!

The walking tour lasted for approximately one hour which left us all tired and hungry so we decided to have dinner at La Bella Teodora before calling it a day.  La Bella Teodora is an Italian Restaurant located in Casa Biñan which was originally owned by Teodora Alonzo's family.  The food was perfectly good but a little bit pricey.  It's actually fine to pay a little bit more for as long as you get your money's worth.  And that's basically what's good with La Bella, you not only get to enjoy their authentic Italian cuisine but their beautiful music and awesome customer service as well.  Satisfaction guaranteed!

The next morning, we had our breakfast at Cafe Marivent in Casa Unisan.  While La Bella Teodora offers authentic Italian cuisine, Cafe Marivent offers traditional Filipino and Spanish cuisines.  However, their breakfast menu has only two options, it's either longganisa or daing na bangus with sinangag, scrambled egg, watermelon, and orange juice.  The food tastes good but I find their serving amount a little bit small (or maybe it's just my appetite as a breastfeeding mom a.k.a. "kain kargador").

Aside from the beautiful architecture of the heritage houses and buildings (which I'm pretty sure you would never fail to appreciate), the clear blue skies, the crystal clear waters of their "batis" inspired swimming pool, and the cool breeze of the wind that blows as you walk along the beach make this place a perfect place for rest and relaxation.

There are still a lot of ongoing construction in the area - including this church.  I bet this heritage resort will really make a great destination wedding!  I can just imagine a Filipiniana themed wedding for such picture perfect place.  Oh, Las Casas Filipinas!  You are making me feel like wanting to get married again!

This heritage village is really amazing, you would feel like you have traveled back in the old Spanish times.  My husband was so in love with Las Casas to the point that he told me he wanted to retire in this place.  I'm sure this is not going to be our first and last time in Las Casas Filipinas!  Try to pay them a visit too and experience a no ordinary out-of-town getaway.  Believe me, the long drive to Bagac, Bataan will be worth it.

Manila Address: Mezzanine Floor Victoria Towers Timog Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

Phone No.  +63 2 332 5338 / +63 2 332 5286

E-mail:  reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com

Website:  http://lascasasfilipinas.com

I'm back!  It's been quite sometime since I last posted anything on this blog.  I've been very busy lately with my new found love, PSE.  Maybe I'm getting old (or should I say mature because the word "old" sounds a little bit harsh), I'm starting to become more aware of our finances and I'm trying my best to help my husband grow his hard earned money through investing.  Anyway, I'm not going to talk about investments on this post, instead I will be sharing with you a long overdue post of our family getaway at Villa Escudero.

Villa Escudero is a coconut plantation located in San Pablo City, Laguna which is just about two hours drive away from Manila.  It was actually my second time to visit this place, the first time was a day tour in 2011 when my husband and I were still in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.  For those who didn't know, I was raised by conservative and traditional parents who would never allow me (and my siblings) to go on an overnight out-of-town trip unless it is a mandatory school-related activity.  So technically, it's my first time to experience an overnight stay in Villa Escudero.

Upon arrival, we headed to their reception area for check-in where we were warmly welcomed by their staffs wearing baro't saya and handed us a gulaman as a welcome drink.  By the way, please be informed that you need to make an advance reservation if you intend to stay overnight in the resort because their units are often fully booked.  In addition, bringing in of outside food and drinks are not allowed. So don't bother because they'll only end up getting confiscated at the entrance gate.

Just a few meters away from the reception area is the AERA Memorial Museum which is usually mistaken as an old church (because it actually looks like one).  This houses the colonial and religious art collections of the late Arsenio and Rosario Escudero.  Photography inside the museum is strictly prohibited that's why this is the only photo that I can share with you.  Let's leave the inside of the museum as a little mystery that's up for you to find out.

After checking-in, we went to the pick up area where carabao drawn carts await the guests to be taken to the activity/accommodation area.  This one is really unique, perhaps the only resort in the Philippines (I'm not quite sure of that) which has this kind of transportation for their guests.  You will definitely enjoy the ride especially with the music being played by their staff on guitar and the melodious voice of their singer singing Tagalog Folk songs like "Paru-parong Bukid".  It really feels good to experience a country-like life every once in a while!

For our accommodation, we chose the river unit which can accommodate up to a maximum of 12 persons.  It has a kitchen, dining, and a living area which is overlooking the river.  This room is spacious and the view of the river made the place even more peaceful and relaxing especially during sunset/sunrise.  The only problem I can see here is the non-availability of an air conditioning unit.  In our case, it's fine since we stayed here last November when the weather in the Philippines is pretty much cooler.  However, I cannot imagine if this accommodation would be comfortable enough for the guests during the summer season (better get their Executive/ Gumamela suites or the Katakataka unit which is fully air conditioned).  Another thing also, for those people who are staying overnight, please be advised that basic toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion) which are usually complimentary in hotels/resorts are not available here so bring your own.

After resting for quite a while, we headed to their famous "Waterfalls Restaurant" to have our lunch.  Cool isn't it?  Literally speaking, you will definitely feel cool and refreshed eating your lunch in this place because you will have your feet soaked (so better get there on a foot wear that's easy to slip on/off) in crystal clear running waters of the so called man-made waterfalls.  Since the theme of the resort is Philippine country life, expect nothing less than a feast of your favorite Filipino dishes served on a buffet table made of bamboo.  See, this is what made this place so popular, not only among the locals but the tourists as well.  That is why it is no longer surprising to see this part of the resort jam packed during lunch time.  Whoever it is who have thought about this idea of using this spillway of the Labasin Lake dam to be a waterfalls restaurant is a genius!  It's really a one-of-a-kind dining experience you wouldn't dare to miss.  However, I would not advice this place if you've got a company who'll have a hard time taking the stairs because obviously, this place isn't accessible for PWD.

If you are planning to visit this place, I would strongly suggest you do it on a weekend because of their Philippine Experience Show.  It is a production number of the resort's staffs, accompanied by musicians playing rondalla, showcasing our country's rich culture through a series of dance numbers lasting approximately 1 hour.  This show is no mediocre intermission number but a world class performance created by the National Artist for dance, Ramon Obusan of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.  Villa Escudero's staffs are not just courteous and cheerful people, they're equally talented individuals as well!

You can also find the Chapel of the Ascension within the resort's vicinity.  It is a beautiful, spacious, and air-conditioned chapel perfect for intimate wedding celebrations.  Actually, I was thinking of having our wedding held on this chapel the first time we visited Villa Escudero.  However, we thought that having a destination wedding will pose a lot of hassle and more expenses on the part of our guests so we just decided to let this one go.

Our overnight stay in Villa Escudero was really worth every penny.  Spending Php 2,780/head which would cover your accommodation, full board meals (which by the way is a festive buffet), and many other activities that you and your family/ friends can enjoy (rafting, fishing, bird watching, biking, basketball, tennis, billiards, ping pong, swimming and videoke) is really super "sulit".

San Pablo City, Philippines

Telephone Nos. (632) 521-0830 / (632) 523-0392 / (632) 523-2944

Fax Number:  (632) 521-869

E-mail: info@villaescudero.com

Website:  http://www.villaescudero.com/index.php

I have not been actively updating my blog.  I know.  The past few months had been the busiest because of our recent vacation in the Philippines.  Our out-of-town trips here and there, the consecutive family celebrations (Rafa's Christening, Papa's birthday, Rafa's first birthday, Mama's birthday), several shopping spree for Christmas gifts and pasalubongs, a few Christmas parties we need to attend, the heavy traffic brought about by the holidays which we had to brave, and the very slow internet connection way back home all made my love for blogging a little bit more challenging.  Honestly, I missed writing. I have a lot of topics on my list that I am wishing to share with you, including our overnight stay in Las Casas Filipinas and Villa Escudero.  However, I'm not going to talk about them in this post.  Why?  Because today, I'm going to tell you about my new found love and the main reason of my backlogs in this blog - PSE!

Yes, you read it right!  Finally, after several years of my husband trying to convince me learn the stock market, I've decided to give it a try.  So instead of writing for this blog on my free time, which by the way happens only when Rafa's asleep, I'm busy doing my homework of understanding the stock market chart. I know, it looks really intimidating with all the graphs, lines, numbers, and several technical terms that we, ordinary people, cannot even understand.  I was hesitant at first too.  But I was very grateful that my husband has never grew tired of convincing me to try.  

He was the one who taught me how to be a financially literate person.  He has made me realize that saving money isn't enough.  I should learn how to invest too.  So starting this year, I will do my best to be a good investor.  Gone are the days of my shopping spree.  Come and join me shop for stocks and together, let's make money!