I have been busy at work and literally has no time for blogging (let alone cooking) --but work or no work, rain or snow...there's no excuse NOT to celebrate the birthday of our youngest (or should I say oldest? ---He's already two years old !24 in human years --old enough to be drinking beer I guess)
Along with our party frog and birthday hats...
....endless appetizer for the birthday boy ....
...and ice cream cake for the party people!
Table is ready - - now here's the birthday pose!
January as expected is a busy work month --my calendars are full and just when I thought one task is over, another business trip comes along (plus..I was sick the other day). The temperature finally settled back to the 60s but yesterday's rain was brutal as I have planned a full day activities with the girls and we ended up lounging in our jammies. Oh well..clean the closet it is!
The girls were being a good sport as they rummaged through their closets trying to fill up my TOSS, GIVE and DONATE pile --took us almost 3 hours! So, for a hard day's work, we dismissed the heavy rain and traffic jam in front of us as we celebrated sushi and sashimi platters at a restaurant called RAIN (very timely) !
We started first with an edamame plate (steamed soy pods with kosher salt) and fried calamari tossed with pineapple and red bell pepper with pineapple dipping sauce (..it was gone before I took a picture) and headed straight to the 30 pcs of sashimi!
...we were so hungry ---so we added 2 orders of Tuna sashimi and Shrimp tempura (which only lasted 10 seconds) --and were still contemplating on ordering more...when we decided..we need to save room for ice cream (Rocky Road and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough) while we watch our latest DVD - FAME!
So tired tonight...hopefully next week is a lighter week for me!
500 calories is definitely not a good way to embrace a Sunday morning but I need the extra caffeine burst to jumpstart my day today! Why do I wake up at 6:30 am on a weekend???
There's nothing planned but our usual errands to get the Sunday newspaper so I figured that it's best to use this hour as bonding time with my youngest teen....
...who's yelling at me for tempting her to this apple fritter ! No worries..you can jog off those nasty calories later...
Anyway, I am planning to bring bento lunches back to life this week to help me avoid buying baked potatoes served in our break room . Veggie roll is a basic asian dish that can be served fresh or fried. There's no strict guidelines to follow, just toss veggies together and season with salt, pepper and chicken seasoning. I like it crunchy and dipped in vinegar - - yum!
Since I am on a roll here in my kitchen -- I baked an eggplant, coated them with egg and fried on both sides for 2 minutes as another side dish too. Finally, I have my lunch fixes ready -- all I need tomorrow is roll up my salmon sushi! yum!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 onion diced
1 packet bean sprouts
1 cup cabbage
1/4 cup diced carrots
salt, pepper
1 tsp beef or chicken seasoning
1 packet Nasoya egg roll wrapper
HERE'S HOW:
- Saute onion and carrots in oil for 2-3 minutes
- Add bean sprouts and cabbage
- Dash with salt, pepper and seasonings
- Cook until tender. Set aside
- Lay out egg roll wrapper in flat surface
- Spoon veggie mixture and fold
- Fry until golden brown on both sides
4pm CT ..that means 8 hours more to go before 12 midnight ! Wow..what shall we do? We are still setting up the table and as you can see, we followed the Filipino tradition of placing seven different varieties of round fruits at the dinner table (for good luck)...
Definitely, how can we get away without our themed hats .....
....Still trying to decide ..if I'll wear the headband....
....or the gangster hat.... ...or the wizard look.....
It's 8 hours before midnight....so...stay tuned!
Since we moved here in the US, we don't get to celebrate the noche buena feast and the traditional opening gifts when the clock strikes at midnight - - -so girls are looking forward to waking up early (yes..at 4 am, i heard) so they can rummage through the mystery boxes!
Is there a difference when the girls were 5 years old versus the teens in front of me eagerly waiting for their names to be called??? Hmmmm...
I wish my dad can see them now --for sure, if he is alive, he' ll be spoiling all the "G grand kids" -Arbie, Anna, Michele, G1, G2, G3, Jenny, Joan, Gabbie, Ryan and Gerard...
Oh well..to my family across the miles ..... Merry Christmas (Thanks to my brother Jojo, for the generous 7 lb ham last night! Yeah! )
To my nephews and nieces - -----your fave aunt is not a millionaire yet (in dollars) ...but I'll save and buy more stocks next year --so you guys can enjoy the elite life when I retire in Manila !!!!
It's only the 24th and we can't open gifts yet! W - H- A- T ??? C'mon....Is it 12 midnight yet? So what do you do while waiting for Santa to drop in the big bucks........Christmas Bingo Night!!!
Staying IN the night before Christmas can be fun (and economical too) as we had the opportunity to taunt each other for two long hours (Diet rootbeer with endless snacks for all!)
Clad in our jammies, at $75 budget for game night (10 minor games and one jackpot round) - -time flew fast so quickly!
Budget:
- Game: $17
- Gift Cards: $20
- Minor Prize: $30++ (Popcorn, Caramel Candies, Chocolates, Pringles, Cat Accessories etc)
Can't wait for the next bingo night ...
To Benj/Boyet and Mom:
A few days before Christmas and I still haven't decided what to ask Santa! I've been blessed with a great family and lately all I want is just peace of mind plus the comforting thought that you guys are in good health ......
We were planning to send you a big box this Christmas but I don't want you to be stuck with endless crap you don't really need. So - -please call Jenny and so you can start shopping for those goodies that I want to send -- but have no time (and less budget) to spare.
I was in North Carolina for 2 days and just literally stepping back to my office (with coffee in my right hand and laptop on the other) when a high school friend of mine called - I love you Pia! So great to hear your voice.Suddenly, warm memories of an old high school buddy kept me in an upbeat spirit in this gloomy rainy day... Yes!
The last time I was in Raleigh was more than 8 years ago so I was really looking forward to seeing this cozy town famous for its colleges. I'm ready to launch our 2010 strategies so I felt its worth testing my new program in the field to see if I am on track.
Our hotel is only 15 minutes form the airport but who knows where we'll end up later - -
I wanted to post our sea food dinner and creme brulee adventures but my blackberry won't synch and our IT guy forgot that I placed a service ticket ..Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait
Our first stop was the University of North Carolina Hospital - - I was so impressed with the structure as my team guided me and pointing at endless building that housed the doctors in trainings - -Wow ! For my friends back home...It's like 10x the size of Makati Medical Center and St Luke's combined
Okay, some photo break with the team as I wait for our appointment
Next stop is Duke University ---and again, it's never ending buildings and cluster of dorm and frat houses! Wow! -I want to be in college again...and why did I wear my 4 inch heels on this trip?
By the time we hit the airport...my feet was killing me! I was so tired and hungry that I ate a full order of CPK vegetarian pizza in less than 10 minutes - -Beat that!
What can I say -- I love North Carolina and I think I'll be back here ...
I am a bad driver to begin with , but forget about me, but the thought of.... not one, not two but three teens who will be driving on their own gets me nervous!
Oh no...more expenses! The joy of having teens -- expenses associated to driving . I am not going to start on the part where the mom is worried about safety as I will take more than 10 pages in this blog
We have the twins who will officially start driving their own car and another one who is dreaming of a pink car that is also starting to learn her gears - -Oh my!
I had my own car at 21 --brand new and provided by the company I worked for - -so I really don't have any issues about maintenance, gas and best of all insurance.
I need to write a note in my diary that I need to tighten up the budget even more as I need to allocate a portion of my salary to pay for their modest car plus insurance in the next month....Breathe...breathe...hhhaaaayy--all good!
Gourmet Burger for the birthday boy! Not sure how it started, but every year - it's a must to have a Red Robbin burger for the birthday celebrant in this family. Of course, year after year we take turns being embarrassed by the singing Chicken - - but with the free dessert that goes with it ..bring it on...
No big party today - -just a pact from everyone at the table that we are not counting our calories and we'll pig out with juicy burgers and save extra room for chocolate and vanilla milkshakes for desserts ...
For the birthday boy - -Monster Burger that consists of two huge beef patties, melted American cheese, fresh ripe tomatoes, crisp lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo and pickle relish. For the teens -their usual Gourmet Cheeseburger with the fresh fried egg as topping together with smoked bacon, American cheese( one teen has no mayo and the other one totally took out the lettuce, tomatoes and mayo)
For me, I tried their new Chicken Caprese sandwich - - grilled chicken topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, lettuce an tomatoes. Hmmm...not what I expected - - I was hoping that the chicken will be the main event but it tasted too bland and dry for me..they should have added a basil on top! But who cares....bottomless french fries and a happy daddy is all that matters....
Minimizing cost associated to "eating out" is definitely a top in my saving tactics. We used go out and eat at restaurants at least twice a week and we don't really mind the expense at all. However,when we sum up the total at the end of the month, we are burning almost $300-$400 per month.
It's been awhile since we entered Bob Evans but today, we are taking a break from our daily coffee/ cereal routine and filling ourselves with calorie loaded breakfast plates at one of the local breakfast place...(at $5.99/plate too? cool).
As always, it's so hard to make a decision when you are faced with 7 pages of breakfast items that seems to look different in pictures but when you read through the fine lines...they just flip flop the veggies, cheese or ham combination and brand the product to make it totally unique (plus $2 more)
One thing that caught one daughter's eye is this Cinnamon Pancakes loaded with cinnamon chips filling and generously drizzled with a cream sauce. Yikes..I wonder how many calories does this stack has ....
After looking at the elaborate menu..I decided I better stick to a simple plate. This is exactly why I love preparing my own food...I always prefer simplicity more than elaborate presentation ...so I am sticking to the traditional coffee...and classic breakfast offering of bacon and eggs (over hard please)
While we were taking pictures, teens observed and made a comment on why a lot of people continue to dine out even when the economy has slowed down when this is the perfect opportunity where one needs to tighten their belts to save more. Wow, so happy that the girls are realizing the value of money through our ways..
I wonder what they are having for breakfast - -- so hard to choose actually
More coffee for me and as we are passing out our plates across the table --attempting to try four plates ...We must have a loud table as the manager decided to join in our picture fun - -
At the end of the meal...I only paid $28 for the 4 of us??? Really?? Wow --I don't mind eating out if the bill will turn out to be as low like this. We had so much fun and we'll be coming back for sure...
When you think about it, we can practically get the news daily online (even in real time). We have not subscribed to any daily newspaper for almost three years now. The good thing: We don't worry about cost associated to yearly subscription, but more importantly - -no clutter in our garage!
I am not familiar with the cost of subscription now -- but that's something to take into consideration when you want to find additional ways to save money - -Just read online news - -and watch O'reilly nightly.
We saved money right? But now, I am desperate to get one where USA Weekend has their inserts in the big stash as one of my blog will be placed today (SAVE $1500 BY PLANNING A STAYCATION). I received an email 2 weeks ago from a verifier (that's her title she said) and all I know is that (a) it will be included in August 16 and (b) no confirmation if it's the whole entry or just a paragraph . After that -- no response from my email if I can have a copy sent to me. You see - -I am a nobody who wants to enjoy this 15 minutes of fame(at least in my mind) - - I wonder if they placed a link to this blog?
I've checked and our local newspaper doesn't have the USA Weekend portion - -HELP ANYONE?
Send me a note if you've seen it?
I have an important business meeting this week and I need a power suit. I was browsing through my closet, I can't remember when the last time I bought a new suit. It must have been more than 8 months now..I can't remember. I was starting to feel depression taking over when I saw the performance of my stock portfolio +20.07% Awesome! I was busy at my other blog (DINING WITH BATALI)that I forgot my habit of tracking my investments. I wonder how Roth and 401 is doing..I'll check later.
Okay I don't need a new suit after all - - The thing is: Despite having no cash to splurge today - -the idea of having money with a "CAPITAL M" tomorrow makes me giddy with excitement. For my new friends who just tuned in - -I used to waste my money on shopping. Yes -- you need to see my closet! But after some long talk, advise (and threats - hehehe) from hubby - - I committed myself to saving and investing for our retirement. Nowadays, I will go to the mall and still indulge - -but instead of getting crazy on debit cards, I use my PLAY MONEY (monthly salary leftover after bills/investment).
Now, seeing that the market is going uphill again...I need to invest more!
So off to the mall we go to search for eyeglasses on sale! The best deal this week is at Sears (50% discount of frames and 40% discount on lenses) - $550 for all three - -not bad.
I track my expenses to keep me focused in my saving goal and this type of expense will be recorded in my CASH FLOW TRACKER (Download CASH FLOW TRACKER by adobolife). We keep all receipts in one file to have a comparative analysis year over year on items like medical, dental and even school related expense. This tracker will not reduce expenses but at least I can monitor timing of when I should make my next big purchase. For the eyeglasses - -the last purchase we made was 2 years ago - - so okay - -no more argument girls - -new glasses and it is (make sure you get those trendy looking okay?)
LONG DAY! I took a day off with a plan to take the girls to the Museum! My luck, nobody wants to go (with side comments that they have seen it before), so instead..we went to DMV to change the error on G3's student license (wrong address) - - and of course, after 30 minutes driving - -DMV is closed!
Lunch anyone? - - Hmm..negative as they are on a diet! No biggie...let's go watch a movie then - - but again, no good movie!
Fine - -let's watch WIVES AND DAUGHTERS (G2 is into classic films) - -so after 5 hours of eye popping scenes (which reminds me of Pride and Prejudice). .I am ready to go back to endless conference calls tomorrow!
Hmm..nothing to do...so I went to the computer room and checked on facebook and some blog sites on organizing tactics where people share before and after pics! The topic is focused on car organizing, so I grabbed some cleaning materials and headed out to the car - - why not...this could be fun!
But then - - there's really nothing to clean and organize as the car is squeaky clean inside (except for the floor mat). Okay, this doesn't seem right...I need to do something!
Thanks to a dear web buddy COMMON SENSE WITH MONEY (shhhh...she doesn't know me personally) but her recent post to her website is so great!
If you are already in the habit of budgeting and planning cost saving meals --here's an exciting way to motivate you even more!
Click to COMMON SENSE WITH MONEY (she has cool articles and daily updates on coupons!) OR ALL YOU MAGAZINE
I signed up so , why not ..let's join the fun!
It's our yearly "Night Before Easter "egg decorating contest! Building memories for the girls is our priority! This is the reason why we celebrate important events in this house (even random day like Mozart's birthday).
Nothing extravagant - -basic easter kits, cupcakes, easter goodies and giggling teens made this activity special!
I have never been in this state and I can't wait to add the experience in my memory box!
I am fortunate to have a job with opportunities to travel....and this month - -It's Newport, Rhode Isalnd! I am adding travel stories to this blog as I want to give some insights based on my business trips and hopefully, you'll pick up one or two things that you may want to check out should you visit a place I visited in your future vacation!
So, here I was at the airport, an early riser juggling a grande mocha on one hand, a blackberry in the other, multi-tasking between gulps and email messages from the night before, waiting for boarding call as early as 6:30 am.
Is it the thought that one day I will get lucky? Or is it the idea that someone somewhere will realize I have done something good when I was a kid and I deserve some freebie today ? Or ... is it the idea that if it happened to Pedro ..it can happen to Juan , and I want to be that Juan!
Whatever it is -- right or wrong , it's the thought that I want to be that lucky person! The one out of 25,000,000 where Oprah will proclaim - -yes -- "You are the One". I want to be that special soul at the right time and at the right place screaming - - I will quit my job now and be fat and lazy for the rest of my life!
So today, I bought a powerball ticket - -wishing and hoping that tomorrow I will wake up and and fly to Italy to purchase 20 Prada bags, 50 Ferragamo shoes; walk along my favorite Piaza Di Spagnia (Spanish Step shops) and purchase hundreds of Armani and Burberry suits on my way to my new villa at Montpellier, France before I head to Spain. Yes...a fat and lazy life for me!
The question is: If I have that money - - Will I be happy? or will I forever be afraid and cautious?
My goal is to have one million and not 25 million...and now that I think of it, since I didn't invest sweat and blood earning it....wow...I can lose that 25 million easily ... and fast too !
So knowing that I will wake up in the same bed, sipping my early morning coffee as I check www.tnlottery.com and grumbling why I wasted $4 today.( I should have gone in and out of Kroger )
Oh well, cheers to the winner....and guess what??? I will still be the skinny starbucks deprived workaholic wasting another $4 next week because I just love the thrill of wishing and hoping that I can also be that " lucky one"!
Throughout the week, I heard the ooohhss and the aaaahhhs from our staff on the "new gig down the block" ...Oh I see...... Dunkin Donuts! So what's the big deal anyway? We see this everywhere! We ate hundreds of this! Even China has one ! So I googled the local online news and learned that apparently this is the first of 17 locations that will be opened in Memphis! So with that knowledge , I finally grasp the ooooohhhss and the aaaaahhhs....
For me -- It's oooooolala! All those calories in the morning and the fresh brewed coffee that is cheaper than Starbucks PLUS accessible to my workplace ? -- WHY NOT?
10:16 am - YES ! 3 Double Chocolate, 3 Chocolate Glaze, 4 Glaze and 2
strawberry please! Oh...Add one box of 25 pcs munchkin too!
10:20 am - Thank you! Come again ! "OH YES! We will"
10: 25 am - Drive Fast G1 !
10:35 am - G1, G2, G3 --- Call Daddy ! Donuts in the house!
10:37 am - HUH? What just happened?
Here's what happened:
Three days of anticipation!
Two minutes satisfaction!
Hundreds of calories for my addiction!
Now I ask ask myself - - Is it worth the trip????? YOU BECHA!
THE PROOF:
Seal of approval from our guest "Lil' Cool J" (local TN teenager)
His second Dunkin Donuts experience!
I was raised by the nuns on lessons on etiquette and respect by numbers. Yet, why do I seem to attract angry people ?
I am fortunate to say that my work and home life is fabulous! No complains - -whew! It’s when I am in between the work and home exits that it feels like I am in the dark hole where all difficult people exist!
They come in so many packages and their disguises are good too!
Hmmm, just for today….angry teen raised her voice at a customer service guy, psycho 30ish guy in black BMW switching lanes at 60m/hr at a 45m/hr road with his good finger sign to white Ford truck, impatient yuppy with yellow tie nagging the receptionist at my optometrist clinic. Don’t’ they know that being angry will add wrinkle lines when they reach 40?
If I am the customer service or the receptionist in that situation, will the numbers by nuns rules apply? Let me see if I can recall my lessons….
Angry people are not aliens! They are normal people that just happen to have a terrible day! We need to understand that the frustration is not a personal attack on us or our character. It’s simply an angry person in a bad situation and I may just happen to be the person he is yelling at to release his bad energy at that moment.
So to my dear nuns from my old school (by the way, they are reading my articles now) , not sure if I was present when you were teaching this angry management session , but as one of your favorite alumni - -this is how I would handle the situation at this present time.
So to all angry people who will cross my path - - BRING IT ON!
If I am now on a first name basis with the breakroom cleaning staff, is this an indication that I have become a coffee junkie? Or am I just friendly?
Today, I placed a timer on my activities and have noted for the most part in my daily routine - - I do take six cups a day! Am I a slave to this coffee phenomenon (note that only the type of meetings change everyday) that Dr. D hubby bought me not one but two sets of Gevalia personal brewer system in the last 2 years (not to mention starbucks cards with matching thermal mugs).
February 18, 2009
Belinda Coffee Check
Morning:
Mid Morning:
Afternoon:
Evening:
NOW LET'S JUSTIFY MY MADNESS WITH GEEKY LINGO:
o Visit USDA nutrient database and you will find that 8 ounce cup of coffee or 1.00 X 1 cup (8 fl oz) or 237g brewed from grounds using tap water has ONLY TWO (Awesome!) calories. (Derived from tiny portion of protein and oils). Cool Beans huh!
o Check this article: Coffee: The New Health Food?http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food - If I may quote and unquote a paragraph - 'Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better." - YES...now they're talking!
IS IT ME OR AM I JUST BEING FRIENDLY? Going back to my side question.... I know that taking things in moderation is the best approach in life! I am Asian and by genetic default, I am at high risk of potentially having osteoporosis one day...so the more that I should consider reducing coffee consumption while increasing my daily dose of calcium.
GUESS WHAT: There is a small chance that I will be brainstorming with the breakroom cleaning lady on corporate strategies - -so why not take advantage on this special coffee stops to share a friendly hello and thank her for taking great care of the counters where they hostage the coffee cups and stirrers.... So Squeeky Clean!
To my girl pals in Manila! You ladies are so lucky! It’s not a question of if you have one…it’s a question of how many do you have? Or is it just the way it is?
PET ALERT: Our cat leaves paw prints on my hardwood floor and I am forever contemplating calling 9-whateverhousekeeper- line in the yellow book to address the paw evidence. Until I found out that it cost $20/hour - WHAT? That’s the price of one Clinique face powder!
MEMORY LANE:
One of the luxuries of living in Asia that I miss so much is having my own personal maid. Back then, I was enjoying the life of a make believe , Paris - wanna-be Hilton world where my clothes were forever color coded, shoes and bags arranged by occasion, cosmetics aligned immaculately like you were HHWW (holding hands while walking) at Macy’s, weekly hand and foot massage, PLUS having a personal operator that screens the house phone 24/7. All these benefits for the price of $150/ month! Yes..What a life…
DIFFERENT ADOBO WORLD:
Growing up , the only chore expected of me was to study. Once I started working, my work becomes my chore. So you can imagine how I struggled once I relocated in the US as I had no idea then on how to operate any household item like a standard washing machine or even how to turn on a dish washer.
Sad to say, I am embarrass to admit that I was useless during the first couple of months. I was so helpless I have to call hubby every time I need something. I think I burned the countertop in our oven too ..not sure (Really, it’s not cute at all)
JUST FOR KICKS:
Let's use my tiny excel formatted brain and compute the cost difference :
At 30 days X 15 hrs/ day = 450 hrs/ month x $20/hr = $900/mo. versus $150/mo. NO WAY! What do you do if you choose to keep your money in wallet in exchange for a moment of convenience? No questions ask! Tiger Woods will love this -JUST DO IT!
DIFFERENT ADOBO GIRL:
I missed the life…so you my friends , do enjoy those small luxuries as scrubbing bathroom walls, vacuuming the carpet and doing laundry is not even under the category “ household chore” in my radar but more like a “ therapeutic outlet” for me nowadays. Imagine the calories you will lose for scrubbing tiles? Don’t get me wrong…I am not always a happy camper but I find it very easy! In fact, I can’t imagine the thought of a stranger rummaging through my personal belongings and telling me how filthy I am - Yikes! The good news - Technology helps ! (now it makes me wonder why do we own an industrial professional steamer)- All good!
MY SIMPLE LIFE nowadays is not simple at all. I call it “The simple real world”. .. and I love it… We wake up, we work, we clean our dishes, wash our laundry, throw our trash, clean the toilets - -and I am happy to say ...ITS JUST THE WAY IT IS!
