The Simplest Pink Birthday Party

 My baby is now 8.  Last May 5, the girls planned a mini-party.   They have been wanting to swim and bask more in the sun, but due to the many things we need to consider, and one is budget, we had to set the idea aside for a while.   I'm just so blessed with kids who don't throw tantrums if their wants would not be met.  

One time the three cousins, Dana, Jaeda and Danica, were talking to each other about their dream birthday parties.  Danica will be 7 on September, she knows all our options and she liked each one of them.    Jaeda on the other hand had hers last April but still boasted of a future Hawaiian themed party in Boracay.   Whilst Dana said, I don't need to have a party.   I'm already 8 and mommy and daddy should not spend much because we need money for school.   I'll just ask her to buy me more books.   But the two were not satisfied, telling her to have a pink party with their Barbies and "stuffies".    I'm more of thinking like a tea party is what Danica tried to tell her.   

So on her day, I asked her what she would like to have on that day.   She didn't mention any.   But I know there is something in her mind but was kind enough not to ask it.   I don't know, we moms can tell what might be on their mind.   So I rushed off to the top floor, swept the fallen dried leaves on the floor, arranged the potted plants and thought of ways to decorate the whole area.   We bought pink colored papers, cut them and made pinwheels and cutesy paper cut-outs.

It was a party planned just in the nick of time.   For our princess to enjoy her birthday, with a life as a gift from God.  With all the pains she literally undergo everyday of her life and surviving each day is such a wonderful blessing to our family.  

So enjoy the pictures, they are what the girls might have envisioned it and eventually had,  without putting too much effort and money on it.

Pink and white gummy candies and strawberry flavored jelly beans on empty honey jars

Pink Soda, it's only Sprite with gel food color in Rosso (Gourdo's)

Fight heat with colored ice candies

What's a birthday party without the cakes.   Forgive me but my powers weren't enough to bake her cakes plus the party was just a spur of the moment, so we had to use necessary sources. 

Goldilocks Strawberry cream in 6"in round,  Sophie's Mom  famous Cupcakes

So we hurriedly went to Mega mall to check out cakes from Goldilocks and at that time Sophie's Mom's Bakeshop had their cupcakes on a 10 % discount.  We bought ice cream with three flavors, Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry from Selecta. 

You see all she wanted was to have even for a short time normal kids have as snacks, candies and more sweet treats, which however is not allowed for her to take even in moderation.   

No she didn't  consume a lot, and yes she tried everything in small and counted quantities.   And that for her was enjoyable enough.

 

 Wouldn't that be an amazing simple, very affordable  but fun intimate party?   Everyone in the family contributed something just to make this happen, and we are all contented we all did it.   The smile and the laughter on that day is more than enough to give them even more as they too share their joy and love.

 

And the Lord speaks His promises.   While they were playing, we all noticed the rainbow on the east side of the sky, which for me is a sign that healing is already at work and we just all need to have faith in Him and rely in His promises.   

2 Peter 1:4
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/the-promises-of-god-10-powerful-bible-verses-1/#ixzz1urjDjKSt

Shared on Pink Friday Meme

Casa San Luis Pastries: Un Superbe Gâteau

I have a confession, I adore extra-ordinary cakes and pastries!  Hhmm, if you're an avid reader of my site, you would probably say, "come on, that is so obvious!"
Well this time of year, in the mid of the first to the second quarter, cakes have been a necessary table-pleaser.   March has been the ultimate birthday month, where me, my daughter,  my sister-in-law and my best friend celebrate our natal day.   This actually is a concluding post to my last one, and it was still about an incomparable selection.
But now that it's May and today is the global celebration of Mother's Day, let me send my gift to all you moms reading and might have been drooling (sorry about that) over this post.
Okay, another confession, I should have been slimming down, to keep me staying young-looking (humility aside) because my kids have been noticing my tummy sagging and my belly bulges.   I want to keep my identity a bit mystifying.   You see people who would meet me for the first time would see me as a young unmarried professional, and when I tell them about me having four-kids, they get surprised,  mostly when I tell them about my eldest entering college this year.   "Say what, you have a son going to college, you must have married really young!"  With an exclamation point, to exaggerate on it, and of course I would get flattered.
Alright, confession day it is.   I've been getting this habit of searching for the top of the line and unparalleled sweet confection, not just the sheer joy of  moist cakes, but a plethora of dessert types.

 Now you have seen it, the best by far mousse cake I have tasted.   My kids never liked mousse cakes, even chocolate eggnogs or  soft pudding, but when they tasted this, it changed their lives.  I have been baking for a long time but never did I attempt to make this one.   If you like the mousse cake in Red Ribbon, which we all have grown  up with, you will most definitely love this!

During my last ordeal at a food fair and probably the grandest, I met one of the owner of Casa San Luis Pastries, Julien, a French man who married her business partner and the baker, Carmela.   I was so petrified with ll the goodies laid down on their table.    This hunk of a guy, so cunning enough to  invite me to try some of his wife's creation.    Since then I have been craving for the most sumptuous cake  have tried on Best Food Forward, just last March.   Thanks to Chef Anna of My Pink Wasabi for giving me complimentary tickets, btw.

As you can see, it's a triple-decker of chocolate heaven.  The bottom is lined with dark chocolate cake, which is dense but moist. Topped with a hefty layer of soft and silky smooth Belgian chocolate mousse cake.   Yes it didn't stop there as you can see, on it is a lovely layer of white chocolate mousse (which I never had since I've been trying out  different kids of mousse cakes), finally ending it with butter cream.     If you love Choco-nuts,  "tsoknut" or sugary peanut bar contending for a chocolate title, like my sister and my kids,  you will go head over heels on this.    A mystical sprinkle of what seemed to be gold salts can also be chanced upon looking closer.

I guess this would be enough reason for me to run a mile or so.   But I still do not mind myself carrying extra baggage with a slice of this. 
Casa San Luis carries a vast assortment of sinfully delighting sweets and quiche you wouldn't want to miss. 

Order from them by calling  0916 644 8522 or e-mail them at  casasanluispastries@gmail.com.

To see more of their sampled treats visit their Facebook page  www.facebook.com/casasanluispastries
.Do follow them on Twitter as well,  @CasaSanLuis

John Paul Lawrence Cabido: A Hero in His Own Self

 "Enriching sports development  beyond diversity, history will transcend..." (adapted from the Kalilangan GenSan festival's theme)

I was never into sports when I was a child.   Believe it or not, my sports when I was in elementary  was Patintero and Piko, if that would be considered sports.   Even when I became a parent,  I didn't put much emphasis on having my kids  pushed into seriously be a part of any sports.  Though I did enroll them in swimming lessons, I did not really give deeper thoughts on sending them to any sports events.  Though my eldest, Darren have the capability to be one- graduating as an MVP for Water Polo at their school's meet- I just let him be, without any pressure whether he would want to continue it in college or not.   Maybe I lack something as a parent, maybe he could be one of those participants I came to witness at the Lingayen Palarong Pambansa, maybe something could have motivated or unmotivated him not to be that determined.

Opening Ceremonies of the Palarong Pambansa 2012

The day began where all the traffic merges down to Narciso Ramos Grandstand, Lingayen.   As the best of the athletes stand for the country and against each other as they show off  their winning talents to this year's Palarong Pambansa.

Delegates fill up the stadium streaked in yellow, as everyone await for the opening activities and remarks from President Benigno Aquino, Jr..  

Here is a map of the whole Pangasinan region where the official events for the Palarong Pambansa will take course during the May 6 to 11 games. 

DepEd and Pangasinan To Open 2012 Palaro Today

 The Department of Education has completed the preparations for the 2012 Palarong Pambansa and is all set to kick off the national sporting event in Lingayen, Pangasinan today, May 6.

“We are confident to say that all necessary arrangements have been secured to make this year’s Palaro truly remarkable and successful,” DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said. The Secretary also promised a clean, green, and hi-tech Palaro this year.

MYP's Nutella Ferrero Chocolate Cake and More

Let me just  quote  Margaret Anderson, "Life for me has been exactly what I thought it would be, a cake, which I have eaten and had too."  

We would sometime say that life is a box of chocolate,  that you never know what you're gonna get (quote from the movie Forrest Gumpp),  where a person's life is likened to a box with chocolates of different flavors, but times had evolved, you can choose to have a box with the same flavors and you know what to get after.   
A cake maybe just a cake, eaten to sweeten a bitter day, or to highlight a special occasion.  For me it's a whole lot of emotions, perspective  and all, but for bakers, they are works of passion and of one's artistry.   For Chef Anna Marin Chua, of My Pink Wasabi, it's her ingenious way of making people special, a love from her oven.

Khop a Nosh as We Bid April Farewell

"Now the bright morning-star, Day’s harbinger,
Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire!
Woods and groves are of thy dressing;
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long."
-  John Milton, Song on a May Morning, 1660  

Spring has sprang in other parts of the world,  we however feel that summer's wave is still  abound, but the pleasures the month of May bring is seeming.  The blossoms in the garden, the fruits of summer trees and the endless beach tours fuel us, as we bid goodbye to April and embrace the coming of May.  

This however is my farewell post for the month of April.   I have collated April's best and yet to be discovered in foodie out-takings!  It kills me seeing this photos sitting, waiting on my files. 
Just consider this post as the first-timer's Food Porn series.

Here are some restaurants we had tried over the month, some kind of discovery for us, but had given us supreme delight.   I'm sure just by looking at this photos, I hope it could give you some part of it.

1.  Mister Kabab at BlueWave, Macapagal Highway, Pasay City

 (Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cuisine) 

Facade of the resto

Grub Chops  at Mister Kabab 

2.  Phat Wong

Grub Chops at Phat Wong

 

Indonesian Milk Tea

Sorry about not giving enough justice to these pictures...hope you don't rate me as a poor food blogger, I promise to share everything as according to had transpired in the dinners we had at this restaurants.   Will try to give a lot of info about them as well  but will do these in a few days.  
3.  Ryuma Japanese Restaurant, Sta.  Rosa, Laguna (our third visit)

Grub Chops at Ryuma

Food choices are endless and really authentic Japanese dishes to entice every senses.   Free fruit desserts and ice cream. 
3.  Buffalo's Wings n' Things, Quezon City

 Grub Chops from Buffalo's Wings n' Things

  

5.  Ramen Cool,  Kapitolyo, Pasig

A modern touch at Japanese interiors, but with the same traditional taste of Japanese Ramen.

 

6.  Yabu, SM Megamall

Serves one of the best Katsus in town!

Cute walls, looked liked enlarged pages of comic books.
Grub Chops  at Yabu

 

I hope I didn't give you the inkling  that I have been a bit  lazy writing about them.   Promise will do a review on each and hoping I could go back to each one and not just remember how it felt but indulge on them some more.