Favorite of the Week: Tian Seng Ube Hopia

I did not plan for the favorite of the week segment of my blog to be all about food but I just can't stop having new food favorites! The next post will be non food, I promise.

One pack of Tian Seng Ube hopia for 18.75 pesos

This week's spotlight goes to Tian Seng Ube Hopia! Since I moved work place, I now temporarily work in a non-office setting and that makes me hungry all the time because of the heat and constant moving. My sister bought snacks for the Chinese engineers who came here to install our machines and I find myself reaching for Ube Hopia almost everyday. I feel guilty for this because as I always say, I'm the Queen of binge eating so obviously, I can eat a whole pack of ube hopia in one sitting less than 10 minutes.

Finished a pack in lass than 10 minutes! Gluttony!

It's not the best tasting snack but I find myself craving for it every day and today, I promise that it's the last day I'll be eating ube hopia as my snack. I promise to stick to my diet and never deviate again or eat unhealthy food. No unnecessary snacking again!

Birthday Plans

If only I can celebrate my birthday the way I want it, I'll definitely plan something really simple. Not that I'm having something grand either. I just want a simple dinner with the people I love and a cake! A cookies and cream cake or just like what I almost always had the past years, mango bravo. Any cake will do but please be a yummy one.

 I remember when I was younger and I actually cried and begged for a cake for my birthday because they weren't getting any cake for me for the past 3 years. HAHA I think that was important for me because cakes are delicious and it's not something we have everyday. Cakes calls for celebration and a celebration as simple as that makes me happy.

I don't want a party for my birthday. Not that I don't want to share blessings, I just don't feel like it. Hmmm Why do I feel like I need to explain myself even if I don't? Oh well. In my mind, I'm planning a simple Chinese dinner with dimsum or Japanese dinner with sushi rolls and sashimi with the people who cares for me and ONLY those who cares for me and those who I care for. Ayaw ko ng saling kitkit. I'm dreaming of siomai, hakaw, lomaikai, steamed spareribs and noodles with soup not birthday noodles. Oh! crunchy tuna rolls and salmon sashimi too! I realize that I miss buffet dinners. Hihi I miss Spirals.

It's near 12 midnight and here I am daydreaming (or should I say nightdreaming? hihi) about food I want to eat. Actually I just want to eat and I'm just making my birthday as an excuse.

So much for planning! It's just my hungry self talking now.

Update to my last post: I decided to not go to Bora instead and just stay here for work. I just can't get myself to go and just leave all my work behind especially now that we are EXTREMELY busy for work. I don't think that I am the most important person in there but I feel like I should be there and leaving for Bora at a time like this is just so wrong. It feels like leaving a friend right when she needs you the most. Okay, I might sound a little OA especially if you don't understand but it's the right thing to do and I want to do the right thing.

To further explain myself, the engineers from China just came here and we are setting up the machines for our company. Okay, I'm not of any help with setting it up but I feel like I need to be there to assist and make sure that everything is going smoothly. I just can't go and enjoy and just leave the job to my boss alone and my younger sister, who is 16 by the way, I asked her to replace me while I go to vacation. See? How can I enjoy in a situation like that? I know I won't so I decided to cancel my trip, Bora will stay there and I can go back whenever.

That's all. Thank you.

PS: I feel so mature. :>

xx,

Annie

Busy Bee

I have been very busy lately. Like crazy busy. Sometimes I wish I can split my body into three so I can attend to all my duties at the same time.

Woke up early today because I had a really bad dream. Hay. I hate bad dreams. It fucks up my mornings.

3 more days til my birthday and honestly, I don't feel like it. With all the things happening around me, I just can't get myself to think that it's my birthday in a few days or maybe it's like this if you are growing older. Birthdays used to be big deals for my younger self. I wanted to always celebrate it with a party but right now, I guess I want to celebrate it by getting away to Bora.

I still don't know if I can make it. I wish I can. I spent a lot for that trip. Okay not a lot, but I already paid for my tickets and accommodations. I just can't afford to let go of my money just like that. It'll hurt me!! I'm just too kuripot to not think of the money I already spent. Gee.

Oh well. I guess that's how life is. You have to sacrifice things. Oh well papel, I pray that I will still be able to go to Boracay despite the busy schedules in my work. x.x

PS: Zel, if you are reading this and if I did not make it, please promise me you'll still love me no matter what. I don't want to fail you. Hope you understand. (CHOS)

xx,

Annie

Favorite of the Week: Chicken (Cauliflower) Arroz Caldo

This has been one of my most favorite healthy food ever! If you love arroz caldo, you will surely love this too or maybe you'll love this even more. Personally, I like this dish so much better than the original arroz caldo. If you are on a diet or a health freak, try making this for a low-fat meal that is healthy and is so good it doesn't feel like you are on a diet.

My picture did not do justice for how yummy this actually is!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 1/2 cup cauliflower

100g chicken breasts, cut into cubes

onion

garlic

ginger

salt and pepper to taste

What you need:

Blender 

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic, saute until the garlic is slightly brown and the onion is translucent. Add chicken breast and ginger. Saute til the chicken is half cooked then add the cauliflower. Add 2 to 3 cups of water. Reduce heat then boil until the chicken and cauliflower is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the cauliflower and transfer it to the blender with some soup then blend to your desired texture (I like it just right, not too coarse, not too mushy. I like to still be able to chew some bits of the cauliflower). Pour the blended soup into the pan and boil again. Serve hot. Garnish with green onions and chili flakes if desired.

It's perfect for anytime of the day.

I can eat this everyday. I actually did this week for breakfast that's why it made it to my favorite of the week. :) Easy breezy and oh so yummy! It's on of the best comfort food I have eaten.

Let me know if you try it!

xx,

Annie

Day 16 What do people notice about you?

Day 16 of the 30 day blog challenge.

If you've seen me in person, you'll have to agree that it's my height. It's always one of the first thing people notice about me. I used to hate my height because I'm too tall for the boys I liked in high school and I can't wear high heels everyday. I used to love wearing high heels back when I was 14 years old but since I grew this tall, I try not to wear them anymore just because I don't like getting comments about being too tall in my heels. Not that I don't like my height, I just don't want to get too much attention. Maybe if I was thinner, it will probably be okay since I have a model height but since I'm chubs, I don't like people to notice how "big" I am. That's how they call me and I hate being called a big girl. I don't like it. I receive it as a negative comment. Like when I used to go to Arangke with my mom during Sundays, the fish tinderos always comments on my height and tell me I am like a basketball player, if only I am thinner then they might have compared me with a model instead. Did I make a point? I don't know. Maybe I just have some body image issues and I hate myself for this.

I'm 5'6" tall by the way. Not too tall but not the average height here in the Philippines where the average height of the girls are 5'2"-5'4".

xx,

Annie

Day 15 What do you dislike most about yourself?

Day 15 of the 30 day blog challenge.

I dislike that I can never stick to my diet. I always tell myself I will start eating healthy and avoid eating junks only to end up devouring packs of chips.
I dislike that people find me immature.
I dislike that I always procrastinate.
I dislike that I tend to forget things very easily.
I dislike that I'm not determined with the goals I set for myself. I tend to always slack off.

xx,

Annie

Day 14 What do you like most about yourself?

I like that I can forgive a person easily and no matter how angry I am with a person, I still manage to forgive and forget. 

I like that I can shift my mood from being so angry to being  fine again. 

I like it also that I have a very happy disposition in life and I don't let negative things get to me. 

I like that I do very good with entertaining myself (not green). I can find things that I love doing and not get bored. 

I like that I listen to criticisms and try to improve myself.

I llike how serious I am with life now.

xx,

Annie

Day 13: Have you ever had your heart broken? Have you ever broken a heart?

At this age, I think it's normal to have had your heart broken. We all went through that. I remember getting my heart so broken I even posted a blog in multiply while crying saying how my heart was so broken and pouring my heart out in that post. It sure made me feel better, after all, writing is a very good way to vent out your deepest emotions. I went through all the stages of break up --denial, anger, bargaining (yes, I went through that), depression and finally, acceptance. I'm glad I do good with moving on, if you know what I mean. I'm not the one to be depressed for a very long time. I had my share of break up stories too, every time I cope up differently.

I remember this particular event that I got my heart so broken it bothered me so much. I can say that it was one of the worst times of my life. I felt betrayed, cheated, deserted, like my whole world fell over me and I'm not even exaggerating. Looking back, I still feel a little hatred but what's the point? I will never forget those days. If I ever get to sit down and talk to that person someday, I will promise to give myself a revenge and slap that person hard enough for him/her to forget his/her name. I'm so mad I want to curse.

Anyway, no, I did not get my heart broken by a lover, I realized that having your heart broken by your friends is so much worse than being it broken by a lover. Believe me.

About breaking a heart, I know I did and I'm sorry. Although I admit there were times I feel happy I did. I guess that's my only guard against those who wants to break mine. Hoho :)

xx,

Annie

Singapore Feb 2012 I

Day 2 (agad agad?)

Day 4

Serves the BEST Prawn soup I ever tasted.

the BEST Prawn soup!!
Soya milk, radish cake, prawn soup and rice. Foodgasm. 

Steaming hot, authentic Malaysian Bak Kut Teh

Boiling hot stewed spareribs! Click here to watch it boil. :)

Day 5

Day 6

Went to Singapore last February 6 to 12 for a business trip and I tasted the best food I have ever tasted in my life. From day 1 to my last day in Singapore. Was not able to take pictures everyday. I was trying my best to take pictures though. I was with our machine supplier most of the time which explains why I was almost always alone in my pictures. I just didn't feel it was necessary to have our pictures taken together. Lol

Went to Singapore alone and my brother-in-law joined me on the third day. I love travelling alone! It makes me feel so independent, which in reality, is very far from how I am. I still feel that I have a long way to go before finally being independent.

Day 2

Tasted the best Wan Tan Meen (Wanton noodles) located at 62 Joo Chiat Place. I swear it was so good I think anyone visiting Singapore should try this! Promise talaga ang saraaaap. 

I think I might be a little redundant if I keep saying it's the best (insert food name here) I've ever tasted but everything I posted just tasted so good. I think I ate the most delicious food this trip. Every meal was the best. I must say that I have the best tour guide, he told me he even researched in the internet for local Singaporean food so he can tour me around Singapore and have a taste of the authentic local food. 

Nasi Lemak from Fei Fei was also good. We bought it just to taste how authentic Nasi Lemak tastes, we did not finish this. 

Oh and as you can see, there were some of the days I wasn't able to take photos too because:

a.) I was too lazy to take out my camera

b.) We were with other businessmen or my brother-in-law's friends and I was too shy to take pictures of the food in front of them. Lol. It's bad enough that they think I'm a girl and is too young to be in this business. 

Afternoon snacks at Thasevi Food located at 237/239 Jalan Kayu Jalan Kayu. I loved their Indian food. We actually ordered too much for 2 because the rotis were very filling and we wanted to taste so much of the food there.

It was actually a bad idea because we had brunch at Fei fei then late lunch at Thasevi Food around 4pm so when it was dinner time, which I wasn't able to take pictures of for the reason b stated above, I was still so full. Bad bad bad because we had good chili crabs that night. It was also my first time to taste the salted egg prawn and I fell inlove. Another must eat food on my list when I go back to Singapore. There was another tofu dish that caught my attention, I just wasn't sure what the dish' name is since I wasn't the one who ordered, I wasn't even able to grab a menu. Dinner was at Jumbo seafood restaurant. 

Day 4

This was the best PRAWN SOUP ever tasted and possibly the best SOUP tasted ever! So sad I don't know where this was. :( I think it was near the border of Singapore and Malaysia. I was able to take a picture of the stall though, it was the stall with "Hao Chi" name. Very yummy brunch. We actually wanted more but Kk, our machine supplier, kept on stopping us from eating more because he will take us to a good Bak Kut Teh place for lunch. So there, we had Malaysian Bak Kut Teh for late lunch. The stewed spareribs was very delish I was the suki of the dish. :p  I didn't like the Bak Kut Teh because the taste was too strong and it was more herb-y than spice-y and it has so much intestines in it which made me think CHOLESTEROL with every sip, doesn't taste like my favorite Bak Kut Teh which is Song Fa Bak kut teh by the way. 

Anyway, click the video embedded above and see how the stewed spareribs was still boiling when it was served. Amazed me so much I had to take a video. Sometimes I find myself am weird.

Day 5

Went to Thomson Hawker Center to grab lunch and then went out with the businessmen. We had an awesome dinner. Awesome. My brother in law and I were impressed with the food they served us. We are Chinese and we eat a lot of Chinese food so if we were impressed with the Chinese food they served us, then trust me, it was really good. Sadly, I don't remember the name of the restaurant anymore. LOL I'm a bad the worst food blogger. It was in Clarke Quay, this I am quite sure because it was in front of a famous hotel in Clarke.

We went to a karaoke place after dinner and a friend/client/person we met that day insisted that we go clubbing after. It was 1AM and I was with 3 men over forty inviting me to go clubbing. The man was so funny because he was insisting but Kk didn't want to go anymore because he's too tired already and a bit drunk. He was accompanying me to visit different companies from Day 1 so I had to grant his favor to insist we go home already after a little bit over 30 minutes inside Attica. Attica is located at Clarke Quay.

Day 6

Second to the last day in Singapore which was practically our last because it was the last day we can do our shopping and roam around Singapore for leisure and not for work. I met up with my sister's friends Mimi and Wilson. They were so nice!!!!! I swear! Thank you for adopting me for a day and touring me around Orchard road and Marina Bay Sands and oh, for sending me back to the hotel. 

Did not allow this trip to pass by without eating cereal prawns!!! Met up for lunch at Wee Nam Kee at Novena Ville since it was near both where we're staying at. The chicken rice was not as good as I first tasted it anymore but the cereal prawns was beyond words (OA much). 

Wasn't in the mood to shop because I'm not a fond of shopping and the 5 days of work drained my energy so I had little energy left to walk around Orchard road just enough to go to Sephora and to pick up some clothes in H&M. 

I didn't get the chance to visit Marina Bay Sands the first time I went to Singapore so they took me there for dinner at Din Tai Fung. Yummy xiao long bao and spicy wanton. I'm a sucker for anything spicy. Life without chili sauce is boring. 

Oh, we waited or the last light and water show in MBS which was at 1opm.

Day 7

Our flight back home wasn't until 1pm so we still had time to eat brunch! We ate at a bak kut teh place beside Boon Tong Kee. We took home 2 whole chicken and chicken rice from Boon Tong Kee and we ordered 2 set lunch to eat inside the plane. 

ANG SARAAAAP!!! Grabe! For a while nakalimutan ko pangalan ko. Hihi. My new favorite chicken rice place! whoo.

Boon Tong Kee is located at 401 Balestier Road, Singapore.

We also actually ate at a Japanese place which was superb I decided to make a seperate blog post about it. :) Stay posted!

xx,

Annie

Day 12 If you could wish for anything that would come true, what would you wish for?

Like seriously? I wish to win the US lottery and invest my money in a business where it'll will continuously grow and I never have to bother about working and buy whatever I can.

I want to be a billionaire and not care about working anymore!!!

So shallow but I'm not so game for anything serious right now. My mind is just so tired and I just want to get it over with this blog challenge.

Doesn't mean I was lying though, isn't that everybody's dream? If not, well I belong to the majority anyway.


xx,

Annie

Day 11: Who can't you live without?

A no brainer question. My family. I just know that whatever happens, we'll stick with each other til the end. 

x,

Annie

Day 10: A dream for the future

Dreams are vague. People think dreams don't come true only because they don't make it happen. If we work hard enough then the world will help you achieve it. Sounds familiar? It's called Law of Attraction.

I have a lot of dreams. For myself, for my love one, for my family, for our country and for the universe.

You may not want to read this entry anymore because I have the same dream as a lot of people out there. Live life, fall in love, be swept away off my feet, marry the knight in shining armor, live happily ever after. We all want that? Who doesn't?

I admit that I am a very selfish person. I think about myself most of the time, what will benefit me most and what will make me happy. I try everything that will make me prettier.  Don't judge me. Everybody is like me. Everybody is superficial in their own way. Everybody likes to be beautiful because it is what is socially acceptable.

My dream is for the world to be less harsh to people who doesn't belong to what the society dictates as beautiful. My dream actually is for the society to stop dictating what is beautiful. So what if her chest is flat? what if her hair is not silky smooth? So what if her nose is flat? So what if she has bulges? So what? It doesn't make her less of a person than you. Your hair might be a little frizzy, so what? Who cares anyway? But of course, people should always try to make themselves look presentable.

My dream is for all the people to be nice. Stop hating and start appreciating. I just hate it when people do bad things to other people just to let them down, bring them down or just to make them feel bad. Mind your own business, people.

My dream is for all the people to get what they wish for or at least to get what He sets us up for. I dream for world peace. I dream for poverty to stop. I dream for a better future for the children of our generation. I dream for corruption to stop. I have a lot of dreams actually, I just can't straighten my thoughts right now so yeah, that's it.

What's your dream?

xx,

Annie

Little Feet

PLDT myDSL & Nuffnang bring you The Avengers!

I always get LSS with the latest TVCs with very catchy songs. Considering how often they play in our television sets while watching our favorite tv shows, who wouldn't? I remember singing Nescafe's "Good morning sainyo! Sweet and mild ang kasama ko" every morning while getting my caffeine fix. They sure do have a way of getting the viewers' attention. 


The latest TVC that got me LSS to their song is PLDT's Anna Banana song. "Anna Banana, I love you a bunch...."

Watch the video here if you still haven't! 

Awww. Isn't he such a cutie pie? If you didn't know, here's his full video singing the song.

This cutie pie just sang the his heart out on internet for his crush. How romantic. He sure did get waaay more than a 100 hits! 

This hearth throb even thanked his viewers for making him reach over a million hits!! I just can't get enough of this cute little boy. :) He's so cute I want to pinch his cheeks!

Watching YouTube videos definitely is one of my past times. That is why I got so thrilled when I found out that:

1. PLDT myDSL Plan 1299 is now upgraded to 1Mb from the previous 768Kb.2. For subscribers of Plan 990, upgrade your subscription to Plan 1299 by simply adding P300 to your monthly bill.3. For more information, go to www.pldtmydsl.com.

 

Fast internet just got faster!

xx,


Annie

Favorite of the Week: Jacob's Low Salt Hi Fibre + Blast from the Past

Hey everyone!

Starting today, I'm going to post a Favorite of the Week segment on my blog. It can be anything. When I say anything, believe me.

For this week, I want to share with you my favorite cracker.

Favorite cracker!!!!

Jacobs Low Salt Hi Fibre

If you know me, you'd probably know how frustrated I am when it comes to losing weight. I seem to have a pretty bad relationship with it. I always cheat on it. I have been trying to lose weight probably since 4th year high school. I had issues with my body weight/image since then. I always thought I was a little too chubby for my age. People would tell me that I'm not fat but I know they're just being nice.

4th year self 

4th year grad picture taking

High school

I think I got carried away with posting pictures from the past so here's more.

high school grad ball 2007

2007

2008

2009

2010

Feb, April, July 2011

Five years later, I'm still trying to lose weight and to no success, I'm at my heaviest right now. See the irony? I keep trying to lose weight yet I still manage to gain so much of it and it's because I keep cheating on it. I wish I will just be loyal to him (it) and just be happy with him (it) but I'm inlove with food. Diet, food and I, we're on a love triangle.

Notice the pictures above, I can be fat and not fat in a period of a year. That's how inconsistent my body is.

Anyway, most of the time I'm on a diet, I eat vegetables, proteins and some crackers and that will be my first favorite of the week post, my favorite cracker. It's so good I think I can eat it with anything.

I eat it with my meal, for my snack, with my chocolate drink, etc. I wish I can eat it all the time but I can't. It's so hard to look for it. It's not available everywhere and you have to look around supermarkets to look for it so I try as much as I can to eat only less of it everyday. I eat 5 to 10  (I'm only allowed 5) pieces of this cracker every single day and I'm almost running of it (hoarder alert!) but seriously, I have only 1 and a half can left and I am starting to bug my sisters to look for my crackers again.

Jacob's package from Manila

We can't find Jacob's in the supermarket here in Cebu so we have to ask our sisters to send some over here.

Hoarding

Look closely at the pictures and look at the hearts I put in the Jacob's Low Salt Hi Fibre boxes. Notice the ratio with the Hi Cal crackers? There's a scarcity of Low Salt Hi Fibre crackers which put more fun in it. I feel like I'm in a Easter Egg hunting game and I have to hunt for these crackers.

Hay. I wish I have unlimited supply of this.


xx,

Annie