An Art Called Cooking | Arroz (Amor) Caldo

I love to cook. 

I also always had this secret desire to be a chef. Or at least be called one. And though I may not be one to be called as such, I am a Proud Mary.  Or better said, I had Proud Mary, the little café/diner past the strip of the more known restaurants and diners along Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

But that was a few years back, and though it is another story to write about, it is a beautiful one. 

A story that will always be a treasured segment of my life.

Coming back to my (present) life , things are way different now. And although it may not be the same as before, I’d like to say that it is still all good. 


After all, Life, for me, is always beautiful. And good. Always. Yet there are still some things that remain constant, amongst several other things about me.

I (still) love to cook.

I learned the art of cooking at a very early age. Being an only child, I am always a tag along company of my mom, so much so, that as early as four or five years old, I became her official kitchen buddy as she prepared every single meal that we ever had, from breakfast to lunch to dinner and everything else in between.

Design Elementals | BLIMS Fine Furniture

Nature soothes, harmonizes and heals. By its’ essence, nature is beautiful, and yet in our very modern world, we sometimes take for granted the beautiful synergy that it provides in our humanity. And yet, even as we are confined in great modern structures that we call our home and work spaces… we can still find ways to simulate nature and its elements into our own personal spaces. So much to say that we can definitely bring nature into our homes.

Take it from Blims Fine Furniture, a trendsetter in definitive lifestyle, with its’ 37 years of providing fine furniture and furnishings, truly a bastion of excellence in the industry.

BLIMS recently launched ‘Design Elementals’, an exhibit showcasing a collection of six vignettes...inspired by the very elements of nature—Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Wood & Metal.

In collaboration with the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID), one of the most prestigious design school in the country. BLIMS brings together six well - noted designers to give life to home and work spaces with designs that are based on the properties of the elements of nature.

At the helm of this collaborative creation is PSID’s JIE PAMBID, one of the country’s influential fixture in the Interior Design circuit. With his own design firm where he handled top companies as clients, for this particular exhibit, JIE carefully put together the best designers there is in town to come up with nature-inspired design ensemble.

Take a peek at the beautiful artistry that was put together for BLIMS in this exhibit "DESIGN ELEMENTALS".

Good Health for Good life with Wheatgrass

For the better-and ultimately the best, in individual manners and terms, is the one absolute thing that we always aim for. 

And since it is just a few more days before we welcome a brand new year, it’s time for a ‘new year’s resolution’. On top of my list is a resolve to be healthy…clearly realizing now that my body should be a wonderland, before I could proceed with the rest of my resolves.

So as I am off to a healthy start, let me share with you a miracle that I recently discovered and was introduced to, about a month back when I attended a Bloggers-to-Business Conference.

Dubbed as a Super Food, I learned of a healing miracle called Wheatgrass.
Let me tell you how and why…

Wheatgrass is the young grass that sprouted from wheat grains, grown to about 7 to 8 days old. Wheat grains, on the other hand, are the seeds of the wheat plant.

Hungry Juan makes a Happy Juan

In every Filipino table {rice aside, if you please}, you will find the all-time favorite chicken, either fried and roasted, or otherwise.

I think you will agree how every ‘Juan’ loves chicken, with its tenderness and delicate flavor that is perfect for any food combination. Or by itself… as the main dish.

But there is one delectable, flavorful and high quality roasted chicken in town.

Tweetback Thursday

Tweetback Thursday with a hint of Ana Says so.

What's the menu for today? Perseverance,Patience, a humble heart & a winning attitude.The net is filled with a catch of bounty.Thank you God
— Ana Alvarado (@Bananitch) September 12, 2011

Loves the worldwideweb.It expands, it connects, it brings people closer, it keeps you company...www.
— Ana Alvarado (@Bananitch) September 26, 2011

really like the classics. playing 'nessun dorma' . pavarotti is still the top for this piece. but ofcourse i still love the boccelli : )
— Ana Alvarado (@Bananitch) September 6, 2011

On a 'travel light' mode now . And it's okay .
— Ana Alvarado (@Bananitch) September 2, 2011

Expressions Of Love

Her name is Aurora, as beautiful a name like the first burst of sunlight at dawn. She is even more so beautiful in person. And luckily for me- - because she happens to be my mother.

It was in December, close to Christmas time…closer to her birthday. As everyone gleefully moves about in the merry mood of the holidays, she now lays in bed longer than usual. Days… Months… I have stopped counting as it breaks my heart to pieces seeing her this way. The woman who joyfully yet selflessly attended to my (and the rest of her family’s) needs, now lays in her sick bed. 

I've always been the jovial kind of person. That’s how she has lovingly molded me to be. To be the sunshine for others, in whatever circumstance in life that may come our way. And so, as I busily run about life- the children, the family, the finances, the work and everything else in between, I always put on a happy front. And so that one day, close to Christmas time and close to her birthday, I sought to surprise her with an early gift. I knew she wanted it, like any other woman, past any age, culture or creed. I knew she never had one given to her… a beautiful bunch of fresh and lovely flowers, just so to thank her and show her that no matter how busy and difficult things may seem for all of us, she is much loved by me, like, maybe I have not shown her.

I could see her tears flow graciously as she held the bunch of the lovely tulips I gave her. I fought hard to keep my tears welling.

Except that I woke up.

Blogapalooza: Business to Bloggers

Blogapalooza is a community. It’s a link between big and small businesses who have something cool to share and the online community of people who love to share.  Blogapalooza screens and pick out the top influencers and also pick out the businesses who will be presenting to the online community. Influential bloggers/social media online influencers and business meet to create infinite possibilities.

Bloggers to Business

Blogapalooza is a bloggers event on crack. You may apply for an invitation at Blogapalooza.WhenInManila.Com to join top bloggers in this awesome event.

Business to Bloggers

Blogapalooza is the best event to present your product / brand/ service/ thingamajig to hundreds of influential bloggers, top Twitter trend setters, Facebook celebrities and the online marketing community.Whether it’s to launch your new product / service / events / thingamajigs or anything, it will surely help your online marketing campaign.

My Favorite Things

A steaming hot cup of coffee.

Freshly brewed, the arabica scent waking up my senses. A notebook. Any size, any kind, any which way done, with its crisp blank paper tied together, eagerly waiting for a word, or two or more.

Twitting birds at sunrise. Raw and sweet melody to my ears.
Sunflowers.
Tulips.
Yellow Bells. Lovely are the flowers, with the yellow blooms particularly, in my sight.

"These are a few of my favorite things..."as the song goes, of the same title - my favorite things in my all-time favorite movie The Sound of Music.

We all have favorites. These are the things that we always favor. And these are the same that we would do, use and keep over and over, again and again, until such time. Because it pleases us and soothes or calms us. Essentially, our favorites are the ones that give us pleasure. And there is nothing wrong to give pleasure to oneself, does it? I strongly adhere to the fact that anything that makes you feel good is always good. Joy and happiness is from the heart so it can never be faked nor falsified. For the heart is the seat of the soul, therefore, divine.

"When the bee stings, when I’m feeling blue...” does it not help that we remember our favorite things? And "then i don't feel so bad ".

Life Lived Full

I love every moment. of my everyday life.

whether i'm awake or asleep.

dreamland stays in both.

which is real, you'll never know for sure.

because both are real.

you wake up when you sleep.

you dream to live.you live to dream.

does it matter?

it is only the moment that counts.

so that, in each moment,

which i call, life..

passionately

fully
i live.