Home-Made Strawberry Milkshake

Since it was a Sunday, I had a little extra time to prepare a fruit shake for lunch... You see, my everyday goes on very fast, I barely have time to blink with all the things I need to do before I go to work... This makes my weekends more special especially when I have no events on schedule. I could spend time cooking, cleaning the house, and taking care of my kid... (among some of the chores I do).

For today, I whipped a mean strawberry shake. I wasn't sure if my little girl would like it though but I wanted her to try something new. We had fried tuna  and veggie salad for lunch, paired with this special fruit shake.

I started off with  2 small trays of strawberries which I got  from the market the other day, a small can of evaporated milk, a small carton of cream and some shaved ice...

sliced fresh strawberries...

shaved ice

After slicing the strawberries and shaving the ice, I started liquifying both with the use of my trusted blender, along with  half cups of evaporated milk and cream, and a few spoonfuls of sugar.

ready to blend!!!

see that creamy froth??? yes, it's sinful...

It tastes as good as it looks... Say gourmet?? Nope... that's definitely homemade...

take note of the lavender straw... screams OC??

And yes, I am color-coordinated with everything. (",)

First Hair Cut... Action!!!

It's only now that she's two that I decided to give Ching her first real haircut. I first thought, the hair would be much easier to manage if it were longer, not to mention, the grandfather (my dad) specifically told me to maintain the length as he did to me when I was little.

Let's just say I felt Ching needed a new look and it seemed fitting that I be the first one to give it to her (considering she wouldn't let anybody cut her hair).

my little girl in her Chinese dress...

So I did... And boy was I too weird, shedding a tear or two after I finished trimming her hair, collecting her very "first cut" hair strands as if it were of value.. Of course it was of value, at least for a mother who was witnessing yet another first with her only child. Moments like these are priceless.

Now I wonder how I'd fair when Ching gets older and starts school, goes to the prom, gets into college... I can't imagine when she falls in love and starts getting suitors, something tells me I might just freak out..

Oh well, I have a fair amount of time still left before these things take place, so for now, let's just stick with this first and enjoy the moment while it lasts... and before I forget, yes, I'm keeping the strands...

 (",)

Our Cold Tagaytay Family Dinner-Date

It was a rainy Monday and a cold one to add but it didn't stop us from pushing through with our family dinner-date in Tagaytay.

After work, I hurried home as I had to prepare my little girl and her things... I made sure Ching  and everybody were all bundled up as it was very chilly. We left home at around six and came just in time for dinner at 7:30.

just about to have our dinner...

sisters.... Mommy Abut and my Mom..

Ching with Ninang Jates...

 It was my aunt, Mommy Abut's last two nights here before her flight back to Germany so we had to utilize whatever little time we have left. Too bad Kuya Borge couldn't get a leave off from work.

We all had a wonderfully satisfying dinner at Josephine's and headed to Starbucks afterwards for some warm cup of coffee and chocolate... We arrived home just before midnight struck. It was tiring but definitely worth the trip.

            FAMILY DINNER IN A WONDERFULLY COLD RELAXING PLACE = PRICELESS...

Ching's Special 2nd....

      I admit, I love fancy parties... the details, the chic-ness of it all.... But I would never in a heartbeat, miss the simplest  type of get-togethers  with people that matter so much to me...

      I was raised in a typical neighborhood where life seemed so easy and simple, people were wonderfully kind and families were close-knit.. This may be why I look at things in a much simpler and more down-to-earth perspective... This is also one reason why I decided to hold this simple get-together  at my grandmother's place...

a very  laid-back  typical get-together in our place...

 Today, my little girl celebrated her 2nd birthday... After coming from her monthly medical check up and scheduled immunization, we headed to Tous Les Jours to get her a delicious chocolate icecream cake and proceeded to my lola's house in Bagumbayan. It also happened that one of my aunts, Mommy Abut was home for a quick vacation so we didn't waste the chance to be with her....

our former helper ,Ate Marlyn  with my Mami Abut and my mom...

 Almost everything had been given to Ching as gifts, from  Kuya Leo's special homemade Ube-Queso Ice Cream (gift from Ninong Borge), to the super delicious Kare Kare from Nanay (my mom-in-law) and of course, the creamy spaghetti from my Mom.. Even the balloons were gifts from my good friend Ate Bernadette...

Our relatives from the neighborhood started coming in at 4PM and enjoyed the small get-together we prepared.... The atmosphere was so relaxed, everyone had fun, and we all had our fill of the delicious mini feast... We also had fun singing with my cousins and Ching instantly warmed up to my "kuyas".

Ching with Kuya Teddy...

Sofia, Ching's cute playmate...

Everyone also enjoyed the delicious  Chocolate Ice Cream cake I got for her. I had it frozen for less than an hour and believe me, I've never seen a cake get wolfed down  this fast...   It was also my first time to have a taste at Tous Les Jours and I'm coming back for sure.

the ice-cream cake....

                  It had truly been a great day for us... A memorable "2nd" for our little angel...