Goodbye To You...2015

Happy 2016, year of the Monkey. And oh happy Three Kings as well since today is already January the 3rd. The holiday season is finally over.  

I hope this year will be good to me since I was born year of the Monkey which only happens every twelve years thus the next would be on 2028. 

Not that 2015 wasn't good to me, it’s just that a death of a long time family companion, our dog for ten years is just kind of hard to bear since he passed away few days after Christmas. All could’ve been perfect this year, from my sister and I’s most sought after birthday travel, the new home, me leaving my job for three years since I was never happy with it anyways, the feeling you’re finally settled until the unexpected happened, the demise of our beloved family canine. 

I truly believe you cannot have everything. The ups and downs is part of life, to maintain some sort of balance to everything, to keep the ball of fate going perhaps. I am just thankful to God for joyous 2015, nevertheless. For me and my family’s good health, and let me also mention that one of our dog who was tested positive for blood parasite infection came negative after couple of months. The news came that same fateful day of Brandon’s (the german shepherd) passing. 

stash from the Sunflower Festival, the Elephant key chain
 and the lovely mango soap, smell so good you can
almost eat it.

my DIY bathroom mirror...

Moving on, new year, fresh start, clean slate. My sissy and I will be renewing our passports this year. We’re brewing a trip to Thailand for our birthday (hopefully). My niece suggested Pattaya, Thailand to this place called Sanctuary of Truth since she recently attended this event called the Sunflower Festival. We saw the temples there through pictures and we were amazed since we love to travel to temples with intricate structures and carvings. We’re crossing our fingers it would materialise and not just wishful thinking although chances are it will because we are eager, adventurous souls who will never say never. 

another one of my DIY projects:
jutified yoghurt bottle :D

As for me, I started my year with more DIY projects such as the one I recently made--couple of flower vases from empty/recycled wine bottles which I decorated with jute twines, plain monochromatic mirror turned into work of art etc. I am also venturing into making other steamed foods other than pastries such as my new baby, rice cake with caramel custard on top (Puto Flan) recipe I found on YouTube.

freshly made Puto Flan

PUTO FLAN RECIPE

Ingredients

5 egg yolks

5 egg whites

2 cups cake flour

1 cup white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 tsp lemon

1 1/2 cup water

1 cup condensed milk

1. flan mixture : add together lemon, condensed, egg yolks

• grease pans with butter
• steam for 10mins

2. rice cake mixture: combine egg white, evap milk, sugar mix till well blended

3. mix dry ingredients: baking powder, cake flour, salt

4. combine rice cake and dry ingredients together whilst pouring water, mix until well blended.

5. pour cake mix on top of cooked flan; steam for 10mins again.

let it cool. 

I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did. I also cooked Aglio Oglio pasta paired with breaded pork chops which I sliced so thinly then breaded it using eggs, cornstarch and bread crumbs for Media Noche. It was heaven though especially when dashed with this homemade sauce I found in Google last minute too called Honey Garlic Sauce which is an amalgamation of  the ff:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup honey 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

I can’t find any chicken last minute before New Year’s eve and as much as I hate eating pork I had no choice though.

Again, Happy New Year!!! Let’s bury all the hatchet.