Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

Though 2014 is at its end, it's always not too late to start an amazing chapter in your life. I was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel while taking a one year internship. I'm taking a different path. A path that will take me to new places, to grow independently,  figure things out on my own and meet new friends. 


St. Augustine once said,

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

I'm a firm believer of this saying, when you don't engage or expose yourself to different races, nationalities, cultures and experience what the world can offer. You're missing half of your life. Once in a while we should take a time to leave our comfort zone, spread our arms and open our eyes to newer things. There are many things that can be discovered and explored whether it's a place, language, history, or a group of people. We're all born for a purpose, a mission to see the world and share what we have experienced.

The year 2014 had been an unforgettable too. It's the year I finally saw mon amour after five years. It's been a rough and hard relationship with him. Being in a long distance relationship is never easy. Everyday you wake up asking so many questions, thoughts that bother you 'til you sleep and wake up the next morning still thinking about the same thoughts. Like your life is missing a big part in it. Your heart and mind should always be balanced. Trust and communication is the main thing in a long distance relationship. We actually never knew that 2014 will be a time to say hello again to each other. Everything went by so quickly. Seeing him with my own two eyes felt like a dream. Knowing that he's just a call away made me feel like I'm in heaven. I felt so complete and truly happy. A story that I will surely tell to my future children.

Hopefully 2015 will be the year I've been waiting for.

Happy New Year everyone! X

Sweet September

I'm one week behind writing my entry for September but it's better late than never, right? I'd like to share a fancy food and incredible journey I had for the month.

It started with a cookie mug shots I tried in our town. It's 5-10 minutes away from where I lived. The ambiance of the place is quite good for inviting friends who you haven't seen in a long time - to catch up, reminisce your memories together, or share adventures or a place by yourself with your favorite book or finish a work. 

It's like drinking tea. They have sizes from smallest to largest mug. It comes with a drink of your choice - a caramel, milk, or chocolate. After hours of talking and sipping into your drink, you have a good and sweet cookie treat in the end. If only I could make this at home for bed time stories I definitely would. Maybe I can someday? 

 

September had been very toxic and busy for me. I had to meet deadlines for my requirements as I planned to take an externship abroad. I took an exam and was interviewed by an American chef from California. I have been preparing for this for a year and they paid off. I passed and I couldn't be happier right now. But there's one left thing to do and it's to pass my next interview in the embassy. 

And so after three weeks of my exam, it was morning, I was making pancakes when suddenly a mailman knocked on my door and handed over my letter from one of my favorite bloggers in Tumblr. It's from Adeline - I love her because she's so kind, sweet and I noticed in her daily posts she's someone who is very friendly and likes to go on adventures around her city and she's very talented too. It's an honor to be exchanging letters with her. I can't wait to send my letter. I hope she will like my little cute surprise inside. 

I also made a 'made-from-scratch' crêpe and caramel sauce for my exams yesterday. It was toxic and I was very tired mentally and physically. We had to make soup, appetizer, canapé, pasta, entrée and a dessert. But at the end of it, it's always fulfilling to see my creations liked by other people. 

The crepe's filling was thinly sliced caramelized apples there's supposed to be a vanilla ice cream on top but it wasn't part of my exams so it's just plain Caramel Apple Crêpe. 

Caramelized Apple Crêpe

To end my entry, I'd like to share to you all my favorite music video:

Our Deal by Best Coast

The music video is directed by Drew Barrymore herself. The music video is starred by Chloë Grace Moretz, Tyler Posey and other artists. It's such an addictive song but heartbreaking at the same time. I hope you'll all enjoy.

XO

"She got life in her veins..."

Hello earthlings, how are you all doing? Not being able to update my blog for three consecutive months means I was occupied with many important things. I was very busy and was working so hard building the path I want to take. I worked in a hotel as an apprentice chef. I was assigned in the hot kitchen and my favorite place is the pastry department and on my free days I usually spend it with mon amour and/or with my family.

His whole wheat heart shaped bread, my birthday bouquet, chicken sauté provençale and carbonara pasta

And it also means I have a bunch of stories to tell. Starting with the first two pictures on top of my collage.

I never thought someone would make me breakfast and give me flowers on my doorstep. There's a funny story about that bouquet though. It was one week before my 21st birthday someone texted me asking what was my exact address and that someone bought me flowers. It felt strange and I thought people these days don't have anything to do but prank people. I didn't reply - another 30 minutes passed and the same number texted me again asking, if I live near this street he was right but I still didn't reply. An hour passed and someone knocked on our door, I looked out our window and a man was standing on our doorstep and was holding a bouquet I went out and the man asked me if I was "Karen" I said yes, he handed me the receipt and I signed it... it was from mon amour. But the bad thing was, my key was missing so I wasn't able to get it. I asked the delivery man to wait as I will search for my key unfortunately he waited for about 25 minutes and I wasn't able to find it. So I just told the man to give it to our neighbor. After he left, I saw it in my bag... I felt so stupid. Mon amour was very disappointed the bouquet should be delivered on the day of my birthday. I laughed and told him it was okay because I was even more surprised to receive it on an unexpected day.

I will never forget that day.

The first photo on the bottom is a Chicken Provençal and my carbonara pasta. On my free days, I usually cook of course before he left I made him a dinner. I love how he was enjoying the pasta and was asking to make more. They say, 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach...'

Of course the saddest part of a vacation is they end... It's been two weeks after he left. I was very sad on the first day but I'll see him very soon. It's been five years since he went home.

I hope to hear from you all <3

Summer 2014 : The Tans Will Fade But The Memories Will Last Forever

It's never too late to write and share to you all what I have been doing in the past month and also to share to you my short trip in the beach.

Goods news is I'm through with my school so I just needed to complete my 500 hours practicum and I'm off to the real big adventure. I just had my final exam two weeks ago and celebrated my 21st birthday. I spent my birthday with him and my family. I couldn't be happier guys. We went out to attend a mass and ate dinner together. Simple but intimate which I love.

Moving on with my trip, it's one of the beautiful beaches (Burgos, Pangasinan) near the metro you don't need to stress out with the bookings and especially don't need to spend a lot of money just to have fun and it's only 6 hours drive (well, it's quite painful sitting for 6 hours but it will be worth it!) and I assure that it's not crowded and the water is clear as crystals, the sand looks like powder. 

The people there is also warm and very friendly. They can help you buy fresh fishes and would give you a tour around the area. 

I can't tell you in words how wonderful the place is, everything is just a beauty - a gift from Mother Nature.

The best part in my trip was of course, the beach. I went for a swim  - the sun, the breeze, the clear and cold water was just magic! For a moment, I was able to relax and feel everything. I always look forward to this every single year. I'd like to have a swim in the beach after all the stressful days and nights in school. I deserve a break. We all do!

Our second day there, we approached some local fishermen and bought the fishes they caught. It was indeed the best fish I ever ate. It always makes me happy when my family and relatives would eat altogether and laugh. Such a priceless moment. 

Anyway, here are the photographs I took.

Galbi Jjim (Beef Short Ribs) : I applied what I have learned in school

For last night's dinner I decided to cook Galbi Jjim (Korean dish). This dish needs a lot of time for marinating and cooking (depending on the beef you bought) but the whole process of it, you will soon realize why it's a great food to serve for holidays. 

Letting my Galbi Jjim simmer

Nothing makes me more happy than seeing the people I cook for likes what I prepare for them even sometimes it lacks taste and flavor. I know I still have more to improve and through this I'm learning. I'm enrolled in a culinary class but I don't want to just depend on our chef. So when I have my free time I cook or bake. It's really different when you discover, explore and learn from yourself in the kitchen. You get to actually see it for yourself what you're making. 

From what I learned, as a culinary student, you should not be afraid to make your own decisions (of course, there will be mistakes but they are great teachers), do whatever you are told to do (when you're in the real world already, the environment is 20x more stressful) and lastly, whatever you do be passionate. No matter how hard and rough things are, if you do it with passion and determination you will conquer the challenges and problems. Don't give up easily. 

These are the few things I learned so far for the past five months. I'm still learning and I will keep learning.

Welcome Home Dinner

My dad just got back from London and I'm very happy that he enjoyed his time there and made a safe trip back home. And of course he bought me jelly bean, postcards, bags and other souvenirs. Thank you dad!

So as planned, I cooked our dinner though it's not his favorite but I know he will like it. I also want to make his Welcome Home Dinner special by baking Cream Cheese Cookie Dough Brownies since I have some cream cheese left and I have all the ingredients needed for this desert so why not bake, right? 

If you read my previous blog, this is my second time blogging pasta but this time it's white sauce. I also cooked Iberian Chicken a month ago. It's usually served with marble potatoes on the side. It's a Spanish dish I learned from my school (something went wrong with my camera so I wasn't able to take a picture of it).
Here is a sample picture from dessertcomesfirst.com:

To quote, Lori (Food Purveyors) from dessertcomesfirst.com

"Iberian Chicken has many variations but the version I know and love is simply chicken roasted low and slow in a bath of extra virgin olive oil, cosseted in cloves of garlic (LOTS of garlic!), onion, herbs, and pocked with peppercorns."

I think this version of Carbonara is quite different because I used heavy cream, a can of creamed mushroom soup, and an evaporated milk for the sauce. I know most people just make bechamel and add what they want but the version I tried is worth trying. It's creamy and has a different dimension of flavors from the heavy cream and evaporated milk. It's topped with bacon and ham or you may use tuna for this. I will definitely cook this in the future and serve it for my guests and special friends/relatives.

So here is the recipe I hope you will also try it and let me know if you liked it or not. I'd be so happy if you will share your favorite pasta recipes! Enjoy!

Homemade Strawberry Jam

A month ago my family and I made a trip to Baguio city - that beautiful place and the cold weather, is a great place for planting strawberries and other vegetables. In Philippines, if you want to buy local and affordable fresh strawberries Baguio is the place you need to go to  (Well, that's the only place I know).  And they also make variety of strawberry treats.

The six hour long drive from Manila is going to be worth it. There are camping sites, if you need a  place to stay in with a tight budget there are hotels within the city and also for a family bonding, there are parks and picnic places you can go to - do horseback riding, boating etc. 

So by sharing that little information, yes I bought strawberries - lots of strawberries! 

The easiest/common way of eating strawberries with a twist is dipping it into Hazelnut Chocolate aka Nutella. But since I want to make things more fun in our kitchen, I made my own strawberry jam.

An easy recipe from my favorite chef/cook/author, Ina Garten, she inspires me in so many ways. Knowing that she did not have any formal education in Culinary all her knowledge in cooking was self-taught and from her experience. It inspired me to push myself and explore this field - that someday I can be like her, make the people around me happy by cooking for them.

Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)

Beautiful isn't it?
Lee Ann Thornton's photo

I love her garden and kitchen - everything is so lovely with a touch of modernness  It also reminds me of the houses I saw in North Carolina. In her garden she planted her own herbs, flowers and all sorts of plants. It's like her own not-so 'secret garden'. 

Ina's garden
Source

There was one episode when people had a tour in her garden and Ina cooked tomato and basil pasta, baked oatmeal pecans and made smoked salmon sandwiches. Ohhh gosh, it would be an honor to meet her in person and have a taste of her wonderful creations. I hope someday I get to see her garden with my own two eyes. 

Source

So going back to my homemade strawberry jam, I just followed the steps and ingredients and voila! I have my own strawberry jam. This jam was used in my finals last month and my chef loved it and brought some home - his helper loved it too! And of course, my family also loved it! I couldn't be happier than making everyone happy and satisfied with my cooking. 

Here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fresh-strawberry-jam-recipe.html

My DIY strawberry jam

A little bottle I kept from one of our previous trips

  

Up to the Mountains: Baguio City

I love spending my holidays out of town. It's the only time I get to breathe a fresh clean air and forget about the busy and noisy city. Last weekend we've decided to spend our weekend up in the mountains - Baguio city, Philippines. 

Since I live in a tropical country where there is only summer and rainy season I'm very thrilled that I'll be wearing my sweater again. The temperature in Baguio reached 14°C - I think it's the coldest so far. It's been 8 or 10 years the last time I visited Baguio. 

--

I only took few pictures though (hehe)

Kennon Road

The Mansion

Strawberry farm *camera phone* 

Romaine lettuce (yum!!) *camera phone*

Lastly, to make my trip more exciting I prepared my playlist - here are some songs I listened during my entire trip:

Tereza - Trails and Ways

Nunca - Trails and Ways

Lost - Trails and Ways (Frank Ocean cover)

Woodland - The Paper Kites

Happy 2014 everyone!

Happy New Year! *my best shot using my phone*

I hope I am not too late to wish you all a Happy New Year! It is a new year and I look forward to another discoveries, challenges, new memories to create and cherish and many things to learn. What things do you look forward to? I just can't believe I am turning 21 in May (finally legal in most countries) Scary how time flies so fast, isn't it?  

2013 had been a very fulfilling year for me - it was the year I graduated in college. There are few things I remember, most of them are meant to be forgotten but you know some memories are cruel they stay in the back of your mind, you thought they are already gone but in one snap you remember everything vividly.

And of course, what is life without 'dramas' which I don't want to talk about. I was lost - lost as to which path to take but everything is quite good now. I found the path and I know it will lead me to my dreams or if not I will thank myself for taking risks. 

The next best part of my 2013, I did a lot of baking and cooking it probably saved me from all those dramas I encountered and which is why I'm studying again. This is it! This was also the year I saw The Killers and Linkin Park live! I waited for these two bands and I was indeed very happy!

To summarize: last year was finding how I will make my dreams come true and this year is all about making my dreams a reality. One step at a time though to make sure I get there. 

I don't want to make this entry long but I am leaving you all with quotations and words to get you by  for the rest of the year - hoping they will inspire, help and motivate you.

mooonlightfright:
2014 is going to be a good year. You wanna know why? Because I say so. Stop asking 2014 to be good. Demand it. Kindly. The universe gives you what you put out. If you put out negative iffy vibes then that’s what you’re gonna get. You deserve the best. Its time for you to believe it.

from Pinterest
My favorite of all!

from Pinterest

image source

image source

And I'm also sharing the two songs that I loved and was so obsessed the entire year:

Woodland - The Paper Kites

Listen here

Listen here

Listen here

I hope all of us will have a great year! Love and happiness!

XO

Three Words: I cooked dinner!

I can finally cross out the no. 23 in my bucket list. I never had the time and courage to cook dinner for my family though it's just a simple pasta but the fact that no one has taught me yet (though I'm enrolled in a culinary school, I decided to not wait for our pasta class) and they finished it all especially my brother liked it so much that he had two full servings, it made my heart smile and melt. 

Linguine pasta with bacon and some shredded leftover turkey

I could not give you a detailed description on how it tasted but it tasted good for a first timer! The tomato sauce, the bacon, parmesan cheese and basil leaves gave it more flavor and taste! I love the linguine pasta. Hopefully this year I'll be able to do a lot of cooking and baking!

Bon appétit!