SELECTIVE WHAT?

This article tells the story of a girl who has a very unusual phobia of veggies and all other foods good for her.

I love junk food and I gotta have it at times, but this is just ridiculous.

Selective Eating Disorder is just a sorry excuse for not trying hard enough.

Late bloomer

When you're a late bloomer in the kitchen, you're bound to go insane.
You've spent three decades of your life eating without having to cook, thanks to the maid and canned, fast and restaurant food.
You think you're not good enough to create something that people will find edible, let alone delicious.
You think you're useless and stupid for not being able to do a simple task that should be innate in women.
You feel insecure and assume every kitchen joke within your earshot is an attack against your culinary capabilities.
You want to be Nigella Lawson or Rachel Ray overnight, but there are so many basic techniques to learn before you can even create a half-decent dish!
You want to do it all without breaking a sweat, but by the time you're done cooking something, you're a mess.
You feel nervous every time you're asked to cook something.
But you do, because that's the only time you will actually learn.
And that's your chance to redeem yourself as a promising cook.
You scour the internet and go through cookbooks to find something that's simple to make but fancy enough to serve to guests on a special evening.
You buy ingredients and make sure they are fresh and the right kind.
And then you say a little prayer before you put that apron on, calling on God to help you pull this off.
And when your guests take that first bite, you hold your breath.

I'll be going through the exact same experience tomorrow.
It's going to shake - but not shatter - me.
And I'm going to be great.

I'm the baws.

In the kitchen. For an evening.
It's going to be great!
Last week Liam prepared an impressive British meal for our friends.
This week, I am in charge.
And there is only one thing on my mind right now:
I have to convince everyone at the dinner that Filipino food is not all that bad.
In fact, it is as savory and flavorful as the Southeast Asian cuisines they rave about.

Here' my menu:

1. Vegetable lumpia.
2. Chicken adobo
3. Banana cue with ice cream

Simple, homely, and tasty.

So help me God.

The only thing in my make up kit that makes me ugly

Got this pic from the Mac Cosmetics website.

I had acne last year around the time I had a part time job as a presenter.

Every weekend I wore heavy make up.

I had never used liquid foundation before, so I tried the one by Mac.

Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 in NC 35. 

It was a revelation. I loved it.

It was smooth and thick, so you only needed a dab to cover the whole face.

After a few weeks, my skin broke out and my face turned into an ugly piece of shiznit.

I read somewhere that liquid foundation tended to clog the pores and cause pimples.

But at that time, with so much going on in my life, it could have been anything.

I had hormonal imbalance due to a lot of stress.
I was an unhealthy eater.
And I didn't have enough sleep.

Now, just two days ago I hosted a wedding and used the Mac liquid funda again.

When I got home, I saw four spots threatening to grow into big pus-filled mountains of embarrassment.

Aha. Caught in the act, Mac!

I've been a Mac fan through and through, from the day I got my first pay check and could afford to buy the NC 35 pot concealer, all the way up to the present.

I have a great collection of make up products that include Mac powders, shadows, a primer and a few bottles of nail polish courtesy of Liam.

But the brand's liquid foundation ain't no friend of mine.

Now I'm faced with the task of finding a foundation that will match my skin tone, not irritate my skin, and glide on smoothly while giving maximum coverage.

It's not going to be easy, but I am hanging in there.

Alessandra De Rossi - Dream To Me

What a pleasant musical surprise from Alessandra de Rossi!
She's got spunk, talent and depth.
It's nice to play her songs while I work away at my desk.
They calm my nerves and inspire me to leave my desk and do something great.
Maybe I will.

COME DINE WITH US!

We are staying indoors all summer!

Several reasons:

1. It's very, very hot outside. The scalding glare of the sun could dehydrate us and give us skin cancer.
2. Very few places are open out of everyone's respect for the Holy Month of Ramadan.
3. Thanks to Come Dine With Me, Jamie's Food Revolution and Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, we have decided to go easy on the food delivery and up our game in the kitchen!

Every week we invite two guests and feed them.
We started last evening, and this was the menu: 

Caerphilly pasties
Toad in the Hole
Deep fried Mars bars

It was perfect. Savory, sinful, and satisfying!
The deep fried Mars bars were not photographed out of shame.
Also because we ate them straight from the fryer.

Our modest dining table

 

 The king of the kitch

 Caerphilly cheese with leeks and other things good for you

 Looking good! Parang empanada.

 We added this tiny detail that made all the difference, aesthetically.

The Union Jack!

 Served with spinach drizzled with olive oil and Worcester sauce.

Toad in the Hole. Sausages swimming in lard and cream until they rise and become one.

Savory food at its best.

JONALD AND TESS CELEBRATE THEIR 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Hey! I just met them, but this is crazy! 
Jonald and Tess, nag silver wedding?

Sorry about that.
But it's true.
I can't believe Jonald and Tess celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on July 25.
They look so young.
Move over, botox and laser.
True love is still the best way to stay young and happy!
I had the privilege to host the wedding reception, and Fifi was there to take pics!
Love you Layds!

 Cake cutting slash fencing! 

The understated, classy three-tier cake from Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

 The couple still looked fresh and relaxed after a whole day of preparations and celebrations.

 Denise and Denica Cabildo stole the show with their sweet rendition of Love Makes A Friend Be a Friend Like You. They can carry a tune, and harmonize too!

 The family that smiles together....

 The family with their wacky friends!

 A special song number by Gwen Goden, who performed TWICE at the event.

 Myself and Sheila, the banquet manager at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, and the person who made sure that the ballroom was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the whole event took place smoothly.

 When marimba rhythm starts to play...

The couple danced to one of their favorite songs, Sway.

I was very happy to have my picture taken with the couple on this stage. 

It wasn't so much a stage as it was a set of a talk show.

Ramadan Around The World - Indonesia | My Dubai My City

I had a lot of fun having iftar with Isti and friends.
I also learned that Indonesia and the Philippines have similar languages.
It was a surprise knowing that they also call their wraps lumpia.
High five on our caveman days!

Ramadan Around The World - Indonesia | My Dubai My City

KERALA PICTURES

Thought I'd post pictures form our Kerala trip. Really miss going on a holiday and thinking of absolutely nothing. I've been working like a dawg and the only thing that keeps me going is the promise of a much-needed getaway in less than two months! For the meantime, I am going to have to look at these and maybe pack my suitcase in advance.

MY FIRST IFTAR THIS YEAR

I'm so excited to attend an Indonesian iftar tonight! I am meeting Isti, a lovely Indonesian lady who has lived in Dubai for years.

She's serving up a feast at sunset, and it's going to fresh, tasty and accompanied by stories from her and her guests.

I like nasi goreng and Liam likes beef rendang. Let's see if those two dishes will be part of her spread this evening.

I'll keep you posted!

This Ramadan is definitely my busiest ever.

I love it.

Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts – The Frisky

Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts – The Frisky

We love maxi skirts!

I managed to have a great weekend, even though technically, I do not have weekends. I am required to work on Friday and Saturday, and have been doing this for over a month.

Fortunately, Liam and Fifi are the best. Liam and I had dinner on Thursday evening at Hoi An, a French-Vietnamese restaurant at the Shangrila Hotel in Dubai. French grape and Vietnamese cuisine mix very well, and it was worth getting out of the house at the end of a hot and tiring week.

We also managed to go to Ikea and Hyperpanda before the work week. Ikea has always been a happy place for me. I bought a bunch of little things for my house in Cubao last year at the Dubai Festival City branch, and it's nice that Mama, Zoe and Ate Joan are using them.

Fifi visited me on Saturday afternoon and we had a short coffee date at Costa downstairs. We listed down 18 things she should be doing when she turns 30. It was a fun activity and I can't wait to do my own list! We also hear mass in the evening and had Taza for dinner. Taza like KFC, only it's an Arabic brand, and it's supposedly healthier than the Coronel's chicken.

I ended my Saturday by watching a documentary about Gypsy fighting in the UK. It was a chilling account of how travelers settles scores by using their fists, and how they expect their sons to continue this barbaric tradition.

Well, that's my weekend non-weekend. Or my non-weekend weekend.

I dreamed last night that my whole family was running away from our grandfather, who happened to be Muammar Ghadafi. Grandpa Ghadafi was chasing us in the woods. Luckily, we managed to find a nice bungalow house where we locked ourselves in and kept safe until he broke the door and slipped his hand inside! Oh no.

And then I woke up. He was still dead, I was still in bed, and it was another day at work.

Whew.

I should have known by now that when I reach my lowest point, that's exactly where my climb to a better place begins. I have had that experience many many times and I've always panicked, sunk into depression, or thought negatively. Things have always ended up better than ever. And now, no matter how much I worry or think about the worst thing that could happen to me, the reality is, things are getting better for me, and if I don't appreciate that, I would be the biggest ingrate in the world.

Forward, always forward.