Women undergo a lot of hormonal changes during pregnancy. I was lucky not to have any skin breakouts or acne during my 1st pregnancy. I am also lucky not to have stretchmarks. The only problem I had that was brought about by hormonal changes in my skin was the darkening of my underarm and neck. During the time I was researching for a skin product that would help minimize skin darkening, I chanced upon Beauté de Maman products. This line of products is unique because they are especially made for pregnant women and the makers made sure to make every product safe for the usage of pregnant women. You can Order now online and be assured that these products are developed by a board-certified obstetrician. Also, you can check out these Frequently asked questions for more information on this product.

I am about to sleep after finishing a huge bowl (read:2 cups) of mexican mix rice. It's 12:09 am to be exact.

I watched the President's state of the nation address and for some reason, I got really hungry so I checked what's left of our dinner and there goes the leftover in my tummy.

Hubby turns 32 today and I was waiting for the clock to turn 12am so I'd be the 1st person to greet him, well, I would be really but, technically, err never mind my explanation.

Anyways, I was thinking since today is also the start of the Lenten Season, maybe I could sacrifice something as part of my abstinence. Everybody knows that I heart food and food makes me happy so maybe if I take away a portion of this so-called 'food' for the whole lenten season, then that would mean sacrificing something. I already decided which food to abstain but I won't blog about it because I might just eat my words. But, I am hoping and praying that I would be able to abstain that one food/dish for the whole lenten season.

so what are you abstaining from?

In Manila, December is the busiest month for weddings, but in the Western Countries, it is still June which brides and grooms popularly choose to marry. However, April and May seems to be another good option. I guess it only meant that weather in these countries are highly considered when planning weddings especially if you are looking at outdoor venues. Speaking of Local Wedding Venues, you might want to check out theknot.com for all of your wedding resources. They have a comprehensive list of venues, photographers, and other wedding suppliers in your local area. All you need to do is enter your zipcode and the long list will be shown in the screen. Check the site now.

I missed last week's theme's I ♥ Food. Not because I was busy, but because I could not decide which photo to include and found one that is not really flattering. A picture of me enjoying food in a very monstrous way harharhar!

So I try to be early this week.

I love wrapped foods, turon, lumpia, burritos, crepes etc... etc... No wonder, we never ran out of flour tortilla wraps in our fridge.

Then, when I think of all these wrapped and rolled foods, I cannot help but share this amusing rolled grass I saw in D.C. hee :)

Happy Lapis y'all! and Have a fun weekend!

Now, I gotta check on this interesting sleep number bed :).

With the rate my week is running, yay! It is going to be a truly busy week. My Monday class was so hectic that I end up finishing article reviews for almost 6 hours straight and then today, we just got off from my son's pre-K screening interview. Also, tomorrow is hubby's big birthday, nothing fancy celebration but I want to cook for him and some of our in-laws who are here. I can now imagine my life with a fulltime student son, it will be a very busy one and I do not even know if I could even squeeze some time to blog. Anyways, my Russian classmate was telling me that if she was in my shoes, she'd probably be growing acne here and there because of the stress my busy life brings. You see, she always brings this acne wash on class because her breakouts are really worst when she's stressed. She told me about this website where she gets most of her acne was reviews. You might want to know about it, the site is at acnewash.org. Go check it out now :).

Happy Humpday!

We just got home from a day of feasting! Yay! The party was held to celebrate hubby's, a nephew and an Uncle's birthday. When it comes to my family's get-together, you would certainly expect that the dining table is overflowing with fatty yet very sumptous dishes so you can just imagine how one can instantly forget her diet. I swear, I am so bloated now that I look like I need an effective diet pill asap. With all these family get-togethers, it is really hard to resist temptations. I wonder when I will ever have the discipline and self-control when faced with yummy dishes. Oh well, I might as well consider effective diet pills at this time hahah! In fact, I have been reading some reviews on this wonder pills at effectivedietpills.org. Honestly, if I am not too afraid of the side effects, I would instantly jump and purchase one.

My most neglected part of myself is my hair! It has grown too long and very dry because of the cold weather. I had several attempts on getting a hair makeover, or at least a trim few weeks ago but every time I decide to visit a salon, something would hinder me from trusting a salon nearby. Also, the last time I went to the salon, my son threw a huge fit as in it was so huge it turned into an uncontrollable tantrums! I asked him why he did that and was susprised to find out that he did not want my hair trimmed. He loves smelling my hair and he wants me to keep them long. Anyways, my hair tend to be very choosy with products too because too much of it can lead to hair loss and I do not want to spend for hair loss treatment. I have seen some reliable but quite pricey hair loss products at hairlosstreatments.net. So, I would rather keep my hair free from hair products so to avoid hair loss in the future.

With all these diet pills popping out of no where, it is becoming harder to choose which one to grab. While, every doctor would find a certain brand free from side-effects or more reliable and effective, a different set of doctors will think otherwise. So you see, it has become a huge dilemma for anyone who is planning to take this wonder pills. But, according to a friend who has been taking diet pills such as clinicallix, she takes testimonials and reviews from friends and families who took one seriously. She would not take any pill that she does not know anyone from her circle who have taken it already. In short, she does not want to risk and be the guinea pig. So how about you, when you take pills, do you play it by ear, ask around, research or just rely on your doctor's prescription? If you want reliable reviews with comparison of prices, check out this comprehensive listing at consumerpricewatch.net.

For the past weeks or days, I have not weighed in. One thing is because, our digital weighing scale ran out of battery and another reason is because I dread what I am going to see in the weighing scale. So yesterday, hubby came home with the battery and asked me to see if it the scale was working. It did! More than that, it also says that I lost 2 lbs. Hohum! I was not really doing my exercise routine consistently because I lack the time to do it and I have been eating rice too. One thing, I changed in my diet is I only take fruits during breakfast. I realized that fruits are great energizer than coffee so I stuff myself with any fruits 1st thing in the morning. I still have the flabs but I feel lighter this time around. Although diet pills such as lipofuze seem to really lure me especially this one as it promises to not only trim your fats but also make your muscles lean! I am still hesitant on this easy way because of the side effects. For as long as I can do it the natural way, I would :).

Do you believe in the danger that Friday the 13th brings? Or are you weary that you might get bad news every Friday the 13th? Apparently, I try to be very careful each time Friday the 13th happens, I have nothing to lose by being careful right? A friend of mine got her retrenchment notice last Friday the 13th! But, instead of her dwelling on the bad news, she and her husband celebrated their Valentines on that night.

On the other hand, as I was watching the local news last night, I cannot help but be saddened with a couple whom received their lay off notices on Friday the 13th as well! Anyways, they were talking about how much they worked for their position now. The husband has a doctorate degree while the wife has master's degree. I realized that at this time, nothing is really permanent and no one is ever secured with their jobs as long as this financial crisis continues to prevail. Some friends resorted to payday loans online and Cash Advance which they easily availed online just to make ends meet. At least, at these time financial services companies can be relied on this type of financial aids.

#1. Potato chips. Flavored? Regular, ridged or stacked?
>>>Definitely, ridged. the ridges add to the crunchiness. I was never a fan of Pringles so stacked is not a choice for me :)

#2. Cheese doodles. Yellow or white? Puffed or crunchy?
>>>Yellow and I do not mind crunchy or puffed as long as their cheesy!

#3. Pretzels? Your favorite shape? Favorite flavor?
>>>The regular ones and small size please.

#4. Share a recipe for salsa or dip.

Avocado Tequila Salsa (mix together)
2 fully ripened avocados
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon tequila
1/2 teaspoon salt

this got me thinking to check the wholesale supplier of tomatoes in the neighborhood.

Yesterday, I had this lengthy conversation with my good old friend, C, I had to tell her something really exciting and even if I know she was busy, I really had to call her and break the news to her. She is one of the few people I trust any news or plans hubby and I would have. Anyhow, along our conversation, she mentioned about her wanting to join chat groups and forums that are looking for dates! You see, for the longest time, she has been looking for a partner in life but never got the chance to meet THE one. She attended this retreat to find out ways on how she could use her being single for other things and hobbies she might want to engage in but she admitted to me that there are days she felt really empty and would want to share with someone special the joys and blessings she has been receiving. Anyways, I told her that there specialized chat and forum online networks where she could meet people not only for dating but for networking too. She is a certified Anime fanatic and I told her about htis Anime Chat City website that gives people interested in anime a place to meet and chat. I do not know though, if she would be very comfortable on this idea but I hope she would and someday she will find the right man for her.

Pagkatapos ng aming umagang (este madaling araw!) Valentines Date, idin-date naman namin ang aming chikiting :) Saan pa kung hindi sa isa sa mga paborito niyang pasyalan, sa Living Museum. Ang kagandahan ng Living Museum na ito ay hindi naka-hawla ang mga kahayupan, isa itong kagubatan na ang mga tao ang dayuhan at nagmamasid pano sila mabuhay. Pero ang paborito siyemre ng aking anak ang mga living aquarium. Natuwa din siya magkukuha ng iba't ibang larawan ng bawat makita niya :)

After our very early dawn breakfast Vday date, we brought our son for his Valentines Day treat at the Living Museum. What is nice about this Living Museum is that animals are not caged. It is a natural forest developed in a way, tourists and people who visits the place are actually the one foreign to the place trying to have a peep at how these living creatures live in their most natural way. But of course, my son was more interested at the living aquariums and he even took a lot of pictures using his own digital camera.

That's it for now, I gotta check this conversion rate optimization.

I was born with dark circles under my eye. I do not consider them bags/eye bags because when I smile, you would not see any eye bags in me except for nights that I go sleepless. Anyhow, the reason for my being make-up inclined are these dark circles. I learned how staple concealers and under eye foundation are to me, when I started concealing these under eye circles. That was in college. Then I started putting on an eye cream when a dermatologist told me that these eye creams can help lessened the darkness but guess what? I guess they are in born so I have to live with it or go under a surgery. Anyways, if you are currently putting or applying any eye cream, you might want to check out eyecream.org and see if your eye cream product is an effective and reliable product. Eyecream.org is a website where you can go to learn more about many eyecreams on the market today. It is a free service for consumer where they can learn about eye cream ingredients, side effects, best products, etc...

Are you watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations? If not, you better do. The show is featuring all exotic food from the Philippines. I am currently watching it and remembered a friend asked me to research about his paint ball guns needs. So J, if you happen to read this I found a wide list of paintball equipment needs at jassepaintball.com. So far, this is the most comprehensive paintball website I have visited and the husband who has paintball experiences said so too.

Anyways, the show is making me starve, really!
So tune in now at Travel Channel and watch the show :). Ciao.

After our activities-filled V-day celebration, these goodies greeted me in our mailbox. WOWOWOW! I never thought Munchkin Mommy's love will reach her east coast friend hee hee. Truly, other than being a friend, I am also a fan of the Cafe Munchkin blog. Now, I got to taste her blonde brownies blondies and they're SOOO yummy in every bite and I so love the Chico PURPLE bag too :) HUGE THANKS AGAIN wengski :)

I've tasted Weng's goodies, Ces's too and I am waiting for 1 more lol! Yoohoo Abby :)

Speaking of goodies, I am going to order some baking materials online although I am quite hesitant to proceed because I have not tried their online payment services yet.

On Valentines day :)

This is just one of hubby's surprises for me over his week-long Valentines celebration. He knows how crazy I am over orchids and stargazers so he got me this Orchid Plant, instead of a bouquet of flowers. I guess, it is also his way of telling me I could now proceed with my plan on putting up a mini-zen garden in our patio.

I have finally baked my 1st cheesecake in my baking life hee. It came out yummy but the consistency, texture and generally how it looked like, I'll give a rating of zero lol! Hubby said I should not be multi-tasking while cooking or baking. You see, the reason why my 1st cheesecake had that kind of zero-rating consistency was because I was busy surfing on this coin dealer for a friend while baking it too haha! I had to stop beating it once in a while. Oh well, maybe next time I won't. I just had to squeeze in surfing Zoom Coin because my friend was in a dilemma where to trade off her rare and precious coins and I forgot to bookmark the site of Zoom Coin for her. If you are also, in this kind of collection and investment, visit their site at zoomcoin.com.

DISCLAIMER: there is something wrong with how this cheesecake looks like but for the first time, hubby fell in love with cheesecake! Hahaha! he likes this next to my Brazo de Mercedes.

Anyhoo, remember the left-over Oreo cookies which I blogged HERE? I originally wanted to follow Buge's recipe and another one I got online, but instead I decided to whip the cheesecake recipe I found at the Hershey's Recipe collection book which Glo gave me. It is so much easier and the cheesecake is yummy, I must say. Instead of Graham Crackers, I used the Oreo cookies. I took out the sugar in the crust mixture recipe because I know it would be very sweet. Then, added whipping topping in the cheesecake mixture, which explains the supple and fluffy texture. Also, I guess I overbaked it :). Nevertheless, it was a pretty easy and yummy whip :).

CRUMB CRUST: Heat oven to 350F. Stir together 1 cup Graham crackers/Oreo cookies crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl; blend in 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter or margarine, mixing well. Press mixture onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of 9 inch springform pan. Bake 8-10
minutes. Cool.

CHEESECAKE: Beat 3 packages of cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar in a bowl (easy on the sugar, I lessened my measurement) until smooth. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the whipping topping and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake 40-50 minutes or until almost set. Cool, chill and serve.

Alright, I am off to check this wall fountains site. I hope your cheesecake is better than mine :).

One of my staple foods when on diet is the egg salad or egg sandwich filling. Just make sure not be heavy on the mayo :). Recipe is found below.

# 1 large hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped
# 1-2 Tbsp mayonnaise (to taste)
# 1 Tbsp chopped green onion
# 2 Tbsp chopped celery
# Curry powder
# Salt
# Pepper
# Parsley

Oh yes and by the way, I was laughing so hard this morning as hubby and our toddler were binging on these egg sandwice/crackers as they look very alike, gestures, physique etc... Surely, they won't need any paternity test to prove their relationship :).

I was not supposed to be blogging tonight because I was so tired from our whole day actitivies-filled Valentines day celebration, but realized I needed to email an Uncle who is currently renovating his home and finished some important online tasks.

My Uncle and his family are going to expand their garage and kitchen and he needed some Precast Concrete suppliers that he wanted me to look for in the internet. You see, in the family (most especially my in-laws here), I am the designated person to do the researching online, they know I am online most of the day so it would be easy for me to look for anything they need :). In fact, when I was looking for the Precast Concrete and Precast Concrete Septic Tanks, I was able to locate instantly a reliable supplier called Jensen. I have check their clients reviews and testimonials and looks like they really is renowned in this industry. Also, they are the largest independently-owned Precast concrete supplier. I guess I already found my Uncle his supplier and will really hit the sack now as I am sooo tired, not to mentioned full both in the tummy and in the heart hee hee :) Happy V-day everyone!

Alright, have a good weekend everyone and if you have time, do check out this plasma mount site.

They say these days we have to be very careful with what we invest on. If you think you have the money to start buying a franchise or investing in small business opportunities, think twice and ask around. You do not want your money to be put to waste on such a risky time. Anyways, I found this site called franchiseopportunities.com where you could find a wide collection of franchise opportunities information and tips. Also, they have a section where you can check whick kind of franchise will suit your business style, experience and interest, check out this link: franchiseopportunities.com.

I am still not ready with my recipe of the week entries, still swamped on the schoolfront. Anyhow, this is just a quick post of a pretty scenic photo I saw at desiretoinspire.com. I remember how beautiful it is to have this spot at home, hubby's Aunt has this and we used to live in their house. My son and I would spend our breakfast there and hubby would invite me for some late afternoon chat over a cup of coffee. Miss those days!

And this one:

I have a thing for white kitchen, the cupboards of this kitchen are just to die for sigh.

I once answered in a meme that I wash my face with a long routine. Yes, the longer I brush my teeth, that's how long I wash my face too :). I usually start with a lukewarm water then hotter then lukewarm and then very cold. I believe that my skin pores need to be slowly opened before I could wash it with a facial wash or a scrub wash. The latter part needs some cold water so the pores will be closed. Anyways, speaking of scrubbing, a friend uses pronexin acne scrub for her acne. Apparently, this acne scrubs works as moisturizes as well and guarantees to remove your acne in 72 hours. If you think it did not work for you, they have some money guarantee offer fior the effectiveness of the product. Thank God for my mom's genes as I do not have to deal with acne before and now.

When a friend asked me to try a serum for a moisturiser, my skin never felt this much hydrated like how it used to when I was using a cream-based moisturizer. However, I try to mix them because the serum moisturizer can get oily so it is well-suited on cold season such as winter. Speaking of serum, I learned about this serum-based acne treatment, called oxycerin. It is a revolutionary acne serum that can possibly get rid of your acne in 1 week. Mostly, it is comprised with 5% tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has been known to be great on skin and have same effectiveness as benzoyl peroxide for acne except with no side effects. Quite convincing enough, visit the acnetreatmentsreview.net for testimonials on this product. It is better to have basis from people who actually used it before trying it on your own.

It is pretty amazing how so many diet pills have been popping out of no where. In fact, they are widely available and easily accesible in the net. While I continue to stand on my advocacy on natural ways of losing those unwanted fats, some of my friends and even family members have opted to take the short cut. Some where successful and even happy with how these diet pills such as nuphedragen made them reach their desired weight, I still stronly suggest to go the long cut which is exercise and natural diet. However, if you are really in a hurry to cut away those flabs, make sure to consult with a doctor before popping one. According to my friend, Nuphedragen is an amazing weight loss pills product that can work for everyone, she may have said this but it may work differently with your body. So always ALWAYS check with your doctor :).

#1. Are your Kitchen utensils nylon, silicone, wood or other?
>>>Combination of Nylon and Wood.

#2. Do you prefer dishes washed in a dishwasher or by hand?
>>>I'm quite obsessed with cleanliness and I do not trust the dishwasher for that save for the heating/warming purposes. SO yes, I wash our dishes manually and heat them in the dishwasher hahha!

#3. How many sets of dishes do you have?
>>>3. One for regular eating, one for parties and one for display lol!

#4. Share a recipe that calls for only one pot or pan.
I have been doing tuna pasta before, but this recipe from earthy.com is a different version.

2 1/2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh basil
8 oz elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 4 oz jar pimentos
1 9 oz package frozen cut green beans
1 cup skim milk
4 oz reduced-fat cheddar
cheese, grated
1 large can white albacore tuna packed in water, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring water,
bouillon cubes, pepper and basil leaves to a boil in a 4-quart pot.
2. Gradually add pasta so that water continues to boil.
3. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, dice pimento.
5. Stir diced pimento, green beans and milk into pot; cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta and beans are tender.
6. Stir in cheese, tuna and parsley until cheese is melted.
7. Serve immediately.

Have you ever been on TV?
>>>Yes, twice. Both on the now defunct F show. One was for Maybelline and the other was for Edgar Allan's Bridal Fashion show which I was part of.

Have you ever sung in public?
>>>Public reads school, yes in Gradeschool hahah!

Have you ever dyed your hair blond?
>>>Nope.

Have you ever eaten frogs’ legs?
>>>Nope. Although they say, it's like eating chicken legs so that would be yummy hahah!

Have you ever received a present that you really hated?
>>>Never. I love presents big and small, even repetitive :).

Have you ever walked into a lamp post?
>>>Yes, I did lol!

Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 15 people?
>>>Nope. Always with some help. But my mom can do that!

Have you ever fallen or stumbled in front of others?
>>>Before but not anymore.

Have you ever done volunteer work?
>>>Yes, I still love to if there are any opportunities. The last one was for Habitat for Humanity with the Embassy peeps.

Yes, in high school and college.

Snagged from VAN.

Usually, before going to bed, I need to have my last drink. I could not sleep without drinking something, may it be water, milk, juice and lately, green tea. Today, hubby came home from the grocery with a apple cider vinegar drink, yes it's a drink! Obviously, he has been telling me and even finding ways how I could get back to my old weight and body :). It is kinda understandable because every single day, I would whine at him on how I am gaining and gaining hee hee. Blame all this on my cooking and eating habits. Anyways, I also found about this kava root which originally came from Thailand. I am crazy about any herbs or herbal drink for that matter because of my dad who passionate about this kind of drinks. I will share more about this in my future entries once I get hold of more information about kava.

1. Be mine :: SLIMMER FIGURE
2. Ecstatic :: with DINNER.
3. Orderly :: PANTRY.
4. Sebastian :: CARTOONS.
5. Sore :: BODY (because of too much working out).
6. Don’t need :: JUNKFOOD!
7. Rockstar :: LOUD.
8. Tinfoil :: FRESH FOOD.
9. Addiction :: FOOD.
10. Where? :: RESTAURANT!

1. I wish I could.....make magic!
2. My biggest fear is....BIG C!
3. I hate to.....wasting my precious time.
4. I love....my life :).
5. Today I will....workout for 2 hours again.
6. Yesterday I .....had a lovely brunch at my in-laws lakehouse.
7. My hair is....dry and long!
8. I will never...cram ever again.

This morning, I caught hubby reading this blog lol! I know he reads my personal blogs but today I found out he also reads all my other blogs! Anyhow, he was surprised that I made an entry about our advance valentines dinner. I told him, I ran out of things to write in my food blog, hence the entry. Then he blurted out if I wanted anything for Valentines day, say a set of costume jewelry which he saw at holstedjewelers.com. Although, I would love to have a new set, I just find it impractical to say YES and get one :). His care, love and support in my every day is enough assurance that yes, I have found THE one person whom I will spend the rest of my Valentines with. That is enough gift for every hearts day :).

yes, 1 down :)

Every time big exams such as midterms and finals are scheduled, I feel stressed! Well, stressed is an understatement. Because you see, in graduate school, particularly with my course, the professors sure wants to drain the brains we have with their very analytical exam questions. So yesterday was my 1st midterms for this week, I have 1-2 more left scheduled on Thursday, Hubby knew I had not eaten well so when he picked me up from school, we headed off to this steak-all-you-can smorgasbord resto nearby.

Goodness! I had 4 slabs of this!!!
Now, my stomach feels sick hahah!

In the past week have you had any restaurant food (whether deliver or you went out)?
~ Yes, a steak-all-you-can smorgasbord resto and SONIC!

What is your favourite restaurant?
~ Thai and Italian restos and some fastfood who delivers good burgers!

What is your favourite food?
~ A LOT!!!

How often do you go out to eat/order delivery?
~ once or twice a week

Are you a good tipper (to servers or drivers)?
~ Yes, it's mandatory here and you have to follow the minimum tip.

Last night, hubby and I had a good time watching FIREPROOF. It was a free movie being offered by our church for couples come valentines but we opted to get the dvd copy instead. Anyways, while watching, I was also into my facebook account, updating with friends while blogging a bit. Hubby was telling me that I need to take sometime off online hahah! I know him when he say something he means it. Probably, he said that after I told him about this free web directories listing which obviously he has no care about. I went on by telling him that I could earn more clicks and traffic through the site. He went huh?!You see, he is not really into internet and he rarely checks on the computer. Well, I guess I need to slow down, but can I?

I am pretty amazed by people who still manage to have a skin that resembles that of a baby. Relatively, I have a fairly good skin but changes brought about by aging, stress and weather condition have somewhat slighted my skin already. But there are those who still maintain the skin they have even if they are in their 40s or 30s. Unfortunately, to some, they still need some sort of acne care treatment even during their 40s because they still continue to grow zit and acne left and right. I guess it is hormonal. If you are in this kind of situation, check out acnecuresrevealed.net for acne-related information as well as all types of acne care treatmet.

Next week, I will be pretty busy again because it is midterms week. I could not believe that I am half-way this school's winter quarter. Time flies really fast and I would not notice my most dreaded moment which is defending my dissertation is coming really soon--end of the year that is or early next year. Looking back, pursuing this Master's degree is one thing that I would be really very proud of. I cannot believe that I would actually be this determined in finishing this degree. Although, completing this does not come out cheap at all, I do not mind all the expenses we incurred anymore because after all, education is an investment.

For the 1st 3 quarters, I was given complimentary book vouchers. The book vouchers were really huge help as you know graduate school does not come with Cheap Textbooks. Anyways, when I used up all the book vouchers I had to be very wise and check were I could source used and cheap text books. I found this site called CheapestTextbooks.com where you could easily use their free search-and-compare service and check out the cheapest rates for your needed textbooks. For more information, check out their site at CheapestTextbooks.com.

I have accumulated packs and packs of Oreos minus the cream because my toddler eats only the cream, I thought of whipping Oreo cheesecake this weekend. BUGE, a twitter friend suggested to me to try her recipe which looks very easy and yummy. I think I'll try out Buge's recipe first and will try this other version which I got from Cooks.com. After all, I have tons of these Oreo cookies leftover. Ayayay!

OREO COOKIE CHEESECAKE

1 1/4 c. chocolate cookie crumbs
3-4 tbsp. melted butter
2 c. whipping cream, divided
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 c. white sugar
34 Oreo cookies divided
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Whipped cream for garnish

Crust:
Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter; press into 9-inch spring form pan. Place crust in freezer. Whip 1 1/2 cups whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

With electric beater, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and blend. Coarsely chop 24 cookies and fold into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipping cream. Turn filling into crust. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

Loosen cheesecake from pan. Melt chocolate in saucepan over low heat; cool slightly. Whisk remaining whipped cream and vanilla. Glaze top and sides of cheesecake with chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens. Cut into 10 pieces; garnish with whipping cream and cookie on top of whipped cream.

Because of this week's theme, hubby and I had to indulge in these layers of ice cream. No worries as all these scoops are fat free and sugar free (?!?!), or so we thought :).

Layers of triple dark chocolate and caramel tracks ice cream with strawberries and cherries. Happy Lasang Pinoy!

If you are planning to dispose a car but is having a hard time selling it or wanted to give it to charity, you might want to check this Red Cross Car Donation site at charitydispatch.com. All you need to do is pick the charity you wish to donate to, select the particular Redcross chapter or by the nearest state and they would do the logistics. Also, the site has information on how much your car is worth so you would know its value. For more information, visit charitydispatch.com. Also, this is tax deductible. Isn't this a good way to help people in need?

1. What can you consider your forte in cooking? Which recipe?
>>>Soupy recipes such as sinigang and nilaga :) Also, pasta with olive oil :)

2. Any tool in the kitchen you couldn’t live without – save for the gas stove and plates and dinner utensils?
>>>A microwave and a chopping board.

3. I LOVE Italian dishes. Have you eaten a calzone? Which ingredients do you prefer to have on it?
>>>YES! I love calzone. Of course, a Calzone is not complete without the salami and cheese! Yum!

4. When you crave, what you usually crave for?
>>>Sweet and Salty :)

Ignore me, I am just thinking out loud. And also, I might have lost all my 'Living the Healthy Life' credibility and this weight loss program I have been into for almost a year now, because I keep breaking my routine (and eating my words!). But this time I am really serious because, health-wise I do not feel very healthy anymore. So more than losing weight, I am more determined to have a healthy lifestyle.

Two days ago, I woke up from a nap feeling very heavy and dizzy and almost puke-y. I know I was not in my best healthy state, I lack physical activities, moreso I keep stuffing myself with unhealthy food. At that time, my son was still napping and I took advantage of my free time. I worked out for 2 hours, yes 2 hours and I felt better for the rest of the day. During the night, hubby gave me a full body massage and he was joking that I consumed good for 2 persons of massage oil. Well, he was not really joking but he was stating a fact. The next day, I woke up with a sore body and painful muscles. I know instantly, that I had to be consistent with my work out and so I did another 2 hours of working out yesterday and today. I end my work out session with at least 50 crunches, I really really hope to be consistent on this because I owe myself not only a slimmer bod but also a healthier lifestyle. And no, weight loss pill is still out of my mind and I will never take them no matter how desperate I may be.

To end this post, here is a rundown of my renewed weightloss program:

1. No rice until I lose 5-10 lbs, but if I really really crave for rice, maximum would be 1/3 cup a day and should be taken during lunch. Carbo will be composed of wheat bread and pasta.
2. Exercise 2 hours a day, 5 times a week -Mon-Fri when my son is taking his nap. That is the best time I can do this routine not first thing in the morning because the weather is still chilly.
3. Last meal of the day is 6pm. If I get really hungry and I need to be up because of blogging and school, I have to take water and fruits only. Otherwise, I have to sleep off my hunger lol.
4. No junkfood and no soda. I can live without those stuff but chocolates, no. :)

Am I too hard on myself?

It has been a month since my last recipe of the week post. I have tons of recipes to share but every time I have the urge to blog on a certain recipe, some important blogging tasks need my immediate blogging attention. Hopefully, I would be able to blog recipes I tried and excited to try next week, but wait, next week is my midterms week! Oh well, I'll try to fit it in my busy schedule. The recent Food Network magazines are piling up already and they have gazillions of recipes from appetizers down to desserts each issue. Also, hubby keeps collecting recipes from grocery stores, obviously he wanted me to whip new dishes hee. And then GLO surprised me with this Hershey's recipe collection book, thanks again Glo. Oh I am one excited cook, the only problem I have now is T-I-M-E.

For the meantime, I have to check on some spring plungers.

I guess my no-meat fasting for 30 days had some positive effects on my body, even if I gained weight because of my meat deprivation (how ironic, isn't it). As if I had Body Detox, because I was able to eliminate and clean up my system with fats or so I thought. Anyways, if you are wanting to do some colon cleansing, dual-action cleanse is a formula widely available in the market. I have not personally tried it and if you know of someone who did, please let me know the effects as a friend is thinking of trying it out.

Did you miss my entries on good finds from Fred&Friends?
I miss checking out their site and in fact, I was so happy to know that they have a lot of new items not to mention new domain: WorldwideFred.com :).

For starter, here is one of my favorite from their new items. I think this is what I need to avoid making my salad soggy.

GARDEN SALAD™
a cultivated accessory for your dining table

These lovely bamboo serving utensils are styled just like gardener’s hand tools; they’re perfect for presenting the bounty of your backyard garden. Garden Salad is crafted from natural-finish bamboo that’s low-maintenance, gorgeous, sustainable, and earth-friendly. Each pair is packed in a nice giftbox. Can you dig it?

Design: Fred studio
©2009 FRED
SOURCE

The college students (used to be) who invented Facebook is totally a genius and I would guess a millionaire by now. Facebook got to be the most amazing and centralized social networking site I have signed up with. That is why, I am deleting my other networking sites because I only want to manage a couple. Anyhow, an old male friend requested me to be his friend in FB and I was amazed by how dedicated he is with Paintball! Not only is it his hobby but he also started a mini-shop and play area in his hometown. He gets his Tippmann flatline, Tippmann package and other paintball stuff from pntball.com. I am just truly happy for he has accomplished. It is very rare to see people who enjoy what they do for a living.

Yesterday, I was alerted by my friend, W on the Denny's free meals. Hubby managed to detour and check out the fastfood but he said the line was too long to be able to get your free Grand Slam meal and he decided not to pushthrough with it. Today, I read in the news that Starbucks is going to launch VALUE MEALS, more on that later--what I am trying to say here, it is pretty amazing what these food stores do just to be able to meet the demands of the still ongoing global financial crisis. I once been told by a friend that even cash loans these days are easier to be availed just to be able to provide financial services to people in need. If there is one thing good about all these economic letdown is the fact that even big companies and stores would make such an effort to help out people get by with the triving economy.

I was checking my Google reader yesterday when I came across a friend's entry on how each family from different sides of the world spend their money on groceries. It is a pretty amazing comparison that some families can fit $5 on their monthly grocery bills while some would go all the way up until $600-$1k a month. I will re-post it in this blog so to give you an idea of what it is. I guess it also depends on where you are going to purchase your groceries. I was asked to do a presentation in class last Monday and I had to share a wee bit of information about how it is to live in my home country. People were amazed that food can get the larger chunk in our budget while my classmates said, home insurance and mortgages were the ones eating up their bills and they would even resort to fast cash payday loans just to be able to secure their homes. I guess living itself is trivial and all we can do is be flexible with what circumstance would throw upon us and that after all these crisis, we should still enjoy life :).

February 1.
Today is the day I can resurrect my love for meat :).

31 days had passed without any kind of meat in my system, meaning no pork, beef and chicken. It was a fasting and not really a diet plan. A fasting for something I am wishing :). People asked me why meat? Because for people who know me, I could not live without meat, pork especially. And fasting means sacrifice, I had to give up something that I really really like and that is meat.

During the course of this fasting, I was contemplating on being a vegan as well. But, I think the closest I could be is cutting down my meat intake. Anyways, right now I am indulging in a ham and turkey sandwich made by hubby and I must say that the 1st bite was a bit disappointing, I almost puke :(

Let's see if this puke-y feeling changes when I have my pork sinigang over lunch and grilled spareribs at dinner.

YUM!