My Mom's Famous Cheesy Bacon Meatloaf

So how's everyone doing on a Sunday? Apart from the obligatory attendance at church, there has got to be something that everyone's up to on their rest day. For me, I usually dedicate my Sunday paying homage to the two things that I like to do on my spare time: cooking/baking and reading. 

This Sunday is the usual any given Sunday that doesn't call for a visit elsewhere aside from church. It's one of those days when I would rather curl up in bed and practically do nothing but my flesh and soul aren't up for that today as I, together with my mom, decided to make her sought-after Cheesy Bacon Meatloaf! Uh huh, sounds so yummm, right? I consider my mom as one of the formidable home cooks in the kitchen and the best at that. She's an untouchable in that discipline which explains the number of people ready to make a beeline just to get a taste of her dishes on family and corporate gatherings. She just loves to cook and wants nothing else but be able to do so when time permits. She gains happiness in serving good food to her loved ones and make non-profitable returns. This is a prime example of her not thinking too lofty of herself and rather play smart with her priorities in life. People have been prodding her to put up a catering business and operate it alongside her office career as a fall back when she retires. But my mom decided not to. She's very stubborn sometimes to not give in to the dictation of others and that's one of her many qualities that made her a successful careerwoman. She knows if it's right to devote time and money on certain things and has mastered the art of timing. Being a force to reckon with in the workplace on weekdays and running a household on weekends are just her non-negotiables at this point. Putting up a business necessitates sheer dedication, which, she has to steer clear from at the moment so as not to sacrifice anything important in her life.

Today, my mom is very generous in sharing her Cheesy Bacon Meatloaf recipe with me/us. It's one of my favorites that I squeal in delight just thinking about it! It's cheesy and it has strips of bacon, how could it possibly go wrong? It doesn't crumble when sliced as compared to others' and is best paired with mashed potato or potato salad and red wine. Oh my gosh the feeling I had when I took my first bite was like heaven had come to me! The meat was juicy and delicious, all points covered! The smell of Christmas literally permeates in the air of our home right now. Today happened to be too mundane that it has to be spruced up with something special so my mom thought of making something that she cooks only during special occasions. I promise you, it's really good that the recipe has to be placed in a vault and get locked up until such time when my mom is ready to put up a food business. But then again, she's being generous and she doesn't want to earn anything from it(i'll convince her to think this decision over). A huge smile on my face as I take a bite out of it is enough recognition for her. Click Read More for the recipe. 

Slow Me Down

Suffice it to say, this song pretty much sums up the abundance and lack that coarse through my veins at this phase of my life. Being 20-something can be quite difficult as it's the time when I must hit the tipping point of all things necessary that shall consequently determine the trajectory of my life in the next 20 years. My life today is a case of endless possibilities and fleeting opportunities that are pronounced with a lot of prodding, and a lot more prying from friends and family. My responsibilities are jacking up lately to a point that I can't seem to get a break. It's a come and go kind of deal that's been driving by as if there was no speed limit. It makes me want to inconspicuously escape from the rattle that adamantly stifles my being to just get a breathing. I could really use the help of some ice cream and an amazing view of the mountains or the tranquil, unadulterated splash of warm sea water gently rushing between my legs. I need peace and my soul is clamoring relentlessly for it.

Am I just feeling this because I spend more than enough of my time glorifying the word 'busy' at my own expense? I get exhausted just rationalizing about it. Let me check back in a few--i'll sleep on this first.

I'm just tired, I know. For tonight, i'll find refuge under the sheets of my white linen sheeted bed.

PS: on hindsight, I wish I looked as polished and put-together as Emmy Rossum on my blah days. Grrr watch!!!

Missing Ice Chendol

Ice chendol or ice kacang is a traditional Indonesian / Malaysian dessert or drink that is very similar to our very own Halo-Halo. It is composed of shaved ice, shards of green coconut jelly, coconut milk, red beans then sweetened by simple brown sugar syrup. I came across it when we passed through Jonker St. in Melacca as it is usually sold on the streets for a dirt cheap price. I had my apprehensions about it because the lady who prepared it, I assume, was not too keen on food sanitation. But for the sake of sticking by the YOLO principle, I gave it a shot. Heck, it turned out to be the best decision that I made out of that trip because it was sooo damn good! Ice chendol tastes nutty yet heavenly. It's an explosion of flavors and textures in my mouth because it's creamy and gritty at the same time. It's not as visually stimulating as halo-halo but equally as good.  I loved it so much that I barely drank water throughout our Malaysia trip as I only wanted to drink either ice chendol or teh tarik to be hydrated. A medium sized cup costs RM3.50 (Php50). 

I'm going back to Singapore in a few weeks (as i'm based there now, currently in MNL for vacay) and I could hardly wait to have ice chendol again. Woot!

My cousin who appears delighted for having tried ice chendol

Layered teh tarik (milk, tea, sugar syrup)

The video below shows how ice chendol is prepared

Stay Happy,
Khaye :)

Laugh It Off

So how's everyone doing? Manila has been hit by a storm and certain areas are heavily flooded. This case is pretty serious as the operations of corporate offices have already been suspended. Please ensure that everything is covered in case of power outage and water supply shortage. Make sure that you have food sustenance, too. I pray that everyone remains safe and dry wherever they are.

Moving on, in my attempt to tone down the boredom brought about by the weather, I found a video from Youtube that got me laughing like a crazy. It features blooper excerpts from Bubba's/Bill Dance's fishing TV series that aired in the 90's. I don't fancy the nature of his TV show but I remember devoting at least a few seconds of my limited TV time watching him say the words "Whoa nelly!" and "Dag gummit!".  I found him funny then but right after watching this video, I find him reaallllyyyy funny now. 

Here, watch:

I hope that you gather laughs out of this despite the gloomy weather. Pray for the Philippines, too!

Stay Happy,

Khaye :)

Midnight Snack

Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream - Soo good!

This has to be the perfect accompaniment to a night of reading. Aaaaah this book (see previous post) makes me feel like a peasant! I'm afraid I might involuntarily end up finishing the entire tub! I'm so going to regret this tomorrow.. Oh well!

Happy weekend, guys!

Stay Happy,
Khaye :)

My Opulence Laden Weekend

I have a friend who is a certified bookworm and a self-proclaimed biblio curator. She is a true blue in a sense that she has amassed quite a collection of books (and read ALL of them) over the years that the scent of aged paper lingers through the air in her newly constructed home. I'm not certain if she has at least one book of every published author but you can definitely find that elusive, off the shelves New York Times' bestseller lurking somewhere in her arsenal. She has befriended the staff of bookstores in the metro who rings her phone as soon as the latest book that she's eyeing on is released. It doesn't stop there as once she steps out of her house, she serves as a walking library slash margarita buddy slash my baked goodies taste tester. I've loaned several of her books before and made sure to return them on time as she really keeps track! I discovered that she devised a way to identify the names of her friends who return her books on time and promised herself to never allow the delinquent ones to borrow again. She's really crazy that way that's why she's my friend hehe!

Anyway, the bookworm friend told me days ago that she's been crazily looking for Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians to no avail. The said book sold like pancakes at National Bookstore (the exclusive distributor in PI as of press time) and sadly, she failed to reserve a copy. I sensed that she's frustrated for not getting a hold of the book before everyone else and I was just willing to do anything to help her. She asked me if my Singapore-based friend could purchase the book and take with him when he flies to Manila. I obliged to her request and asked my friend from SG to get the book for us.

Two weeks later, I found myself getting my hands on the much coveted book that glistened from cover to cover.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

God's Eyes

We are beautiful, we are loved, we are the best--in God's eyes. 

He, who made us, perfected us. He is the truth and He never fails. Always remember that. 

Make it a great Friday, folks!

Stay Happy,

Khaye :)

A Peak Of A Designer's Closet

I want to be like her when I grow up!

Childhood Favorites: Chocolate Bars

Growing up, my parents didn't deprive us of eating whatever we liked. We were spoiled rotten for indulging on tubs of ice cream, street food, junk food, candy and of course, chocolates! Heck, what kind of a child would pass up on chocolates? For some odd reason, no matter how much we ate, we were stick thin during our growing years that's why my parents used to worry that there was something wrong with us. They would bargain on feeding us whatever we wanted in return for being obedient in taking our vitamins. As of this writing, I cringe thinking about the spoonfuls of vitamins that were force-fed upon us! Another is the terror brought about by the facial expression of my yaya as she inserted big amounts of veggies and vitamins to our mouths! I'm somehow thankful that I had experienced such myself that I wouldn't want my prospective children to be subjected to the same! I know how it feels, future darlings! Oh que horror! 

For today's throwback Thursday, I thought of sharing to you the chocolates that I loved as a kid. The list is hard to narrow so I just included the ones that I could barely get my hands on now. It's been a good 10-15 years since I last had these candy bars as they have been discontinued already.

Why Hershey's, why? They were sooooo gooood they were your gifts to children!

BarNone Chocolate Bar - milk chocolate coated chocolate wafers with peanuts and caramel

Whatchamacallit - Chocolate covered peanut wafer crisps with caramel

So what candy bars did you love when you were kids?


Stay Happy,
Khaye :)

Soon, I Hope!

This should be my throwback Thursday contribution as I missed to post one last Thursday. Music was definitely so much better in the 90's. Well that's just me speaking as an 80's to 90's kid. Perhaps someone who was born in the 70's should prolly be kicking my ass now with the best of the 70's. Loyalty and royalty, yeah! 

DIY: Chocolate Cupcakes

PMSing? Nursing a shattered heart? Simmering a disgruntled pulse? Self-loathing?

Four words:

I. Can't. Help. You.

but here are two words that ultimately make sense: 

Help yourself.

or in five: 

You can thank me later

I turn to baking when ill-feelings (or the complete lack of) take the shit out of me. It's in the arms of the baking arena that I feel in control. I find solace. I find peace. I find flour. I find sugar. I find vanilla.. 

Most importantly, I find me.

In this exact place where I found myself happened to be the same place where yummy chocolate cupcakes were recently conceived. Please allow my photos to walk you through the process:

The Fruits Of My Free Time: Baked Goodies

I would like to thank our Muslim Friends for sparing our nation with a holiday. Aside from being well-behaved people of society, granting non-muslims with a free day makes me respect them even more. With that said, let me take the initiative to appreciate them again with another thank you!

While the Allah believers were breaking their fasting rituals with their respective celebrations underway, I found myself in bed at around 5am just staring at the ceiling. I was thinking long and hard about what to do with the free day. I tried to think and nothing rang but my utter need for more sleep. I wanted to be productive but a crapload of "nah" was dominating my soul. Just before I took vengeance against all the stressful days that preceded the day, I got a whiff of what i was sure to be a chocolate chip cookie. I earnestly dragged myself up just to find where the smell came from. Everyone in the house was still fast asleep so no one's whipping up something in the kitchen. Then I remembered that I bought myself a piece of dark chocolate macadamia nut cookie from Starbucks the night before which I forgot to eat. When I opened my bag, I realized that the cookie escaped the paper baggie!!! It was a horror to see that it had crumbled and made a mess inside. The bits adhered to my perfume bottle, wallet and my bag's bottom lining. Worse, the chocolate melted and it stained my book and notebooks. Such a waste. I hate to waste food but at least my olfactory sense indulged as I swiped every cookie crumb and chocolate off my bag. Next thing I knew, I was already in the kitchen rekindling my love affair with a long time hobby.

A Solution To Math Problems

Watch these kids do their thing and you'll be amazed!

I wish this program existed back when I was a kid. It was the time when I almost gave up on math because I had poor remarks. I felt that it didn't love me so I didn't love it back. I didn't fail on the subject but my scores disappointed my parents. My dad considered hiring a tutor to help improve my grades but my mom refused. She insisted that I just needed to focus more and study harder. I was not allowed to play with my friends to ensure that I was on my math reviews all the time. You see, she couldn't stomach the possibility of her daughter being taught by a tutor as she was firm with her belief that her kids were born smart. Fail! So my parents didn't hire a tutor and I graduated from college with a reputation of being bad in math. Praise the Lord that I'm past that phase already that I don't need to deal with hardcore math problems to this day. 

Quick Hunger Fix

If you're lazy and you can't afford yourself fancy, epicurian food to address those hunger pangs that persistently crawl from afternoon to the wee hours of the night, we're pretty much in the same seat. Well I just thought of posting this as I munch my current hunger pangs away. So allow me to take you in on what i'm having right now.

Eden cheese and Fita crackers

The Inner Beki Has To Be Named

My previous post was just too serious (re: the passing of our dog) it's imperative that I immediately follow it up with a light post so here you go. :)

Got this from Instagram app under bekimon23

Farewell, Dollar.

Everything is still a blur. It's been 2 days since the tragedy happened and I tear up as I type these words. I still can't believe that you're gone.

Dollar Bill Acosta (April 26, 2011 - August 5, 2013)

I still recall the first time I laid eyes on Dollar. He was delivered to our home cradled in a teeny tiny cage that made it hard for him to breathe. The first thing that I noticed was his very expressive pair of peepers asking intently to let him out of the cage, which we immediately did. When he got out of it, I sensed his freedom radiate through his eyes. He wagged his tail left and right and ran around the house to acquaint himself with every nook and cranny of his new home. Before long, he was already actively playing with us like it was his first time to interact with anyone or anything in his life. 

Sunday Grace

Hi Friends! So how's your Sunday coming along so far?

I am sharing with you a wonderfully written song that is truly dear to my heart. I first heard this when I attended a worship service in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia and it moved me in ways that I couldn't exactly decipher. I feel His love and mercy upon me whenever I listen to this song that's why this has become a staple in my music playlist. 

The title of this song is One Thing Remains by Jesus Culture.

No matter how many times we fail the Guy up there with our ways and with our means, his faithfulness & love remains and never falters. That's how amazing of a father He is. I hope that you enjoy this song as much as I do. 

A blessed Sunday to us all!

Stay Happy,

Khaye :)

Find Your Rapper Name

If I had to rap to save my life, my existence would be so fleeting that my death certificate would have to be registered before my birth certificate.

I suck at rapping. And singing. Enough said.

Regardless, everyone deserves a rapping name, don't you think? Check the image below to check out what's yours. 

Break it down, yow!

Every Human Being Must Watch This

Nothing is more precious than the life of a human being and every living person must watch its Genesis. 

I'm a firm believer of the RH bill and this video certainly contains an unrelated meaning. Therefore, it's not in any territory to bridge non-existent gaps.

Stay Happy,

Khaye :)

What's In My Makeup Bag?

Let me commence this post by greeting everyone a happy Friday! *insert falling confetti right here* Finally we reached the most awaited day of the work week! Let's celebrate the coming of the freakin' weekend, shall we?! But wait, let's hold our horses for a little! It's still Friday and work ain't done yet. Bummer! So before we head out to a posh restaurant for a fancy dinner date or tugs! tugs! tugs! our way to the party scene or take a sip of that yummy frozen margarita or or or belt it out at the karaoke bar until our vocal chords give up on us, may I ask you, did you bring your tools with you? Right, the tools! Women's tools! If you're ehem, a woman who's living in this day and age, you get my point. If you're a woman in this day and age and you've been living under a rock.. Girl friend, it's about time to get out of that rock! 

Throwback Thursday Episode 1

We donned the same outfits then. Thanks, Mom!

Do you know what day it is today? It's Thursday! And it's time for #ThrowbackThursday or #TBT. So every Thursday, i'll try to share a photo that reminds me of my/our childhood. 

An Inquiring Mind Wants To Know

I received a message asking "Khaye, what happened to your previous blogs? Why are they not in your feed anymore?".

The answer is I deliberately deleted them. Why? I don't exactly know. That's the truth. Maybe I just want to start again with a clean slate. Maybe my posts then wouldn't really make any sense to others as I never got around to divulging the specifics, maybe I feel that it had no direction and maybe it was disorganized. I can still resurrect my previous posts as apparently they're just hidden in Blogger's safekeeping but I'm not sold into doing that. As the old saying goes, "out with the old, in with the new". Besides, change is always good.

Cheers!

Stay Happy,

Khaye :)

August Goals

Oh dear, time flew by just like that! It's August now and we're more than halfway through the year. Everyday unfolds at a rate that I could barely keep up with. A lot has been thrown down to my plate lately that now I think about it, I feel like I'm missing out on more important stuff-like myself.

You're Hired!

Jonathan Yabut - Asia's very first The Apprentice

It's another momentous day for us Filipinos as a fellow kababayan has been hailed as the first ever winner of Asia's franchise of a popular reality TV show, The Apprentice.