On making the right choices

Girlfriend and I had the best bonding moment ever. Food trip as usual this time at Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken Dinner, last full show at Megamall, cheezecake tasting at Greenfields then checked in early in the morning to sneak some zzzzzs before shopping for clothes and sandals the next day. I finally killed the curiosity on the buzz about the movie "No Other Woman". 

The movie portrays a realistic view of a complicated relationship where everyone is expected to be hurt in the end. Of course. Every character in the story can be easily related to but it will still depend on who you portray yourself with in the story.

It's a typical love triangle story. Married guy meets single girl. Single girl is out to play. Two consenting adults, what could they lose? "Kiss me, and don't you dare fall in love with me." A clear warning from single girl. The fun continues... then somebody fell along the way. Guess who?

Married guy says: "I wanna take care of you." Then started touching her life and changing it. Remember the moving scene where Ram gave Kara a bed he personally designed as a gift. Pure intentions or not, who made the first move?

When a girl says "don't kill the fun!", that means she's out to play, nothing else. We may never be able to distinguish the guy's intention but the mere fact he made an effort is something to take note of.  It will definitely hit any girl's vulnerability.  Quoting Kara Zalderiaga "a woman only becomes a mistress 'pag may emotional attachment."  So who's at fault when you have been warned in the first place?

So there goes the usual lies, changes in attitude and paranoia. It was like watching a funny film with all the cliche and brave facade both displayed by the struggling characters. In real life, it's not funny when you are in their stilletos. Both are hurt, trying to win a man's heart, trying to find the truth.

Women who don't feel secured tend to do insane things. They stalk, investigate and pretend when all they have to do is ask the right question to the right person and pray. Leave it all to the Almighty. Nothing beats a praying wife. Yes, only praying wife. Quoting Charmaine Escaler:  “bakit ko ipaglalaban ang alam kong akin."

I find this hilarious from Zafra's movie review on what exactly  the movie No Other Woman is saying:

3. Women should humiliate themselves for their men.
3.1. They should engage in public bitch fights in which handbags become metaphors for the man they are fighting over.
3.2. They should invite each other to dinner and threaten to kill the bitch who is boinking their husband.
3.3. If thinly veiled verbal aggression does not suffice, they should have a brawl in a public place.
3.4. It does not occur to them that the person connected to the penis is also responsible for their troubles.

Women are supposed to be loved. We are chased. We do not run after a guy. We don't stalk or follow them. For when women does, it doesn't only emasculate the guys but it humiliates women as well. Imagine looking for a person who's hiding from you, then asking or texting everyone if they have seen the guy. Save yourself some pride.

When Ram and his wife Charmaine stayed in the resort, I was not surprised with that kind of insensitivity. He did not only invite trouble but cracked a big stone on his head as well. It was like from a real life scenario where you're not supposed to introduce your "current" to your so called "ex". What for?

At this point you will know what kind of guy you have in your life. Is he the kind who will follow your whims when you feel like getting even to the unsuspecting party just to prove you or pretend that he is on your side? Is he the kind of guy who will try to harm the girl he promised to take care of  just because his only option is crumbling right before his very eyes? Is he the kind of guy who will stay because he needs you and only you can bear all his lies and fill the emptiness he feels inside or whatever.

Too much love will kill you. It makes us think that the joy we get from loving a person is enough reason to pursue it beyond all reason. A confident woman turned desperate. What to do? I guess all the mess should be fixed with a closure. It takes a real gentleman to face and admit what he has done and a brave woman to accept the outcome and move on with grace and dignity. The movie gave that justification in the end but sadly in real life, it rarely happens.

To end this post I'd like to share this thought about commitment. This has been a struggle to some people to understand and accept. Commitment is not something you ask, beg or force. It is freely given at the right moment and the right time. If it wasn't given, that means the person asking for it doesn't deserve it.

Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make... They can build you or destroy you, but either way, they will define you.

Can you keep promises, much more a commitment?

Improvised costume for Trick or Treat!

Every year, employees bring their kids to our company's Trick or Treat event. Minimum age requirement was 3 y/o. The first time I learned of the event my son was just 8 months old. So when he finally turned three I was so excited to bring him. My sister and I did not like the first outcome of her version of scarecrow so I was draining my creative juices an hour before we went to my office's Trick or Treat. I must say, creativity come to moms who are so tight on the budget.

Let me share our improvised version of scarecrow from Wizard of Oz.

1. an old Ukay turtleneck shirt of Tita Bingle

2. Mama's version of red topper from an excess cloth in Tita Auring's tailor shop

3. Ichiro's old hat

4. Ichiro's black school shoes

5. A yellow sack for the hay part made by Tita Xrla both for the hands and feet

6. old brown and orange leaves from our trees at home

7. Ichiro's jogging pants

8. An old string like tie made from wood craps for the belt and for the hands

9. hair pins

This is not his first Trick or Treat. He had one in school already. But being the very shy and quite a snob kid that he is, it's quite an accomplishment that he was able to join the kids in collecting candies with Mama just following around. The good news is: He was awarded BEST in COSTUME! I'm so glad that when his name was called he went forward willingly. He proudly showed me his prize which is a book making kit. We spent the next day putting up shapes and colors to make his ocean adventure book. It was a priceless bonding time.

It was worth the wait !

This was a repost from my old 360 Yahoo blog. The blog host was revamped then ultimately removed from the Yahoo features. I had so many articles on that blog but was able to recover only a few. I still have more blogs around but mostly for private posts only. PHdM is my newest baby and this is not a personal blog. It just aims to share thoughts and lessons learned for the readers to be informed, encouraged and enlightened. 

Are you a Trick or a Treat?

Stucked with the first love...

Kanina nung pauwi ako galing Ortigas, na-realize ko na tama pala talaga ang nanay ko nung sinabi nyang, 'Banda banda roon, makikita mo ang tamang tao para sayo'. Yan yung time na ngawa ako ng ngawa dahil sa isang ungas na niloko lang ako. 

Kung bata ka, tipong 15 years old, at sa tingin mo ay nahanap mo na ang prince charming mo, well kailangan mong maniwala sa akin na mali ka. Magbe-break pa kayo. Hindi ko alam kung pano. Siguro lolokohin ka nya kasi mas maganda ang isa nyang kaklase kesa sayo. O baka dahil sa Maynila sya mag-aaral at ikaw ay maiiwan sa probinsya nyo. O baka dahil sa private college ka mag-aaral at sya ay hinde. Basta, magbe-break pa kayo. Tama yung sinabi ng tatay ko na mag-aral muna ako at magtrabaho kasi mas madaming pogi, mayaman at matalino sa mga opisina. At sa Makati. Wag matigas ang ulo mo. Ayaw ng tatay mo ng madungis at hindi marunong magsuklay na manugang. Baka sapukin nya pa yun. Yang mga raker-raker at emo na yan, tigilan mo yan. Hindi ka pinag-aaral ng magulang mo para makipag-date sa taong nilalaslas ang sariling braso.  

Siguro matanda na talaga ako kaya ko naiisip ang mga bagay na ito. Kasi nung college ako tapos lagi akong pinapagalitan ng nanay at tatay ko, galit na galit ako sa kanila. Laging nakikialam sa buhay ko. Kontrabida ganun. Walang tigil kaka-text kung asan na ako. Pag di nakuntento sa text, tatawag pa yan. 

Yung una kong boyfriend nung third year high school ako, binreakan ko sya pag-uwi ko galing sa youth camp. Sabi kasi sa church dapat daw Christian din. Saka ko lang naisip na Katoliko naman sya, hindi sya Buddhist or whatever. So Christian diba? Yung sunod na boyfriend ko, binreakan ako dahil sa ibang babae. Twice. Hayup yun. Hanggang ngayon gusto kong sipain ang sarili ko pag naiisip kong binayaan ko syang gawin sakin yun ng dalawang beses. Di naman sya pogi. Yung pangatlo, college boyfriend. Basketball player. Matangkad at kamukha ni Mei Zuo sa Meteor Garden. Wag akong husgahan, I had a phase. Nag-break din kami kasi bukod sa wala syang sense kausap, hindi sya maka-keep up sa akin. Oh well. Yung sumunod, college boyfriend din. Ang totoo, hindi ko alam nung panahong iyon kung baket kami nag-break. Pagkatapos ng break up namin, may mga narinig akong balita na bakla daw sya. OMG diba? 

Kelan mo nga ba malalaman na sya na ang tamang lalaki para sayo? Akala mo joke lang yung sinasabi nilang may spark? May butterflies and insects and dragons in your stomach? Well, mali ka na naman. Totoo yun. At least para sakin, totoo sya. So kung hindi mo pa ito nararanasan, mag-aral ka muna. O magtrabaho ng maigi. Hindi mo pa time lumandi. Kaya wag ka munang lumandi. 

          Ang puno't dulo ng note na ito ay ito: Mabuti nalang naniwala ako sa mga magulang ko.




Joy Cab is my first ever guest blogger in Pinay Helpdesk Mom. She's one of the young friends I have around whom I admire a lot for having the attitude to blend well with different kinds of people. She's smart, funny and creative. She is currently involved in her own printing business. Next year, she'll be walking the aisle with her prince charming Jeff. She sings, writes, loves and eat a lot! Nah, just kidding:) Check out her food blog at Nom-mage.

on forgiving...

Forgiveness and friendship are two different things that require two different decisions...Forgiveness means you won’t invest emotional energy to your hurt anymore.

Have a forgiving attitude.And bless all those who have offended you.And believe that you’ll receive double what you have lost.

-Bo Sanchez

Taking some "Me" time

Crazy weekend it is!

Aside from my usual "me" time,  I devote time to settle unfinished business. If all goes well according to plan, then its all good. If not, this I pray:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

"Me" time gives me opportunity to listen to myself. What I really want, what bothers me as of the moment, what makes me happy, what confuses me...everything. It's a moment I temporarily let go of my mommy hat, my sisterly duties, my work and my crazy world. It's a time to focus on myself and where I am. It keeps me in touch with myself, it reminds me of my worth and the value I could share to the people in my inner circle.

It's actually a moment to reflect and listen to that inner voice from my heart. That voice Who always know the truth and the right. But most of the time, that voice is drowned by fleeting emotions blinding me from the true light.

That voice is oh so powerful that despite our effort to do things on our own, He still can turn things around for our own good. Most of the time we don't see it. We even take it against Him. His ways may not be what we wanted but He is always right.

Now I can say I've done my part. God will do the rest.
Have you done yours?

When God says No

I woke up with a feeling of realization. I was right all along. All the questions, albeit denied from the truth became clearer and sensible. It was like a jigsaw puzzle slowly falling into its right places. I need not know the details. The bigger picture only shows I deserve better.

A dear friend pointed out that being so trusting can be very traumatic. She even added:

 "ang tinapay (bread), napapanis (gets spoiled). You have to admit that it goes sour (and rotten) most of the time. So there, lesson learned. I just got rid of a rotten soul. You should too."

Thanks dear. My friends give really sound advice even if I don't give details of my private life. Their presence and kind words are enough to let me know they are always here for me.

I always know what I want. When in doubt, I put it on hold. But if I really needed it badly, I would do everything in my power to get it. I would find ways and exert total effort till I can say I've done my part. At this point, it doesn't mean I give up. Instead, this is the point where I lift it all up to Him. Then I just sit and watch.

God loves me. He cracked the egg before I even had a chance to nurture it. Thank you. You are always on time when saving me. I can no longer save the egg, it has not developed well from the very start. I was blinded by my good intentions to bring out the best in this person. But sadly, these kind of people were focused on themselves alone.

“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise”- Oscar Wilde

I want you to fight for me! That's all I ever wanted!

Sunday family time was spent in a moviehouse. Me, the boys and Tita xa went to see Real Steel. It was a good father and son movie where a stubborn kid teaches life lessons to his dad.

Hugh Jackman played the role of Charlie Kenton who was reunited with his son Max Kenton played by Dakota Goyo. The movie was exciting with all the robot fighting stunts but blended well with heartwarming and emotional scenes displayed in surprising moments.

The most memorable part was this:

Charlie Kenton: I tried, okay? I mean, what do you want from me?
[Max in tears, turns to Charlie]
Max Kenton: I want you to fight for me! That's all I ever wanted!
[he turns and leaves]

A touching moment there...

Max claims his mother is pretty cool probably why he grown so smart. When his mom died, he met his dad and discovered a lot of things about him and wished his dad to finally take him and not give him away.

I highly recommend this film for a good family entertainment. Not only it was devoid of adult scenes, it was surprisingly not the gross violent type of movie. I am very particular with movies and shows that I let my kids watch because media, I believe has great impact to the young minds. Though the exchange of conversation between the kid and his dad are not the typical Filipino setting between an elderly and a child, the honesty and straight forward attitude provides a clearer understanding of the message being sent across. At home, I practice this with my boys. I encourage them to speak their minds but in a way not offending but respectful. I do not require them of the "po" and "opo". Instead,  I remind them on choosing words carefully and to say it properly.

My boys totally enjoyed the movie. It was actually a tiring day but really awesome. Nothing beats Sundays with the boys.


"I want you to fight for me! That's all I ever wanted!"
But did somebody, in all honesty ever fought for you?

PHdM is Back to Running!

This has been one of my most awaited event for this month. Me and some friends from work joined the “Health is Wealth” Fun Run – Triple Crown Challenge by the 1st International MoneyExpo 2011. I missed running and this was a great opportunity to start hitting the road again.

my lucky number that Sunday :)

I remember my parents and siblings used to jog together every weekends. I'm lucky to have been brought up well by parents who value good health. Since then I have always loved to jog around our subdivision even when I'm alone or with friends. Before, I don't actually take it seriously. I just love to take some time appreciating the scenery or the company of good friends. Now I realized that running is really essential especially if your lifestyle is purely sedentary.

Benefits of Running:

Running improves health and physical fitness. Running improves aerobic fitness by increasing the activity of enzymes and hormones that stimulate the muscles and the heart to work more efficiently. It makes the heart stronger by increasing blood circulation and respiratory capacity.

Running helps burn fat resulting to loss in weight. I have been diagnosed last year with lumbar instability prompting me to attend physical therapy sessions for several weeks. The culprit? I'm not allowed to go beyond 55 kls. That means I have to watch my weight and make sure I don't go beyond that or else I'll get impingement syndrome or worst than that. Running is the easiest way to keep my ideal weight.

Running helps you develop stronger bones and muscles. It will not produce bulky legs, instead it will increase leg strength.

Ever heard of a "runner's high"? That's what I get after every running session. It's a refreshing feeling coupled with a feeling of accomplishment and unexplainable joy. It's like chocolates for those who are feeling sad and depressed.

Last Sunday was really a blast. I Went home with lots of goodies and prizes from the Fun Run's raffle with a bonus picture with a hunk. The universe must be listening to me when all my prayers were answered immediately.
1. may this day be a happy day
2. one pic w/ the cute guy I saw that morning (turned out he was the host of the event!)
3. win in the raffle, haha I'm such a lucky girl!

We are running again next month. Looks like the running mom is back on track!

How about you, are you back on track?

When it's time to let go...

Looking back when I first created this blog, my intention was to share life's lessons, impart knowledge and skills that can be useful to others too, create a  collection of mommy inspiring anecdotes and activities for bonding with kids and most importantly empower women.

Women are very vulnerable especially when it comes to matters of the heart. It subjects us to situations we never imagined ourselves to be caught in. It can put our guard down unknowingly even if we have been very careful with it.

One of my friends at work shared this through email. I'm not sure where he got this but I think this is quite enlightening for those who have been trapped in relationships where they can no longer move on because it became their comfort zone already. Yes, it will always be scary to start all over but how will we know if we don't try and see what's in store for us. It's like we can't received what God has in store for us because we are scared to let go of what we have right now in our hands.

I'd like to thank Chad for this piece of article he shared with us.

The reason you still can’t stop loving that person although you know that you can’t have him/her is that your subconscious mind didn’t fully accept what happened.

Acceptance can only happen when the subconscious mind makes sure that the event is irreversible. Most people who want to stop loving someone prevent themselves from accepting the fact that they can’t have him/her by doing the following:
1-Visualizing the good old memories
2-Keeping all the things that reminds them of him/her (text messages, e-mails.. etc)
3-Never confront the person directly and so keep the door open for hope

All of these practices keep hope present and as a result prevent acceptance from happening. If you want to stop loving that person you should first accept what happened by confronting him/her and making sure that she/he has no intentions to resume the relationship.

The second thing you should do is deleting the mails, the text messages and removing everything that reminds you of him/her. Preventing yourself from thinking about him/her is another very important task, I know that sometimes thoughts flow involuntary, but at least you can prevent these involuntary thoughts from growing bigger. All of these actions will convince your subconscious mind that its over and so you will be able to stop loving him/her.

One of the things that can prevent you from stopping to love someone is thinking that this person was the one.
If you think that way then ask yourself a question, is there anybody else on earth who is better than him/her? Even if you didn't find any then this doesn't mean that there isn't a better person that you didn't meet yet. Definitely he/she is the not the best person in the world else everyone would have loved him/her. Instead of feeling sad or down promise yourself that you will find someone better than him/her. This will help you get rid of the false belief that he/she is the best person in the world and so it will help you stop loving him/her.

One of the most powerful ways to convince your subconscious mind to believe in something is repetition. The more you repeat the fact that the relationship is over the more this statement is likely to turn into a solid belief. If you want to stop loving someone then prevent yourself from repeating these phrases or from even thinking about them:
I can’t live without him
I can’t stop loving him
He is the only one I loved that much

Now having read that, the earlier you start moving on, the more chance for you to save yourself from further heartache. Open your heart to greater blessings.

Macaroons de Italyana

I have a new baker on training.:)

Since Mama's brownies are getting in demand, I'm needing extra hands to meet my orders. Good thing the boys are willing to help. We also got to finally try the macaroons. The recipe was from an Italian chef Laura Vitali thus the name of my macaroons.

The ingredients are:
1 14 oz Bag of Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1 14 oz Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp of Almond Extract
2 Egg Whites, at room temperature
¼ tsp of Salt
½ tsp of Cream of Tartar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. You can use a parchment sheet or a mini muffin molder. Whisk eggs, salt and cream of tartar until very stiff peaks. I learned that the tartar stabilizes the egg whites. In a separate large bowl mix together the remaining ingredients until the condensed milk is incorporated well throughout the shredded coconut. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop the macaroons. Make sure they are about an inch apart if using baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Jiro loved the macaroons. He kept on coming back for more. My friend Joy and her soon to be husband Jeff,   who dropped by liked it too. My youngest sister who came home late today said the macaroons were delicious. I kinda liked it a little brownier but it's already well done. I guess this recipe is supposed to be just like that.

Ichiro on the other hand cracked me up when he commented that he wanted to be the host of the Junior Master Chef Pinoy Edition. I was expecting him to say he wants to join the kids. I just forgot he is officially my food critic. All my kitchen experiments have to pass his taste before I try it again. Quality control in the house. :)

What's new with you today?

Speak no Evil, Speak no Lie

Love notes are sweet. It makes us feel good on a lonely day. It lifts us up and turn our smile to a brighter one.  It can also take our pain away. So when somebody make up lies about me, I turn to God's whispers.  

God's whispers are everyday love notes that regularly come to my email. The messages are always at the right moment.  When I was younger, I would have already confronted the liar. But time has thought me that there are better ways to deal with it. I no longer act at a burst of emotion. Instead, I take time to look at a bigger picture. Then I let God do the rest because I know His love for me is greater than anybody else.

To get your daily dose of God's whispers, join the Truly Rich Club and get more by simply clicking here

I should not speak evil against anybody nor tell a lie that could break a heart.
Have you hurt somebody today?

Teaching kids to love books at an early age

I've always believed that an idle mind is a devil's playground. So I always make sure that I don't waste my time with anything unproductive. It's a good example I modelled for my kids that's why Sundays are spent with different activities for my boys. One of my boys' favorite activities is reading. I've started reading for them when they were still a baby and now it's funny that they can already make a book all by themselves. Teaching them how to read at an early age gives them an access to information they will need later on. Now I'm sharing tips on how I did it with my boys.

1. Read to them even when they are still a baby. Use big colored books to help them develop their sight and don't be embarassed to act out or  make funny voices when you read out loud.

2. Bring them to bookstores and let them choose their books. I remember Ichiro holding a how to play chess and a science book with a sheepish grin because I only asked him to choose one. Good thing the books were on sale.

He wrote a Thank you note for Mama on an ADARNA notepad and posted it on our mirror the next day:)

3. Bring them to story telling activities in malls, bookstores and school. I always mark on my calendar whenever there's a schedule in a nearby mall.

4. Let them meet the authors and illustrators of the books they love to read. Jiro was really fascinated when one illustrator drew a monkey for him while signing his book.

5. Attend bookfairs with the kids. Join them in the kids activities like costume or art contests. Last year we attended the 31st Manila International Book Fair at SMX. My boys were awarded "People's Choice Award" in a photo contest. The photo was used in Adarna Publishing House calendar for 2011. They got so many books from Adarna Publishing for their prize. They sported a tandem costume for "Ako si Kaliwa, Ako si Kanan". They even got a pic with the author of the book.

Brother-bonding through reading

The books they won in the photo contest.

6. And last but not the least, be a good example. Set a time for self reading. Let kids see you spending time reading. Ichiro has started to look for kid's magazines when he saw that I had tons of parenting and working mom magz in my shelf. They find it funny to see their pics in some of the issues of those magazines.

My time is already fully booked for my kids. The rest only come second in my priorities. It will always be our choice on how we are going to spend our time and who we are going to waste it with. For me, the boys will always be my choice.


How do you spend your time productively?

I kissed dating goodbye...

This was a book I read while on training with my current job. It was really enlightening. I recommended this to my sister who haven't had any boyfriend yet, since birth:) At first I thought this book is for teeners. But as I read through the pages, all I can do is nod my head in agreement.

While the title of the book is intriguing, its contents show a clear picture of what dating should really be. I'm fond of quotes and bits and pieces of words of wisdom. They are like vitamins to me. It inspires me that's why I take note of fave lines from books I've read. I'm sharing this hoping you get inspired too.

"True love isn't just expressed in passionately whispered words or an intimate kiss or embrace, before two people are married, love is expressed in self-control, PATIENCE, even words left unsaid."

"Even if you're going out with the person you will one day marry, a preoccupation with being the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend now can actually hinder you from being the future husband or wife that person will one day need."

          "...when I'm married I plan to make a habit of dating my wife."

"I cannot 'own' someone outside of marriage." 

"Although Michael has done nothing immoral, his pattern of short term dating potentially robs him of the flexibility, freedom, and focus of singleness.  He still operates from the old dating mindset that he's incomplete without a girlfriend" 

"Finally,expect to meet her someday soon, if you haven't met her already. She will be prepared for you by God because 'a good wife is from the Lord.'When you know you already found her, BE PATIENT--- you needn't rush. But neither should you need to delay things. Marry her within the year and count on God to help you take care of her." 

"The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing." 

"Do you really trust Him?" 

"Set your standards too high. You will never regret purity." 

"Make the purity of others your priority." 

"You can say whatever you want, but you know deep down that you've crunched."

"The best relationships are between two people who care more about each other’s good than their own momentary pleasure."

"Unless a man is prepared to ask a woman to be his wife, what right has he to claim exclusive attention? Unless she has been asked to marry him, why would a sensible woman promise any man her exclusive attention?"

"God doesn’t use our singleness to punish us. He has created this season as an unparalleled opportunity for undistracted devotion to God. And as a time for growth and service that we shouldn’t take for granted or allow to slip by."

And this is the best line I always keep in mind:

"God gives us singleness---a season of our lives unmatched in its boundless opportunities for growth, learning, and service..."
As a single you have the freedom right now to explore, study, and tackle the world. No other time in your life will offer these chances.

It's been years of blessed singleness for me. It was really difficult at first but looking back, I wouldn't trade what I have learned about myself, my capabilities and accomplishments now. It empowered me not to settle for anything less but greater. It gave me time to reflect and value myself more. Therefore, having loved myself first enabled me to share more love to others. If I can do it, so can you.

Sunday's Best

I was awakened by morning hugs and kisses from my boys. Perfect morning it is! :)

This weekend has been very toxic for me. The blog updates and pictures to post drained all my energy plus the budgetting and business plans that was assigned to me. This is why I love Sundays. It's Mama's time with my boys and the sisters are all here enjoying my latest kitchen adventure.

This sunday I tried baking pancakes instead of frying them. It's healthier and flavorful and heavier on our tummy:)

Now all you need is a pancake mix, egg, half cup of milk, and some vegetable oil. Mix them well together and put on paper cups or cupcake trays. Make sure you brush it w/ butter so as not to stick. Preheat oven in 10 minutes and set to 180'. Place the pancakes in the oven and leave it there for around 20 minutes. Check by sticking a toothpick on the pancake. If nothing sticks to it, then it's done. Garnish with cheese on top.

As usual, brownies is an all time favorite. I made more trays than usual because of orders and for a guest I was expecting that night. Sister's friends also got a chance to taste the yummy brownies.

Overall, it was a productive Sunday. How about you?

Drawing the line...

‎"At some point you will realize that you have done too much for someone or something, that the only next possible step to do is to stop. Leave them alone. Walk away. It’s not like you’re giving up, and it’s not like you shouldn’t try. It’s just that you have to draw the line of determination from desperation. What is truly yours would eventually be yours, and what is not, no matter how hard you try, will never be."

Home made Banana Split

This is the easiest and quickest way to keep my boys in place. They used to hate bananas but when I served this to them, it grabbed one of the highest spot in their list of favorite desserts. Now since this is almost everyday available in the kitchen, you can always enjoy this anytime.

Now all you need is one or two bananas sliced into round pieces, add vanilla ice cream and pour some chocolate syrup like Hershey's. I always have a bottle stored in my refrigerator for quick recipes. :)
Try it and enjoy!