Altanghap and Everything in Between

The Official Website of GMA PinoyTV and GMA LifeTV

2011-01-19T15:24:00.000+08:00

The Official Website of GMA PinoyTV and GMA LifeTV

Pastry lane

2010-11-24T18:59:00.002+08:00

Finally, our bakeshop is slowly taking it's shape. From a side business in our fast food establishment, it had slowly developed it's own market not only from the loyal customers in the building but through orders from friends.

Cakes, pastries and breads sold are already carefully selected based on the response of our regular customers. What I lack now is the brand to complete the package. I had spent years in searching for the perfect name. Pastry Lane suddenly came to my mind. I know the name is vain but it is subtle. I asked friends if the immediately recognized my name in it. 40% didn't =).

The name just came in time with the delivery of our kiosk. Next project is packaging.. then I'll be ready to join fairs next year!

Pastry Lane

2010-11-21T20:06:00.002+08:00

After years of finding the right mix of cakes and pastries line-up and now including breads, I've finally found a perfect name for our bakeshop... Pastry Lane.

A vain name but still subtle.

Muffins

2010-08-15T20:07:00.002+08:00

Feb weekends

2010-02-21T19:08:00.007+08:00

I'm still learning on the technicalities of taking pictures. After reading the manual, watching youtube, and reading DSLR for Dummies. I don't understand why i can't grasp the concept of Aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Tama ba?

A 5 minute lesson from my brother gave clarity to the concept. I already began taking pictures with my 1 year old dlsr using manual mode. I also made an investment on a second hand upgrade standard lens.

This weekend a slept with a terrible headache. I tried using the manual focus mode of the camera. All the effort to get the right focus strained my eyes. I know my eyes are really bad. when i looked at the shots I made, I'm sure that it was clear... but upon uploading it to my computer, it was really blurry. I'm not sure if my hands were not steady enough or if my eyes can't focus right.

Anyway.. here are the first set of pictures as approved by my daughter.

PS. I'm sorry im having a problem with the page's format...

Lolo Dad's

2010-02-15T19:15:00.008+08:00

"The Transformers " is not for my little girl

2009-06-26T06:25:00.003+08:00

yesterday before watching the movie.

Mommy: It's OP-TI-MUS PRIME
Katie: OP-TI-MUS PRIME
Mommy: Say it again
Katie: Octopus Crime

Been through that lines more than 10 times last night, I'm sure she'll say the same this morning.

new favorite brownies recipe

2009-06-13T22:07:00.002+08:00

I want to share my new favorite brownies recipe, Fudgy, dense and bittersweet. Note that this does not have any leavening. picture to follow.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Cocoa-Brownies-108346

Lakbay Pilipinas

2009-06-09T07:05:00.000+08:00

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Random Billboards

2009-06-08T19:14:00.006+08:00

Will start posting random billboards I find interesting along EDSA or C5.

I wonder why she approved this picture for her poster.

The joy of baking my own bread

2009-05-21T08:34:00.007+08:00

Rice is the staple food of every Filipino, next to it is pan de sal and white loaf bread. I recently enrolled in bread baking at ISCAHM. I must say that this is now my favorite food to prepare. I find it amazing to do something as basic as bread.

It takes almost 3 hours from preparation to final product.

I don't do kneading, I let the machine take care of it. There is a lot of waiting time in preparing the dough. 1 hour bulk fermentaion, 30 mins scaling, and another 30 mins for proofing, then bake to another 30 mins but sure worth the wait.

Initially I base on the time specified on the recipe, but my reliable baker says, as my skills improve I'll learn how see and feel when the bread is ready for the next stage. (Haha employee training the employer)

I'm also happy to share this bread baking skills with the teeners in the family, my daughter, brother and sister already know how to form the scaled dough into nice smooth dough ball.

This is actually the first food preparation my teener really enjoyed doing. My teener brother and sister enjoyed their steak sandwich with bread they prepared.

Last Saturday, I spent the whole morning bonding with my brother preparing brown bread. He learned this thru the internet and was preparing dough at home with his bare hands. I let him try the convenience of using my industrial mixer. I must say e-learning worked for him very well.

Aside from the aroma of freshly baked bread, I love the smell of the fermenting dough. I asked my classmate if I'm weird, she says it's one of the most comforting scent for her too.

"Trying" eat healthy lately. So one of the staple food on our table now is freshly baked whole wheat bread, multi grain bread, honey wheat bread and the list goes on.

HI5 gang is in Manila

2009-05-12T21:43:00.003+08:00

HI 5 gang is in Manila.
Katie is excited to watch the show. Meet the gang.

But we dont know them =(

http://www.myayalamalls.com/index.php/mall+events/id/233/Hi-5+Gang+Live+at+the+Ayala+Malls!

My other "New Baby"

2008-11-21T20:50:00.005+08:00

I started to learn how to bake in YWCA summer class at 11 years old. Recipes then was very simple like cream puff, butter cookies, brazo de mercedes, brownies etc. I started sharing baked cookies with my neighbors and friends.

Even during college, I started selling choco crinkles and brownies to my friends and boarders during Christmas season.

I also taught a few friends on how to do basic baking, some turned it to be their passion, some just ate with me.

after one and a half year of cafeteria/coffee shop, I have to admit the coffee business will not take off because Starbucks is just next door. I had decided to venture to a business closest to my heart. Cake Shop!

Leslie, 1 year after

2008-10-19T17:11:00.000+08:00

http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/gloriettablast/view.php?db=1&article=20081017-166879

I just tell her, mom’s in heaven’

October 17, 2008 05:22:00

Jeannette Andrade

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—In the past year, life for him has been a daily ordeal of “what if” and “what could have been.”

“I cannot really say that I have moved on. Every night I regret what happened,” said Carlo Cruz, whose wife Leslie died in the explosion last year at the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City.

“I keep thinking that if that [explosion] had not happened, we would be in Canada now. Leslie would be cooking breakfast. We would be one happy family who spends weekends in the park.”

But then reality hits him, said Cruz, 32. And the knowledge that he should move forward becomes a resolve made strong by his commitment to raise their daughter Amber well.

Amber is now 3 years old. Her father calls her “Leslie Junior.”

“She is very girly-girl, like her mom,” Cruz said, confiding with a relieved laugh that he had worried that she might grow up a tomboy with only him around.

With pictures of Leslie dotting the family home in Quezon City, Amber has asked about her mother at least thrice, Cruz said. “I just tell her, ‘Mom’s in heaven. She’s watching over us.’”

He said he and Amber used to visit Leslie’s grave at the Loyola Memorial Parks in Marikina City every Sunday but that he had limited those visits to once or twice a month.

“I want Amber to realize on her own that her mom’s around and what’s in her grave are just [the physical remains]. Although when I go there, I still talk to Leslie,” he said.

“I’m still trying to have faith that Leslie is happy where she is.”

‘Cherish each moment’

Days after Oct. 19, 2007, Cruz wrote a widely read e-mail about what transpired before and after the tragedy that took Leslie’s life.

He wrote how he regretted having parked where he did, not having arranged to meet with Leslie sooner, and not having “braved the dust” to get to the explosion site.

He urged other couples to “cherish each moment that we spend with our loved ones.”

Now, talking with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Cruz said he still could not find sense in the tragedy: “I still wish that this thing hadn’t happened.”

He said his in-laws were themselves barely moving on but were coping by recalling happy memories of Leslie, the youngest of three siblings and a “daddy’s girl.”

Amber’s resemblance to Leslie as a girl has helped them, Cruz said.

And his in-laws’ home in Valenzuela City is also filled with pictures of Leslie, the better for them to remember her and feel her presence.

No updates

Asked if he would pursue charges against those responsible for the explosion, Cruz said he had yet to receive updates about the court case.

He said the last he had heard was the recommendation of a Department of Justice panel to file charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and multiple physical injuries against eight officers and staff members of Makati Supermarket Corp. and two private firms conducting repair work in the area.

“Though we have a flawed judicial process, the case still underwent due process. That’s the ruling; I guess things worked out the way they should,” he said.

Cruz said he had not heard from the mall owners since the start of the year, nor had he tried to communicate with them.

He said he had received support from the Ayala family for funeral expenses as well as for psychological therapy.

But he stressed: “I have to put that away in my life and move on.”

What Cruz wants from the Ayalas now is information on their plans for the anniversary of the explosion. “Will they celebrate a Mass for the victims? Will they build a memorial for them?” he said.

‘Even small steps’

The families of the other victims have also stopped communicating with him, Cruz said.

“I guess everybody wants to move on with their lives. Stepping forward, to try even small steps, would be better, although I do not think anybody can really move on,” he said.

Once, Cruz recalled, he needed to go to Glorietta 2 to buy office supplies.

“I had to numb myself,” he said.

He described the experience as “difficult,” and said he could not stand staying in the mall for long because of the memories.

“That was where Leslie and I watched our first movie together, had our first date and other dates,” he said. “We stayed there a lot because it was the mall closest to where we used to work.”

Cruz said he had heard that the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption was preparing to hold a rally on Oct. 19 to mark the tragedy and press for justice.

He said he was not planning to join the activity: “I’m not really a big fan of these things. I want to focus on Leslie, on what we had. I mean, I have better things to do. There’s Amber. Amber’s the remnant of Leslie.”

Cruz expressed surprise at how fast time had passed, and said he felt that the tragedy had just happened yesterday.

“If I survived a year, maybe I can survive a decade,” he said, adding that Leslie would remain an angel watching over him and Amber.

Galing Galing ng anak ko!

2008-08-18T01:46:00.002+08:00

AJ has already started walking at 9 mos and 2 weeks old.

B- Cebu

2008-06-08T08:56:00.005+08:00

Katie in Cebu AirportHere are some of the pictures of our annual family trip.

Though this was not her first plane ride, she flew to US and Cebu before she turned 1, Katie was scared, She wanted to hold my hand and sit on the middle seat. I encouraged her to sit near the window to let her see the cars and houses as they turn small. She also realized how high we saw the clouds way below the plane. All through-out the ride, Katie did not stop talking, asking where we are, announcing that she's not scared anymore, how excited she was to reach Cebu.

AJ just slept throughout the flight no fuzz.

We Stayed in the Pacific Cebu Resort. Most of the guests there were Koreans and Japanese. Most members of our family surely fit in. The teenagers can pass as Korean telenovela stars.

Katie enjoyed the morning walk on the beach and the long walk on the stretch of the pier.

AJ broke a plate in the restaurant. He's movements are becoming quick and strong.

AJ enjoyed swimming in the pool, Lolo just bought him floaters with sunshade. Katie also enjoyed lying on the inflatable bed which flip her over every minute.

Arnold enjoyed the trip but was was ecstatic to know star sports was available. He did not miss his F1 ritual.

Cym, Denny and Dana, was very helpful in taking care of the kids.

It was raining most of the time so most shots are indoors or in Ayala Mall. Yes we went to Cebu to go malling in Ayala and SM. We even went to Starbucks twice.

Miggy and Katie in Timezone

Plane ride home was also a breeze, even Katie slept throughout the flight.
My Kids

BFFs
Still raining, picture taking in the verandaDalaga't Binata na, Ayan na next sets of kids na palalakihin.

A Forgotten Baby

2008-05-17T15:54:00.004+08:00

This is maybe one of the scariest experience for any parent.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/14/1210444477239.html

Parents board flight, forget toddler at airport

May 14, 2008 - 7:17AM

Tickets, check. Passports, check. Luggage, check. Baby ... oops.

A family boarded a flight on Monday in westernmost Canada, and forgot their tot at the Vancouver international airport, media said today.

The 23-month-old boy's family had just arrived in Canada from the Philippines, but they were forced to repack their overweight bags before catching a connecting flight to Winnipeg, causing them to run late.

In their sprint to the gate, the family became separated.

The boy's father Jun Parreno, told local media he had thought his son was with his wife and the boy's grandparents, who ran ahead. They thought the boy was with his dad.

On the plane, the family members were seated separately and so did not immediately realise they had left the child behind.

Some time later, a security guard found the boy, who speaks no English, wandering near the departure gate, and Air Canada officials tracked down his shocked parents on the flight.

Because the boy was so young, he was not issued a boarding pass and would have sat on a parent's lap during the flight, so airline personnel did not notice a passenger was missing.

According to the Vancouver Sun, airport security found a Tagalog-speaking Air Canada agent who looked after the child while his father flew 2,300km back to Vancouver to pick him up and then return to Winnipeg to rejoin the immigrant family on their first day in Canada.

The baby was kept in Air Canada's offices and staff found him some toys, said local media.

"Air Canada took good care of him," Parreno told the daily Winnipeg Free Press upon arrival. "I'm grateful."

AFP

Night with Papa Sam

2008-05-01T18:04:00.005+08:00

How do i ask Arnold to watch/see Sam Milby? I invited him to watch Side A with me. I think the last time we watched Side A was on our early dating days. We watched them at Shangri la Conways.

This is the only shot i got from the concert. I found Sam a bit shy. Still lacks confidence.

I'm no longer infatuated with Sam. just realized he is way too young for me. And we're both taken anyway.

Ai-ai stole the show. Audience request her to go back to the stage twice. Arnold enjoyed the stint.

Note: Joey G is still wearing his signature red pants.

Afternoon with the kids

2008-05-01T17:24:00.004+08:00

Swing at fun ranch

Kits birthday at Jollibee

In picture Tito Edgar, grand daughter Reese, Kits cousin Marty, Maia' son Luis, Maia and AJ, Katie, Maia's son Kits and yaya.

Minyaw

2008-05-01T17:13:00.003+08:00

This is Katie's pet. We adopted her from the PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare shelter on Sept 17, 2006. We had a love hate relationship with this cat. On her first week in the house, Katie would always pet her and if Minyaw hides under the TV Katie would pull the cat from the tail. Katie suffered lots of scratches then.

We are thankful to this cat, our house is mouse free.

Minyaw is one of AJ's entertainments. We put him on the walker and let him watch minyaw sleep, eat and play in our laundry area.

Wish list

2008-05-01T16:39:00.003+08:00

Summer schedule

2008-04-23T18:54:00.005+08:00

I had had a conversation with Katie last night. At her age she seems to know what she wants. This summer, she wants to learn how to swim. Next year, ice skating. Year after that, singing lesson.

Remember ok!!

I want to be a Rock Star

2008-04-23T07:24:00.006+08:00

Too much Nickelodeon. Katie wants to be a rock star because of the Naked Brothers Band.

And she still wants to be a doctor.

Picture was taken on Oct 16, 2007 when she received the guitar gift from Lolo Luther and Mommy lola.

I wanna be a doctor!

2008-04-06T18:19:00.004+08:00

Katie, what do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be a doctor. Doctor of babies and kids. I don't want to be a doctor of old people or animals.

I think she likes her pedia a lot.

This picture was taken on Oct 16, 2007, career day in Playschool International.

American Idol Top 6, My Pick

2008-04-03T22:55:00.000+08:00

in no particular order

Carly
Brooke
Jason
David A
David C
Michael

My Favorites
Jason
David C
Michael

Will Katie be on TV?

2008-04-03T21:33:00.004+08:00

We spend our Saturday mornings in Serendra to have our nails done and have lunch. Katie ;ppks forward to this since she is also included in the kikay ritual. Right after this, we take her to Martha's cake and buy her a cookie decorating kit.

On March 29, there was a shoot because this shop is being featured in Unang Hirit. Ella, GMA's talent was there part of the feature. Since Katie was the only other kid at that time in the shop, a GMA's staff asked Arnold's permission if she could also be videoed. Of course he said yes. Katie was so biba and gave a big smile and waved on the camera. She also had a nice shot with Ella.I just hope she wont be edited out.

The feature will be shown on TV next week and I hope we'll get a copy of the video.

Incidentally, Arnold was on TV before when RC was featured on ABS. The title of the show slipped my mind as of the moment.

Edit - Hay.... we missed the show. Hope we can pull strings to get a copy of the video.

Purefoods

2008-04-03T21:28:00.004+08:00

Wish this was 2 decades ago.

AJ 5 mos 3 weeks

2008-04-03T21:19:00.001+08:00

AJ is such a happy baby. He smiles every time he catches my eyes looking at him even when he is half asleep.

It is so easy to take care of him. He loves eating his first solid food. He never fuzzes very long, only when he is sleepy. He loves to watch his Daddy makes a sound from smacking his lips.

For the past week he seems to be trying to crawl . He can now lift his whole body and he is on his all fours.

Everytime AJ cries, he makes a mum mum mama sound. I wonder if he is already calling me to comfort him or if he is just mumbling. Every mom wishes her child to be a gifted one, so I would like to think he is calling me though I know otherwise.

I won!

2008-04-03T20:46:00.000+08:00

I've been an avid fan of the Dessert Comes First blog site ever since the author's Dad recommended/plugged this to me. This was back in 2005.

I was just a silent reader and had never commented on any of the posts. I enjoy every review. I look forward to visiting almost all of the restaurants which had good review. I was also wishing that I'll be featured on her blog someday.

When Lori posted her mini event on her blog, I made sure that I set my cellphone alarm on the said date and time. I was determined to win something. I wished to get the certificate for Myron since I was salivating on the steak she posted on the blog. Or the Peninsula Manila's chocolates which I have not received from my husband since Valentines 2002.

Though I did not get the food I like, I'm still lucky I won something. The best thing I won from a raffle before this was a bag of Gardenia products in the 2007 Ministop Franchisee's convention.

I really enjoyed listening to the broadcast, DJ Marco was a great and gracious host. Wish this will be a regular thing.

http://www.dessertcomesfirst.com/?p=748

Leche Flan

2008-04-03T20:43:00.001+08:00

I love leche flan, this is my favorite Filipino dessert. I like it creamy and without any bubbles.

I never fail to buy 3 Llanera from SM Makati's tiange whenever we do our groceries there. It's 3 for P100. Another good quality leche flan is from Conti's. Surprisingly this is very cheap. P95 per 6" diameter.

When i was younger, my Tita Lita and I used to cook this every Christmas or whenever we have family get together. We already forgot the recipe so we now had to find a good recipe for our Cafe.

While I was on maternity leave, Cafe staff tried it twice. They used the reliable Nora Daza's recipe. First try, the flan was ok but the caramel was pale. Second try, the caramel was ok but the texture was not nice. It looked like a taho. Which was really embarrassing.

How hard can is it to look for the perfect flan recipe...

Well, this afternoon, we tried the recipe of our new kitchen staff. And instead of steaming, we baked it via baine marie. I waited for the flan to be baked before i went home. It was worth the wait, flan was creamy, without bubbles, sugar was burned to a perfect caramel.

Hurray!!!

PS. Hay, life seemed simpler now than when i was working in IBM. I get pleasure in finding the perfect recipe and raving about it.

AJ's progress update

2008-04-03T20:42:00.001+08:00

Originally posted on Jan 4, 2008

I've decided to start a journal/ blog of my kids. Wouldn't it be nice if they can read this years from now. i still dont have a format in mind and im not really comfortable in writing long paragraph so let's see how this goes na lang.

2 months 3 weeks

AJ smiles when we talk to him and responds with ah ah.

He is relatively calm this week, cries only when he is sleepy.

He can now turn his body to his side.

AJ was good to me this week. he lets me sleep through the night. wakes me up only when he needs feeding.

He has a lot of clothes now from christmas and from Mommy lola, he wears porma clothes everyday. sayang naman if he'll rarely use his nice clothes.

on his dec 21 visit to his doctor, Dra Vienne said that he has advanced vision as he can already see the toys hanged over the examination table. She also noticed that AJ has good back and neck muscles as he can support his head for a long time.

Home sweet Home

2008-04-03T20:14:00.000+08:00

It was love at first sight. Wish I could say this is about my husband.

On our way to my sister-in-law's house, we passed by a townhouse under construction being sold. My hubby and I decided to check it out to get some idea for the our supposedly new home.

Upon entering the house, we saw it had indoor garden and loft which brought back memories of the vacation house in Puerto Azul which we had frequently visited when I was younger. I also loved the size of the kitchen, it was very spacious and had a lot of counter space.

Master's bedroom, bathroom is also really spacious. I guess the designer of the house targeted to sell the house to a woman. My father told me before that buying a house is an emotional decision. It should come from the heart. So when I had the love at first sight feeling, I moved heavens and earth to buy the house.

My eldest daughter would loved to have the room with a loft, but we decided to give it to my younger daughter since she can accommodate house guests. Also the loft will be her playroom.

Windows are huge, ceilings at high. A vast vacant lot is also behind our house that's why we enjoy the fresh air and cool breeze from the bay even during summer.

Slowly we are now replacing the old furnitures we had from our old house and the last to be bought is the dining set.

I'm really proud that at my age we have a great house of our own.