JUNE 23, 2010

I just rose from a terrible nightmare. If only it was just a bad dream and didn't really happen. Everything happened so fast like there was no time to sleep or take a deep breath. The next thing I knew, we were home in Manila with heavy hearts and sad eyes. I never felt so emotionally and physically drained.

Last Wednesday, June 23, I got two terrible news. My dad's brother, our Tito Jun suddenly passed away. He collapsed and when he was brought to the hospital, it was announced Dead On Arrival (DOA). So this is how it feels to suddenly lose someone close to you. No second chances. No goodbyes.

As if it wasn't bad enough, when we arrived home, we noticed that our dog, Cindy wasn't herself. Our baby was so weak and she refused to eat. We really thought that she would die. She was confined and we had to wait in agony for her blood test result. Can all these be real? We had to leave for Manila and we didn't know what would happen to her.

Now, I'm back from that roller coaster ride. Exhausted, distressed, confused, sleep-deprived but a little stronger. I will write soon. I need to write something inspired and well-thought. There's so much to tell. But now I need rest to clear my mind. So here friends, I'm so sorry I wasn't able to inform all of you about my burdens. I hope you understand. I will update you soon. Please do come back!

Father's Day Cake-Baking

Ingredients and mixture

Wee! ready for baking!

sugar-choco frosting. who says you can't use real chocos.

funny-looking cake. hehe with sugar piping



One of my interests is cooking and modesty aside, I'm kind of good at it. Unfortunately there is not a single blog post about cooking. So to start with, let me share with you the chocolate moist cake that my sister and I made for our dad this Father's Day. I know, it doesn't look as appetizing as it should be but it really tasted so good. It was so hard to slice the middle of the cake for the frosting on the layer. The choco frosting was a big mess because I just invented it. There wasn't enough frosting because I underestimated it so I had to make about three batches. Talk about a waste of time and effort. Learn from my mistake okay, research about a better frosting recipe so you wouldn't be sorry. haha

People get intimidated with baking but honestly, it is very easy. All you have to do is follow the recipe and be very precised. Yes, if I may repeat it... Very precised. So before starting, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and baking essentials for correct measurements. If you want to try it for yourself, here is the recipe:

CHOCO MOIST CAKE
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
Dash salt
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. boiling water
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together, putting eggs and milk in last. Cocoa can be dissolved in boiling water before adding. Batter is very runny. Put in one 9 x 13 or two 8 inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.

SUGAR-CHOCO FROSTING
3/4 c. cocoa
4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. evaporated milk

Mix cocoa and sugar together first; add remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth.

There you go. It looks easy, right? Go ahead and try it! You may omit the frosting but the cake, itself is not so sweet so it's better if you put some. You may also add chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate bar in the mixture for better taste by cooking it in a double boiler. But don't overdo it, okay. Good luck!

My Dad

Many claim to have the best dad in the world. What exactly are the criteria for this?

The society dictates that fathers should be the family’s providers. My dad is indeed one great provider. Since he grew up in a monetarily challenged household, he tried his best and worked hard to give us more than what we need. But my dad didn’t just give us what money could buy; he is a loving father and husband as well. He helped my mom to raise us well. He is a strict dad, but you can still reason with him especially if you use your charm (wink!).My dad had a stressful work life. I remember him going home at night or from out of town trips exhausted, but he made sure to spend his time with his family. He freed his weekends to cook for us. We are always pleased with our dad’s cuisine. He is a superb cook. He meticulously prepares his specialties like kare-kare and caldereta. Sunday is truly a family day for us, which is spent hearing mass and eating out together.

Father’s Day has made me think about my dad. He has a lot of great qualities that I am very proud of. For one, he is very intelligent. It amazes me how he almost knows everything from History, Math, English, Science… ask him and you’ll be blown away just as he could answer nearly all the questions in the game show Jeopardy or how he always finishes his crossword puzzles. I remember when I was still a student when we had homeworks in “talasalitaan” that cannot be found on the very limited Filipino-English dictionary, he would answer it on the spot. He is also an artist. Art projects aren’t a problem when I was a kid. Even if my dad would arrive late at night and I still needed a drawing to be done, I wouldn’t worry because when I would wake up my drawing will be beaming on the table. My dad wanted to take up Fine Arts when he was young but the lack of finances made him take up marketing instead. So for our part, he made sure that we took up the course/s that we really wanted.

One of my fondest childhood memories with my dad is watching cartoons. I think it was both his stress-reliever and bonding time with his kids. He would rent our VHS tapes and we would watch together. Now that he’s retired and cable tv is here, we still enjoy our cartoon marathons. It always cracks me up when he imitates cartoon characters like Spongebob and Peter Griffin of Family Guy. You may not believe it but my dad is a comedian. He always makes us laugh with his funny jokes, gestures and impersonations. I wrote in one of my previous blogs that my dad and I are closer now and we continue to be closer everyday. He is not as strict as before and I love spending time with him.

Is Jesus M. Lorenzana the best dad in the world? I couldn’t really claim that, but in my world, he certainly is. Happy Father’s Day, daddy, I love you! Thank you for everything you’ve done. You are my idol and I am so proud to be your carbon-copy daughter!

Guess Who Had a Haircut!

Life goes on. Need I say more?

Trip to the Vet

Because of the unpredictable weather, a lot of people have been getting sick. But hey! We are not the only ones suffering. For two days now, we have been hearing coughing and sneezing outside. Our two pit bulls Nitro and Spike, and our pug Sumo are ill. We don’t have a huge transportation to bring all of them to the veterinarian so we just decided to bring Sumo and whatever is prescribed to him will also be given to the two big dogs. Our golden retriever-labrador cross Cindy has this itch in her left eye for who knows how long. We suspected it was caused by mites and applied strong medication but it didn’t seem to work, so I suggested bringing her as well.

These two dogs are well-behaved so we thought it would be easy. I made a crib-like basket for Sumo and he stayed on my lap at the front seat. He fidgeted and kept on turning because he wasn’t that comfortable. Cindy on the other hand sat on a blanket in between my mom and my sister, Mitch. She was more relaxed but she kept on standing and looking at the window to observe. Everything was manageable except for the dog hair in the air. Both the dogs were shedding too much hair. Sumo also kept on sneezing and his mucus has been splattering all over.

My dad dropped us off to the clinic because he still has to take my mom who is suffering from cough to a doctor’s appointment. We put the two on leashes. Cindy has the best temperament in the world so we didn’t worry at all. Sumo on the other hand is a different story. Even if he is a small dog, he is very dominant and we worried he would be vicious. He was surprisingly calm and behaved in spite of the presence of dogs and people. He didn’t mind when he was touched by strangers. Cindy was on the table first and she was such an angel. The vet and assistants loved her. They commented that even if she was already 10 years old, she was still energetic. It turned out that she didn’t have mites. It was just caused by food allergies. There are a lot of food that she couldn’t eat anymore like chicken, sardines and sea foods. Because she was already old, the vet advised to have her on a low-fat, low-protein diet. Poor Cindy! She has to say good bye to a lot of yummy treats. Well, better safe than sorry!

When it was Sumo’s turn, we were so worried that he would be aggressive. He was still when the assistant held and put him on the table including the time when he was vaccinated. The vet said it was normal for Sumo and our other dogs to have cough and colds because of the weather. She advised to give the pitt bulls the same medications. Sumo did well and everybody loved him too… er except for the urinating and pooping part. The personnel were cool about it.

We enjoyed bringing our two babies. I wish you were there to witness how cute they were.

Babbling about Weight

I just felt like writing something about food, eating and my body. I always get asked how I maintain my body. No, I’m not bragging to be sexy or slim. It’s just that I used to be chunky ever since I can remember and I already lost some of my flabs. I wasn't really obese or anything, I was chubby so please don't overreact and go acting surprised that I became thinner. A lot of people do that, you know. They never stop babbling about it like it was a great miracle from God. It gets so annoying. Come on, get over it. I only lost about 20, not 200 pounds. I want to tell them "Thank you for noticing and all, but can you stop overnoticing?" (If such word exists, of course) Losing weight was and is not a walk in the park. Yes, I did some dieting before but for three years now, I’m over that.

If only I can provide tips that state the pros and cons of eating this and that. I don’t pretend to eat a lot to sound cute. Neither do I act that I don’t have the appetite, to look charming. If I really really like the food, I gobble like there’s no tomorrow. If the food doesn’t suit my taste , no thank you. Even if I don’t admit that I’m a picker, I really am. There are some foods that my body refuses to take in. Well sometimes the icky food manages to get inside my mouth but it finds a way to get out before it even reaches my esophagus. People are also a factor for my eating habits. I enjoy a good eat with people close to me. I sometimes don’t take pleasure in eating when I am alone. Eating by myself is comparable to a snake eating for the sake of feeling full. The professional advise to eat balanced meals. I guess balancing for me is either having too much or little to eat. Hahaha Just kidding!

Since I don’t have the luxury to always eat out with my friends lately, I don’t have a reason to always pig out. I am lucky to be in a household of health conscious people. Since my mom has a high blood pressure and my dad already had a gall bladder stone removal, our food choices are healthier. My parents always make sure to have fruits and vegetables on the table. We opt for wheat bread than the white one. We eat more fish and chicken than red meat. Since I mentioned meat, for a year now, I bid good bye to pork. Honestly, it is not about dieting, we seldom eat pork at home anyway; it just started as a dare for a week until I decided to stick with it. I must say I miss eating grilled pork belly and pork sinigang from time to time but I don’t pretty much have pork cravings.

Even if I say that I’m not on a diet anymore, I have to admit that there are times that I feel (and look) fat especially before, during and after my menstrual period, and sadly people just seem to notice it right away. Boo! There are week, even month-long food trips I can’t say no to but I am lucky that after just less than a week of eating healthily at home, my body goes back to normal. I am proud to say I can eat what I want and whenever I want to, but I don't really want to abuse this privilege so if I'm not really hungry or I don't like the food that much, why would I eat voraciously?



The best advice I can give to those who want to lose weight is to do it slowly but surely. We all want to the fast and easy route but crash diets aren't going to help! If you're helpless enough to do it, then good luck when you crash and burn. Not eating rice and worse, carbohydrates in a long period of time is not the answer. You will regain your weight in no time. Trust me. I used to do that and it made me sick and fatter. Skipping meals is a big no no! Your metabolism would slow and would make you crave for more food. Don’t be in such a hurry. Healthy eating is better than dieting. Fruits and vegetables should be your best friends. They certainly worked for me big time. If you’re not a fan especially of vegetables, if I may be honest with you, it will be very very hard. I don’t have to tell you the health benefits of these foods, you’re not a kid anymore. Obviously you have to say good bye to your daily chips, soft drinks and fast food. The mere subtraction of these foods would be a great jump start. I know it's hard but "no guts no glory" applies to dieting. I never thought I'd stop eating pork, but I did it. A lot of people are softdrinks slaves. Not me. If soda is the only beverage, I'd rather not drink at all because it makes me more thirsty. Water is still the best thirst-quencher not some energy drink advertised on the TV.

Eating healthily doesn't mean you can't eat some junk. You can also indulge from time to time. After a week of eating healthily, you may have your favorite burger on a Saturday and of course resume your healthy appetite. For my case, I dig in to some sweets especially chocolates, if I don't I'll probably lose my mind. In terms of exercising, I can’t really help you on that. I'm not the most moving person unlike my mom who is always on the go. I must admit, though I’m not as lethargic as before. I used to complain so much when I needed to walk but now, I enjoy walking especially if I can save from a jeepney fare. We also don’t have a house help so household chores keep me moving. I prefer playing badminton than jogging. So there, I suggest you to do something that you enjoy so it wouldn’t be a burden and move a little more than usual.

Before going on a diet, make a conviction that you’ll stick to it. Also, remember that it isn’t just about losing weight but a lifestyle change. Nobody can go on a diet forever. If you think shedding pounds is hard enough, maintaining your weight loss is tougher. Anybody can easily lose pounds but maintenance is a killer. Think as well as what your REAL intentions for losing weight. While it is inspiring to lose the extra pounds to say, maybe impress a man, I think the best way is to do it for yourself. Guys come and go, and screw them if they can't handle your love handles. Plus, if you are comfortable with yourself, not only can you gain guys’ attention but confidence as well... confidence to be a better you. Are you ready for this? If you are, I wish you the best of luck!

I blogged another take on this here: http://neekul.multiply.com/journal/item/2/losing_is_a_gain_a_must_read..._or_not_hehehe