How to Make Deliciously Chewy and Fudgy Brownies

Wanting to satisfy my cravings one day, I searched the net for an easy recipe for chewy and fudgy brownies made from scratch. After scrolling through the endless list of recipes all claiming to be the best, I settled on one of my trusted resources: Sally’s Baking Addiction. The steps seemed fairly easy to follow, it didn’t need me to take out my big mixer, and I had all of the ingredients available in our kitchen cabinet, so I immediately set to work.

I followed almost everything, except I didn’t use a normal baking pan. I had bought a Nordic Ware Bundt Tea Cakes and Candies Pan from Tavola weeks ago and, seeing the perfect opportunity, put it to use.  Of course I adjusted the baking time, so they were in the oven for a shorter period.

The Moment "Love You Forever" Became My Favorite Children's Book

One of Sophie's assignments at school is to have someone read to her regularly.  Earlier, like all the other nights, I told her to look for a book.  This time, though, she couldn't (or didn't want to) find one that she liked.  So looking through all the books we have, I pulled out one that I was sure she would enjoy.

Me:     This is a nice one! It's a very nice story and it was Ate Caila's favorite.
Caila:  No it's not!
Me:     It was when you were very small.  You even couldn't go to sleep without it.
Caila:  I don't remember. Can you read it to us?

Celebrating Little Manila's First Anniversary with a Yacht Cruise

It was a few days after our visit to Little Manila for their Chef's Table. Hubby was simply browsing through Facebook when he saw the restaurant’s post for their Treasure Hunt contest that would be ending in a few hours. Just for the heck of it, he joined.

The following day…
   Hubby:          Mahal, nanalo daw ako!
   Me:               Saan?
   Hubby:          Sa Little Manila. Yung contest nila sa FB.
   Me:               Ano daw napanalunan mo?
   Hubby:         Yacht cruise for 2 daw. Ito, check mo yung message nila sa akin.
   Me:               Weehh? Talaga?!
True enough, that’s what it said. And you can imagine we were both thrilled to find we would get the chance to experience something luxurious like this.

Sushi Restaurant - A Hidden Gem in Sharjah

A restaurant with a name like Sushi Restaurant doesn’t sound too appealing, does it? And if you’re from Dubai and told that it’s located at the Industrial Area in Sharjah, I’m sure you’d forgo the idea of travelling all the way there, right?

Well, that’s exactly what happened to us one Friday after Hubby and I attended a presentation. One of the Titos we know from the CFC community invited us to try the restaurant for lunch; but it was only when Tito Rick guaranteed that the food was really delicious did Hubby and I agree to join; and despite their hesitations, we convinced our friends Oliver and Ana to go with us as well ☺

Can't Help Being Proud!

Two weekends ago, I received an envelope from my eldest’s school. All sorts of things went through my mind as I struggled to open it: Was there a sudden increase in the tuition fee? Is there something we had to pay but overlooked? Or worse, did Caila do something wrong?

But as I unfolded the letter, I just couldn’t believe my eyes. My daughter was an awardee! And we (her parents) were invited to the school’s Annual Prize Day the following Thursday to see her on stage to receive the Endeavour Award for the past school year!

A Fresh Catch of Seafood (and More!) at Max's Restaurant

It's nice to see Filipino brands becoming available wherever there are kabayans and being recognized globally; because aside from making us proud, they really help us not miss home that much.

One of those is "The House that Fried Chicken Built," or more popularly known as Max's Restaurant, which celebrated its 5th year in the Middle East last September. Since it first opened in Karama back in 2011, it has expanded and opened three more branches in the UAE: Al Ghurair Centre, Dragon Mart 2, and Sharjah City Centre...allowing more and more Pinoys (and other nationalities too!) to satisfy their hunger and cravings with their delectable menu items.

A PJ Masks Birthday Party at Popeye's, Karama

We had originally planned for Sophie to have her 4th birthday at school. A simple one with a cake, cupcakes, and lootbags like her sister…nothing too fancy, just something to celebrate her special day. But because of the school’s rules, we opted to give her a party elsewhere instead.

And since it was almost last minute when we had to change our plans, naturally, all the popular fast food restaurants that had party halls were already booked for the date we were eyeing. It’s a good thing when I called Popeye’s in Karama, they were available on the date and time we wanted, so Hubby and I rushed over after work and paid Dhs200 as deposit to book them.