Mom-Friday Make-Over Photo Contest - UPDATE

Having this contest is quite nerve-wracking as I do not know what to expect, really. 

Will there be any participants at all? Are my prizes attractive enough? Will I be able to have choices before Friday?
These are just a few of the questions in my head, stressing me out since I thought of the contest weeks ago. But i took the risk, and hopefully, some of you out there would support me on my first "interactive" venture for the blog.

After posting my announcement yesterday, I am happy to have received some very encouraging and funny feedback from well-meaning friends.  Some found my criteria to be too broad, while others want the prizes for free!  =D

Though on the previous post I stated that no new entries until next Friday, today, I thought I can share with you my first two headers just to give you, especially new visitors to this site, an idea how they looked like and why I used them in the first place.

Header #1
The Tiffany charm bracelet caught my eye and immediately, I found it to be the fitting image for my newly-launched blog site. For me, this is a very beautiful, and elegant, symbol for Mom-Friday.  Gold is precious. The engraved heart-shaped lock charm literally spells MOM. And it symbolizes the core of being a mother which is love.

 

Header #2

Chinese silk pin cushion with five hanging "babies". My mom gave this to me before I got married.  Of course this is for sewing. I guess she gave this to me 'coz she expects me to do some sewing after I get married -- stitching loose buttons, ripped hem, torn fabric toys, etc., etc.  Eventually, I did some sewing.  But I found this too pretty, too unique that I did not dare punch on hole on it.  And it reminded me of our old smiling Buddah with many children climbing and hanging on to him.  Very nurturing, multi-tasking, domesticated.  So I used this to replace #1.

 

The image can be anything, a symbol perhaps. It can even be just a silhouette of a mother and child, or an animated drawing of a lady with loads of shopping bags on one hand and a grocery basket on the other, with a kid in tow. Dig up old files for that gem of an image or create new ones! Anything goes.

So hurry, send in your Mom-Friday images now and get a chance to win some cool prizes!  The mystery prize is still in works and I will announce it before the deadline on March 4.

For the complete mechanics and conditions, click here.

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Mom-Friday Site Make-Over Photo Contest

Wanted: New Header

In line with my blog site make-over which I announced here earlier, I am very excited to give all of you a chance to be a part of this all-important phase in creating Mom-Friday's new look.  A major element of any site is it's overall theme, look and feel, which is mainly represented by the Image Header.  It is the window to your site. It sets the tone. It creates the first impression. It introduces the reader to what the site is all about.

This header you see here now, as I have mentioned before, is just temporary.  While I was undergoing site "renovation", I found myself in a quandary and can't really decide what's the best image, or if I will be able to take a beautiful photo I can use. And eureka! A Photo Contest!

I thought this is the best opportunity for me to invite all of you to contribute your lovely photographs, graphic designs or artworks, any image that you think best represents this blog, "Mom-Friday", as described on my header and introduction (on the top, sidebar).

Anybody can have a chance to win these fab prizes:

1. Personalized JEL Stickers (for the top 3) -- water-proof, laminated finish, choose-your-own character design, and put your name or a child's name. All new design collection not yet available in the market. Stick them anywhere, from your food keepers, personal items, electronics, books, gifts, etc.

Aren't they cute? My boy's stickers are still on these containers after almost 3 years! And now my girl has her own set.  For sure, moms, kids and the kids-at-heart would love to have these! The new collection will be featured here as Mom-Finds once they are available by mid-March, with details for ordering in case you're interested.

2. Winner will also receive one (1) copy of GoodHousekeeping Collector's Edition Cookbook.
If you've been following this blog, you will notice that I am a fan of easy-to-cook dishes and this mini cookbook offers more than a hundred easy recipes! I bought 4 copies last December, kept one for myself and gave the rest as gifts. And the winner will receive the last one.

3. Mystery Prize - for the winner only
I'm feeling generous so I'm still in search of a bonus prize for you, whoever you are, so to be announced next week (",)

4. Bonus - Another bonus in case the winner is from the Philippines, I'll throw in one (1) Gymboree Coupon for 1-hour free gymplay for kids 4 years old and below, at any branch in the country. My girls is a member, my boy was too, and they just love it at Gymboree!

Here are Photo Contest mechanics:

How to join:
1. Open to anyone generous enough to share and lend me an original image.
Hubby is disqualified (",)
2. Each participant can submit a maximum of 2 entries, in either of these forms:
 a. Original photographs captured by the participant
 b. Original artworks or graphic designs made by the participant
3. Send digital JPEG file formats - between 100kb to 500kb in size (for faster upload).
I would appreciate if you can re-size to 910pixels x 300pixels to fit the header size.
If you can't re-size, it's OK, I can do it for you. But your image should speak for itself, and would still look good when cropped to these specifications.
4. Submission period:  February 26 until 12 noon (Manila time) of March 4.
This will provide ample time for me to choose and announce the top 3 images on March 5.
5. The winning image will be launched on March 9 -- my birthday!
6. Email your entries with your full name, age, occupation, and mailing address to: mymomfriday@gmail.com

Criteria (All three carry equal weight while I choose the image):
Overall impact - the image should be striking and arresting enough to capture my attention and the readers; colored image is preferred.
Relevance - the image should represent any facet of being a Mom-Friday; it should be appropriate for this blog and what it stands for.  But nothing too serious okay? (",)
Originality - it has to be unique...surprise me!

Conditions:
1. Participants should have mailing addresses that can be reached via couriers, such as FedEx or LBC.
2. Participants should be willing to give me exclusive rights and use of the image for at least 12 months from date of first use. This site will be the only venue that will carry the image. I would be so sad to see my header image used for something else.
3.  The blog title and fonts shall remain the same. Only the winning image will be superimposed on the header background.
4. All details sent by participants will be confidential and will only be used by me for announcement and awarding purposes.
5. Participants shall be responsible for certifying ownership of the image/s submitted for this contest. Winner shall be duly credited.
6. Delivery of prizes and other details shall be coordinated directly by me via email correspondence with the winner.
7. JEL Sticker designs shall be emailed to the final 3 to personalize their stickers.

For any questions or comments, just click on the feedback form and leave a message.
I the next 6 days, I will not post a new entry.  I will present the top 3 next Friday.

Join the fun! Photography enthusiasts and artists, this is your chance to showcase your work. Send your entries now and represent Mom-Friday!  Hurry, you have 1 full week to email me.

Ready? Set? Go send me that winning image!

Check update here
Mystery Prize revealed here
See the Final 3 here

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Tanigue Garlic Steak

Consider this an express dish -- 15 minutes tops.  Delicious and quite healthy too!

Tanigue (Spanish Mackerel) fish steak, pan seared in olive oil and lotsa garlic. Does it ever get more simple than this?

Garlic is my number one spice and is a staple in the kitchen. I think anything with garlic is good! And garlic steak -- whether it's with beef, chicken, or fish, is the most simple yet savory dish you can easily prepare and enjoy with steamed rice or sauteed veggies on the side. This type of dish and style of cooking is also known as steak a'la pobre, or poor man's steak, classically served with toasted garlic and potatoes.

If you practice abstinence during Lent, or on a meatless diet, this is one quick-fire dish you can serve for lunch or dinner.

Tanigue Garlic Steak (A'la Pobre)

2 tanigue fish steak slices

2 tablespoons minced garlic

sea salt / rock salt

black pepper

liquid seasoning

half a lemon (or 2 calamansi)

olive oil

1 tablespoon salted butter, optional

To prepare:

Season the fish steaks with some salt and fresh cracked pepper on both sides.

Add a few drops of liquid seasoning (I used Knorr).

Squeeze juice from half a lemon over the fish steaks. Set aside.

Mince garlic.

Heat a non-stick pan or skillet.

To cook:

Pour in olive oil, around 3 tablespoons, in the heated pan. Set to medium heat.

Lightly toast minced garlic in olive oil until light brown.

Sear the fish steak, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, depending on your preferred done-ness.

Flip over and continue cooking. Add butter if desired.

Plate and garnish with lemon wedge.

Pour over the remaining garlic-oil-butter over the fish.

Serve immediately. 

For this recipe, you can also use bangus (milkfish) belly, blue marlin or salmon steak. This tender fish steak is best eaten with garlic fried rice. And I like to press more lemon over my fish as I eat, delish!

Get more quick and easy recipes here!

As seen in Foodista

Atlantic Spanish Mackerel


I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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The ABC's of Parenting - part 1

"Parents bear the first and primary responsibility for their sons and daughters --  to feed them, to sing them to sleep, to teach them to ride a bike, to encourage their talents, to help them develop spiritual lives, to make countless daily decisions that determine whom they have the potential to become." - Hillary Rodham Clinton

My plan to finish this post on has been derailed and waiting to be edited for almost three months now since it coincided with the holiday rush and major events I was preparing for around that time last year. Finally, I can share this long overdue feature on parenting which I began to write last November.

This speaking engagement by Dr. Francis M. Dimalanta, who also happens to be my boy's doctor, was held at DML Montessori Pre-School where my boy is currently a prep student. The topic was on how to raise happy and healthy kids, and this is the second of three seminars lined up for the school year. You can also read about the first one on wellness and nutrition which I posted here several months ago in a 4-part series.

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Cold Kani Salad

Today is Ash Wednesday.
For Catholics, it is the first day of the Lenten Season which lasts for 40 days until Palm Sunday, before Holy Week. This year, the Holy Week will be from March 29 until April 4, Easter Sunday. The 40 days of Lent is a time for penance, fasting, charity and prayer. This holy season, we remember the suffering of Jesus Christ who died on the cross and saved us from our sins.  And most devout Catholics practice fasting and abstinence during this period, especially during Fridays.

As Lent begins today, adults are expected to fast -- skip meals, or abstain from eating meat starting today as a form of sacrifice, much like Jesus who sacrificed Himself for us. In our household, the kids and the senior citizens of the house are exempted from this practice. It is really a voluntary act. And I guess it will only be me who can abstain from eating meat.

So for coming few weeks of Lent, I can finally share the meatless dishes I have unintentionally "collected" over the months, just waiting to be posted here.  For starters, here's a very refreshing, cold Japanese kani salad:

COLD KANI SALAD

Head of iceberg lettuce
Kani - Japanese imitation crab sticks
Japanese mayonnaise
Corn kernels, canned (or ripe mango)

Refrigerate all the ingredients for a few hours. Bring out when ready to prepare.

To prepare:
Break and wash lettuce leaves. Then shred, or chop thinly, and place in a salad bowl or deep dish. Set aside.
Drain canned corn kernels. Set aside.

Unwrap and shred the kani, following its grains as you shred by hand.

To plate:
Bring out the salad bowl with the chopped lettuce and scatter the shredded kani on top.
Squeeze and pipe out the mayonnaise over the layered kani and lettuce.
Top with a few tablespoons of corn kernels.

Toss lightly.
Serve and consume immediately.

All the ingredients are readily available in most supermarkets.

So simple and delicious. You can have this salad anytime, any day. I for one can have this for lunch and dinner. Hubby loves this too!

For a sweeter version, you can use fresh mango cubes instead of corn. You can also add thinly sliced / grated cucumber, and crispy fragrant nori strips (seaweed) for topping!

Enjoy!

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!

Get instant updates:

My Mom-Friday on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Also on Google Friend Connect, or Subscribe Via Email.

I try my best to reply and answer any questions you may have on each entry so check back if you've left one. Thank you and do visit again!

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Mom-Friday (site) Make-Over In Progress

Mom-Friday Make-over update:

After months of browsing through sites, several trials and errors, downloading and trashing, and a few grades away from having astigmatism, I was quite satisfied with what I have found -- two templates I can easily work with. I only wanted a clean background for my photos to pop, and basic features for ease of use.

The first one was bright white, streamlined and minimalist.

The second is simple, warm and subtly feminine. As much as I wanted a very minimalist look, I finally chose the second for its warm appeal. I thought it was more apt for a "mom blog".

This site is still a work in progress as I am a total HTML Dummy, clueless to what I am doing here. Special thanks to hubby for setting up Blogger with my domain, after almost one year of dormancy! And thank God for free templates and themes with online tutorials and support from the template designers to help struggling bloggers like me.

The new look calls for a new logo and header so the image you see here is only temporary.  I consider this blog site my home online, a journal and repository of my thoughts, and whatever you see here is a reflection of me, of Mom-Friday.  Hopefully, mymomfriday.com can be a worthy platform for what all Mom-Fridays out there represent.

Who knows, maybe after a year, or less, I can have my own customized design!

Incidentally, while I am doing a make-over on this site, we are also undergoing some minor home improvements. On that aspect, I am far from clueless and that deserves a separate post altogether.

Now, back to layout tweaking...


Images from Natuzzi.com

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A Ring, A Rose, A Valentine's Day

For lovers, for friends, for husbands and wives, mothers and children, Valentine's Day is a special day spent in many different ways.

So, no matter what you do, what you give, or receive on this day of hearts...

...an engagement ring...

 

I received my engagement ring exactly 8 years ago today

 ...a paper rose...

 

My first (paper) rose from my sweet little boy

 ...blue chocolate Kisses...

 

Well...I just found these in the fridge  (",)

 

...always cherish the thought that goes with the gift, and time spent on this special day.

Hope you all had a beautiful, love-filled Valentine's Day!

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Mom-Friday Site Make-Over In Progress

Wanted:  Mom-Friday Make-Over

Hi friends!
It's the Year of the Tiger tomorrow and I guess it's about time that Mom-Friday undergo some changes.  In the days ahead, you might experience some glitches as you visit the site, and maybe a total "blackout" or temporary no-show of mymomfriday.blogspot.com altogether.  I have been planning some improvements since last year, nothing major, but I did not really had the time to make things happen.  Everything I planned to do on this site is mainly for your reading pleasure, with better content and aesthetics, to show you that I genuinely appreciate all the encouragement and inspiration.

My request is to please bear with me during this whole process. And with your help along the way, a new and improved Mom-Friday will be up and ready to chronicle more mommy adventures, and misadventures!

I would love to know what you think -- what do you like most about this site? what do you like to see more of? what don't you like in here? I will look forward to your feedback in the comment box.

As part of the site's "renovation", I will launch a contest very soon, so watch out for it!

Again, THANK YOU for your continued support.


Here's a box of sinful dark chocolates for a sweet Valentine's Day!







Update on site make-over, click here.

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Enter the Year of The Tiger with Lumpiang Tikoy

Occupying the third position in Chinese Astrology, the Tiger symbolizes power and authority, competitiveness and unpredictability. Tigers can be good leaders. They will also accept any challenge to protect loved ones and their honor. Don’t let their calm appearance fool you as Tigers will pounce when they feel it’s necessary.

Tomorrow evening, we shall usher in the year of the Metal Tiger with traditional Chinese practices and festivities for an auspicious new year. On Sunday, February 14, 2010 marks the first day of the Tiger year.  Here in the Philippines, when one receives tikoy from Chinese friends, we know that new year is just around the corner.

Traditionally, you don't buy your own tikoy.  But sometimes, you just can't wait for someone to hand you that ubiquitous red box, and you just have to buy one yourself and indulge in that gooey, chewy, sweet delicacy that abound during this time of the year. You can say tikoy is a seasonal treat but it takes many forms and you can readily buy a variety of tikoy products in your local Chinese deli or bakery.

Tikoy (loose translation: sweet cake) is a sweet confection made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and water, pounded and mixed until smooth.  Then, it's steamed in a mold, cooled, wrapped in plastic, and placed in a bright red box with the Chinese symbol for luck.

Why tikoy for new year?  Well, here's a simple rationale:  Tikoy is made to be sweet and sticky.  The giver wishes for the recepient to have a "sweet and harmonious family life" and for "good fortune to stick" to them in the coming new year. For the Filipino interpretation, "isang matamis na pag-sasama at kapitan ng swerte sa bagong taon".

As with most people, the way we cook our sliced tikoy is to dip in egg first, then fry. When I saw my son's pre-school teachers prepare the tikoy during their Chinese New Year school celebration some years back, I thought it was brilliant! It makes cooking tikoy easier, without the mess, and eating it is so much more pleasurable.  I am a self-confessed tikoy addict. Since then, I cook them like a spring roll.

Here's my favorite Lumpiang Tikoy:

To prepare:
Simply slice the tikoy and cut like large french fries. Set aside.
Peel small sheets of spring roll wrapper, one for each tikoy stick.
In a small sauce bowl, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch diluted in 2 teaspoons water. This will serve as your paste or binder.

Wrap each tikoy stick carefully.
Hold the end while you dip you finger in the cornstarch water and swipe to seal the tip of the wrapper.
Set aside all the wrapped tikoy.

To cook:
Heat cooking oil in a pan.
Before oil reaches smoking point, fry your lumpiang tikoy.
Turn and cook until golden brown.

Don't worry how long you should cook this, the tikoy was already cooked/steamed from wherever factory it came from before it was even packed.

When done, drain and rest the rolls on paper towels to absorb excess oils.
Serve and savor!

 

This was the first time the kids have tried eating this sweet, sticky confection in a crunchy form. They loved it!  Even with a front tooth missing, it did not stop my boy from biting and munching several sticks until he got so full from this snack.

Nowadays, the tikoy not only appears in white and brown (brown sugar is used), but also comes in different colors and flavors like ube (purple yam), pandan (in green), strawberry (in pink)!

A unique innovation from the plain tikoy was this new discovery at the Savemore grocery's bakery section today.  Introducing HOPTIK -- hopia at tikoy. Give it to the Pinoys when naming special food combinations. Hoptik is your typical flakey hopia (Fujian pastry with monggo/mung bean paste filling) on the outside AND stuffed with soft, chewy tikoy center. Imagine that! At P32 per pack of 4, I bought the Ube flavor which had a middle layer of ube paste instead of the regular monggo filling.  I ate two in one sitting and it was delightful and filling!

 

With the many incarnations of this humble tikoy, I hope you get to try the Lumpiang Tikoy 'coz I'm sure, you will enjoy its crunch and chewy goodness as much as we did. The kids just can't get enough of it. Gone are the days when you fry gooey tikoy squares that become too oily and flat when served, and will stick to your plate and fork while you eat.

Happy eating. From my family to yours, we wish you peace, harmony, good health and prosperity in the Year of the metal Tiger!

Wanna bite?

And here's my CHEESY TIKOY -- try it!

References:
www.chinesezodiac.com
www.chinesefortunecalendar.com


I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
Get instant updates:
My Mom-Friday on Facebook
Follow @mymomfriday on Twitter
Also on Google Friend Connect, or Subscribe Via Email. I try my best to reply and answer any questions you may have on each entry so check back if you've left one. Thank you and do visit again! (Comments with links will automatically be flagged by Disqus.)

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Tagaytay Family Holiday, Album 3: Taal Vista Hotel

Finally, the third and final installment of my series on our holiday trip last December 29 and 30, with highlights on our overnight stay at the historic Taal Vista Hotel, formerly Taal Vista Lodge, situated at the heart of cool Tagaytay City.

The boy poses in front of the fireplace at the lounge, creatively designed as a gingerbread house

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(Vegetarian) Chicharon Anyone?

Light, crunchy, flavorful, addicting! I'm talking about my snack of the hour -- Marty's Cracklin' vegetarian chicharon.

Allow me a short intermission from my Tagaytay album series. For today, I thought I'd let you in on what I've been munching on lately, in between meals, errands and chores. Yes, this is junk food. But can we not indulge in such guilty pleasures once in a while? (",)  Wait, let me back-track...look, it said "Guilt-Free" on the label.

Chicharon -- pork rind crackling, can be considered a Filipino delicacy, which was made popular in the province of Cebu.  It is best eaten with a vinegar dip. Very addicting and artery-clogging! With Marty's Cracklin', manufactured by Oishi, it claims to be vegetarian, "old-fashioned style", "guilt-free", and with zero trans fat. Made from dehydrated green peas, vegetable oil, tapioca starch, dehydrated potatoes, salt, spices, and other flavorings, it comes in Plain Salted and Salt & Vinegar flavors.

 

I discovered Marty's a few months back at the supermarket, at less than P20 for the 90g bag, and it is now a regular in our snack cabinet. It also comes in a 26g snack pack. I've tried both flavors at different times and savored every piece, every bite, down to the crumbs stuck on the inside of the foil pouch. The color and flavor can pass for an authentic all-rind crispy chicharon. But the texture and bite of Marty's is finer, whereas the real one is a little more rough and tends to stick to your teeth and gums as you chew. The shape is also obviously different as the real thing comes in irregular curly shapes and cuts as compared with this uniformly molded copy-cat. The verdict? 2 thumbs up!

I would still consider Marty's Crackling a worthy alternative to the real thing. And I do share a few bites with the kids from time to time, although I can eat the whole bag on my own.  But if luck is on your side, and you can get a hold of a few pouches of Chicharritos, then you may have just hit the jackpot.

Chicharritos IS the real thing. Made with real imported pork rind, manufactured and packed by a company in Cebu, this is the first chicharon brand I know of that is foil-packed, with limited distribution in select stores. It's been a long time since my last Chicharritos as I rarely find it in my regular supermarket visits. I believe they still have a free-standing cart at Shangri-la Plaza mall where I bought my first pack some years back. I missed it. Then just recently, my mother gave me a pack, yay!!!  She bought it at P35, or 3 packs for P100, for a 35 gram pack from a food stall in Unimart (supermarket). This is more expensive than your ordinary chips in a bag, but it is super crispy, without the sometimes hard bits of meat still hanging on the rind. And with just the right amount of salt and flavor, it is pure all-rind goodness!

 

There is no comparison between Chicharritos and Marty's. It's like comparing apples from oranges. If you crave for the real pork rind crunch, Chicharritos is my bet. For a more "wholesome" alternative, try Marty's.

I'm not yet on the healthy wagon, so any "junk food" discoveries you care to share are still welcome here (",)

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The Hubby is 30-ish

"If you have a wonderful husband who works hard and would give up anything for you, then re-post this...because great men are few and far between, and by the grace of God, I have one!"

Today, we celebrate my better half's 30th birthday...not!!! This is when he stopped counting, and I second that! Hahaha! I guess it just gets harder to accept that we're not getting any younger.  Despite the age, we learned to count our blessings, and with yet another year, we are thankful.  And I am thankful for having J in my life.  That shout-out on my opening above is from a few of my Facebook friends who posted it on their profiles. I found the line so timely and true for me, cheesy as it may sound, that I decided to humor my hubby by posting it as a greeting for him today. It was well-received.

Obviously, this entry is dedicated to J (",).

It is customary for us to have a joint birthday lunch with my brother, who's birthday is on the 5th, but that will be set another time with my parents.  For our actual birthdays, we usually eat out or just order in.  We did the latter and had a simple oriental dinner at home.

 Green soup made from pureed spinach, mixed with diced tofu, squid, shrimp, mushroom and egg.  It was good, but we've tasted better versions from other Chinese restaurants.

Since it is J's day today, I decided to order some of his favorite dishes from King Crab House along P. Guevarra in San Juan. I also thought I'd take home a Mango Shortcake from one of my favorite cake shops, Carla and Elaine's, but it was not available, and instead got the sinful Chocolate Decadence.

Birthdays will not be complete without the traditional birthday noodles.  This dish was a great combination of textures and flavors from the light and crunchy fried noodles, to the shrimp and pork sauce.

Of course I will not miss ordering the best-selling Crispy Salted Crabs.  Juicy, sweet as fresh crabs should, 'garlicky', and finger-lickin' good!

J's all-time favorite Chinese dish, the classic Sweet and Sour Pork.  This one has the right sweet-sour taste but the meat was slightly on the tough side. But still good.  

And now the most awaited moment of the day...the candle-lighting and blowing.  

The kids just love blowing out the candles, no matter who is celebrating.  And two rounds are not enough! (",)  It was J's idea to allow my girl to put as many candles as she can, and just make the cake all aglow. It did turn out quite spectacular with all the lighted candles.

Simple birthday cake -- Chocolate Decadence, made extra special with several lighted candles that included the lone yellow Smiley head. 

The girl before and after the cake-cutting. 

This is the moment she has been waiting for the whole day...to eat cake! And it was all worth the wait, as the cake was as decadent and rich as we imagined it would be -- two layers of moist chocolate cake covered in dark chocolate ganache and topped with thick caramel sauce. At the shop, I just requested for a greeting written on top and they added candy sprinkles, which my girl with a sweet tooth eagerly picked and scraped off the top as soon as we cut the cake, as you can see below.  

A perfect sweet ending to a delicious meal.

The girl made her own birthday card for daddy. The boy got a perfect score from his exam in computer class today, and declared that daddy will be proud of him today.  I am sure these are just the perfect gifts that J could ever receive today.  I still owe him a gift, but for now, my wish for him is to be blessed with good health, courage and wisdom as we go through our life's challenges, to be safe always, and to achieve success in his endeavors.

Happy Birthday! Hugs and kisses from me and the kids. We love you!

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