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Hello September! It's the final stretch of the year and the last quarter is always the best!

I feel so invigorated after last week's 4-day long weekend vacation despite the storm. Saturday and Sunday were rainy so I dismissed any idea of going out of town but it did not prevent me from my earlier plan of having a relaxing and enjoyable furlough! Rain or shine ... It was divine :)


Sinead O' Connor

Alanis Morisette

Roxette

I woke up early that Saturday to vocalize and scare Storm Mina away. I was rather intense, to my neighbors' dismay! I belted (or more like belched because I swear I felt so out of air) Roxette's classics such as It Must Have Been Love, Alone and Listen To Your Heart. The rockstar diva in me went on with Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill cuts with my favorite, Hand in My Pocket ... not yet satisfied, I felt like shaving my head while I sang Sinead o' Connor's Nothing Compares To You. Aha! Maybe, you're thinking I'm an 80's baby! But hey, who doesn't love the 80's? Just look at the 80's hairstyles on the photos, they absolutely depict interesting times!

But after awhile (may be after 2-3 hours of headbanging the mic), I figured ballad was more my style so I changed the tempo of my concierto with my own rendition of... yes, The Carpenters' hits *LOL* you know, Rainy Days and Mondays (except that it was actually a rainy Saturday)... and Superstar. I didn't go to the ABBA thing but I managed the Sharon Cuneta classics, Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko (Literal Transalation: Even If My Hair Turned White, yep in the Philippines our hair turn puti not gray as we old. Gray is Abuhin, if so, the song title should have been Kahit Abuhin Na Ang Buhok Ko, which could be translated as Even If My Hair is Torched! Because "Abuhin" being color gray also means "turn to ashes." Hehe.) and I also sang Bituing Walang Ningning (Literal Translation: Star with No Shine). I was undecided if I would shift to jazz with Basia, Sade or Astrud ...so, I mellowed and just listened to David Pomeranz's absolutely hang-yourself-and-jump love songs with my favorite killer, "If You Walked Away." (I wonder why that song really triggers me into a melancholic mood). But before I really fall into the deep emo mode, I decided to hit the grocery!

Don't hit the diner before the grocery, Geez!

I couldn't believe that during my 4-day vacation, I went to the grocery daily! By the way, I was there again the other day, and I heard my very first Christmas song for 2011! Yipeee! It was "All I want for Christmas," Mariah Carey Version. I really don't know why the first Christmas carol I hear during the Ber months always gives me a happy feeling that makes me want to smile and jiggle dance. On this case however, I refrained from the latter because I was in a public place... tsk! (But I smiled from ear to ear, good thing I was with a friend that time). Anyway, I have one good grocery tip aside from making the list before going there: I avoid hitting the diner prior to the grocery because in my experience when I'm full, shopping for food is not as enjoyable as it should be. I feel sleepy and lazy to go around pushing my cart and grumpy lining up to pay for my grocery items. So, I eat AFTER...or at least I try.

Prasa Picono's Puto Pao

I geared up for the menu I prepared for the long weekend and boy, did I have a real sweet time cooking! I enjoyed making my Pinoy Style spaghetti... the tomato based sauce was thick, a little sweet and spicy with ground pork and lots of hotdogs. I also made my copy version of mom's pork Sinigang (tamarind based pork stew with vegetables) and I'd say I made a good clone of my favorite comfort food (which I previously blogged about HERE) because I brought my oldies some and my dad thought momsie cooked it! I also felt generous and invited my siblings and friends over to serve for free (uhmn!) my very own, Prasa Picono's Puto Pao (steamed flour cake with special pork asado filling) and Prasa Picono's Pork Siomai (steamed pork dumpling) with special chili garlic sauce. Last year, I hosted a "Free Taste Party" before my Prasa Picono's food line launch and according to my honored guests (whoelse but my sibs and friends), it's the best! Hmnnn... I didn't think they were being honest considering that I invited them for a free taste and of course, they didn't want to hurt the party host's feelings (That's not nice!), except that they actually ordered, paid for it and promoted it to friends many times after! Whoah! I also now receive lots of made to orders especially when I started marketing it online! So modesty aside, it really must be good! I promise to blog about how I started Prasa Picono's food line next time.

My new Addiction, NCIS.... Semper fi!

I love eating spaghetti while watching TV. I like twirling it with my fork, round and round before finally putting it in my mouth without taking my eyes away from the screen! But it was not a good idea when watching a TV series marathon like the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) with all the bloody murders and forensic autopsies happening on Ducky's table. Oh no, not good at all.

My long restful weekend also included a visit to my favorite salon. The David's Salon at Valley Fair has been operating for 12 years now and my trusted hair stylist, Mila is a pioneer of the said branch. I have the typical Asian hair which is very straight and black that make it very hard to style especially if the layering is not good. Surely, it will flip out! I grew it below the shoulder length and I thought it needed a good chic bob so I went for it!