Hope everyone is having a beautiful summer or whichever season you are currently in.
As some of you were wondering what I have been up to, I am around but now posting on a new blog. Tumblr will always be my home blog. For years, I enjoyed being a part of the Tumblr community. It is on Tumblr where I have become a better blogger by learning from and being inspired by people’s passions and talents. I really value the friendships and connections that I made here.
As you can tell, I still visit your blogs and will continue to do so. Who knows I might continue to post again on Tumblr someday. For now, I created a new little personal space on the world wide web. Please come and visit and even drop me a line on my new blog if you want.
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Thank you, Maggie, for the beautiful art work of this serene fall day in my neighborhood. It was raining and the colors of fall were so vivid. I am so happy you painted this for me as I am one of your biggest fans! xoxo @maggieumber
Work has brought me to Las Vegas for a quick but very enjoyable solo overnight stay. It was a whirlwind of French dinner at Mon Ami Gabi inside the Paris Las Vegas, shopping (instead of gambling), enjoying the dancing fountain and botanical garden at The Bellagio and soaking in the jet tub in my room until I turned into a human prune!
The presentation went very well followed by a Thai lunch by our generous and kind hosts who provided all the accommodations, meals and travel. I am so blessed to have these opportunities at work.
These photos were taken at The Bellagio where I stayed while wearing the new sandals that I bought at the Chinese Laundry after dinner. Shopping is better than gambling! :)
APRIL – “All’s well that ends well” is how I would sum up the month of April. April had me on my toes taking care of life’s business. I had to travel for work, had multiple work projects, car issues and family celebrations. It was indeed a stressful and busy month but definitely not lacking in fun, travel and love from family and friends. Here are the highlights:
CAR STORY
After the bf got his car fixed, it was my turn to deal with car issues. My car had to go into the shop for a major repair. I have had enough of this stress that I have been dealing with for over 2 months. (I let the bf drive my car while his was in the shop forever!) I finally bought a new car. I have always wanted a Jeep and 4 wheel drive, so I finally got one. I am very happy cruisin’ in my brand new Jeep while blasting the satellite radio. The bf and I are looking forward to driving it to the snow in the winter. (And I still have not given up on my old gal Toyoto Matrix, she is still in the shop with our turtle of a mechanic trying to save her. I am sentimental like that.)
BABY NEPHEW’S 1ST BIRTHDAY AND BAPTISM
A GRAND CELEBRATION: That started at 9 in the morning for the baby dedication followed by lunch reception at Tomi’s Sushi and Seafood Buffet in San Jose, CA. Then followed by a feast at the grandparents’ house that lasted until almost midnight. We stuffed ourselves with yummy Filipino food including lechon (roasted pig). Food was beyond plentiful and everyone took lots of food home. It was a great time with my whole family and lots of play time with my baby nephew.
EASTER
HOT CROSS BUNS: Easter means indulging in Hot Cross Buns that are only available during this season. (I make sure that I get my fill because they are only around once a year. Yum!)
EASTER SUNDAY: I spent Easter Sunday with the bf’s family. It stormed really hard all day. We celebrated Easter at Texas Roadhouse. ( I had burger and fries.)
DATE NIGHTS
PIZZA AND PASTA DATE NIGHT: A casual date night at this suburban Bay Area restaurant (Pizza Napoli) to escape the nightmarish parking (lack thereof) in SF and surrounding areas. We had creamy artichoke pasta, sausage thin crust pizza and glass of cab. It was not bad at all!
WINGSTOP AND MEXICAN FOOD: After spending about 5 hours at the car dealership and sealing the deal, the bf and I were beyond famished! We celebrated by ordering chicken wings, fries, nachos and quesadilla to go and devoured them at home!
TRAVEL AND VACATION
SAN ANTONIO TEXAS: I was in Texas for work turned vacation. I asked the bf to meet me after my work was done. It was 4 days of delicious Tex-Mex and bbq meals, and margarita-filled date nights at the famous River Walk, and a visit to the historic Alamo. It turned out to be a really fun vacation after the sleepless nights, jet lag and work stress.
OTHER LOVELY MOMENTS
MORNING CARPOOL WITH THE BF: With the car drama were some nice moments such as commuting with the bf to San Francisco. He had a project in SF and he dropped me off in the Financial District. I do not remember going to work with him ever in the years of being together. It was a beautiful cold morning and I treated myself to a bacon and cheese croissant before going to my office.
COFFEE DATE WITH BFF: She was as busy as I was but we managed to meet up at our new hangout which is SFMoMa for a quick date. As always she spoiled me with tons of treats including salads and rice crackers. Thanks, BFF!
WONTON AND COLD: The bf brought me wonton soup when I had to stay home for a minor cold. This was impressive that I was only sick for a day when everyone in my family and at work were catching the flu left and right!
MORE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS; Loved ones’ birthday celebration at Paxti’s pizza but I was too tired to even take a picture. (Unheard of!) I managed to take one photo of the cake.
I am thankful for the strength and energy that came with the challenges. I am thankful for the blessings of my family, the celebration of my little nephew’s 1st birthday, travels and happy moments with my bf, quiet yet happy moments with BFF, the new car, stressful yet rewarding and fulfilling career, and the blessings of delicious meals and good health.
TO MY TUMBLR FRIENDS: So, these were where I had been and what I had been doing during the month of April. Thank you very much for continuing to support and visit my blog despite my inactivity on Tumblr. I miss your blogs and hoping to drop by soon!
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I do not know when and why The Alamo became an item on my Someday List. I guess it is because I am always fascinated by history, and because I really wanted to see the place that inspired the battle cry “Remember the Alamo”.
Even though The Alamo was on my (bucket) list I do not think that I would have made it there anytime soon as there are more compelling places that I would like to set foot on first.
I had the perfect chance when I had to go to San Antonio on a business trip. The Alamo was only an 8 minute walk away from The Grand Hyatt Riverwalk where I was staying.
I got to visit The Alamo twice during my trip. The first time was on a Saturday afternoon while waiting for the bf to fly in from San Francisco. I got bored and could not wait for him. I walked by tourist shops like the Wax Museum, souvenir shops, etc and even almost missed The Alamo as it was in the midst of kitschy tourist traps. I was dismayed to find that there was a stage that was erected right in front of the site due to San Antonio Fiesta. I am so glad that I could return on Monday with the bf to take another picture. The Alamo’s facade is what people desire to photograph the most and it would have been unfortunate if the only picture of The Alamo that I have has an ugly stage blocking this historic site.
There was a long line on Saturday when I went by myself so I decided to walk on the grounds first and visit the museum on the compound. The gift shop was big and pretty cool. It is housed in one of the old buildings. At almost closing time I got to go in as the line was shorter.
The bf and I returned the next day on Sunday but the line was very long so we decided to go to a nearby museum instead. Monday was when we finally got to go in as most tourists already went back home. No line at all!
I got to go inside the church twice – by myself on Saturday and with the bf on Monday. The church was empty and no photography was allowed as it is considered a place of reverence. It showed the cells where families hid during the battle in 1836, and the names of people who died defending The Alamo against the Mexican General Santa Anna and his troops.
In Texas, The Alamo is a symbol of heroism against the Mexicans and pride for Texans, while for others it represents slavery and racism. It was established as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015 along with Great Wall, the Taj Mahal, Notre Dame, and Stonehenge.
The bf and I learned a lot about this dark part of America’s (and Mexico’s) past whether we agreed with its version of history or not. We enjoyed looking at the 300 year old artifacts in the Long Barrack Museum and also visited the Bowie Exhibit. There were people in period costumes who did a show and tell. I thought that the courtyard with beautiful flowers, giant cactus, fountain and koi pond was beautiful, serene yet somber and haunting.
And yes, it is true – The Alamo is indeed small.
I am glad that I got to see The Alamo, and now can cross it off my Someday List.
TRAVEL TIP:
Weekends are packed. Go on a weekday if you can.
Plan to spend at least 3 hours to enjoy the grounds, exhibit and museum.
The Alamo is just one of the San Antonio Missions which are designated as UNESCO sites but the most popular.
It is free to go in but pay for an audio guide. (We are glad that we did!)
A souvenir picture will be taken before visitors go in for $27! which the bf bought because he is always a sucker for souvenir pictures of us. (I am glad that he did as I want to remember that fun afternoon of travel with him.)
MARCH, 2017 – I cannot believe that it is already the 2nd of May. I am two months behind in this series that I have been faithfully posting monthly since 2015. In keeping up with my blog tradition, I am still going to write about the events of this month.
So, how did March treat me? March was stressful. My bf’s car was in the shop the entire month of March. (His mechanic is a turtle but he swears by him!) I let him use my car since I can walk to the train station and San Francisco where I work is really a walking city. But I still missed my car.
Despite the car drama, there were many delicious moments in March. Here are the highlights:
BELATED BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:
Being spoiled by BFF @hungrygirlinsf as a belated birthday celebration. It was a delicious afternoon of eating and drinking wine at the Ferry Building. I wrote about it here.
DELICIOUS EATS
Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls at Hayes Valley BakeWorks (SF)– I discovered this bake shop in SF one morning on my way to a training. Oh, deliciousness!
Bagel with Cream Cheese and Salmon - I rarely eat bagels but this was a rare treat that I enjoyed during the training.
Cuban Sandwich at Tortas Los Picudos (SF) – Have you ever had Cuban sandwich?! It was packed with chicken, ham, hot dog, beef and cheese! I do not know what got into me that I was compelled me to order this monstrosity. It was delicious, though!
DATE NIGHTS
Sushi Date Night at R&R Sushi (Oakland). Followed by
Ice Cream Date Night at Fenton’s Creamery on the same evening.
Korean Date Night at Daol Tofu (Oakland)
Gastropub Date Night at Propaganda (Emeryville)
FAMILY
I barely saw my family in March because of car drama. I got to have a quick lunch wih my sister-in-law on the back of her SUV after church. We ate the Filipinio tamales that my sister gave us although we couldn't join us because she had to work. LOL!
SPRING
New Gap boots and flowers all around!
Tomato plant – a co-worker brought us little tomato plants and I adopted one!
Sunflowers – my most favorite!
Despite the car stress March has brought me a world bursting with colors and flowers, spring rain, friendships, family, delicious eats and blessings I am thankful.
I have not heard of Fiesta San Antonio before until I went to Texas for work/vacation. It is a big celebration in San Antonio, Texas that lasts for 10 days. I overheard someone calling it “the Mardi Gras of Texas”. (Except tamer and more family-friendly.) Women and young girls wear fiesta crowns made out of flower paper mache and ribbons all over town. I wore one myself and brought them home as presents for my niece, sister-in-law and sister because they are so pretty. The whole town was festive and full of vibrant colors. The bf and I caught the boat parade at the Riverwalk. There were musicians, military and children on the floats waving at people. We had a perfect spot right by Grand Hyatt where we stayed. This celebration is another example of wonderful unexpected events that one finds when traveling.
San Antonio, Texas has been on my Someday List. I am happy that I was given an opportunity to visit this historic city when I went there for work turned vacation from April 20 - 25. I got to:
Walk and dine at The San Antonio Riverwalk
Visit The Alamo, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Be a spectator at San Antonio’s annual festival “Fiesta San Antonio”
Visit The Texas Ranger Museum which was kitschy but fun
The Riverwalk and Alamo were items on my Someday List but the Fiesta and Texas Ranger Museum were serendipitous finds which what make traveling so exciting!
Photo: At the Riverwalk after I was forced to buy a pair of overpriced flip flops when I started to develop blisters from too much walking -- April 21, 2017.
Currently on a work/vacation in San Antonio, Texas. This is my breakfast in bed. Waiting for the bf to join me here later from SF Bay Area. Now on vacation mode after a stressful week of preparing for work here. Finally got some sleep and rest. Now bingeing on Netflix, reading and will be exploring the River Walk again later. Follow me on IG @msfoodloversf on my Texas adventure!
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Wishing everyone the joys and hope that Easter brings. Since I don’t have any Easter eggs, I am showing off Filipino cheese puto. (Okay, Spanish speakers you can stop laughing now 😛!) A puto is a Filipino rice cake. ☺Happy Easter!
We went wine tasting at V Sattui Winery in Napa Valley. This winery produces Gamay Rouge which is one of my most favorite wines. It is described as:
“Bright and fruity, this favorite bursts with juicy flavors of ripe strawberry, crisp tart cherry, and cranberry.”
As a birthday present for myself, I bought a case of this summer wine for me to enjoy and share among friends and family.
This concludes my birthday celebration this year. It was simple, and full of love and blessings. I would like to thank everyone for the generous hearts and brithday greetings -- @aubriestar, @andrewgraemegould, @soraniyan @sims3-4-creations-mycats, @teesh-oh, @goldiepandi @lunoday @peintre-stephane, @maggieumber, @toadlyjin @logwire @amysbubble @kyrah52@retreatintoserenity and my BFF @hungrygirlinsf
Past posts and photos of V Sattui Winery: Wine Tassting at V Sattui 2014 | Girls Summer Picnic 2014
If life does not give you a cake on your birthday then stick a candle in your noodles, close your eyes and make a wish. #wordsofwisdom LOL!
It stormed very hard, all day and non-stop on my actual birthday which fell on Monday, President’s Day. I told the bf that he did not have to go out to get me a birthday cake. I just really wanted to blow a candle and did not care for the cake. And I wanted to eat noodles from Noodle Theory which serves Asian Fusion cuisine and one of my favorite noodle restaurants ever. So we had my birthday dinner delivered through Caviar. We had:
Pan Seared Duck Breast over Noodles in a Spicy Thai Red Curry $16
Fried Chicken Wings in a Chili Fish Sauce Caramel $12 –
Grilled Korean Marinated Shortrib over a Kimchi Chow Mein $15
My noodles with duck was very yummy so was the bf’s Korean shortrib noodles while the fried chicken wings were amazingly still crispy the next day! I got to eat what I wanted on my birthday and got to blow a candle as well – sans birthday cake. I am grateful!
For many, a visit to Napa Valley is a trip of a lifetime. I feel fortunate that I can get in my car from my house and reach this very picturesque part of California in just less than an hour. I hope to visit again in the fall when the grapes are ready for harvest.
My birthday celebration in Napa concludes at Mustards Grill which is my all-time favorite restaurant in the Wine Country. The food is just simply amazing! It is California comfort food at its best. Mustards Grill grows its own veggies in its own backyard. The produce is fresh because it only travels from its garden on site to the kitchen – a true farm-to-table concept. The atmosphere is classy but always lively.
Another birthday present from God (or the universe) was when we were told that there was over two hour wait for a table. However, a couple could not be found when their party was called so the table was given to us! We did not even have to wait!
We enjoyed:
“Eat Your Vegetables… We grow a lot of them!!!” $7.5 – Sauteed brocolli rabe in garlic
2 orders of Braised lamb with homemade potato chips A.Q.
Our mouths watered when we saw the braised lamb on the menu so the bf and I had matching orders. Ha! Ha! It was very good. The sauteed brocolli was so delicious in its simplicity. I took my crab cake home as I was still full from lunch. And I did not order wine because I was still tipsy from wine-tasting.
I got to eat what I wanted and where I wanted on my birthday. It was fabulous and I was happy. (And I ate well again the next day – hello, yummy leftovers!)
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After a fabulous birthday lunch at Brix Restaurant and Gardens in Napa Valley, Brix has totally surprised and wowed us with its vineyards and gardens. Brix is situated on acres of gardens and vineyards with spectacular views of the Mayacamas mountains. We had this view while having our meal. The best part was I was able to take a brief stroll on the property after our lunch while the bf stayed behind to take my pictures. (And because the grounds were wet.) It has been raining for weeks but we were given a break on that Saturday when we went to Napa. The beautiful afternoon was another birthday present from Above! :)
For my birthday in February, I totally winged it. I told the bf that I just wanted to spend an entire afternoon in Napa Valley – no reservations, no plans on where to eat, etc.
As we were driving into Napa, I saw Brix Restaurant and Garden and decided to stop there for lunch. We just missed lunch hour but it was perfect. We ordered bar bites from the lounge menu which saved our appetites for dinner later. I enjoyed:
A glass of bubbly NV Roederer, Brut, Anderson Valley
The bf’s burger came with fries but he kept on eating my truffle fries. Ha! Ha! Lunch was light, perfect and fabulous! The restaurant was classy and beautiful but the vineyard and garden were breathtaking. That will be for the next post!
