Breakfast Bowl

"A good breakfast fuels you up and gets you ready for the day" - Anonymous 

They say that happiness is always a decision; so, when I wake up each morning I say to myself that I will be in a good mood. Say good morning to your body by eating a proper breakfast, and the rest of the day you will feel energized and fulfilled. It is the most important meal of the day.

When we’re in a hurry to make breakfast, sometimes we are tempted to eat whatever is convenient like donuts or bagels. However, it should not be complicated; just be creative with a little preparation the night before and you can have a delicious and nutritious breakfast. You can prepare this ahead of time and when you're ready, just stick it in the oven for about twenty minutes while you're doing errands or taking a shower. You can bring this also as a snack and can warm it up in the microwave.

Ingredients:

Eggs
Ham or spam
Spinach
Cheese
Whole wheat dinner rolls
Milk or whipping cream

Procedure:

1. Cut a hole in the bread and remove the inside in form of a bowl.

2. Diced the ham and put it in the bottom of the bread.

3. Put a little spinach on top.

4. Then crack an egg next.

5. Sprinkled with black pepper, then pour a little whipping cream.

6. Top it with cheese and bake for 350 degrees oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Eat warm and enjoy!

A New Year Reflection – Welcoming 2016

As the year ends, it can be a great time to look back at what we accomplished from our goals and resolutions from the past year. We are always busy and tired from our everyday life, which is why this is the best time to know the progress of where you have been, what you have accomplished and what you might do differently.

Let the end of the year be a time to pause and appreciate life, especially the little things that make us happy and fulfilled, and also including things we have took for granted. Life is never perfect, but it never fails to be beautiful. There may be bumps on the road, but there are still a lot of blessings to be thankful for.

It is easy to jump quickly into our hopes that the change of the year will change our habits for the better such as being happier and healthier. But, with the new year, we should also have time to celebrate; to reflect from our past mistakes and learn from them.  

For me, last year's goal was partly accomplished. It was actually an answered prayer that I have been praying for quite a while now. I believe now that everything will be possible if you have faith and perseverance. My resolution this year is to just continue to be brave, patient and do the things that make me happy. To be specific, I want to read more books, do hiking and try more recipes.

This January, why not start the year with an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen each day. Then, in the New Year's Eve, empty it and see what amazing things happened that year.

Pictures from 2015:

January - February

March - April

May - June 

July - August 

Fall 2015

Holidays 2015

Garden pictures

Gift Card Sleigh

There are only nine days before Christmas, and everyone is busy shopping, preparing for dinner for the holidays, and decorating their houses. Buying gifts for your loved ones is always hard, because you wonder if they're going to like your present or not.

During this season, I can't help but miss my home in the Philippines, and I remember my school days during Christmas. We sometimes did gift exchanges called "monito-monita" (which is similar to "Secret Santa" in American culture), and it's very simple to do. Kids would randomly select a name of whom they will give a gift to, but not tell the person receiving the gift. It's more exciting and fun. Also, the teacher set a maximum price for the gifts, so that it would be fair for everyone.

Since I'm always busy at work, I usually prefer to just give a gift card or some money as my gift. It's so that my loved ones can just buy whatever they want, and it's easy and practical. For me, though, instead of just putting some money or a gift card inside an envelope, I made this gift card sleigh to make it more creative and fun. There are many ways to let your loved ones feel appreciated this holiday, but you can just do a little planning and include some creativity. Your gift doesn't need to be expensive. Just remember that it's always the thought that counts, not the amount.

I hope that everyone has a happy holiday. Feliz Navidad, everyone!

Materials

Stack the small chocolates on top of the Kit Kat bar in a pyramid shape.

Attach the candy canes to the bottom of the Kit Kat bars.

Finished! :)