Udder delights

I almost forgot I had a blog. Hahah.

Today, I delivered another Earnest Bakes collaboration to Guia's post-birthday gathering. I'm happy with the results! ^_^

Cows are one of Guia's most favorite things in the world.

Yummy, yummy red velvet!

A herd of cupcakes!

This wasn't my first commissioned collaboration with Earnest. Last week we did a cheerleader cake for Ruthie's 16th birthday.

Ruthie is a member of the Miriam pep squad.

 Another happy project! ^_^

Playing with Nutella

A few days ago, Gutsy shared a link on how to make Nutella mug cake. I wanted to try it but I didn't have flour in stock, so instead I experimented on a few things. I made a mess in the kitchen and took crappy photos with my phone, so please don't expect them to look pretty.

• Nutella milk

Since I was staying home today, I decided to experiment with fresh milk first. I schlopped three heaping tablespoons of Nutella in a mug [you can use a glass, it doesn't matter-- I just like my mug is all], poured the fresh milk in, and stuck it in the microwave on defrost for a few seconds so the spread won't congeal.


The verdict:
It's really good. I would have had more than two mugs if I wasn't so lactose intolerant. Heh heh. Also, I imagine this would be great if I had a blender, and some ice and fresh fruit to throw into the mix.

• Nutella fridge cake

A few weeks ago, I bought two small cartons of all-purpose cream for no specific reason. I figgered now is the time to put 'em to good use.

I opened a small carton, mixed in spoonfuls of Nutella [how much you put in there really depends on you], and a tablespoonful of condensed milk. In a plastic tub, I slathered the nutella and cream mixture in between alternating layers of graham and plain crackers. I think I stopped at 6 layers [you can keep on going until you get the desired height]. Then I stuck the tub in the freezer for the whole thing to set. After a couple of hours, I moved it down to the chiller.



The verdict:
After three hours, I took the tub out of the fridge and dug in. It's THA BOMB. Hahah. It's cheap and easy to make, and it's really yummy. I think I made a good call on alternating plain and graham crackers.


I realize I could have waited longer for the thing to set, but it tasted great anyway, so no real complaints there. [I've already finished a third of this tub hahaha.]

• Nutella popsies

I got this idea from Miao who posted an image of DIY Nutella popsicles. I just used the same proportions [it's actually just a thicker version of my Nutella milk drink], but in lesser quantities. I don't have a popsicle mold, so instead I used my cute ice trays. It's taking longer than 3 hours for it to set though, and it's testing the limits of my patience. Hahah.


The verdict:
Hey, it's Nutella, so I will again state the obvious: this is an awesome idea. However, the moment I took out the tray from the freezer, the popsies started to melt [it's warmer than usual tonight]. The milk settled at the bottom so they kinda look pale, but underneath it's rich and chocolatey. The popsies taste great despite the way they look, but I think it's not worth the wait. I should mention though that I'm a sucker for instant gratification. My EQ is too low for this shiz. Hahah.


This whole experiment is not a total failure though. Not sure if I'll try the popsies again [maybe when I'm not too impatient?], but definitely I'll be making another tub of fridge cake when I'm not too busy.

[If you guys have other Nutella ideas to share, please lemme know. Hee.] ^_^


* Special thanks to Jon Sideño, my junk food pimp.

Dear John

I'm not really big on Valentine's Day, but I totally love BBC's Sherlock, so here's something I've been toying with for a couple of weeks now:

[I actually started drawing this during a lull at a recent conference I attended for work.
I almost forgot about it, so I decided to finish it today before it toally slipped my mind.]

I've also submitted this to Threadless just for kicks. Haha. It's still pending approval, but once it's up, I hope you guys vote for it [that is, if you want to see this on a shirt]. ^_^

Lost

Around 12:05 a.m. Feburary 4, right after GeekFight at Quantum Café, someone stole my bag containing all my tech, my wallet, and my personal effects. I only left it at our table where all my friends were, and no more than three minutes later, my black messenger bag was gone.

The following items [among a host of other things] are stolen from me. Just in case you come across these items, please let me know through this blog post.

Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000
IMEI # 357453040563041

Panasonic Lumix ZS7
Serial # 885170004139

Western Digital 1TB external drive USB 3.0 [red]
Serial # WX61E41FE759

Nokia 2730
IMEI # 354870040152785

myPhone B26 Duo
Serial # Y4450946006650
IMEI 356825030366504

*****

I don't want to get into the harrowing details of what exactly happened, or how I felt that day, or how that experience has left me broken and paranoid. Remembering how much was taken from me depresses me [I'm really referring to the photos and videos from August 2011 to Feb 2012]. I am now focused on getting my life back on track.

I'm currently trying to write all the necessary documents to have all my stolen identification cards replaced, and to have the phones and tablet blocked from future use.

To do the latter, I need to either (1) go to the NTC with the tech boxes, proof of ownership, and valid IDs; or (2) go to their website, download and fill up the form, and fax/email the notarized document/s. While these may all sound tedious, it is necessary procedure. What annoys me though is that the National Telecommunications Commission website is giving me an Error 404. [How am I supposed to download the forms, eh?]

I e-mailed their permanent support staff [for the curious: it's ospac@ntc.gov.ph] to request for the form. I also called their landline [02-9267722 / 02-9213251, Mondays to Fridays only] to follow up the request. I received the affidavit form, but to my further annoyance, it's an uneditable, non-copy-paste-able [did I just invent a new adjective?] pdf. [Also, it had typos. LOL]

I'm feeling pretty helpful today, so I re-typed the form in doc format so the rest of you can download it here in case you need it [well, I hope you won't need it at all, but hey]: NTC - Affidavit of Ownership and Loss with Undertaking

Once you download this form, fill it up, have it notarized, and send via fax or e-mail to ospac@ntc.gov.ph along with supporting documents. Once they receive these documents, NTC will process blocking your phones permanently.

It's a lot of work, but I would rather go through all of this than let thieves go on their merry way. It's not fair to people who try to work an honest living.

*****

Edit:
Oh, I should add-- in case you lose your Globe prepaid SIM, the network provider will replace your SIM with the same number for free [unless you opt for a higher capacity SIM, in which case they may charge you a minimal fee of P50]. They can verify your information using your system-logged service requests. There may be some limitations though. I got my prepaid number back, along with my other two postpaid numbers.

Fish food

November last year, Lianne, Echo and I took an introduction to scuba diving course at Planet Dive, Anilao, Batangas [via Brizo Underwater Diving Services].


[It was a very overwhelming experience. I wanna try it again.]

Yesterday, I finally got the disc from BUDS. [I didn't have the time to pick it up after our trip.] I was surprised to discover it contained videos. When I clicked on the first one, I started laughing.

Some time during the dive, I was given a bag with bread to feed the fish, along with instructions to hold the bag to the side so the photographer can take a photo of me with the fishes. A big fish bit me and left four large tooth marks on my ring finger. It hurt like a mutha. [And it made me a little paranoid. My skin was punctured. I was stupid enough to google "marine bites" and read about skeery, fatal results.] Little did I know that the whole thing was caught on video [it happens at 0:11]. Haha!


[Big fishy wanted to redefine the food chain.]

I remember being terrified at the time [I stopped breathing due to the shock, which is a very bad thing if you're scuba diving]. Now it's just funny.

Playing with food (and cat)

Last night, Paul showed me a photo of the inbread cat with the caption "I has mask" [or something like that].

I stared at Miffy the cat and asked Paul, "Heyyy, do you have bread?"

One look at the Gardenia loaf on the dinner table was all it took for us to do this:


[Thanks to Mr. Cranky for taking this photo. ]

Miffy was, of course, miffed. And I was disappointed that his face was too big for the Gardenia bread. Must find a bigger loaf next time. Hahaha.

Playing with food

Baker friend Earnest and I have been talking about collaborating for some time now, and yesterday we finally have. I was only able to make three gumpaste toppers because of time constraints.

Veda requested for a chibi totoro:


Something for valentines?

And because we both love Carcassonne:
[Next time I'll get the colors right on this one. And maybe include other Carcassonne expansions. Hahaha. We both had to leave for meetings and I was pressed for time.]

These gumpaste toppers are 100% edible. And the chocolate cupcakes are yummy!

There's a proverb in my chocolate.

He gives twice who gives quickly.

Speechless and overwhelmed

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila to see seven years' worth of Pablo Picasso's engraved illustrations at the Suite Vollard.

I spent almost two hours poring over Picasso's genius. While this body of work is different from the paintings he was known for, it perfectly showcased his versatility as an artist, and gave me a sneak peek into the mind of a brilliant creator.

I loved his illustrations done in aquatint and drypoint. This piece from The Blind Minotaur series, in particular:

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Blind Minotaur Led by a Girl through the Night, from the Vollard Suite, 1934 (printed 1939). Aquatint. 34 x 44.8 cm.
© 2010 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

There are several praise-worthy images in the collection. I took notes, but now I am just too overwhelmed to recall and write about them. [I would also like to write about the other exhibitions currently running in the gallery, but this exhibit bears more personal significance at the moment.] Being in a roomful of Picassos, I was on the verge of tears. I can only say the experience was worth more than a hundred times what I paid for.

1995

This is how it was in 1995, and this is how it is now. ^_^



[Photo taken by Marnie Dolera]

Frak real-world priorities.

I decided that the errand can wait. Danes asked me to draw this a couple of months ago. Now that I have caught that fleeting urge, here it is, finally:

Dilemma

I'm currently torn between an errand that needs to be done today, and the fleeting urge to draw.

I hate real-world priorities.

New year, new blog.

2007 2006. That was the last time I posted anything on this blog. Today, I deleted over 600 blog entries [but not before I moved them to a different location], and decided to start anew.

So. This is it. I'm starting fresh this 2012. I can't write to save my life, so maybe I shall post a drawing or photograph once in a while.