A Pink Baby Shower

Early last year, I, with the help of my lovely friends, threw a pink themed baby shower for my cousin! It took me a long time to organize, mainly because I wanted to DIY everything (fueled by nonstop Pinterest searches, of course), but the end results and the smile on my cousin's face made all the effort worth it :)

The cake:

I used fresh strawberries for both the cake base and the icing (I didn't need to use pink dye for the icing!), because I wanted to harness the flavor of the actual fruit instead of relying on artificial flavoring. The cake was a bit denser than usual due to the added sugar (the strawberries I used were on the tart side), but it was so lovely to look at and the icing was so delish - I was very, very, very tempted to eat it by the spoonful. Not the greatest idea since I used 100% butter. Mmm.

The cake topper:

I cut up tiny baby clothes out of printed board paper (about $1 each at Joann) and attached matching pink felt shapes to the back to weigh it down. I used cake dowels to anchor the clothesline, clipped the baby clothes on, and voila! A super cute, inexpensive and specially-made cake topper to celebrate my future niece's birth :)

The banner:

Pictured below is the actual spread for the dessert table. I cut out letters from copy paper then pasted them onto the rest of my pink board paper. It's pretty easy and definitely less expensive than pre-made banners at party supply stores :)

The sweets:

My giveaways were marshmallows and pretzels dipped in  pink dye-tinted white chocolate, plus strawberry flavored cookies. Tip: white chocolate tends to harden really fast, so I added a few drops of vegetable oil to the melted chocolate. That gave me enough time to dip and swirl the marshmallows and pretzels into the chocolate then press gold sugar  onto them. I then put the goodies into little plastic baggies and gave them out at the end of the party :)

My co-host (and owner of the house where the party was held) also bakes on the side, and she whipped up vanilla cream cheese cupcakes in an instant. Sooooo good!

The Extra Decor:

From the stack of differently-hued pink board paper, I cut up and pasted together these huge paper flowers, which I placed all over my co-host's living room.

The Games:

I had a bunch of games and activities for both the adults and the youngsters.

-Stick the pacifier on the baby. I drew a cartoon of a sleeping baby on copy paper using markers, then drew several pacifiers for each contestant.

-Guess the celebrity baby. Pretty self-explanatory, I used my tablet for the before and after pictures.

-Draw a baby's face on a paper plate. The twist is you put the plate on top of your head, and the cutest (or probably the better word would be comprehensible) drawing wins.

-Write your wishes for the baby. I cut out stars from plain pink board paper, then placed them on a table with a pen and a bowl for the stars that had been written on. You can compile them in a scrapbook for the mommy-to-be after the shower.

-Guess the number of cookies in the jar. This one's for the kids and it kept them occupied for a while. Also works with gumballs, chocolate kisses, etc.

All in all, we had a fun and memorable day. If you're going to plan for a similar party, just remember this: don't sweat the small stuff! Make the best out of any bad situations that will surely pop up (nothing is perfect, after all), and just have a great time with your loved ones :)

Have a blessed day!

<3,

Oscars 2014 Fashion

It seems like these A-listers wanted to play it safe, with most opting for beaded nude gowns, and thus there weren't a lot of misses on the red carpet. Then again, there weren't a lot of standouts either save for Lupita Nyong'o who wowed everyone in her beautiful  ice blue Cinderella-inspired dress (and who could forget her lovely speech?). Nevertheless, I compiled a list of gowns that I absolutely loved, and up to now I'm still in awe of the craftsmanship and hours of labor that were put into these wearable works of art (I wonder how many thousands of beads were used to make Kate's dresses?). Who's on your list? :)

(Photos courtesy of nymag.com, hollywoodlife.com and onsugar.com)

1 and 2. Kate Hudson and Kate Hudson in Atelier Versace

3. Zooey Deschanel in Oscar de la Renta

4. Gabrielle Union 

5. Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab

This color suits her, as does the silhouette of the dress.

6. Cate Blanchett in Armani

No one does ethereal quite like Ms. Blanchett

6. Lupita Nyong'o in Prada

7. Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta

You can almost hear the swishing noises her flapper-inspired dress makes.

8. Kerry Washington in Jason Wu

Such a proud and lovely soon-to-be mom.

9. Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen

I don't normally like shiny, structured dresses, but the pleating on this dress and the color of it against her skin is just so complementary. You can almost hear it compliment her with "I look so gorgeous on you, no?"

10. Sarah Paulson in Elie Saab

11. Meryl Streep in Lanvin

Fabulous and classy as always.

12. Emmy Rossum in Monique Lhuillier

14. Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein

Have a lovely day!

<3,

Anyone Can Cook!

I am not a naturally gifted cook. I can't whip up an edible dish from seemingly incompatible ingredients like the talented contestants on the show Chopped (case in point: an appetizer made out of chicken wings, soba noodles, celery, and string cheese). I am learning though, and even if I know I will never be able to cook like a Michelin-starred chef, with persistence, practice, and the help of numerous recipes on the world wide web, I can finally bring real food to gatherings and also stop relying on microwaveable meals (have you seen the ingredient list on those things? Most of the meat products are full of fillers and flavor enhancers, yet they still taste blah). Cooking at home will not only save you money, it will also help you if you're trying to eat healthier (try to search for dishes that aren't fried, and have plenty of vegetables incorporated into them). Whenever I don't feel like cooking, I try to remember Chef Gausteau's line in one of my favorite movies, Ratatouille: "Anyone can cook!"

And of course, who could forget the scene where Remy fixes the soup that Linguini botches? It makes you want to get up from your computer chair and start cooking up a storm. Mmm :)

This entry is a compilation of dishes whose pictures I've uploaded on Instagram in the past few weeks, and if you're in a cooking rut I hope you'll find one in this list that'll help you get out of it. Click the name to go to the recipe. Enjoy and happy cooking!

Jamaican Style Chicken Curry - c/o Marchessa from Snapguide.com

Note: I added carrots and peas to this dish <3

Pineapple Chicken by Panlasang Pinoy

Chicken Meatball Soup with Rice Noodles by kawalingpinoy.com

Honey-Nut Chicken

Asian-Marinated Baked Chicken by Amy via Chow.com

Wishing you a fruitful and safe week ahead,

Blueberry Cheesecake Bites!

The first time I had a mini blueberry cheesecake was when my mom's friend started gifting us with a box full of this addicting dessert whenever Christmas rolled by. Ever since that fateful day, I would wait in eager anticipation to sink my teeth into this delectable masterpiece, savoring each and every bite until the box was empty (of course, I had to fight tooth and nail with my older brother for the last piece hehehe!). Little did I know that it was incredibly easy to make, which is a good thing or else I would have spent my lunch money on buying ingredients to bake it myself whenever I craved for its blueberry/cheesy goodness. Make it for a bridal shower (which I did for my friend's surprise tea party-themed shower) and for any other gathering that requires you to bring something sweet :)

Head over to talentadongchef.wordpress.com to get the recipe!

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
3 T white sugar

Cheesecake:
2 bars of 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 t vanilla
1/2 t fine salt
1 21-oz can of blueberry pie filling/topping

Taken during the bridal shower <3

#nofilter #yum #instafood

Happy baking!

<3,

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

I made this for New Year's Eve upon Mama's request, and let me tell you, it was gone in two days (mostly due to Ma and my lil bro hehehe!). I froze a slice for a friend of mine so it will stay fresh, and he said it was still delish :) The cheesecake part is not too sweet and not too heavy, which will probably make you want to sneak in another slice ;). This recipe's definitely a keeper!

Notes:

-The key to this one is, since you use fresh strawberries, that they be as ripe as possible. If you are going to make this at the last minute like I did, check their ripeness by looking at the color (very vibrant red, minimal yellow area near the stem) and checking their fragrance (they should be REALLY fragrant. I guarantee you, if the scent is very faint, they will be sour and you would need to wait for them to ripen). Goodness knows I've had desserts with sliced fruits that were still tangy/sour, and the lack of sweetness killed what would have been a perfect dessert.

-That's it! The recipe is really easy to follow, and if you want it to have that extra level of YUM, use a chocolate graham cracker crust (mine was from Keebler). Heavenly!

Did you know that strawberries are a member of the rose family?

Glaze. So much sweet, shiny homemade glaze. Yum.

Strawberries are one of God's best creations.

Save a slice for someone. They will definitely smile all day after eating it :)

Recipe from southernfood.about.com

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

9-inch graham cracker crust, baked

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until thick and light yellow. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and the flour, beating until blended. Pour the egg mixture into a measuring cup.

In the same bowl, beat cream cheese with a small amount of the evaporated milk until smooth. Add remaining milk, the lemon juice, and the grated lemon peel; beat until smooth and well blended. Pour egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture; beat just until blended.

Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Strawberry Glaze

1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

few drops red food coloring, optional

Cut 10 to 12 strawberries in half; arrange in a single layer, cut side down, over the cooled cheesecake. Crush enough remaining strawberries to make 1/3 cup; put in saucepan. Stir in 1/3 cup water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Press through a strainer to make 1/2 cup of puree. Return the 1/2 cup puree to the saucepan. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch and stir into the puree in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened and clear. Add food coloring, if desired. Cool slightly; spoon evenly over strawberries on cheesecake. Cool and store, covered, in refrigerator.

Arrivederci and have a wonderful week ahead! (P.S. it's Restaurant Week next week, there might still be reservations left. Hurry! Go here to check the list of restaurants in your area: ramw.org/restaurantweek)

<3,