The Many Faces of Tami

I am very thankful and feel so blessed that I get to see that face everyday. 

Happy Birthday, Tami! I love you so much.

Happy Meal

Best meal I've had in a while.

For Sunday lunch, Lem, the kids and I went to Wok at The Avenue Square on Magsaysay Avenue.

Wok is a Chinese restaurant and has been around for a long time now. They serve really delish authentic Chinese cuisine.

Lunch consisted of Crab and Corn Soup (approved by Tami), Chicken with Honey (served on a nest of crispy noodles), Sweet and Sour Pork (Enzo's choice), and (Lem's fave veggie) Broccoli with lotsa shrimp! Yum-mee.

The food was good but what made things better were the people I was with. They were such great meal companions. Being with them was sheer pleasure. =D

Thanks to my uber gwapo lunch dates, Lem, Enz, and Tam.

Ain't I the lucky one? ;-)

Birthday Dinner (July 21)

This is sooooo long overdue...

I had every intention of posting this ASAP but for some reason...or a lot of reasons, I never got around to do that.

Anyways, for mother's and Enzo's joint birthday dinner, we decided to go to this quaint Italian inspired resto at Cereza on Magsaysay Ave.

Grissini Ristorante is tucked in the back of the group of restos and cafes at Cereza. It is warmly lit and looks really welcoming. It actually looks more like a trattoria than a ristorante. The sign says ristorante, though. So, ristorante it is! =D

After we were seated and (tried) to settle down, perused the menu, then gave our orders to the (uber patient) waiter. Waiting on us requires a lot of patience. Being a bunch of food lovers, we sometimes find it hard to decide on what to order.

Complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip

After much deliberation, these are what we decided to try:

Insalata Verde

Mixed greens (mostly lettuce, actually) with slices of onions, tomatoes, cheese shavings and drizzled with some vinaigrette.

Ravioli di Spinaci

Spinach Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce with Grated Parmesan Cheese. This is an okay dish 'cept that I think they forgot to drain the spinach. It's also a bit dry and bland. I still managed to polish it off, though. =D

Creamy Tuna Penne

Now, this we really loved! The pasta is cooked al dente. It was seasoned just right. Plus, unlike most dishes that involve fish, this doens't smell fishy at all. Tami really loved this and helped himself to seconds and thirds.

Roasted Pork with Baby Potatoes

 There wasn't really anything extraordinary about this dish..there was just a need to order a meat dish for Enzo.

Pizza di Quattro Formaggi

 I forgot what kinds of cheeses exactly were included in this pizza. Definitely, there's blue cheese and some parmesan. I don't know what the other two were. I forgot to ask. It doesn't matter, though. The pizza was va' bene! Molto bene, in fact! Tami had no qualms eating it, blue cheese and all.

Steamed Salmon with Basil Pesto

The very reason why we decided to dine at Gressini...mom wanted to eat this dish again...The fish was oh-so tender yet disappointingly under seasoned.

In all, it was a good dining experience.  

 

 

No Mas Amor Que el Tuyo

Part of the Parma Family tradition (the descendants of Jeremias and Felisa, that is) is to have a Sacred Heart image enthroned in every family's home. Every year, each family commemorates the enthronement by inviting extended family members to pray with them and partake in a small feast afterward.

Then again, that may be just another reason for the whole family to get together and spend an afternoon of good food, good wine and good conversation.

As I mentioned in my other post (I think :-D) these small get togethers are like dry runs for the granddaddy of all feasts...the Holy Week Celebration. Nonetheless, no matter the number of attendees or reason, every Parma Family get-together is always satisfying. Not just gastronomically but emotionally and spiritually as well. :-)

Auntie San's Chicken in Red Wine

Ola's Oh, Crispyness! Lumpiang Shanghai

Super Lagkit Biko, Binya, Binatinglahat

Uncle Padi's contribution: Cake and Retribution

Mom's Fruity Fruit Salad

Anti-Guilt Veggie Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

Ehem

After the dining table was cleared, Auntie San got busy again to prepare the merienda...

Happy Birthday, Auntie Madre, Auntie Winnie, Mom, Enzo and Aggie!!! :-)

Spaghetti in Creamy Tuna Sauce (yum!)

The way spaghetti is meant to be eaten. ;-)

Enzo

6 years ago today, I first cradled you in my arms...I was scared and unsure yet amazed at the tiny miracle in front of me. I do not know what I have done to deserve a son like you. I thank my lucky stars for every moment that I get to spend with you. From a tiny, helpless infant, you have started to become your own person. You're growing up so fast that I often find myself wishing that time'll stop and allow you to be a kid forever. You are growing up to become a fine, young man---sensitive, caring, responsible. With your wit and humor, I am not surprised why people, young and old, are drawn to you. I love you and I am so proud of you. Happy birthday, Enzo!

Obra Maestra del Senor Enzo

Wowo bought the kids some clay. As soon as they ripped the package open, Enzo got to work. Molding, pinching, shaping...proving that he does come from a long line of artists and artistically inclined people.

The red glob is supposed to be a bird. More specifically a woodpecker. The blue thingie is a fish and that's a green stingray over there.

I will be happiest if he makes a pink platypus. ha. ha. ha.

Posting a photo of his works here was his idea. :-) "Post the pic on the net, mom!" haha.

Now, he gets a lot of orders (from Tami!) to fashion more animal shapes out of clay...t-rex, hippo, blue whale, stegosaurus! Good luck, Enzo! haha :-)

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Sister went to Manila this morning. She'll be on her way back to Dubai tomorrow.

I'll miss you but I salute you, sis. I salute you for having the courage to fly away from the nest to find your own niche in this world.

To you, I raise my margarita glass.

Spaced Out

One of the reasons why I'm so proud of my boys...

After taking home his school project on the Solar System, Enzo decided to educate Tami on the universe and beyond. Enzo has the makings of a good trainer. Kanino kaya nagmana? :-)

Happy Birthday, Uncah Jay

The timeless Concorde Cake from Baker's Plaza.

Sis in the City

After 10 months in Dubai, sis came back to PI for a rather longish vacay. Welcome back home, sis! *hugs*

Happy Birthday, Tami!

The view from our beach cottage.

Today is Tami's birthday. We planned to throw him a pool party (or throw him into a pool. kidding, of course!) but he was so sick this week that we decided to postpone it. Since he has been coughing for quite some, we trooped to Pasacao instead. The number of guests was reduced but the body of water involved became bigger...way bigger!

Since it isn't officially summer yet, the beach was almost deserted. Thus it was relatively quiet with a lot of breathing space. The water was clear, clean and cool. This was definitely a welcome change from our city life. In the words of Tami, 'This is so much fun!' Enzo acquiesced by saying that "We need to come back here again!" Why not? Going to the beach, inhaling the salty air, splashing in the water proved to be the most effective way of relaxation for everybody. It was also a good bonding moment for us.

With that, we have officially opened our summer season! Anticipate more posts about the sun, sand and sea!

----------------------------------------------------
***The 3 pics within the body of this post were taken by brother J. ;-)

Uncle Padi's Birthday Get-Together

"The family that cooks together, eats together."

Food. Glorious Food!!!

Uncle Chito, Auntie San, Cami and Ola whipped up a stupendous feast fit for a...errrrr...priest.

For Uncle Padi's birthday last Feb 28, the family got stuffed together!

It was hard to say no to the rich Kare-Kare, soft and juicy roasted ribs on a bed of sauteed corn and carrots, baked fish and roasted chicken with aromatic lemongrass!!!

The pieces de resistance??? S'mores cake, halayang ube, chiffon with custard filling and a tub of double dutch ice cream!!! yum-mee!!!!