34 on 23

Yes, I turned 34 last Sunday. There are times when I still can’t believe I am on my 30s already. Parang kelan lang, college student lang ako. Parang kelan lang, kapag may mga gatherings, ako lagi ang youngest or isa sa mga bata sa batch. Ngayon, isa na ako sa mga ina-ate. Kaloka!

Anyway, my birthday celebration was very simple but because I spent it with my boys, I was very happy and felt loved. We heard mass at Sto. Domingo Church (11am). I thanked the Lord for all the blessings He has given me, especially for the gift of a happy marriage. I prayed for good health so I can continue to take care of my hubby and our kids. After the mass, we had lunch at Gerry’s Grill. We had sisig, grilled tuna belly, chicken skin, and pork bbq (as requested by the little guy). The kuyas had mais con yielo while I ordered leche flan for dessert. We enjoyed our lunch so much we forgot to take pictures. Simot na simot din ang mga plates. Haha! J

We then went to SM Centris because I wanted to check out the tiangge. As you know by now, hindi ako mahilig bumili ng mamahaling bagay.  Low-maintenance, ‘ika nga.  Masaya na ako sa mga bagay-bagay na nabibili sa tiangge. J  Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything I liked so we transferred to SM North EDSA because the kuyas wanted to buy shirts. Hubby let me buy perfumes because (1) paubos na ang pabango ko, (2) ‘ yun na ang kanyang birthday gift, and (3) sayang ang 35% discount!  I was very happy.  We bought a mango roll from Red Ribbon before going home. We also bought lechon manok from Baliwag. Simpleng buhay pero masaya.

When we got home, it was plantsa time for me. Hubby naman had our car washed. The Kuyas studied and prepared their things for school. Si bunso, happy nang makipaglaro with his cousins.

My birthday dinner at home was spaghetti, the chicken that we bought from Baliwag and the mango roll from Red Ribbon. We gave half of it to my in-laws (katabi lang namin ang bahay).  After dinner, I had some time to check my Facebook account and thank my family and friends who posted birthday greetings on my wall.

I know it was nothing grand. No big party. No expensive gift. But I feel loved and blessed. I am happy and thankful. I have gifts that money can’t buy. I have a wonderful husband. I have beautiful and intelligent kids. I have supportive friend and relatives.

The only thing I pray for every night is to always be blessed with good health. I want to live long because I want to be always there for my husband and our children. Not for myself, oh Lord, but for my family. Always for my family.

Another must-try from Estrel's!

I recently found out that Estrel's also makes really cute character cakes. Check out my baby's birthday cake... it's a 12 x 16 caramel cake with caramel filling and butter icing. They customized the letters in the blocks to spell out my baby's nickname, MAKO. Sweet. Oh, the blocks are edible, too!

We only added PhP450 for the Sesame Street motiff. The 12x16 caramel cake with filling costs PhP 1,580. I ordered the cake a day before my baby's birthday and was happy to be accommodated given that they strongly suggest placing orders at least two days in advance. Cakes for Christmas, New Year, Valentine's Day and other occasions must be arranged way before to better your chances of booking an order.

One nice thing about Estrel's is that they also inform you when your cake is already available for pickup. Moms, this really is a must-try! =)

Love at First Bite

My first taste of Estrel’s caramel cake was during a salu-salo in the office. Its intricate design made the cake look elegant and inviting. The flower icings were amazingly detailed it made me think that it was baked with love… like your mother laboring over your packed lunch. The cake was so soft and its icing was so rich and creamy that after the first bite, it immediately occupied the top spot of my cakes-to-die-for list.

I introduced the cake to my family last May 2008 during Hubby’s birthday. It instantly became a hit. Everybody loved the cake especially my mother in-law who was swept away because the cake was not-overly-sweet yet still yummy. Since then, Estrel’s caramel cake became part of many family celebrations.


Hubby's birthday (2008)


our baby's christening (September 2008)


6th month of our baby (March 2009)


Hubby and Kuya's birthday (May 2009)


10th month of our baby (July 2009)

Estrel's Caramel Cakes
54 Scout Tobias cor Scout Limbaga
Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City
Telephone numbers: (02) 372-2965; (02) 371-7938