Meet my baby cheesecakes

I baked these baby cheesecakes for my aunt's birthday dinner party instead of the regular big round cake, in mini rounds and hearts. I just topped them with whipped cream and a bite-size oreo. This way, everyone would willingly take a piece without a sense of guilt, plus they are so cute and dainty! I just love baking them. Also meet my Oreo cookie monster!!!

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I've been keeping a pack of Vietnamese Rice Paper for a very long time already and so I decided to finally put it to good use and make Fried Spring Rolls. It came as a surprise that it's so easy to wrap spring rolls using Vietnamese rice paper--- all you need to do is to take one piece of paper and soak it in water with a bit of sugar (the sugar caramelizes the paper during frying) until soft, and use it to wrap any filling. It tastes so much better too compared to the regular lumpia wrapper because it's crispy on the outside with a chewy consistency inside, like a fried dumpling. Trixie had so much fun in the kitchen too!

What I love about HK

Here are some photos of my favorite things in Hong Kong, taken from our recent trip.

Are you still my baby?

Trixie my darling daughter is turning one year and ten months next week and everyday, she is changing into this independent, very decisive and curious little girl.  She learns so quickly that Brandon and I are careful to be real role models for her, but sometimes, we just don't know where she gets her tricks.  Just a few weeks ago, Trixie had this fascination of going up and down the stairs anytime she feels like it (too much energy for such a small frame!).  To think that some months back, she suffered terrible bruises from a very bad fall (which made my heart practically ache) and I still couldn't forget how hard she cried because of the shock and pain.  Now, she's a real climber that she doesn't want anyone holding her hand anymore, and she's at it many, many, many times each day.  She goes up and down the stairs not only in our house, but also in Valenzuela and in my uncle's house in Talayan.  Well, aside from her physical development, she's now a real talker (just watch her video "trixie on the phone" in this site and you'll know what I mean).  Last night, she uttered her first "sentence" as a request for me to carry her instead of her dad.  I was already in bed and being the little angel that she was, she quietly sat beside me, looked intently into my eyes and said, "Mama popo, no na papa."  Talk about mixing English, Chinese and Filipino in one utterance!  (Haha, I'll work on her grammar next time!)  Obviously, I gave in to her request because aside from the fact that I love hugging her and loving her, that sweet "sentence" actually did it.  I'm glad that she now knows how to express what she needs and wants more effectively, making her a happier baby--- less frustrations for her and smoother days for me.  I read in a book once that every night when you tuck your baby to bed, you are actually saying good-bye to this baby because tomorrow, she will be brand new--- with new learnings and developments.  Well tomorrow, I'm sure Trix will be learning a whole lot more and I'm anticipating many pleasant surprises just watching her.  For now, she is still my baby, but not for long...

Baby Coleman

I recently bought plenty of coolers for a new biz and decided to have a little fun with the stickers. The result--- Baby Coleman, haha!

Bubble Bath

When we got back from HK last month, Trixie hated taking a bath so imagine the misery we had to go through each day. But now, she's a changed baby! She's now back to loving long baths and her new favorite-- bubbles. I'm not so keen on taking nude photos of Trixie now that she's growing, but these shots are so fun and irresistible!

Peek-a-boo! (July 2007)

Trixie loves to play hide and seek. I just love seeing her laughing and giggling.

Trixie on the phone (July 2007)

At one year and eight months, Trix sure takes after her parents who both love to chat on the phone!

I can walk! (October 2006)

This video was taken a few days after Trixie learned to walk all by herself. I can still remember the day after her birthday- she suddenly had the urge to go down the bed at 10:30pm and she just walked across the room all by herself to my amazement! It's as if she knew how to walk all along but just decided to do it when she turned one. I love this video :) This sure is a keeper.

Sun and Sand in Boracay (March 2007)

These Boracay moments never fail to lift my spirits :) As you can see, from sun up to sun down, my girl had loads of beach fun! This trip was also the perfect time for Trixie and Sophie to bond as cousins. I sure wish we could go to Boracay every summer...

Our Trip to HK (June 2007)

We went to HK last June for work and leisure :) Brandon went to the tradeshow and I took up Chinese Desserts lessons. In between, we did loads of shopping, dining and fun sightseeing for Trixie. Check out Trixie's photos and see how she adored cherries!