Two Fridays ago (yeah, I am such a slow blogger, I had too many pictures to resize and things to catch up on), my friends and I traveled to Coron, Palawan. It was a trip nearly a year in the making, and I was very thankful and happy to be a part of it.

Last year, I was quite new to this forum and I got to be online friends with Ferj, who's into photography like I am, and when I visited his thread in the forum, his close friends were planning a trip. They listed the places they wanted to visit, and would ask everyone (in the group) to vote where they wanted to go. I am not part of their group, but because they included Vigan City in the list, I responded and gave them my point of view. Next thing I know one of them (Ara) sent me a message asking me to come with them.

As the days passed, there were hesitations on my part because it was only Ferj whom I know in the group (and I haven't met him yet that time), and I was afraid I might be an odd-man out, but as I get to interact with them in forum more and even met some of them (Ferj, Kei, and Leux) in person, I realized I don't have to be hesitant.



Hosted by Cecily and Sports Mama

Friday, 09 October 2009 - I met up with Leux and Kei in MRT Ayala Station where we took the cab to the Old Domestic Airport. Actually, days before the trip we were having problems which airport to go to. I was just happy that Kei asked me if we could meet first before going to the airport. Leux and I met up first and while waiting for Kei, Erick sent a message that we should go to the Old Domestic Airport. Our flight was at 9:40AM, and a little past 8AM, we were already there. In the airport we met up with Erick, Lei, and Dianne whom I just met for the first time.

It was a rocky flight - at least for me. I am not sure if the lack of sleep contributed, but as the plane left the runway I could feel some sweat in my forehead. It wasn't my first flight, but what I felt was worse than how I felt during my first flight. Add the heavy clouds and the turbulence to the discomfort. When it landed in Busuanga Airport, I was happy to have survived the flight (I really thought my head and heart would pop). Happier I was when we were told that the incoming flight after us were asked to fly back to Manila because of the zero visibility. Now I understand the discomfort -the pilot was so risky... I love him. Hahaha.

The minute we arrived in Mommita's Lodge where we would stay for the night, Mommita immediately asked us to fix ourselves so we could visit Cabu Beach and Maquinit Hot Springs. It was a great trip for us. Aside from the two places visited, it was so great to be eating lunch with the view of Siete Pecados. Day one have been great!


Day 2. We were suppose to hike to Mt. Tapias as early as 5AM so we could see the sunrise from the top, but it was raining. At around 7AM, when the clouds were a bit considerate, we decided to climb up. There were concrete steps to the top the mountain, but with 700+ steps to climb, it was really a test of patience, endurance, and faith. Being an unhealthy person, it was difficult for me to take the trail. Actually, I was trailing behind my companions. If not for the kids (who were selling water) who stuck with me, I don't think I can make it. 3/4 of the way, I gave up. My heart was about to leave my chest, I was breathing heavily... even my head was beating! I told myself I will just content myself where I was and enjoy the view, but as I take pictures, maybe my body was able to rest, and with the little strength gained, I moved forward and reached the summit. It was sweet!

When we got back in the lodge, we packed our things and head on our way. We went to the market to buy some foods and continued with the island hop. We went to Banana Island where we ate lunch and dipped in the water. We were supposed to still go to Malcapuya Island, but because we were a bit tired from our stay in Banana Island and we felt the experience would be the same, we just asked the boat owners to pass by Malcapuya Island. Then we head to Bulog Island where we spent the night.


Day 3 was a great day for us. I was able to see the sunrise, and we got to spend more time in the water and picture taking. It was a great blessing for us to be staying in Bulog Island. While we were in the stages of planning this trip, another member in the forum got to read the thread and said they own an island in Coron. He let us stay in the island at a discounted rate, I loved the island, it's 360 degrees of pure awesomeness (is there a word like that)? And... because the tide in the morning wasn't that high, one actually cross the water to the nearby Bulog Dos Island. We encountered a little accident there when Dianne fell as she was trying to go down an little mountain, but all was well.


We ate lunch in the boat, and passed by Twin Lagoon. We were told that we had to go down the boat and swim if we wanted to see the lagoon, but because we were trying to save up on money and time, we didn't go down anymore and just went to the Kayangan Lake. It was another test of endurance on my part as we had to climb the mountain again and go down in order to reach the lake, but if you're going to see a sight like this, it was very well worth it. Surely, in order to appreciate the beauty and goodness of something, we have to endure some.

After the Kayangan Lake, we head back to the port and returned to Mommita's Lodge to eat dinner. We also took the time to buy some souvenir. I bought my sister, brother (and his gf) a shirt, and I bought myself a key chain.


At around 11PM, we boarded Superferry Our Lady of Good Voyage. We decided to take the ferry going back to Manila so we could have more time together. It was our first time to ride a big ship, and because we booked early, none of us had the idea that cheap tickets meant cheap accomodations. None of us liked the section were we're supposed to stay, but Leux and I cannot afford an upgrade and we had to stay in the Orange Section while the four of them were in the cabin.

I was so touched with Lei and Dianne's gesture of waking Leux and I up because they were worried about our safety. The four of us just decided to go to the canteen where we drank some vodka and beer while playing poker. We also sang some songs on the videoke and just owned the canteen. At 5AM of Day 4, they asked Leux and I to come with them in the cabin where we took some snooze. It was around 8:30AM when I got and checked the view, then soon after all of us ate breakfast, took pictures, ate lunch, and rested. At 2PM, we docked in Manila South Harbor.

The trip that was a year in the making might just ended, but the memories will be there forever. So many things I experienced in this trip, and I owe it all to Ara who invited me. I am so thankful to have met these great individuals... it was so sad that Ara and Ferj weren't able to come, but maybe next time.

Big thanks to Lei who took care of the arrangements; to Leux for the encouragements - I really am not confident in water and sorry I can't take the kayak to Bulog Dos; to Kei who has been like a little sister to me - thanks for sticking with me; to Dianne for being always a game for modeling; to Erick who let me shoot pictures side by side with him. For sure his pictures were much greater than my shots, but it was indeed a nice experience to take pictures next to a great photographer. Of course, I would like to thank Francis, too, for letting us stay in Bulog; to Mommita and Tatay Lito for the great accomodation, and to the rest of the people we met in Coron.. thanks!

*** Jenn ***

After months of planning, the time has finally arrived. My friends and I are off to Coron, Palawan tomorrow and will stay there for the weekend. I hope the weather will be good. May God bless our trip, and may we all enjoy the time we will have there.

Regular blogging will resume Monday or Tuesday next week. Thanks for visiting my blog! Happy weekends, all!

*** Jenn ***

Problems with the monitor hindered me at first to resize and edit the pictures I intend to use for my challenge layout, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise as I realized that I needed to put a recipe for the layout. Thanks to Lee for telling about it.

My sister came home late on the eve of the deadline, so it was only last 29 September that I was able to start and finish the layout. A buzzer beater for me. =)



Journaling:
When I was still much younger, I remember telling my brother that I don’t know how to cook. He told me that if I love to eat, I also must know how to cook, so I could sustain my love to eat. I cannot recall that particular time when I finally mustered the courage to handle oil splashes and the heat in the kitchen, but it was that particular message that really opened my senses to realize that as a human, I also must know my way in the kitchen.

Being born in a family of foodies, I am happy that my love of eating now goes beyond fast food and boiled eggs. Cooking is one great skill to know, and now, not only can I sustain my tummy, I can also sustain my food blog with some foods I cooked in the kitchen. These three dishes were just some of those I cooked. – Jenn (29 September 2009)




As for the recipes, I didn't really want to expose the recipes, so I decided to use three pictures and have the recipes hidden. Actually, the pull out journaling not only have the recipes for each dish, it also had some introduction about the dishes.

Creamy Carbonara
Before, it was just a dream of mine to cook carbonara, because I always fail whenever I make a roux. But, when I was invited by my SFC friend Ela to help with the carbonara dish she is serving, I realized I don’t really need a roux to make a delicious carbonara dish. This dish was cooked, served, and shot 10 July 2009, when
I needed to put an entry in my food blog. This dish was one of the easiest dishes I can whip up.

Ingredients:
250g. spaghetti, cooked
1 (250ml) box all purpose cream
1/4 kl. ham or bacon, cubed
button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup evaporated milk
3 big cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of Italian seasoning
Cheese
1 tablespoon butter
Cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:
>>> Sauté garlic in butter. Add ham or bacon just before the garlic starts to brown and allow the meat to cook for a while.
>>> Add mushrooms then pour cream and milk slowly. Stir a bit and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.
>>> Upon your discretion, add some grated cheese to help the sauce to thicken, but it’s totally optional.
>>> Just before the sauce gets too thick, season the sauce with some salt and pepper and some nutmeg and Italian seasoning.
>>> Pour over cooked spaghetti, sprinkle with cheese and some cayenne pepper if you want your dish to be slightly spicy.

Chicken Macaroni Soup
The chicken macaroni soup is one of my rainy day comfort foods. The hot creamy soup just helps ease up the stress, and is really a soul food in itself. It was through my mom that I learned that the way the dish creamier is to allow the pasta to cook along with the chicken, because the starch from the pasta will help in making the soup creamier, and it also helps in saving time in the kitchen. This dish was cooked, served, and shot 22 November 2008.

Ingredients:
205g. shell macaroni
1 (370ml.) can evaporated milk
Chicken, cut up to pieces
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
celery and red bell peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium sized onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough water to cook the pasta.

Directions:
>>> Sauté garlic and onion in butter. Add the chicken pieces and sauté until the chicken changes in color. Season with salt and pepper.
>>> Add the macaroni and pour enough water. Boil.
>>> Add the vegetables and milk and simmer until the pasta is al dente and the soup is creamy.
>>> Serve immediately.

Some Notes:
>>> Serve with garlic bread if desired. You can do that by spreading some butter in slices of bread and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning. Toast.
>>> Some people serve this dish with toasted garlic bits on top. Try it, too, if you want.
>>> Other vegetables you can add include green beans and cauliflower. Explore and enjoy!

Buttered Prawns - Dampa Style
Once, we were quite tired eating the same old halabos na hipon every time mom would buy prawns. So when she bought some prawns sometime in 2006, I decided to check my brother’s collection of Food Magazines for a different prawn recipe. This recipe by Mayeth Toledo was published in the September 2005 issue of the said magazine. The picture I used for this was cooked, served, and shot 04 September 2008.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo tiger prawns
1 cup clear soft drinks (7-Up or Sprite)
1 tablespoons cooking oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small ginger, crushed
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon liquid seasoning
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoons chopped spring onions or leeks
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
>>> Marinate prawns in soft drinks for 30 minutes. Remove from marinade and reserve marinade.
>>> In a pan or large skillet, heat oil and one tablespoon of the butter and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger.
>>> Stir in prawns. Add one-half of the soft drinks used as marinade, and the ketchup, liquid seasoning, salt, and pepper. When the prawns change color, stir in the cornstarch solution. Simmer until mixture thickens.
>>> Turn off heat. Blend in remaining two tablespoons butter.
>>> Sprinkle with spring onions before serving.

Materials used for this layout included Patterned Papers from KI Memories, Cherry Arte, Basic Grey, DCWV, Miss Elizabeth, Love Elsie, and some papers in my stash that I don't know of.. =), Traveling Typewriter, Cambria, Century Gothic fonts, Tracing Paper from Canson, Thread from DMC, Glue from UHU, and Pen from Sakura.

I was so happy to be able to finish a layout one day after the other. Scrapping mojo is very kind to me this time. I am still feeling it actually, and now I have decided to give my scrapping its own day. Starting tomorrow, scrapbooking will be done every Sundays. At least now I can seriously say I am back to scrapbooking.

*** Jenn ***

Last weekend, parts of Metro Manila were submerged in water - 30 days worth rain fell in just about 6 or so hours, and most people just found themselves staying in the roofs of their houses just to save themselves. Saturday morning, I thought it was just heavy rain pouring in, but I only realized it was really that heavy when I received a text message from a friend of mine saying that when she came out of the office it was already flooding.

Then, news updates after news updates came in. We were really thankful that we weren't affected by the storm, but of course, we pray that the people affected by the storm would just keep the faith. It wasn't at all nice to lose all the things in the flood, but with God's help, I know things will be better. Right now, the storm is currently causing damage in Vietnam, I pray the Vietnamese people will be okay, too.

I am also thankful that I was able to finish a scrapbook layout sometime this week. My scrapping mojo gave me a visit last weekend, too, and I am happy that my 2008 Travel Album is now in the works. I know the scallopped paper looked weird - I don't really own those fancy cutters and I did the scallops by making circles using a coin and cut it. I didn't realize I misaligned the circles until I cut it.

These pictures were taken January 2008 when we went to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Rescue Center. There were quite a few pictures from that day, but these three were already printed and was in our old album. I didn't have any more pictures printed because brother forgot to change the settings of his camera when we took the pictures and the size of the pictures were a bit too small, ending in pixelated prints. Still, I am thankful that I finished a layout! =)

Other things I am thankful for this week:

• Finishing my Kaya! Challenge layout just in time. (Story will be shared tomorrow)
• Tasting a very delicious mango jam. I am not really a fan of mango, but this mango jam I love a lot!
• Getting a glimpse of "Glee" on SBN21... it was already the second episode, but I am happy that I am still able to catch it.
• Speaking of TV, I am thankful that I was able to start this Koren soap opera, "Surgeon Bong Dal-Hee." It was released 2007, but it was just now that it was shown on the Philippine TV, and it was just nice. It's like Grey's Anatomy - with narrations and all, but I love the twist in the story.
• Getting answers to my questions.
• A bunch of Mangosteen from mom. My siblings didn't like it, so I am hogging them all by myself!
• A pot of Pancit Lomi from tita Lisa. Our breakfast this morning was so good because of that noodle dish. Oh so yummy!
• A call from Leila. Only nine days to go and it's "Hello, Coron" for us! Yey!
• Receiving a copy of the City Engineer's Office to our neighbor telling that the Cell Site he had in his rooftop was constructed illegally (without permits) and is asked to be dismantled asap. Really thankful for that.

*** Jenn ***