Bread & Butter Home-based Bakeshop

It has been four months since I wrote my last blog in June. That is because I got busy honing another skill. This time, not in cooking delish foods but of baking. Once I got interested on doing things, I really focus on it, exert time and effort and put my heart in learning such.

Hubby and I were praying for an opportunity to put up a business in preparation for his retirement day ten years from now. Though I know how to cook (talent I got from my parents who were both good in cooking), I realized it would be hard for me to run a carinderia or restaurant that will also need a big capital to start. So i opted to think on another business options where I can earn even when at home. I tried selling different goodies but it is not enough. Until it came to my mind to learn the baking. Yes, baking bread.
In 2011, I had the opportunity to attend a BOS2 or Business Opportunity Session 2 conducted by San Miguel Corp. I, together with my bestfriend Joy attended the one-day class of making bread.

It was interesting to just watch our instructor, Chef Paul Camaclang on how he demonstrated making different kinds of bread. We get the chance to participate in molding the siopao too!

I once thought it was easy by looking how it (whole process in making bread) was done. I never tried it at home after that session because i dont own an oven 😐 Until such in July 2015 when I bought a toaster, that was when I first tried to make the famous Filipino bread in the morning--Pan De Sal!

 I can truly say that baking bread is a serious thing! You need a lot of patience, perseverance and passion in doing it. I almost gave up on the kneading part which needed strength to give a good result for the dough which in effect to have a good bread. It was a trial and error process in doing so. But I thank God because i did not give up and enjoy it a lot. I also learned other variants of bread aside from pan de sal.

Little did I know that this would be the answer to what we are praying for--now I manage our own small home-based bread business and looking forward to find a perfect place for our own bakery that I could display the bread of my labor. I would like to personally thank sweet ambitions video tutie in youtube for unselfishly sharing her bread recipes that I use as guide for making good bread.

From selling bread everyday, I had a chance to mingle with my neighbors and thru their sharing of someone they know who studied baking, which did not pursue in baking bread. I understand them why? Because they simply give up. They did not persevere the hardship in kneading (the most challenging part of making bread).

I therefore conclude that even you attended  in a baking (bread making) class if you don't have the passion, perseverance and patience you will not eat the bread of what you have learned. As a challenge, pursue baking bread, because the saying "practice makes perfect" is still true.

Bread – like real love – took time, cultivation, strong loving hands and patience. It lived, rising and growing to fruition only under the most perfect circumstances.

Melissa Hill

I'm Surprised today by Nestlé Cream de la Creme!

I was busy early today preparing my kids for school. I took my youngest son to his school then do some groceries before went home. I grabbed my phone and checked my notifs in FB and got surprised to receive a comment from Nestlé Cream. They liked my entry dish to their contest and asking me to send my recipe thru PM so they will feature my dish in their page.

I sent the recipe of Stuffed Squid with 

Creamy Lemon and Parsley sauce thru private message. If you want it too, wait as they feature it one of these days. I actually joined seven or eight photo dishes entry but this one caught them.

Stuffed Squid in Creamy Lemon and Parsley Sauce

It followed with a message of CONGRATULATIONS JULIE!

This message really wowed my day 😘

I sent my details to them and now waiting  for the confirmation so I'm ready to get my prize of Nestle gift packs and cookware worth P10k. I am actually one of five winners. Congrats to the other four winners!

Happy Mother's Day!

"Maiintindihan nyo din yan pag naging magulang na kayo."

That was the lines struck to me while reading some famous lines of a mother to their children. It was also the same lines I've heard from my mom when I was small and teaching us to obey them.

Now that I am already a mom to my three sons and my mom was gone, I realized and understand how true the lines she used to blurt to us when we were young. I am not a perfect mom but trying to teach my sons to become a better citizen, with respect to their parents and others, honoring God with their lives.

They are the reason why I celebrate Mother's Day!

I admit that sometimes harsh words comes to my mouth but my pure intension out of saying those words is just to challenge them. And I know those famous challenging lines of mothers would someday remind them of me when they become parent too 😊

Do you remember the famous lines that reminds you of your mom?

One Day in Singapore

My friend and I flew to Singapore in March 3,2015, just a one day stop there in preparation for our 4D/3N Singapore-Malaysia-Singapore cruise on the 4th. We only have one day to wander around Singapore. Let me share with you our compact activities done in one day stay in SG.

WHAT I LIKE IN SINGAPORE

I like the Changi airport. 

It is huge, very clean and well secured plus, this Dancing/Waving drops in Changi Airport Terminal 2 is very eye catching and entertaining :)

Changi Airport Terminal 2

I like our hotel. 
It is near the airport and sea port as well. Perfect place for us who had cruising the next day.

I like the train. It comes every 2 minutes and it is very efficient way of transport there. They also have cab and transit as way of transportations.

 

train ticket

I like the smooth traffic.

Passing through the Under the sea tunnel

We experienced smooth traffic when we were in Singapore. That surprised us so much! So we asked a friend how come Singapore managed a good traffic. It is because purchasing a car there is not easy and very much expensive. You need to pay for COE or Certificate of Entitlement first. According to our lady cab driver, COE is just a permit or access so you can avail a car before you actually buy one. Click here for more details of Car Buying in Singapore.

I like the foods.  FYI: Restaurants in  Singapore does not serve water for free. You have to purchase bottled water if you want to drink. Maybe this is for health safety of their costumers.

750ml Acqua Panna cost SGD7 in fine dine resto of Shiraz

Sentosa is a popular island resort in Singapore. It is like a huge theme park that kids would enjoy the rides and good for a walk. Wear casual when you go there. 

Clarke Quay is said to be the central spot for night life. The place is lively at night with more restos open, shimerring colorful lights and entertainments--live bands music, acoustic, belly dancers. We ate at Shiraz fine dining restaurant in Clarke Quay and tried the Persian food.

The Singaporean Bills.
It could easily recognize which one has the bigger value because the bigger the size, the bigger the value :)

I like Singapore. 

Singapore is very small country but developed and progressive. Very clean. Everything is expensive. High standard living. People are obedient in abiding the laws and rules. Government is sincere in giving punishment to those who disobeyed the laws. If Singapore can, why can't Philippines? 

My First to Travel as Tourist

Before our flight to Singapore in March 2015, I just want to share with you my experience at the Philippines airport. It was my first time to have trip outside the country as a tourist.

I go with a friend with my travelling bag, passport, IDs and returning date stub. When we lined for luggage checking, I was advised to pay for travel tax of P1,650. Yes, my friend paid for my travel tax while she was exempted on that. I don't know if this is applied for Filipino travelers only as tourist. In immigration, they were strict for those who are holding Philippine passport. I was interrogated compared to my friend who has blue passport (U.S.) and no more questions was asked to her. Aside from the information they asked based on my passport, they also asked if someone sponsored my trip, what is the job of my husband, if where is he that time. Those were just some of the questions asked to me. I think they were too 'sigurista'  (to Filipinos only?) if how can I afford to travel because I have no job OR they were simply doing their job. Is this a custom in Philippines airports for Filipinos travelling as tourist? Just asking because it smells discrimination to me this way.

Bridge of Hope-World Drop-off Donations to KBF

It's been a year of coming back to visit KBF with a friend who devotedly support the single-mom in Nazareth Home. She understood the situations of every single moms because she is one --a single mom too for nine years. Raising her two wonderful daughters alone.

From my previous blog, I introduced what KBF, their Mission and Vision, their programs in different category and how they support each 'homes'. If you happened to missed it, Read it Here.

This blog is just a follow up about our visit to KBF-Nazareth Home. Previous batch were gone and another batch of eight new women we came to see.

New high capacity Washer with Dryer for Single-moms of Nazareth Home.

Other donations from her Church in the U.S.

Drop-Off of donations to KBF-Nazareth Home from Bridge of Hope-World Thru Ms. Ava.

The Highlights of the visit is the sharing of the good news of Salvation, leading them to Jesus Christ and pray together.

Eating Fellowship with the Single Moms of KBF

Please support Bridge of Hope-World and be a part in building bridges to connect to empoverished single mothers in the poorest communities in the third-world countries starting here in the Philippines.

Please do visit, like and share the Bridge of Hope-World Facebook page.

Thank You and Glory to God!

Cross Stitch: Do not give up, the beginning is always the hardest!

I remember back in High School then when I first tried to make cross stitch as project for the TLE subject. I chose to do it for a running table but unfortunately, for a beginner like me, I wasn't able to finish it because running table is too big to do for just a beginner. Though my first try was not a successful one, I never gave up on trying again. As I remember, I have done four more and let my cousin keep it to frame. After that, I stopped from cross stitch making.

Barely after two decades and more, here I am coming back with needlework. My passion for cross stitching arroused when I helped my youngest son in his cross stitch project making.

I use DMC threads for my cross stitch. I was surprised with what DMC stands for-- Dare your Mind to Create.

Here are my finished needleworks in less than a month.

Who knows maybe someday my passion in cross stitching would open the opportunity for a new business 😊

I grabbed this from DMC FB page, a quote that remind us to never give up--

On the First of January 2015

My family spent Christmas and New Year exclusively in our home sweet home. When 12'oclock midnight stuck, we just watch fireworks in the sky around the subdivision. Because we don't waste our money for that thing, we let them spend and we just watch! 😊

Cheers to a strong family bond!

As family tradition to have reunion on first of January, we had great time seeing our relatives from Taguig and spend get together in one of my cousin's place in Faiwayview Dasmarinas. Since the usual place we used to have get together for the past years at our uncle's house in Las Pinas is not available, this is our second time spending New Year relatives get together here.

Enjoying movie marathon

It was really an awesome time bonding each other that our children reconnect, cousins reunited. We find great time to hear each stories, movie marathon together, eat, laugh and pray together.

We missed a lot of our relatives but looking forward on this year to bond with them in other events. Praying for a good health, more love and happy and strong bond family ties for this year for the entire Llesol clan.