Flea Market Finds

 For New Year's Eve, we actually decided to eat out  at Bear Creek Inn, and upon making the reservation, we were informed that the place will be so packed for that time ans so the lady on the line suggested the eve  of New Year's Eve will be a more  relaxing and peaceful dinner if we prefer that, and so we did.
But come New Year's Eve, without any more plans, I did not feel good letting the day pass without doing anything kind of special so I decided to put together, showcase and use some flea of my market finds.

Everything on this table (except the  silverware) including the  rosy  tablecloth came from the flea market. I love this  vintage rose  dinner set for 6 (all 36 items complete) which I got from a flea market for a measly $5.00.

The table looked quite busy with pink and red roses scattered all over the setting, but that's just how I wanted it....outside is white---blanketed with snow, but in our dining room is warm, and quite  springy...

 The  colored glasses  (a set of  six)  which I got for $3.00 look Morrocan. I could stare at them and feel transported to a memory in my childhood where I was also captivated by the same colors of glasses...somewhere...

The copper-bottom pan was $1.99 and stands to the oven well.

The milkglass bowl atop the stack of plates holding  French onion soup is a dollar too.

Look at the dainty  cups  and their sleek handles. It's fun to sip tea from them. Makes you thoughtful of what you're doing and enjoying.

Zachy passed up on the French Onion soup, so he had  buttered slices of the homemade baguette in its place.

The silver trays for a dollar or two each come in handy housing the  sauteed  veggies (bokchoi and tatsoi)    and deviled eggs.

Eggs, veggies, and  baby bellas stuffed with chopped sirloin.

The dainty milk glass bowl  holding  the one dessert (chocolate-coated honeycrisp apple slices).

This  other dessert, NO ONE will ever guess what are covered with the chocolate.
They are chocolate covered nata-de-coco. 

So there's our simple New year's Eve fare  for  three.

Langka (Jackfruit)

Last summer I  went to H-Mart at Bayside, Queens and found a mountain of jackfruits sold by the pound. Each fruit was bigger (and heavier) than my torso, I'd have to spend close to $35 to take  home a whole piece, so I opted for the sliced  pieces, just to get my portion of  nostalgia down memory lane (of eating sweet tasting and sweet smelling jackfruit). Boy was I surprised! I did not expect this piece to be so sweet...as sweet as the jackfruit I've eaten  in the Philippines.

The sweetest jackfruit I've eaten in America.  So pleasantly surprised!

Smells as sweet as it tastes!!!

Even these strips tasted so sweet, I could not throw them away. I had to eat them too!

The seeds were boiled, and they tasted like chestnuts.

Eye Candy

Today arrived my eye candies for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. One American author (Elizabeth Elliot) to get me thinking about quiet solitude with God, and the rest, female British authors  from of old simply for entertainment.

I cannot wait for some quiet breaks to simply curl up with a fluffy blanket, a mug of tea or chocolate and any of these books.

Journalling

Tea and journaling....they go together well. If in the springtime, you plant some herbs like sage, thyme, basil, mint, lemongrass, then you will have a lot to use for tea all summer long.

tea and thinking and writing....

this lemon grass waits to be made into tea

write your thoughts...feelings...your doings day in and day out....write about your blessings and happiness....

your journal is your memorial of everything that God did for you...
write about HIM...

write about the good and the beautiful  times and experiences that touched your being
when you go back to it, you will realize how fortunate...how blessed you are....

NoodleFight...Eeeyyyaaahhhhh!!!! (The Prowess of Mommah is Revealed)

this mommah can fight!

whoosh! She disarms him!

and follows it up with a big thwack!

whatta lady beast!

no mercy, man!

Getting up after  his defeat.
TRUTH is,  Dad is a real gentleman.
He just defended himself and  never hit mommah  even once.
(even if his weapon was a soft noodle)
aaaaaawwww...

Spatchcocked Cornish Hens

Easiest meal to make...spatchcock them hens....shower with salt and pepper and  olive oil.... throw in some potatoes, and  tomatoes.... put in oven @400 F for 30 minutes....then 350 F for an hour.  Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Tagine

We Filipinos have our curvaceous and voluptuous  "Palayok", the Spanish have their  "Cazuelas", the Moroccans have their "Tagines."   I got these Tagines a couple of years ago and never got around to cooking with them. I made sure to use them this summer, but first I soaked them in water overnight before I put in all the ingredients for my own version of Chicken Tagine.