Cassava Bibingka, A Filipino Specialty and Our Home Office

Kelly of http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/is sponsoring "Show Us Where You Live Friday" and the theme this week is Office. Get some inspirations and let's all visit Kelly and all her participants.

I am also participating in Foodie Friday so stick around after this post.

Since I don't go to work, I will have to show you our home office. This is what you see as you enter from the hall. A settee sitting by the sliding doors and then an Asian file cabinets with shelves greet you.
The home office leads to the master bedroom, which is very convenient since I log on my computer soon after waking up. This room also serves as a showcase to my hubby's egg collection. Notice the framed 3 eggs on the wall? I gave that to him last Christmas. You can enlarge to see more details.
Let me just take you around the walls and corners. This is John's side of the desk.
We bought the wall unit from Ashley Furniture. It's perfect for us cause as you can see, we are computer nuts and it has a return in between our individual desks, which we can share for our laptops. Between hubby and me, we have 1 desktop and 4 laptops. It also has ample storage for our paperwork and files.
It has a shelf to hold a TV so I can watch news while blogging.


This is my side of the desk. I am the one using the desktop cause I am a heavy user and I need a super fast one and a big screen.

John and I both like the look of alligator skin so when we saw this chair at Miskelly's, a big furniture store in Jackson, MS, we wanted to buy 2 right away but they only had one in stock so we went to a local store and ordered 2. They are also distributed by Ashley. I especially like these chairs because they have no arm rest. I put both feet up when I am blogging or surfing the web and arm rests just get in the way and pinch my thighs.

I really love my chair, so comfy!

We have a lateral file cabinet in that wall, which matches the Asian tall cabinet. See the Sevres eggs on top of the wall units?

On top of the cabinet are some of John's egg collection and some Chinese figures.

And here you see the exit to the hall, which we transformed to a library.

I used to enjoy this view from the office.

But since we are building a pool, this is the view now. I know eventually, the view will look better.

Thank you so much for coming. I hope you enjoyed the tour to our home office.

Here's a little announcement in between here. I am only 2 posts away from my 100th post. I have gathered some stuff to give away, so be prepared to leave comments on my 100th post. You get an entry for every comment. But I will add an additional thing to the rule. If you participate this Saturday for Sightseeing Sat, I will add 3 more additional entries for you. Chandy, are you listening? You can post any sceneries or travel pictures and it does not have to be out of the country, it's all up to you. If you plan to participate, just leave me a comment by tomorrow night and tell me so I can add your link on Sat. I do not have a Mr. Linky set up.

Just to name a few of what I am giving away: a set of 4 black ruffly placemats, a set of 4 ceramic teapot napkin rings, a tablecloth with 6 napkins I bought from Grand Cayman (trust me, it's really pretty!) and some other items.

Now back to Foodie Friday!

Today is also Foodie Friday, hosted by Gollum at http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/. I don't really like cooking but since I baked something yesterday, I decided to participate and share what I made.

This is a Filipino dessert called Cassava Bibingka. Cassava is a starchy root also know as yucca.

Here are the ingredients: 2 bags grated cassava, 2 cans coconut milk, 1 stick melted butter, 2/3 cup condensed milk, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tsps. vanilla

A jar of macapuno and 1/2 cup condensed milk for topping.

I buy the frozen grated Cassava from Asian grocery stores.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Mix the first 7 ingredients above and pour into a 9 x 12 greased baking pan. I used 3 smaller ones because I wanted to give away 2 of them.

Bake for about 1 hr, 15 min. I baked mine for a little under an hr. because my pans were smaller.

While the batter is baking, mix a jar of macapuno (sweetened young coconut that you can buy in Asian food stores) and 1/2 cup of condensed milk.

Pour the mixture on top of the baked batter for another 20 min or until light brown in color.

Enjoy! This is one of my favorite Filipino sweets.

Thanks for joining me. Now let's go see Gollum and look at what everybody else is sharing.

Thanks Kelly and Gollum for hosting.

A Simply Blue Tablescape, Tagged & An Award from Sares

You probably all know how I love playing with my dishes and tables. That is why I am so grateful to Susan of http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ for sponsoring this weekly meme. Let's all visit her. She create the most amazing tablescapes and then let's go through her list pf participants and visit them too. We can gather lots of ideas for sure!

When I don't have a lot of time to set a table, I like to use this little one that we normally use to play Scrabble on.
I pulled out my blue and white lace runner, that I bought from Tuesday Morning in Jackson a while back. I knew I'd be able to use it someday. I also pulled out my matching 2 cloth placemats and napkins that I won on Ebay. I did not take a picture before adding the plates but they have a Dutch design.
I went to the dining room, opened our French provincial cabinet to pick which dishes I could use and decided on the ones shown below. I also took the blue and white candle holders, which were sitting with my salt and pepper shakers. I bought them a long time ago from the Dutch colony of St. Maarten.
I thought the blue and white teapot napkin rings look good with the setting. I got them on clearance at Pier 1 after Christmas. In fact, I am adding a set of 4 to my 100th post give away. My 100th post is approaching fast so watch out for it. After all, Laurie the bargainhunter and chatter now branded me a blogging machine.

Back on my tablescape, do you like the plates? I got them from Ross on clearance a few months ago. I finally got to use them.
Crystal stemware: Goblets are Princess House and the wine crystals are from Ross. I used an egg cup for a salt cellar.
These are German stein salt and pepper shakers. They were given to me after a friend visited Germany a long, long time ago. I left them in Florida and decided to bring them back with me on my last trip a few weeks ago. I am slowly emptying the house since my daughter who was staying in the house bought a new house and moved out. My son and his wife are moving in soon but they are waiting for renters to occupy their existing house. I like pottery so when I visit other countries, I try to buy a vase or any kind of pottery with the country printed on them. This particular pitcher was bought from Fatima, Portugal in 1993 when we went on a pilgrimage tour there. I used our cut out flatware again here.
Sorry for using faux flowers. It's an easy way out. I found the pewter teapot placecard holders from an antique shop.
I hope you enjoyed my simple tablescape. Now, don't forget to visit Susan. Thanks for visiting and thanks, Susan, for taking the time to host this event.

I've just been 8 tagged by Kathy of http://mbkatc230-emptynester.blogspot.com/. I have known Kathy from Micasa and I am glad I met her because she is one of the most pleasant and warmest persons I know.


There are certain rules to follow for this tag and here they are:

1. Mention the person (or people) who tagged you.
2. Complete the list of 8's.
3. Tag 8 other bloggers and let them know they have been tagged.



So, here are my responses to the lists of 8's.

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. Caribbean cruise in 3 weeks

2. having my granddaughter over for 2 weeks in July
3. the completion of the pool
4. shopping and buying deck furniture
5. planting using the big pots we bought to put on the pool deck
6. landscaping the part of the backyard where most of the dirt was dumped
7. organizing the garage and donating unneeded clothes to charity
8. shopping in the Caribbean

8 things I did yesterday:

1.took the garbage out
2. trimmed the bushes in the front yard and took pictures
3. watched a DVD

4. filled out the census form

5. watched the pool men pour cement and took pictures
6. made the bed, cleaned the master bath and did 1 load of laundry
7. went out to dinner with dh
8. took out ingredients for a dessert that I made today

8 things I wish I could do:

1. Sort out clothes in plastic storage to give away to the Salvation Army

2. bake cakes for referring doctors
3. find a gardener
4. find a cleaning lady
5. clean my mom's bathroom

6. sew throw pillows out of the curtain material that matches the dining room drapes and wallpaper that someone from RMS sent me
7. take some drapes to the cleaners

8. have more time to do some oil painting

8 Shows I watch:

This is going to be tough cause I only watch a few programs on TV.

1. A Haunting

2. If Walls Could Talk

3. Fox news

4. Cold Files
5. Lifetime movies

6. True Crime

7. Suspenseful movies if on

8. House Hunters

8 favorite fruits:

1. mangoes

2. Navel oranges

3. Strawberries

4. Watermelon

5. Pineapple

6. papaya

7. atis

8. lychees

8 places I'd like to travel:

1. Ireland
2. Germany
3. go back to Paris cause I lost my pictures
4. Venice

5. go back to Barcelona cause I lost my pictures
6. Hawaii
7. Philippines

8. Thailand

8 places I've lived:

1. Philippines
2. Philadelphia, PA
3. Great Lakes, IL
4. Waukegan, IL
5. Stockton, CA

6. Hudson, FL
7. Port Richey, FL
8. Natchez, MS

8 people I have tagged:

This is always the toughest one for me. It is hard to pick cause I want to know more about everybody I have met on Blogland.

1. Lorna of http://laceandivycottage.blogspot.com/
2. Robyn of http://thereisalwaysthymefor.blogspot.com/
3. Marty of http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
4. Sares of http://loveleightreasures.blogspot.com/
5. Anita of http://bridalblooms4u.blogspot.com/
6. Silvia of http://silvia-justmystyle.blogspot.com/

7. Susan of http://thegillmanfamily.blogspot.com/

8. Marie of http://mariesmarche.blogspot.com/

Thanks Kathy, for thinking of me when you chose your 8 people to tag.

This award posting is long overdue. Sorry for being tardy, Sares. But I want you to know how much I appreciate you presenting this award to me. I really treasure it!

This loveleigh award was presented to me by Sares of http://loveleightreasures.blogspot.com/ . If you are not a regular follower of Sares, you should, cause she has the loveleighest blog in Blogland.:-) You will really enjoy it as I do.


If you are a regular blogger, I am sure you know that awards have rules attached to them but since Sares created her own rule, I think I should be allowed to make one up to. And here's what it is! If you know I am a follower of your blog, please take this award because I follow you for a reason and that's because you are a lovely blogger and therefore, you deserve this.


Thanks again, Sares, for thinking of me when you presented this award.

The Yard and Pool Progress

It's Outdoor Wednesday time, which is hosted by Susan of http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/. Let's visit Susan and everybody on her list of participants. I know it will be a lot of fun!

Last week, I showed you the excavation of our backyard in preparation for the building of a pool. Well, they are still working on it, huge machineries and dirt everywhere and I would like to share the progress with you. But before we get to that, let me show you some plants and flowers in our front and side yard by the driveway. It will be a refreshing change for me to see them since all I see from our office, bedroom, kitchen and family room windows is dirt and a big hole.

The magnolia tree is blooming. Aren't the flowers gorgeous? They're big! The tree is actually on the hill, not the same side as the driveway but on the other side of the house.

The blooms do not last long. They turn brown the next day or 2 but it does not matter because there are buds opening up daily.

These are on the front yard. Are they some kind of daisies?




The rose is pretty lonely, all by itself, lol, at least coming from this particular plant.

There you see the driveway and this plant bed gets kinda wild.

Holly bushes line one whole side of the driveway.

Yellow lantana.

Not sure what these are but the color is really pretty. They grow on a tree.

These are just starting to pop out in the front. I can't wait to see the

buds open up. Asian jasmines fill the ground. They spread everywhere. We mow them and they keep coming back.pink and yellow combination lantana. Sorry, I should have taken a close up but you can click to enlarge.

I think these belong to the orchid family.

I dug out this Asian iris (I think that's what it's called) from the backyard before it was excavated. So glad it is doing well. See the tiny white flower on its top right? See the rose bush on the left clay pot in the background on the left? I am moving these big pots to the pool deck after it's finished.

Ok, here is the progress on the pool. The Roman steps are in place.

The turbo seat is installed.

The sun ledge is also in place.

They started pouring concrete this morning and are still pouring in between spreading and leveling as of now and it's almost 4 PM.

5 men all work together.

It's coming along well I think. The guys are still working so I will show you more next week. Thanks for your visit and you all have a nice Outdoor Wednesday! Thanks Susan for taking the time to host this event.