Hot Chocolate on a Rainy Night

I got this recipe from Farah during this cooking show where we were guests.

I rummaged through our cupboard and got the tablea, anise seeds and cinnamon barks.

I'd normally use four tableas but we agreed to use two instead.

Measure out two cups of milk.

Put the milk in a heavy saucepan, add the cinnamon barks and anise seeds.

Bring the milk to a boil.

While the milk is boiling (love the smell of cinnamon and anise seeds), melt the tablea with a few drops of water. (Ideally, use a double boiler for melting the tablea. But given the small quantity, I nuked it for less than 30 secs in the microwave.)

Once, the milk is boiling, add the thick syrup-like tablea. Mix well.

Use a strainer and pour it in a prepared mug.

Simple Things To Do To Be Green at Home

What I pledged to do to help reduce carbon emissions at home:

1. I will turn off the lights when I leave a room, even if only for a few minutes
2. I will unplug my cell phone charger when not in use
3. I will use the least amount of energy when drying my dishes
   
4. I will use "green" cosmetics and facial products
5. I will use the "Kill Switch" on the power strip - Strip down. Even turned off, electronics such as TVs and stereos still draw electricity. Over 60% of the energy used by these products is used when they are not in use, so use a power strip to turn off your toys when you're done.
6. I will fix any leaky faucets in my home
7. I will use rechargeable batteries in my remote control and other battery operated items
8. I will use a power strip and unplug electronic devices when not in use
9. I will walk instead of driving if my destination is less than one mile away
10. I will buy locally produced products
11. I will buy less stuff

Let's all do our part. Take the test at ECP. Make a pledge.

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

I looked at my recipes on OneNote. There's this recipe for white chocolate chip oatmeal cookie that I've been meaning to try, and I thought tonight would be the best time to try it.

Turn on the oven and sift the dry ingredients.

Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl.

Add the sugars. (Considerably reduced)

Use the paddle to mix the wet ingredients until light and fluffy.

Change the attachment from a paddle to the beater. Add the sifted dry ingredients.

Add the rolled oats.

Last, mix in the white chocolate chips.

Mix.

Put spoonfuls of the dough on a a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Before they went in the oven.

After they come out of the oven.


Best eaten with a warm cup of freshly pressed coffee.

Must undergo taste test from the cookie trifecter: Beng, Leslie and May.

Cinemalaya 2007

It's cinemalaya time again.

For screening schedule, click here.

The Cookie Customer We All Love

TO HATE.

For full entry, click here.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This morning was one of those where I had time to prepare and eat breakfast as opposed to the harried bowl of fruit loops. I looked in our cupboard and saw the packet of instant pancake mix. (Normally, I would have prepared it from scratch, but I wanted to get rid of that pouch.)

First things first, crack an egg.

Beat until frothy. Per instructions, I added 2 tbsps of oil. I was supposed to add half a cup of water, but substituted it with half a cup of milk. I also added a dash of vanilla.

Mix the entire packet of pancake mix.

To make it more interesting, while it was cooking on one side, I added a handful of semi sweet mini chocolate chips.

More chocolate chips.

Pile it on a plate. Top with a pat of butter. (Ooh! Watch it melt!)

Pour Cinnamon Maple syrup. Just enough to complement the chocolate chips in the pancake.

Yum!

Don't Click Unless You've Got Nothing Else To Do

That line should be posted on every frigging point-click, escape-room games.

Of course I had a ton of things to do. I was going to bake revel bars for Nards and fudge cupcakes for Leslie. After which, I wanted to attack the Neil Gaiman book. In the interest of saving time, I planned (very unwisely) to bake and later on read while the computer was downloading huge files (which usually take hours). So yesterday, I turned on the desktop, switched to the download drive, opened this website, clicked on the files for downloading. I opened the documents that contained my recipes so that I could print it. THEN (and this is the tipping point), I opened the forum to check if there were any responses from the Rock Ed event we had on for tonight. This somehow led me to a thread for point-click, escape room games. That led me to The Shochu Bar. (For review, click here.) That glued me to my seat and on the computer screen for H-O-U-R-S.

Now it's 7:30am. I've finished the game. (You're the 73124th person to solve this game. Time: 12:22:58)

(Hep, hep. Tama na ang sermon. Natulog ako, ok? I'll bake this morning. After this blog entry. And maybe checking my email. And maybe checking the forum for any responses to the Rock Ed event tonight.)

Transformers, A Review

Great movie!

Click here for review.


Photo source: http://www.transformersmovie.com

Transformers The Movie

Nards and I, together with Cat and Pepe, just got home from the Transformers premiere at Eastwood.

It rocked!!! Optimus Prime rules!! (As well as the other Autobots.)

Review to be posted within the day. Will just sleep for a few hours.

Lolita

Nards and I watched Kamikaze Girls at Eiga Sai in Shangri-la. (Click here for review.)

For those who intend to watch film festivals at Shangrila Mall, here are a few things that you need to know:

1. Read up on the films that are being shown. Usually, the festival sponsors release literature about the films online and on the theater itself.
   
2. Check out the schedule of the films being shown. If you're planning to see more than one film, you'll need to plan the sequence of the films you'll watch.
   
3. Get tickets at least an hour before the scheduled time. If it's the first day of the film fest, make sure you get there a few hours before because there'll be a lot of people vying for the limited seats;
4. Line up outside the designated theater as soon as you can. Seating is free for all; on a first come first serve basis. For big groups, the earlier the better, unless you don't mind sitting apart (what's the fun in that?)

To see the trailer, click here.