béatifique

One year ago today

I flew to Singapore and began one of the greatest adventures in my life so far. And I want to believe it’s only the first of many. God is beyond awesome! His surprises never fail to amaze me! Thank you God for 2011! :)

Home this Christmas

Food, glorious, food! (A Marquez gathering would never be complete without shrimp!) The entire family came over for a triple celebration - from Lola’s 72nd birthday to Tita Tin and Tito Gary’s anniversary, and of course, Christmas! It was a night of singing, dougie dancing and eating. Mom sure knows how to prepare a feast!

My fave freshly baked bread rolls.

Butter in Christmas shapes!

Mom makes the best creamy leche flan.

I don’t know what started this. But we do it for the pictures every year. Haha. I love my family! ♥ Spending New Year’s Eve with them again later! :)

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ever since mom first tried out this recipe a few years ago, I’ve been hooked! (Especially because they have whole oreos at the bottom!) We usually make them during the holiday season, but now I think we should have them all year round. It’s so simple to whip up! Honestly, it’s just the waiting that’s most difficult for me because they need hours to cool in the fridge after they’ve been baked. Heehee. This is the batch we made last week for a Christmas party. Give it a try! :)

Recipe (from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes):

• 42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high-speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Five Things #4

I had just finished reading Catching Fire when I realized that I unfortunately left Mockingjay back at the dorm. (Sweet Peeta will have to wait.) To compensate, I ran over to Fully Booked the other day and scored the last copy of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (plus a back issue of Vogue from Booksale).

Self-explanatory.

This beautiful pink satchel from Nic!

Peach lip balm from Beauty Bar, a giveaway from Erika’s surprise dinner. It tastes like iced tea! But I think I like the design of its little tin tub even more.

More pink! Book light from Smiggle, Singapore

Waffle Wednesday

Nom nom chocolate marble!

Us girls gathered again from all corners of Manila for a sleepover that last holiday, November 30. At midnight, I ordered my usual Mcdonald’s delivery to console myself for being too late to make a last order at BonChon that night. (I even ran. #tears) The next day, the girls also made me feel better by eating at Pancake House to satisfy my other constant craving - waffles (which only worsened after the one over at Starbucks didn’t make up for it. Heehee. Choosy.) Happy tummies!

I think we spent more time together in just these few months than the past couple of years. I’ll miss being complete again because it’s Erika’s turn to go to Singapore for the NUS exchange program next year. So excited for her! :)

Mmm.. Craving for pan chicken and a chocolate marble waffle again now.

{Erika, Bea, Bea, Elle} ♥

Before my dear Nic left for her home in Cebu, she gave me this beautiful gift - inside and out! I was so hesitant to open it because the black & white damask wrapper, pink and green ribbons, and ‘b’ card were so perfect, so me, I didn’t want to ruin it. But when I brought myself to unwrap it (as neatly as possible), inside was the hot pink 13” satchel I’ve been eyeing! Love. Thanks bai! You know me too well! :* Gimingaw ko nimo!