A Pretty Mug!

This was supposed to be a Christmas gift to myself but I guess, I can't wait 'till Christmas to buy it so, I got it today! I love things with kitschy designs and expectedly, I fell in love with it when I saw it. Isn't she lovely?! :)

Just some of my things with kitschy design.
Hankies...

Umbrella..

Dessert plate...

Dipping Sauce Bowls

About a couple of weeks ago, I received a beautiful little glass bowl as my prize from a give-away (Random Act of Kindness) draw in a group I am in. It was from Stephanie (Smadronia's Adventure). At the start of the draw, she said to write two of our favorite colors. So, the glass bowl is really very personal. It was made for me! Below is the picture. Isn't it pretty!

Anyway, having this bowl made me realized that I actually have a few assorted dipping sauce bowls. When I saw them grouped together, they look like I am collecting them! I bought them all from different thrift stores at different times and they are all really cheap. 10-15 Philippine peso.

Got it! Purple Whistling Kettle!

My 10th wedding anniversary gift to our kitchen, my coveted Purple whistling kettle! Love it! :)

Homemade Cacao Balls!

I harvested some cacao pods from the one cacao tree in our backyard. I love drinking hot choco, especially if it is "tablea" (how we call cacao balls in the Philippines). So, I searched the internet for the process of making it. It was a lot of work and a lot of waiting but well, it is all worth the wait!

The Cacao Pods. Took out the seeds and fermented it for 10 days. Then sun dried them for 3 days.

Roasted nibs. Ready to grind.

Grinded and made into balls!

End product of my first ever homemade cacao balls! "Mayo man ah"! (Good enough! - Ilonggo dialect in the Philippines)

I enjoyed 2 cups already! Tasted like dark chocolate because I only put 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. I can say it was a success and I'm happy!

Homemade Crushed Pepper Flakes

Everytime I am in the herbs and spices section at the grocery store, I always wanted to buy pepper flakes. However, it seems a little bit pricey, as most of the dried herbs and spices here in our country. I am trying to cut my grocery shopping and I thought of making my own pepper flakes since I just throw away the seeds from the peppers I use. So, I searched the net for ideas on how to make them and for my first try, I decided to use two whole peppers. I sun dried them and after two days, they were ready to be crushed and grinded. Good thing, hubby bought me a mini coffee bean grinder. It was the first time I used it too!

I am just so happy that my first homemade pepper flakes is successful and I was able to save money! I'm pretty sure I would be making it again in the future.

Too bad I always forget to take the before and after pictures of the things I make. But here is the final product.

A New Drinking Glass!

My happiness is shallow, I must admit! I just can't help to be ecstatic when something new interests me. Well, maybe some people can relate.

I had lunch at McDonalds today and I noticed that the woman before me bought a drinking glass. She seems happy to have it, so when it was my turn and after I made my order, I asked the crew about the glass. She handed me two glasses and told me that's the colors they have left. It was a 2012 London olympics glass partnered by McDonalds and Coca-Cola. Since, the price is reasonable, I decided to buy a Purple color one. I like Purple too anyway!

When I got home, I washed it and used it. Gosh, I don't know but it just felt so refreshing to drink from! The contour of the glass is also nice and the color is great. When there is water, the color really comes out. I think it will be my drinking glass from now on!

Soft Choco Chip Oatmeal Cookie

Yehey!!! My first ever "successfully baked" cookie! This is the third time that I tried baking cookies and finally, I got it right! I over baked the first one and I don't know what happened with the second one (it did not dropped or spread out). I did follow the recipes, but maybe something went wrong with how I mixed the ingredients? Well, this time, I watched the video here over and over and followed it well!

The joy of baking, really!

Last week, I also baked my first pie. A pumpkin pie! It was okay, though my pie crust was not really flaky and I think the filling was a little bit watery. But I'm happy that I now know how to make a crust and bake a pie!

Linking to: