Photo Journal: His 33rd Birthday

About a week before he turned 33, I planned on taking him to a concert that I knew he was going to enjoy. I told him that the evening will be a surprise. But first I took him out to dinner.

Dinner was at Bombasha Brazilian Steakhouse in Nashville's Hillsboro Village. It is probably the only authentic churrascaria in town. I call it a lazy man's buffet because the unlimited cuts of grilled meat are brought to the table instead of getting up and getting more food.

While I enjoy a great meat-filled dinner, I knew I couldn't take in all that was being brought to the table. It's all right though. Robert had the best meal and it was so totally worth it!

The surprise of the evening was taking him to see Boyz II Men perform with the Nashville Symphony in downtown. He did not know until we parked by Schermerhorn Symphony Center and saw the tickets. I was not allowed to take pictures during the performance so this is the only photo we got.

I wish I took pictures of his reaction to the surprise. It was priceless!

A week later

Robert recently saw a movie called Father of Lights not too long ago and wanted every one from the youth group to see it. He invited RUSH Franklin's parents and students to watch it on the weekend before his birthday.

They used it as an opportunity to use that evening to celebrate his special day. Robert and I were so moved by the kindness and generous ways these people did to make it special. The love they poured on him that night is something I will never forget and will forever be grateful for.

I knew Robert was working on this actual birthday (September 25th) so I made plans to take him out to another filling meal on the 24th. Another bonus: our good friend Liz is in town for a visit!

I've always wanted to visit Monell's -- a legendary family-style southern dining experience in Nashville. I knew a people person like my husband will love the fact that he will be seated in a long dining table with strangers and break bread with them.

The servings were generous (read: unlimited!). On the menu that day: chicken and dumplings, meat loaf, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn pudding. And the best fried chicken I've had since moving to Nashville.

That evening, I gathered all presents and cards. given by me, family, and all his other friends. I wanted him to feel like it's Christmas! One of his strongest love languages is gifts. It was a great opportunity to make him feel loved.

He loved, loved, loved the headphones given to him by my Dad.

The following morning (his actual birthday) I made him a birthday breakfast waffle. I wanted a good start to what we expected was going to be a busy work day.

He went to the office, was in meetings all morning. I asked him to come home quickly for lunch because I made his favorite Filipino dish: beef sinigang (beef ribs in sour soup).

That evening, we attended a fundraiser of Ten Days Missions -- an organization close to our hearts and helped bring us to our missions trip to Baja, Mexico.

We decided to celebrate the last couple of hours of his birthday in Applebee's. It was the only restaurant in our area that was open late at night.

Yes, he got the birthday song!

And then he found out that the guy sitting next to our table is his birthday too so he got up and sang for him!

I feel very blessed to see you so happy your 33rd birthday. The day you were born will always be the biggest deal because your life has changed me and continues to bring joy to mine every single day.

Thank you to everyone who made his birthday special!

 

Building A Basic Pantry

I consider myself a rookie when it comes to running a household. I have had only about 3 years of practice in our little apartment in Manila.

Photo Credit: Women's Health Magazine

I had it so easy:

• We lived in an apartment complex where it had a large grocery store in it. I can be spontaneous with cooking dinner because I knew I was only a few steps away from getting the ingredients.
• Prices of grocery items there were so low. I can fill up a cart filled with a week's worth of meals for only about $50.
• We also lived a couple of blocks away from a 'wet' market. How wonderful it was to have easy access to fresh fish that was caught literally that morning!
• I had a helper who came in on certain days of the week to assist me in household chores. This meant that I was blessed to have someone do the food preparation for me.
• On really busy nights, there was a cafeteria located also inside the our apartment complex. It only takes one quick phone call and I have someone knocking on our door with a freshly cooked dinner. And it was delicious food. The price? Only $2 per plate!

Now that we live in new city with a higher cost of living, I am starting to appreciate the importance of menu planning so that we can stay within our monthly food budget. I have been a big believer that planning is an integral part of stewardship -- God has blessed me and Robert with so much; and I want to be able to use everything He has given us in ways that give Him honor.

We are currently concluded our 21-day fast. On the beginning of February, the first order of business is to stock our pantry with cooking staples. I will be planning our menu based on what is stocked in the kitchen.

Lifestyle, culture, and dietary preferences determine what makes the 'staple pantry list.' By giving this a lot of thought, here is the list that I came up with.

1. Olive oil
2. Salt
3. Pepper
4. Sugar
5. Soy sauce
6. Vinegar
7. Canned tuna
8. Chicken broth
9. Jarred spaghetti sauce
10. Brown rice
11. Whole grain bread
12. Whole wheat pasta
13. Tomatoes
14. Garlic
15. Onions
16. Butter 
17. Milk
18. Dry cereal
19. Eggs
20. Cheeses - mozzarella, parmesan, American
21. Carrots
22. Whole kernel corn
23. Sweet peas
24. Lemon
25. Dried fruits
26. Nuts

Share with me:

What is your list of pantry staples?

Good Food in Kansas City

My previous blog post talked about the wonderful time I had in Kansas City for the Women of Faith conference. I also enjoyed the breaks of the conference.

Why? My husband took me out on dates during those times! There were two dining places that I believe were highlights of our dates.

I loved them so much that I am excited to share them with you today -- just in case you find yourself in Kansas City in the near future!

First, let me tell you about Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue. Kansas City is famous for its barbecue and when we were asking around, this came highly recommended by our good friends. While I do not believe there is a universal "best barcebue" (people have different tastes!) -- this restaurant is definitely on top of that list.

We ordered a Dinner for Two Special which really felt like should have been dinner for four! We ordered the beef rack slab -- which were eight dinosaur-sized ribs. Perfect for beef lovers like us. Yes, it was falling off the bone!

We picked great sides to go with the ribs: hickory pit beans, cheesy corn bake, and cheesy potato bake. Beans are definitely a non-negotiable for me when it comes to eating ribs. I just love beans! However, I don't think it was a good idea to order both the cheesy corn bake and cheesy potato bake. It was just too rich to take in both! We should have picked one of them and then went for steamed vegetables.

I had a special request to Robert as to where to go for dessert. I read about Glace Artisan Ice Cream and knew it was only available in Kansas City.

The reason I wanted to try it was the interesting selection of flavors. Definitely not your usual supermarket-bought ice cream! Take a look at few of the flavors available: roasted apple, bananas foster, caramel pecan, cream cheese, goat cheese with pear compote, green apple sorbet, maple walnut, and peanut butter chocolate.

Their "single" serve was a lot and we were allowed to pick 2 flavors in one serving. I sampled most of the flavors because I wanted to be sure I got something I liked. I am so easy to please but I must say -- the goat cheese ice cream tasted rather unpleasant! They should learn a thing or two on how to make a good cheese-based ice cream from Selecta.

(To those who do not live in Manila, Selecta is an ice cream brand whose bestselling flavor is Quezo Real. A coconut flavored ice-cream generously sprinkled with cheese cubes. It might sound a little gross but trust me -- it's really good!)

I ordered a combination of caramel pecan and vanilla bean -- and that worked out really well for me! Robert ordered maple walnut which was really good too!

Another thing to love about Glace: it's blue and brown packaging! A color combination that I am forever drawn to.

How about you:

 Have you discovered any new restaurants in the recent past? Please post your recommendations!