Hello December! My Christmas Party #1
I can't believe it's finally December! It just seems like yesterday when Paul and I celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple and in 24 days we'll be celebrating it again for the 2nd time! Time surely flies extra fast when you're having fun and I am sure having a blast this 2011! Imagine being able to attend the weddings of two of my closest friends, spending more time not only with my family but with my in laws, taking out of town trips and a million food trips with friends and a whole lot more!
Mommy and I can't help but get emotional whenever we see our house well-lit with Christmas lights which were carefully installed by my Dad. Three years ago, we were still unsure if Papa can fully recover from his brain surgery as he was still undergoing motor and speech therapy and was 100% dependent on his personal nurse. Today, he can move around, talk, listen and eat on his own. Best of all, he would even walk all the way to Greenhills just to get his regular afternoon coffee and to buy a few groceries! Indeed, his life is starting to go back to normal. God is really amazing and I am forever thankful for the quick and miraculous recovery of Papa. ♥
Before December rolled in, my grade school best friend Angelie and her husband Dave threw an intimate Christmas lunch for their closest friends and that includes us! :) I normally do not write about intimate gatherings such as this but since my friend Ge prepared a delicious feast, I think it's just fair that I share her mouthwatering creations with all of you.
We arrived at exactly 12 noon and I saw Ge busy at the kitchen. There were already some Spinach Mushroom on Filo Pastry at the cooling rack which El and I grabbed a few pieces to munch on. Yum!
Look at our spread!!
Watching Ge at work is like watching a Martha Stewart Show. I was amazed with the pretty plating and the simple yet elegant table spread that we had for lunch.
Presenting Ge's Christmas lunch masterpieces:
Our friend El brought her very own Seafood Pizza which is available at Eleonor's Kitchen. I shall blog about this very very soon! I love how El has kept her dough crunchy yet soft in the inside. The toppings were very generous and evenly distributed that every slice has at least a piece of shrimp on it. Do drop by her stalls at Briggy Hall in Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig and ChillSPAce in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City.
For dessert, we had Dave's mom's famous Peach Walnut Torte. I swear he's such a lucky guy to have a mom who is a superb baker and a wife who is equally amazing in the kitchen! This was delicious!! I love how chewy the torte was and the icing and cream wasn't too sweet at all! It just blended perfectly with the lightly sour peach slices on top. I'd love to have more if only I didn't start logging in my food on my iPod app to count my calorie intake.
Paul and I also brought a tub of our favorite Nathaniel's Buko Pandan Salad for everyone to try. I hope they liked it as much as we do. :)
Our lunch was really relaxing and fun as we chatted for hours. Ge also made us try a cup of coffee made using her new Nescafe Dolce Gusto! I had the Latte Machiatto which was pretty good! Definitely notches higher than our usual Nescafe vendo coffee. Don't you just loveee the pretty tea cup? :)
I'm glad that Paul and I took time out of our crazy schedule to bond and to celebrate Christmas with my high school friends. I hope we can do this annually! :)
Mommy and I can't help but get emotional whenever we see our house well-lit with Christmas lights which were carefully installed by my Dad. Three years ago, we were still unsure if Papa can fully recover from his brain surgery as he was still undergoing motor and speech therapy and was 100% dependent on his personal nurse. Today, he can move around, talk, listen and eat on his own. Best of all, he would even walk all the way to Greenhills just to get his regular afternoon coffee and to buy a few groceries! Indeed, his life is starting to go back to normal. God is really amazing and I am forever thankful for the quick and miraculous recovery of Papa. ♥
Before December rolled in, my grade school best friend Angelie and her husband Dave threw an intimate Christmas lunch for their closest friends and that includes us! :) I normally do not write about intimate gatherings such as this but since my friend Ge prepared a delicious feast, I think it's just fair that I share her mouthwatering creations with all of you.
We arrived at exactly 12 noon and I saw Ge busy at the kitchen. There were already some Spinach Mushroom on Filo Pastry at the cooling rack which El and I grabbed a few pieces to munch on. Yum!
Watching Ge at work is like watching a Martha Stewart Show. I was amazed with the pretty plating and the simple yet elegant table spread that we had for lunch.
Presenting Ge's Christmas lunch masterpieces:
Spinach Mushroom on Filo Pastry
This was my favorite! Lucky for me, this huge platter was parked in front of me allowing me to grab a few more pieces than I really should. Yes, my calorie counter was blinking red already! :P Pasta ala Angie
Delicious pasta dish which was loaded with shiitake mushroom and cooked in light cream sauce. Even Paul gave this his two thumbs up which doesn't happen often given that he loves tomato-based pasta more than cream or olive oil. Smoked Salmon with String Beans and Dill Sauce
A really great appetizer! I love anything with smoked salmon! Will try to do this at home. :) Tomato, Garlic and Mozzarella on Bread
It's amazing how Ge can really create dishes and they actually come out tasting really good! Another yummy appetizer which I enjoyed munching on. Our friend El brought her very own Seafood Pizza which is available at Eleonor's Kitchen. I shall blog about this very very soon! I love how El has kept her dough crunchy yet soft in the inside. The toppings were very generous and evenly distributed that every slice has at least a piece of shrimp on it. Do drop by her stalls at Briggy Hall in Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig and ChillSPAce in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City.
For dessert, we had Dave's mom's famous Peach Walnut Torte. I swear he's such a lucky guy to have a mom who is a superb baker and a wife who is equally amazing in the kitchen! This was delicious!! I love how chewy the torte was and the icing and cream wasn't too sweet at all! It just blended perfectly with the lightly sour peach slices on top. I'd love to have more if only I didn't start logging in my food on my iPod app to count my calorie intake.
Paul and I also brought a tub of our favorite Nathaniel's Buko Pandan Salad for everyone to try. I hope they liked it as much as we do. :)
Our lunch was really relaxing and fun as we chatted for hours. Ge also made us try a cup of coffee made using her new Nescafe Dolce Gusto! I had the Latte Machiatto which was pretty good! Definitely notches higher than our usual Nescafe vendo coffee. Don't you just loveee the pretty tea cup? :)
I'm glad that Paul and I took time out of our crazy schedule to bond and to celebrate Christmas with my high school friends. I hope we can do this annually! :)
Merry Christmas!!!
