Spinach Bacon Egg and Cheese Toast Cups

Last week I came across this picture and was inspired to do a little experimenting in the kitchen. The result - Spinach, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Toast Cups. They were so easy to prepare and were perfect for eating outdoors that I decided to surprise the little guy with a picnic lunch at the park that day. Even the Mister was pleased with the outcome.

Ingredients:

handful of spinach

6 strips of bacon

2 slices of american cheese (chopped)

3 eggs

1 tbs of butter

6 slices of wheat bread

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Discard the bacon fat. (note: you can also opt to use the bacon fat to saute the spinach if you wish) Saute the spinach in the same pan with some olive oil until semi wilted. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs then add the spinach, bacon and cheese. 

Preheat your oven to 375. Slice off the crust from your bread. Melt your butter. With a brush, lightly butter the muffin cups and press a slice of bread into each muffin cup. Make sure the bread comes up to the edge of the cup. Brush the remainder of the butter onto your bread cups. Pour the egg mixture into the bread cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, uncovered.

happy weekend

I'm so glad it's the weekend. The past few days has just been unusually exhausting for me. The Mister started in his new job this week so we're adjusting to an earlier morning routine. Then for some reason, the little guy decided he doesn't need midday naps anymore which makes juggling chores and playtime a tad more challenging. But enough of the complaints. This weekend I'm determined to get some much needed exercise and hopefully some sleep as well.

What about you? If you're in the mood, here are some things you could try to do this weekend.

Skip Jamba Juice this morning and make this refreshing Honeydew Green Tea cooler at home instead.

wholefoods

 Invite your friends for brunch and impress them with these mouthwatering Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups.

marthastewart

 Try the half-tuck for a chic laid-back look.

wendy'slookbook

 Broaden your horizons and see any one of these 50 most influential documentaries.

missdesign

Happy weekend, Bunnies!

note to self

whereisthecool

Don't forget to put on sunblock (even on cloudy days)!

happy weekend

It's that time of the week again, Bunnies! If you haven't made any plans yet, here are some ideas to try out this weekend.  

Surprise your family with a pancake breakfast buffet: 

homemade pancakes + fresh fruits + peanut butter + nutella + fruit jams + maple syrup

greenweddingshoes

Go outside and fly a kite.

ariaphotographyonline

Add some sparkle to your nails.

cupcakesandcashmere

Send your girlfriend a handwritten letter.

anthropologie

Happy Weekend, Bunnies!

the week in photos

I just recently discovered Instagram and I am hooked! It's a really great way to stay connected with family and friends through photos. Let me share with you some snaps from our week.

I made pancakes from scratch! Will share the recipe in another post.

The little guy loves his pancakes. He said they were soft like pillows.

We spent an afternoon at the Children's Museum.

Parade time! We have been recounting and retelling the story a million times.

Parade essentials - noise makers.

When you only have 2 minutes to get dressed - khakis, stripes and sneakers.

Fresh batch of books from the library.

Wore this to Bud's mom and me class and came home splattered with paint.

I feel presents become even more memorable when they are wrapped with a little more thought. 

See you on Instagram!

(the_missus)

the best and hardest job in the world

I was in the business of communicating to mothers for so many years and all the advertising campaigns I've made were always just work to me. I never really appreciated the value of a truly insightful and heartwarming TV commercial until I became a mother myself. Boy was I surprised when I started tearing up at every Mother's Day ad when I had Bud. Since then there has been no turning back. Whenever I see a TV commercial with a mother and children I feel like it's talking to me. You name it, toilet paper, paper towels, mini vans, breakfast cereals, soap, shampoo!

Here's one commercial that has been very popular on facebook lately and has really pulled on my heartstrings specially since I've made a career out of being the best mom I could be.

To the hardest and most fulfilling job in the world! Cheers, Bunnies!

happy weekend

Are you already looking forward to the weekend? Who isn't? For me it's the two days in the week when I can be spontaneous. It's also a good time to try something different, learn something new. With that said, here are some simple ideas to brighten up our weekend.

Whip up a Strawberry Pineapple Crumble for the family and eat it for breakfast.

joythebaker

 Knot your shirt.

kendieveryday

 Go outside and have a picnic.

theglitterguide

 Go green. Make your own non-toxic multipurpose cleaner.

poppysmoneytree

Have a happy weekend, Bunnies!

kid-approved recipe: frozen banana bites with nutella

It is official, I am updating my recipe series from toddler-approved to kid-approved. The little guy is growing up and is not a toddler anymore. What exciting times, ha! But seriously, I love this age. I look forward to the endless chatter with only momentary pauses when he sleeps. His antics always cracks me up even if sometimes they actually merit a time-out. And everyday he never ceases to amaze me, whether it be reading a book from cover to cover or being able to find a particular book in the library all by himself or simply being able to master the big-kid play structure in the park.

Here's one healthy treat that I let him have without guilt - frozen banana bites smothered with nutella. Easy to do and even if you mess it up it will always taste good.

Ingredients:

Banana

Nutella

Procedure:

Cut the banana into 1-2in pieces. Stick a lollipop stick or popsicle stick in the middle of each piece. Put in a plate and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Make sure there's a space between each banana so they don't stick together during the freezing process. 

Bring out your frozen banana pieces and smother with as much (or as little) Nutella you wish. You can put it back in the freezer before to chill before indulging or serve right away. 

easter reflections

Hello, Bunnies! It seems like everyone except us had the luxury of enjoying a long Easter weekend. But that's not to say that we didn't have a meaningful Easter celebration. 

My two favorite people.

I am grateful I married a man who knows his way around the kitchen.

For the little boy, Easter was all about puto (rice cakes) and playing pretend photographer.

Our Easter feast courtesy of our gracious hosts, Ila and Ryan.

Our Minnesota family.

For me, personally, Easter is a time for reflection and giving thanks for all the blessings we have received. Indeed I feel like we have been showered with an abundance of blessings. I am grateful that I am living the life that I've always wanted. I get to spend all my days with my two favorite people in the world, write something insightful once in a while, have picnics with my little guy, cook for my boys, spend afternoons playing in the park, go for long runs on weekends and have enlightened conversations with friends over wine and cheese. And despite being thousands of miles away from our families, we always feel their love and support. Hopefully, we are able to make them feel the same way.

If there is one thing that I've learned in this lifetime, it's life is what you make it. It may sound cliche but it has proven true for me. Love your life. If you're not happy with your life now, change it. You have the ability make the life you want.

He lights up my life. 

(photos courtesy of Faye)

break time

I don't always have the luxury of taking breaks during the day. But this afternoon I still have 30 minutes to spare before I have to get back to my chores. Since I don't have much time, let me just share with you some random things from the web.

Some wise words to help you stay happy.

Practical tip to remove an avocado pit. 

Common misconceptions about stay-at-home moms.

A different perspective on parenting from a Dragon Mom.

Mom-approved Easter egg treats.

Something to keep your kids busy during car rides. 
 
For those of you in Manila, enjoy your long weekend and be safe. To everyone else, have a good rest of the week. Catch you again soon. 

p.s. I just saw Midnight in Paris last night. Paris was charming and the soundtrack was great but I still feel like I missed something. How did you like it?

look better in photos

A couple of weekends ago, during one of our "playdates", my girlfriends, Ila and Faye, thought it would be a good idea to practice some of the tips on how to look good in a photo which they recently picked up from one of the photography seminars they attended. Nobody really protested when they brought up the idea. I was even the first to volunteer. I blame the wine for that. But seriously, we had crazy fun!

So here's what I remember from that silly afternoon.

Tip#1: Stand Contrapossto. Twist your body and lean toward the camera putting your weight on your front foot.

Tip #2: Create gaps to look slimmer than you actually are. Easiest way is to put your hands on your hips.

Tip #3: Lower your chin to play up your eyes. Try looking down then slowly look up at the camera. Don't forget to smile.

Taking directions from Ila

Is this Facebook profile pic material or what? Haha!

Go ahead, try it with your girlfriends! Send me copies of your pictures :)

(photos courtesy of Faye)

monday musings

Happy Monday, Bunnies! How was your weekend? Ours was spent decluttering and reorganizing our closets and storage areas. It was a quiet break from the past two weekends of catching up with friends over decadent food and bottles of wine way past the kiddos' bedtimes. But just the same, I felt like the days went by so fast.

I wonder, do you bring your kids with you when you get together with your friends? We've never ever tried leaving the little guy with a babysitter so we always bring him with us wherever we go. To some degree I feel like an irresponsible parent when we lay him down to sleep on the floor (on a blanket, of course) during our late-night soirees but then again we need to socialize and have stimulating conversation with other adults once in a while. I just tell myself that the pros of having some semblance of our pre-parenthood life outweighs whatever discomfort the little guy may be feeling. If anything, it will probably make him a well-adjusted kid in the long run.