Insomia Intesifier

As a novice pastry maker, I summoned a lot of courage last night to bake my first ever rice cooker chocolate cake for my hubby's birthday.  I intended it as a surprise.

I'm happy to say it was a success! It's so moist and has a deep dark chocolatey taste. The only problem was it was a huge sacrifice for my daughter (who happens to be my number one fan when it comes to cooking) not to touch the oh-so-sweet icing before her dad arrived.  She got so excited when I finally brought it out for candle blowing when the clock struck 12; we both couldn't sleep for the next five hours after having a slice.

Here's the insomia intensifying chocolate cake recipe I used with my Breville Risotto Maker:

Ingredients:

Cake Mixture
250g all purpose flour
100g brown sugar
150g confectioner's sugar
120g unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
200g unsalted butter (add 50g more if you want it more moist)
100g earl grey tea
3 eggs
60g all purpose cream

Fuss-free Chocolate icing
250g semi-sweet chocolate chips
1tablespoon Coke

Procedure:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Whip up the liquid ingredients in a separate container. Incorporate it slowly with the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour mixture in the Breville Risotto Maker and set it on "High Slow Cook" for 1-2hrs. (You can check if it's done by poking it with a fork or toothpick. It should come out clean) Glide it out with a spatula.

Melt the chocolate chips and Coke in a bowl (I did it in the microwave for a minute on medium heat). Smooth it out on top of the cake. Decorate it with fruit or cream if desired.

Hope you all get to enjoy this as much as we did!

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My Baby's A Mascara Fan

Praise God, I think I'm back on track doing soap operas after a one year hiatus.

After my brief stint as an events host on ABS CBN's The Better Half, I'm now officially Dahlia the head dama on GMA's Encantadia.  I was supposed to appear on its 2016 edition back in July but Leji wouldn't drink milk unless she would latch at that time and I was more than happy to make that sacrifice.  She was super clingy, I couldn't even go to the bathroom without a fight. 

Nowadays, my little princess is more independent. She runs everywhere, dances with her toy penguin, and even drinks milk (both pumped breastmilk & fresh cow's milk) from a cup!  She knows how to say goodbye happily with a smile but still scolds me (with tears in her eyes) when I'm not back home at 3am :/ 

 

One time, I came home with my waterproof mascara still on.  Pilita our makeup artist that weekend was really good in ensuring that my lashes would stay curly & volumized even after more than 12 hours on the set (with Maybelline's Hypercurl Mascara). Leji teased me in bed that I still had it on the next morning even after washing my face. She touched my lashes and said: "Wow Mi! Danda!" with matching beautiful eyes and a smile. So adorable!

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Windblown

It took a while for me to post this as I'm having a hard time figuring out how to post via Blogaway for Android on the set of GMA's Encantadia. I've been trying it for four days but it seems my drafts would forever remain as such on the said app; it's so bad it doesn't even sync with Blogger on my laptop. I thought it was just the bad signal but no :/ Annoying how this app makes me feel stupid. Time to delete!

Moving forward, I would just have to stop missing my old I-phone, accept that it's easier to blog on my laptop, look up, and be positive.

This was taken before hosting Sinag Maynila 2017's launch at SM Aura Premier's Sky Garden last Thursday. It was terribly windy but I still felt awesome thanks to the SM Store Glam Team (Max Factor & Phillips).

It was cool sharing a dressing room with France Got Talent Top3 Finalist Alienette Coldfire. She sings so well, even the bugs and in the grass were moved when she hit her clear high notes. Nakakakilabot. The audience was teary eyed after her rendition of her viral song "I Dreamed a Dream" in French :) Too bad I was so touched I forgot to snap a photo :/

After the Gong ceremony (to officially start the festival) we watched the opening film Asian 3-fold Mirror: Reflections.  Festival director Brillante Mendoza helmed the first one in the series which was about an undocumented OFW in Japan (Lou Veloso) deported after 30 years of service. His lack of purpose and funds upon forced retirement made him consider suicide in his homeland.

It's amazing how Direk Brillante was able to seam everything together sprinkling flashback and contrasting imagery of horses, coffins, and disfigured legs in one fluid tale that's almost poetic.

Catch Sinag Maynila Independent Films in selected cinemas in SM Megamall, SM North, Gateway and Glorietta until tomorrow, March 14. 

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Clingy much?

It's fun when my little princess gets to tag along with me at work. Just look at her face when I was able to print out an unofficial ID for her in a voice recording studio... Priceless.

Naturally curious, she wants to follow me around as often as she can. She observes how I eat, sleep, drink, sing, watch tv, sweep the floor and even operate the microwave! Nowadays, it's such a struggle to keep her away from the broom and dustpan :/ She finds the empty bottles and cartons in the trash can amusing; I also have to restrain her from using too many wipes (she has an ardent desire to clean her surroundings). 

At work, since it's a different environment every time, her curiosity is quadrupled. She studies the faces of the people I meet (although she's automatically friendly to kids and guards), explores the rooms I enter, and quietly observes how people interact with me outside our house.

I remember bringing her to work occasionally as early as 4weeks (it was clean and we had great air conditioning in the office anyway). Despite not being able to see clearly yet, I introduced her to my makeup artists and friendly colleagues in the studio. She calmly breastfed even while I did other things in the makeup room; and I tucked her in her mini bed when I had to edit stuff or I had to appear on cam.

It got more complicated when she began to see people more clearly.  Men and those with unfamiliar facial features scare her (she somehow likes girls who look like me or like members of our family); she tends to stare long and hard. Whenever she's uncomfortable, she would cry uncontrollably.  

But I just wanted to keep her as close to me as possible whenever I can. As a preemie, she's extra clingy and I feel like as long as I could afford to stay by her side I will.  I want to stimulate her brain as much I can too so we keep on introducing new voices.

My Lolo passed away last year and it was his last wish to see her. He had pneumonia and despite the shots and other necessary precautions, she still acquired a viral infection during his wake. 

My aunt said I was being a bad mom for exposing her to unnecessary elements.  

But that was Lolo's last wish--to see her. Somehow a great grandchild is a guarantee of your place in heaven right? May he rest in peace.

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