#CessieEats 5

1. Penoy. I found some raw penoy from Hen Long Market last Monday. Kelangan pang ilaga. Around Php45 ang isa. When I was in Pinas just a couple of months ago, na-addict din ako dito. Php11 lang ang isa, luto pa.

2. Take-Out Ulam. One Saturday lunch time, tinamad akong magluto. And because I woke up late, I asked the hubby to just buy some ulam at La Meza Grill. Sisig at Pork Bbque. Ayun dumaan pa pala siya to another Filipino restaurant to buy pinapaitan (Ilokano kasi siya).

To give you an idea of the cost of living here, ayan around Php800 na ang tatlong ulam na yan. Di pa kami satisfied kasi hindi naman kasarapan.

3. Red Delicious Apples. I don't eat apples. Hindi talaga ako kumakain ng fruits (except for some occasional bananas). Buti na lang kumakain ang anak ko. Pero ayaw niya ng ibang apples, itong red delicious apples lang (yep, red delicious apples talaga ang universal name nyan dito). Enjoy na enjoy ako kapag bumibili nito, kakatuwang pumili-pili.

4. Halloween Chocolates from Dollarama. Yey, it's back! Ang sarap nito, promise! Lasang Serg's Chocolates noong araw. Naaaddict na naman ako. I am glad Dollarama has started selling this na uli. $2 ito (plus 5% tax).

5.  Lucky Me Cup Noodles. Sometimes, you won't feel lucky even if you're eating Lucky Me. Ang konti ng laman, kainis! Kung kelan gutom na gutom ka pa talaga ha. Ang mahal pa naman nito dito.

6. Hot Pot at Home. Simula ng magtry kaming maghotpot sa bahay last Thanksgiving Day, madalas na kaming kumain nito. Kaso when I compute all the ingredients that we buy, nadidiscourage ako. Sobrang mahal inaabot. Mas mura pang mag-buffet na lang sa labas.

7.  Homemade Cakes. A new friend asked me to pick up a cake that she ordered for her son's 8th month birthday, malapit lang kasi dito sa amin. Na-impress ako sa presentation, ang ganda at mukhang masarap. Masarap nga raw, kahit asawa ko nasarapan. Di ko tinikman kasi nga ayaw ko ng mango cake.

I was able to talk to Shydee (the baker) and she asked me to like her FB page. Ang gaganda ng mga cakes nya. At super ganda ng reviews. I will be ordering a chocolate cake from her soon (either sa birthday ko o ni Ford). I am happy kasi may nadiscover akong ok na bilihan ng cake dito sa Surrey. Hindi pa mahal.

8. Hamonado ni Juris. I met with my new friends last week at nakapagtake-out ako ng hamonado. Ang sabi ng asawa ko masarap daw. Syempre sinabihan ko ang new friend ko. Ayun, dinalhan niya pa uli ako last Sunday nang magkita kami uli. I was really surprised. Ang thoughtful niya.

9.  T&T Food. We were at the Surrey Central City last week for my check-up. We ate at T&T kasi gutom na kami and we still have to wait for 45 minutes for my medicines.

Hay, hindi masarap. Mura nga kaso sayang pa rin ang pera. I won't eat there again. Namimiss ko tuloy ang T&T sa Edmonton kasi mas masarap ang pagkain dun.

Thanksgiving Day 2016

And I thought this year's Thanksgiving Day will pass without us doing anything.

As I've mentioned before, I am a fan of celebrating occasions. Gusto ko lahat talaga sine-celebrate kahit papano. That's why when I came to live here in Canada, natuwa ako. Nadagdagan nga kasi ng "Thanksgiving Day" ang listahan ng mga dapat i-celebrate.

I've always had this vision of a  'sossy' Thanksgiving dinner table (complete with all those autumn trimmings) pero di ko pa nae-execute. My first Thanksgiving here in Canada was in 2014 , I was pregnant kaya simpleng celebration lang. Last year naman (2015), Nathan and I were in Pinas. This year, lalong hindi feasible. We just moved here in Surrey last October 2 and we are practically living in mess (as in until now!). Our things, including the furniture, are still in storage.

Anyway, happy pa rin ako because Ford came home last October 10 (Monday) with a pot and portable burner! Tapos may mga ingredients na. Haha, hindi na niya talaga napigil ang craving niya. Napabili na talaga siya ng pang-hot pot!

So ayun, we feasted na. Ang sarap, bagay sa rainy weather.  Happy Thanksgiving to us!

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Ooops, before I forget, these are the things that I am majorly thankful for this year:

• I was able to help Ford even in my little way (too vague ba haha!)
• We were able to sell our house (despite Alberta's real estate situation)
• We were able to move here in BC (na matagal na naming pangarap)
• I've made a lot of new good friends in Edmonton (who I will cherish in my heart forever)
• My bond with the "Cuatro Hermosas in Edmonton" have strengthened and they will always be my core group here in Canada despite the distance
• All of us in the family are in good health and we are happy

Marami kaming challenge na hinarap, hinaharap, at haharapin pa this year but we are grateful. Test of strength namin yan eh.