christmas and new year 2012

being an ofw means you get to spend christmas and new year differently each year.

on 2010, my first year being married, we spent christmas in aklan with mike's parents, and new year in cavite with mike's family. papa is a seaman and he doesn't get to spend christmas and new year at home that much so he requested that we stay with them during the holidays.

last 2011, i spent christmas in tarlac with mami, tito danny, wawin, and mike. new year was spent in cavite with mike, mama, and ate yogi.

last 2012 holidays, mike and tito peps (april's papa) went here to sg. so the feast was celebrated in our humble home in pasir ris.

during new year, this was the menu:

- roasted chicken courtesy of mr. fair price. i bet he roasted chicken for a number of families during the holidays :p
- tita's pancit canton could pass for max's!
- lumpiang shanghai courtesy of caths. there was also lumpiang mami. chochal may choice ka pa?!
- macaroni salad made my april. i love macaroni salad and the fat it promises hehe! well, all dishes promise fat during the holidays!
- my ref cake was a failure. maybe it was the thick layer of crushed marie biscuits. whatever, it wasn't for the win.
- fruits and some instant juice and some really nice plates from ikea.

we wore green because we heard it's the lucky color for this year. i don't know if an old shirt from yesteryears still has the same effect though. wala nang luluma pa sa pambahay kong ito. yey!

flashback some 20 years ago (i know this time will come - when i'll do flashbacks from 10+ years ago!) - christmas during my childhood would mean fiesta ham, bread, fruit salad, and some other stuff. but the thing that i remember most is lola's chocolate drink. it's that small green can of ricoa cocoa. lola would boil it with water and, once served, you could add evap and sugar and mix every now and then so the cocoa would not settle at the bottom of the cup (cheap brown cups bought from the malaking palengke) life was too simple then. simple yet complicated, complicated yet sweet. i wouldn't trade my childhood holidays for anything else! :)

but wait there's more! mike sweetly offered to cook aka mix the lumpia filling. here's one of the rare pics you see him helping in the kitchen. i now declare, "my husband could cook!" triple A rating! fireworks! love love love for the effort! :)