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Momma 'N Manila

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Nurture

Great to be Grateful

November has always been one of my favorite months of the year. November means changing leaves, big warm sweaters, boots to wear, and apple cider donuts. It means Thanksgiving, pumpkin pies, the month after MY birthday, the month before Christmas and crock pot stews. It means the smell of Autumn, sleeping with the window cracked and a time to be GRATEFUL.

While I always try to practice living a life filled with gratitude, something about November is even more special. Of course, Thanksgiving helps kick start a lot of those feelings of gratitude even here in Manila, where Thanksgiving is celebrated by only a handful of people-all being American or being married to an American.

In preparation for Thanksgiving I make sure we have the turkey and all the fixings. Searching for a Butterball isn’t that hard, and even finding the sweet potatoes from Taiwan has now become easier, so our Thanksgiving spread is very similar to the spread I would prepare while living in New York. This makes my heart and my tummy happy. Thanksgiving in our home wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t ask the kids or even our guests to express something that they are grateful for during our dinner.  In the past, I have asked my kids to write poems and read them aloud to our guests. I have also provided our guests with cut strips of paper at each place setting to write down what they are grateful for.  Together with our guests, we would read our notes of gratitude aloud and paste them together in the form of a “Gratitude Chain.” That chain would hang in our house, draped across our mantel thru the celebration of Three Kings.

A friend of mine invited me to participate in a Gratitude Challenge this year. Capturing Gratitude is a photo challenge to post one picture (or more) a day sharing something that you are grateful for during the month of November. While, my first few posts are really big things in my life that I’m grateful for, the exercise has reminded me (thru everyone else’s posts as well) that even the small things are just as important as the really big things.

This year will definitely hold all the familiar preparations for Thanksgiving dinner. Preparing the Thanksgiving feast with my Mom is something I have looked forward to ever since I was a kid. It’s not just a holiday where I get to spend time in the kitchen preparing meals and dishes that remind me of home and my childhood, it’s also a holiday when I am reminded all that I have to be thankful for.

 

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It’s December 1st! Is there anything more delic It’s December 1st!

Is there anything more delicious than the smell of Christmas and the new found freedom as we anticipate celebrating the holidays with our families again?

@festivalmall has hosted a series of musical shows since November 5th that include Ace Banzuelo and Silent Sanctuary. Check out Michael Pangilinan on December 10th, too!

With Santa visiting, Christmas parties, arts and crafts and lots of promos, you can even enter for a chance to win a Toyota Fortuner!

Best of all-I love it when the places we know give purpose to their celebrations. Thank you #FestivalMall for partnering with @dsapi1  this holiday season. 

Thank you for sharing all the different ways we can celebrate the holidays with you!

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I have always been intimidated by Cornish Hens. Th I have always been intimidated by Cornish Hens. Through this learning exercise with @usapeecphl, I have learned a bit more about these little birds that have bigger breast parts, and thank you Chef @ivoryyat for showing me how easy it is to prepare Greek Lemon Roasted Cornish Hens with Roasted Potatoes.
 
Clean and fresh flavors are perfect for these smaller birds that are rich in protein with zero carbs. Try the recipe in the comments section. I’m sure you’d enjoy it as much as I did!
 
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@gi.aventajado and I played with some of the @pura @gi.aventajado and I played with some of the @puratosph products that they sent over the other day. Ready to use Bavarian Cream made these Cream Puffs easier than ever. I think we have to figure out how to temper our couverture better…

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@mommymundo always has a way of bringing together @mommymundo always has a way of bringing together just what we need, no matter the time of year. Loving these photos of my first boy that were snapped @expomom.

Anyone else thinking about #HolidayPhotos? I am not one of those moms that has it all together before Christmas. It’s usually a mad dash for us at the end of the year, but if it’s anything that the past few years has taught me, it’s that the little things are what makes the Christmas special.

Many of us haven’t been together with the extended family or even our immediate family in so long. That means it’s the perfect time to document.

@nextbymetrophoto will be hosting one last Christmas Marathon family photo shoot before the end of year. Check them out or shoot them a message. They have some cute set-ups.
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10 things I LOVE about @sedahotels listed here and on FB!

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Thankful for work that doesn’t feel like work. Thankful for work that doesn’t feel like work.

@kitchen143 is something I really do love. Sharing a little bit of my kitchen with viewers and followers brings me joy. Even better when I get to work with chefs whom I can learn from and friends who like to spend time in the kitchen too!

#Thanksgiving
Thankful for the gift of music. Wish I caught mor Thankful for the gift of music.

Wish I caught more mini moments from We Will Rock You.

Such a great musical!

@sedahotels 
#sedaresidencesmakati 
#sedaat10
Thankful for @bestbuddies_ph. @gelliaventajado j Thankful for @bestbuddies_ph. 

@gelliaventajado joined our family and led me to @bestbuddies. 

Thankful for all the ambassadors who were able to spend time with us. And for @smlpeeps  and @asurionphcareers for helping make magic happen on Saturday afternoon for #Friendsgiving.

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Thankful for women who share their faith with me. Thankful for women who share their faith with me. 

#Thanksgiving
Is there anything better than a stuffed turkey at Is there anything better than a stuffed turkey at this time of year? Whole turkeys require serious commitment to cook. #IYKYK But because U.S. Poultry is now available here in the Philippines, that also means preparing turkey is a tad bit easier.
 
Frozen U.S. turkey products are available and ready to cook for people who want to dabble with flavors for this bigger bird but aren't sure how.
 
Thank you to Chef @ivoryyat for putting together a medley of my favorite fall flavors. This combination of apples, sweet potatoes, and maple syrup perfectly compliment  the roasted turkey leg and remind me of flavors and scenes from back in New York. 
 
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