When I was very young I was absolutely certain that I knew more than my mother. How could I not, when I've read all these wonderful books and spent hours devouring all those wise-crackin' TV shows? Surely I understand the world better than she does. I'm smarter. I will do better, she'll see.

But now that I'm older all that hubris has faded away. I try to remember all the advice and little facts (from being sick to home-making) she's given me through the years, and what do you know - she was right all along. "What would my Mama do?" is a question I constantly ask myself these days. I don't spend time with her as much as I should but I think of her always. 

Anyway, a few weeks ago I got to bond with her on a trip to Tagaytay. Remember the Project Vanity x Ford contest? We rode the All-New Ford Focus with the winners and had lunch at Marcia Adams. It was a great Saturday afternoon just chillin' and eating delicious home-cooked food. Here are the photos! 

Leaving the city in style

...to find this secret garden tucked away in the borders of Tagaytay

You can get a pretty good idea of what a person is really like when you check his or her Instagram feed. Pictures do speak a thousand words, and I so enjoy listening! In a sense.

Here's what peppered my week.

Cooked grilled rosemary and lemon chicken for dinner.

Tried using this sea sponge with warm water to remove my makeup last night. Think I need more practice!

Dreaming of salmon.

I love makeup and clothes but hey, that's not all there is to me. So I think I'll be posting something not beauty related every weekend from now on. A change of topic is always fun for everyone.

So! I found this website called Food Wishes some weeks back and IT IS AWESOME. I like all the recipes, although I can't cook many of them because I don't have a food processor, outdoor grill, and oven (I should definitely get an oven soon). Still, I love watching Chef John's videos because of his clear and concise way of explaining things. He's like the Lisa Eldridge of cooking, if you know what I mean!

Chef John's Bacon Ranch Chicken Skewers

I got inspired after marathoning Chef John's videos so I decided to cook some of his recipes. Take note, they're just, at best, approximations of what he made. The exact ingredients were not immediately on hand so I made do with what I found in the supermarket.

Not makeup, that's for sure! Last Thursday, I had a very memorable afternoon at the Jane Iredale store in Evekal Building, Makati. The 100% pure mineral makeup brand is remarkable by itself (will talk about that soon), but what really sealed that day in my mind is the food. Yes, food. Stephanie Zubiri's Modern Epicurean Kitchen was the caterer that day and my god the food was good.

Jane Iredale store

Glorious food

I'm not a food writer so I don't have the vocab and know-how to rhapsodize about the dishes properly, but I hope the fact that I wrote about food here will convince you of its greatness.

I'm not a foodie, but I love good food (who doesn't?). We eat out a lot but the bulk of our meals are cooked by me! Therefore, it's important that I always find new flavors and new sources of ingredients. The healthier and more natural, the better. Location is also important!

So when I heard that a new weekend market is opening behind Bonifacio High Street, I immediately rushed to the opening this morning. Take note, I wasn't invited as part of the media. I was there to see what the place, called Mercato Centrale, had to offer. I admit though that the biggest draw for me was the location; it was near our condo, plus I love the atmosphere and crowd at High Street.

There are quite a lot of suppliers (three huge tents) so I wasn't able to take a picture of everything, but I did take photos of the few I bought from.

This is the first tent you'll see upon entrance. Opening day was packed with people! The first tent had a lot of pastries, cookies, and other sweet desserts. There were also vegetables, herbs, free-range organic chicken, and cooked meals. Leyende was there as well as this line of baby products.

Organic produce straight from the ground

Granola bars. I bought a sugar-free Chips Ahoy-flavored pack.

I love my junk food and my candies, but I always try to eat healthy anyway. I'm always on the look-out for tasty, quick and healthy dishes with low fat and manageable calories. I'm perpetually trying to lose weight but aside from that I have witnessed firsthand how a bad diet can quickly lead to terrible circumstances. My boyfriend had his gallbladder taken out last year, you see. The operation was a cinch, but the two weeks after that were extremely painful for him. I don't want to go through that.

Let this serve as a reminder that beauty comes from within. Eat good food to look good. It's not just skincare and makeup that will keep you looking your best! In the long run, its the food you eat and the lifestyle you maintain.

I love salads but I am generally too lazy to make them the way I like them! I prefer salty-sour salads with some sort of meat - it's already a complete, healthy meal that way. Anyway, let me share with you a simple salad recipe that I whipped up randomly. Loved it! Ate it for breakfast for two days straight.