Basil lemonade

I have been dreaming of a cold drink with lots of basil leaves. I got this recipe from one of the blogsites that i follow, "A Dinner Party". For those who are basil fans (that includes you all basil valdez' fans), this is a nice cold drink on a warm day. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup water, plus 5 cups cold water (regular or sparkling)
A handful of basil leaves, plus additional for garnish
Ice

Combine sugar, 1 cup water, and basil leaves in a pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool. When cool, remove the basil leaves, squeezing their juice into the syrup. Juice the lemons into a pitcher. Add the basil syrup and 5 cups of water. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with ice and extra basil leaves in each glass.

Asian Food Channel

One of the things I found, by accident thanks to my defective tv remote as it only goes forward, is the Asian Food Channel. This channel is based in Singapore, it showcases Asian food shows from all over Asia and even Australia and New Zealand. There is a fun show from Singapore about this guy who explores the cheapest and delicious street-food eats. I also like this Australian food show that focuses on the varied food influences in Australia. Watching it makes me want to go and explore Australia. But my most favorite shows are City Cooks and "Chef at home". The "Daniel after Hours" of Chef Daniel Boulod is one show that makes me feel I am part of his after hours party with celebrity chefs and actors and writers. The food is fabulous!!! Yum yum

Late last year, a travel and cooking show of Angel Aquino and Chef Sam debuted on AFC. Although I am not a fan of Chef Sam and Angel Aquino, I felt proud that they are doing our country good by showcasing different food and cooking techniques around the country. So there, the secret of Filipino delicious cuisine and hideaways is out. Good for the Pinoys out there!

Viva Asian Food Channel!

Packing for a flight

I have travelled to some places around the world for the last twenty years so I think I know a thing or two on how to prepare and pack when traveling, esp. abroad.

1. Bring a zip locks or resealable packs, in three sizes. This is useful for jewelry or extra shoes or underwear. Anything that you want to keep dry while traveling. Ziplocks useful for liquid toiletries in the airport. Do bring only liquids in 100 ml. A lotion of 250 ml is too big and it might get confiscated by the airport police. Who needs to pay excess luggage anyway?

2. Bring toiletries in small packs. A small liquid sanitizer can go a long way. Small packs of tide, is useful for those who plans to wash their clothes. Small bath soaps may be used for washing delicates. But soaps are given for free in the proper hotels, so sometimes its not necessary to bring these. Be ready to dump these toiletries when needed, especially when your luggage home is overweight.

3. Do bring oatmeal or packs of breakfast. I bring small servings of instant oatmeal and my favorite powdered milk. I am so particular with my breakfast. It is something I want to control in my meals. I was once served dog meat (gasp!) in South of China. I was horrified but did not want to embarrass my Chinese hosts so I politely declined after downing one serving. I was short of vomiting in front of him. Some people bring packs of Instant Mami, I am not a fan of this. I find bringing canned goods or instant Mami keeps you from experiencing local culinary delights. Who needs instant Mami in Paris... Puh-leeeze!

4. Bring stuff such as rubber slippers, comb, etc that you are ready to say goodbye to when you will overload in your luggage allotment. These things are easy to buy at home and they’re cheaper.

5. Foldable clothes hangers. Useful when there is not enough clothes hangers for your delicates.

6. Bring tea bags and coffee singles. Sometimes coffee and tea cost too much where you are traveling to, so bringing few wont hurt.

7. Medicines in single packs or bring enough for emergencies. I have allergies and my allergy-meds are lifesavers for me. Do bring headache meds, cold meds, tummy-aches meds and ache plasters. And do not forget band-aids.

8. Small notebook or smallish sketchpad and small pen or pencil. Whenever inspiration strikes you or you need a piece of paper to look for the location or even just to write something useful/funny/interesting notes.

9. Electronic chargers, batteries and memory card readers: phone / laptop / PSP2 / iPod / camera. If bringing your laptop / MacBook, it is better to bring USB chargers so that your electronic charging piggybacks from your laptop but be warned to charge your electronic while you are charging your laptop at the same time.

10. Travel Tissues in small packs.

11. Extra plastic bags for the just in case scenarios.

Enjoy your trip!!

Wonderful People I Met Last Year

These are the list of people I met last year that made a lasting impression on me.

1. Mother Lily Monteverde: meeting Mother Lily was specially fantastic, being a celebrity we mere mortals are always in awe meeting them. I was surprised she looks better in person than on print of TV. Mother was my classmate at the Foundation of Leadership Training and seatmate in the Advanced Leadership Course. She was also my classmate at the LEAP course. One thing with her, she is fun and funny to be with, none of the image that we know her from the showbiz stories. We love hanging out at ther hotel.
2. Agung Alit: Agung is the coolest guy I met. He is the coolest dude in Bali, Indonesia. He espouses the Fair Trade principles to the core that he had the IFAT logo tattood on his arm. He loves singing and has a very good sense of humor. His wife Hani, is the rock that provides direction and grounding to this wonderfully insightful, funny and successful man.
3. Benji Leoguardia: smart and the sexiest guy I've seen. His bald pate adds to the mystic of the whole package.
4. Gemma Rances: Gemma defines what dedication and perseverance is.
5. RJ Geotina: smart and very artistic. RJ changed my life and had given me back my confidence!

Happy First 15 days of 2009!

Hello, folks! Happy New Year, if after 15 days it still applies...

I have not been blogging for a long time now. My reasons are... I was busy with this Leadership Program called LEAP at the last quarter of 2008 (See seleted LEAP 38 members photo) and I got caught up with other projects and events. But hey... I do have many things to list this year. Let us start with my list of "non-resolutions". Its been three years since I dropped doing this "resolutions" thing, my life had been better, trust me. Its a sort of reminder for me to do the things that worked last year, so I am going to continue doing them.

Budji's Non - Resolutions:

1. Decide to be happy always. I believe that happiness is a decision, always!

2. Shift moods and thoughts when feeling suicidal or homicidal.

3. Drink coffee with no sugar... "my coffee is as black as night and dark as hell".

4. Eat healthy, more fruits, fish and fresh/raw veggies.

5. Exercise everyday, aero / dancing / free weights / yoga. 6 hours / weekly.

6. Cleanse, tone and moisturize.

7. Eat Breakfast regularly

8. Call Mom and Dad

9. Cook adventurously and find new and exotic foods

10. Sleep 8 hours a day always.

My Addictions

1. Imported magazines: brand-new and old ones. I still read time and newsweek whenever I could afford them. Its my secret pleasure whenever I have some money, I can blow it with Magazines. I get my fix from “Booksale” in this building fronting WHO at Taft corner UN Ave. I feel dirty and sinful when I have a bagful of old magazines. Mi Esposo complains that I have tons of magazines for disposal. I try giving some of the very very old copies out to other people whenever I get bugged by him. After so many years, I now again have a subscription to Reader’s Digest. Mi Esposo thinks that RD is an imperialist propaganda instrument... well, so you communist and socialist can sue me for reading a “propaganda instrument”! I send my Mom my RD one month late... heheheheeh
2. “Oprah” is my addiction, so are millions all over the world.
3. “Today Show”: Matt, Merrideth, Anne and Al, everyday! I need to have my fix of the Today show.
4. Bali Kopi: Strong and bold and wonderful. Coffee in my small cup in the morning... I like it black with half teaspoon of brown sugar, muscovado, if you please is simply heaven.
5. “ET as in Entertainment Tonight” is my guilty pleasure, this nonsense hollywood news! Its totally brainless, nevertheless I am hooked. With what’s happening to the world (high-cost of fuel, foodstuff, war, American elections, corruption in the country), its my respite from my daily battles in life.
6. “Project Runway” I can keep on watching old episodes over and over again. No one can touch my TV once its on. I love Tim Gunn, I imagine him as my fave gay uncle.
7. Salad.. all green stuff, vinaigrette dressing of all kinds! No pasta salad or potato salad please!!! I grew up eating them and just a sight of them, makes me want to throw up... same goes for the yukky thousand island dressing, its just too boring for me!
8. BBQ, of any kind: cheap ones, expensive one, as long as its not innards or those yukky weird stuff, just plain pork will do, thank you. I even bought an oven-top grill pan to feed on my addiction.
9. Anderson Cooper of CNN. He’s one of my top guys to replace Javier Bardem anytime now. The white hair is even sexier. Dont you know that he is the son of Diana Vanderbilt, of the Vanderbilt clan? Bet my Mom doesn’t know that.
10. Peanuts, my all-time favorite snack!

Men I love

1. Ewan McGregor: Ever since I saw this guy pre-Obiwan-Kenobi roles, he is smashingly handsome, not to mention the toothy smile! This guy also can sing, remember him at the Moulin Rouge??? I fell in love with him, good thing Nicole Kidman's character had to die.. then he was mine! My brother, Dino, said it would be fun to Imagine Obiwan singing a song while brandishing a lightsaber... George Lucas would have been horrified! hahahahah
2. Diego Bunuel: he is the cutest journalist ever and very courageous. Well, just don't tell his mother where he'd been lately (watch him at National Geographic channel on Mondays).
3. Matthew Fox: I'd like to get "lost" with him... heheheh
4. "Wenty" Wenthworth: If you are a fan of "Prisonbreak" then you would know why... I don't really follow the story myself, I only watch if he is on the scene, otherwise its too macho for me.
5. Nate Berkus (Oprah’s decorator): I'd like him to decorate my house. He's the cutest designer ever, only if he's not gay... sigh.
6. Anthony Bourdain: Matured, sexy and, man!, he can cook. I'd imagine him to be my tour guide anywhere in the world. I wont ever go hungry!I really love a man who can cook well... hmmmm
7. Jamie Oliver: This guy can out-talk me anytime and can cook up a storm!
8. Terence Howard: He is now the cutest African-American for me, goodbye Denzel! He has dark grey eyes..so lovely. I just saw him at "Today" this morning promoting his first album... he can sing!
9. Orlando Bloom: Cute, Cute, Cute. Even when he has the long and too-girly hair from Lord of the Rings, he was still cute!
10. Javier Bardem: Brooding and dangerous, and most of all, Spanish... very passionate, need I say more?