choco-love

Images mine.
Nab if you like  ^_^

I can't imagine how life would be if the Aztecs hadn't discovered the wonders of the cacao bean, and if the conquistadores hadn't decided to bring it home to Europe and enrich it.

I've got chocolate, chocolate, chocolate on my mind today.  The Hubby and I received a love-filled goodie bag from some of his cousins who flew in for the holidays, and in it were some of my favorite things ^_^  (Thank you po sa mga Ate at kay F!) .There are certain times of the month when I crave chocolate more than ever, and this stash came at the most perfect time, so I'm really appreciating.  I'm commemorating today's bliss with this bit of graphic.
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more blog backgrounds

Sharing some more backgrounds.
 
Click the image to view, and then right click and zoom in to download the full size.

Right-click and Copy Image Location; insert URL into the HTML code.  OR - install it the easier way:

Easy Installment:

1. Save the full-sized image to your computer.
2. From your Blogger dashboard, go to Template (or Template Designer, if you are using the old interface).  Click Customize to go tho the Template Designer.
3. Click Background.  You will see a box that says Background Image and shows a thumbnail of the background you are currently using.  Click the tiny downward arrow at the right of the thumbnail.
4. In the window that appears, select Upload Image.  Click Browse to upload from your computer.  Don't forget to Save.

(improvised) tomato-pesto soup

I'm a fan of tomato - tomato soup, tomato juice, sun-dried tomatoes.  <3<3<3  There's a tomato-pesto soup I enjoyed at this Mediterranean restaurant, and I told myself I could figure out how to make something like it.   Now I'm not at all a great cook and most of my recipes are formed by improvisation an estimation, so you might not want to trust me completely with this one. ;)   I just know I like how it turned out.

 Not an amazing photo, but it brightens up the entry, more or less.  :p 

 

Ingredients

• Chicken stock (or chicken cubes)
• Tomato paste
• Various vegetables, diced
• Carrot
• Potato
• Celery
• Zucchini
• Onion
• Red beans or lentils
• Tomato
• Pesto sauce - you can find my recipe for pesto here
• Chicken flakes - you can use the leftover chicken from last night's dinner.

Procedure

1. Boil the veggies and beans until soft - not mushy, but just sufficiently soft as to be edible.  Of course it shouldn't take a genius to know that harder ingredients like beans and carrots take much longer.  Set aside.
2. Combine water and chicken stock / chicken cubes, stir in the tomato paste and bring to a boil.  You would like to put enough tomato paste to make it slightly opaque (not transparent).
3. Throw in the veggies and chicken flakes.  Cover and simmer.
4. Serve in bowls.  Swirl each bowlful with a teaspoon or two of pesto.
5. Top with black pepper, additional olive oil or cream if desired.  You can float a few pieces of penne (like I did), potato chips or a sprig of parsley or basil.

girls talk: style icons

I was a bit excited about this week's Girls Talk topic because I think it's cute and easy enough to answer, but then I found myself stymied -- I don't really have a style icon pala, haha.   '.'   I can appreciate other ladies' fashion sense, but I don't really have someone that I look up to or emulate in terms of style.

I'm not much of a fan of sleek-and-streamlined garb that makes people appear like they're trying too hard to be celebrity-like.  I like how these gals dress (sometimes): 

Rachel Bilson often gets it right. Even when she's not dressed up for a shoot, she looks so effortlessly well-composed. She manages to look laid-back but still feminine and pretty.  The way she layers her clothes makes me wish it wasn't so hot here in the Philippines. 

Unlike Rachel, Victoria Beckham is more on the edgy side, but I like that too.  I love most of her hairstyles.  She often wears stuff that would only look good on her though.


And that's my contribution for this week's GT. :)

freebies: blog backgrounds

For today's happy thawt, I want to share some of the blog backgrounds I've made in the past.  This is only the first installment.  :)  Feel free to download and use them. 

Right Click the image to view it, and then zoom in to download the full size.

White Stargazers

 

 Remembrance

 

Butterflight

 

Swirly Lilies

Right-click and Copy Image Location; insert URL into the HTML code.  OR - install it the easier way:

Easy Installment:

1. Save the full-sized image to your computer.
2. From your Blogger dashboard, go to Template (or Template Designer, if you are using the old interface).  Click Customize to go tho the Template Designer.
3. Click Background.  You will see a box that says Background Image and shows a thumbnail of the background you are currently using.  Click the tiny downward arrow at the right of the thumbnail.
4. In the window that appears, select Upload Image.  Click Browse to upload from your computer.  Don't forget to Save.

I would really appreciate it if you could also pin my button to your sidebar:

<a border="0" href="http://miratemplen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/9801/thinkhappythawtsround.png" style="border: 0px none" /></a>

More buttons here

Keep thinking happy thawts! :)
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paper and pencils for a cause

Paper and Pencils for a Cause is an advocacy project started by mommy blogger PinayJade. She is giving back to her hometome in Narra, Palawan by doing something extra nice for the kids of the Estrella Village Elementary School. She hopes to give them gifts that they can use for school. There are 186 students in this school.

Here are the items they need:

• Paper/ Notebooks
• Pencils/ Pens
• Picture books for Pre-schoolers
• Elementary books
• School bags / any bags that can be used for this purpose (doesn’t need to be new as long as it’s usable)
• Chalk
• Blackboard Eraser
• Crayons
• Children's  scissors
• Pencil sharpeners
• Markers
• Working Computers

You can help Paper and Pencils for a Cause by:

1. Sending paper, pencils, pens and other school supplies. You can also send your unwanted but usable supplies like bags, pens, notepads etc. Your not only helping the children but you are also helping the planet by letting somebody else use what you cannot use.

2. Spreading the word about this cause. You can blog about this, share it on your Facebook wall/ page. and/or twitter. You can also add the banner above to your blog sidebar.

3. Send financial donations. Your donation would make a huge difference in their education and their lives. The money that we will receive will be used to buy new supplies and to cover the shipping cost of the supplies to the schools. If there is some extra money left, we will do a feeding program as well for the little ones.

Just a few dollars will go a long way in helping these children. You can send your donation to paypal id jade.samson (at) ymail (dot) com. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
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