THE 2019 CHRISTMAS OF QUEEN VICTORIA

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD 

When you have been used to celebrating Christmas in brighter and more colourful ways, you will felicitously look forward to be awed by stimulating ornaments hoisted in each corner that you will pass by and through. Who would not be, especially when most streets will be enlivened and full of impressive illuminations. That is why, we promised ourselves that we would spend the spectacular winter holiday this year here in London. Its because, the fascinating spirit of Christmas was part of my childhood and not to have appreciated the christmassy ambience last year gave me the feeling of bleakness. 

I'm already at the age where I don’t anticipate having wrapped gifts to unravel or to receive an envelope stuffed with cash. Nonetheless, I always cherish and love receiving red letter cards either as a personalised piece or those with a customary gesture. Someone's intention whose heart is in the right place feels deeper and is more precious to me nowadays.

For the past years, I have been more grateful for living a meaningful and healthy life. A life full of love that has bolstered me for succeeding in bringing many of my dreams into a reality. However, when I think of my childhood memories- which always draw me into the spectra of fantasy- it always separates me from the beauty of my life in the now. It's the longingness resides in my heart. Needless to say, there is nothing wrong in musing over the past for as long as you know how to resurge on to the solid ground of reality! 

The "shape" of the earth isn't created to perfection and neither are our lives. No one has achieved an impeccable life without experiencing battles and challenges before they become triumphant. Bear in mind that we have our own resilient rowing boat to manoeuvre but it is only up to us how we will deploy it and steer towards our predilection. If you think your year 2019 hasn't been a proactive and strong chapter, you are certainly not alone! 

Let us all embrace another year of being alive and may we try not to disregard (regret) the significance of old chapters (if you can?). Personally speaking, we are moving ahead and are not permanently shutting down the colourful preexistent years of our lives.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF CHRISTMAS CARDS

 by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

 

When I was growing-up in my beloved home town and the month of Christmas was starting to draw closer, the thought of unwrapping gifts was imminent. I would even dream of receiving envelopes from my godparents containing new bills with a crepitating sound. If ever you would receive an envelope with 500 or 1000 Philippine Peso, a glow of rapture in your face would be seen by the rest of the kids. That is why, my childhood friends and I were always looking forward to the Christmas Eve and the Christmas Day. 

In the past, a week before the 25th of December most children in my neighbourhood would either have bought a new set of clothes with a pair of shoes or would be still searching for the quirkier illuminating attire with animation. Then, by the evening before Christmas Day our loving parents would wake us up to witness the colourful fireworks up in the sky before handing over the most anticipated wrapped gifts. On Christmas Day, we couldn't wait to garb ourselves in our new clothes/shoes and also exultantly looking forward to see each other's appearance. We would then walk as a group with a particular intention of visiting our godparents. They would welcome us into their homes and offer something to eat before handing over either an envelope filled with wads of cash or under the tree present comprised of our dream toys/brand-new clothes. 

My childhood years were filled with meaningful and out-of-bounds memories; which I will treasure until my last breathe on Earth. More importantly, I am very thankful to have been surrounded by cheerful childhood friends when I was growing-up and was generously taken cared of by my parents, until I decided to leave the comfortable nest. 

The children in my home town have all grown-up now and a few have fearlessly spread-out their wings in foreign countries. I am one of the few who has been living thousand miles away from my beloved country. In the years of living in London, United Kingdom I have learnt that there is more to just receiving a well-wrapped presents or a sealed envelope in life. In particular, I have been appreciating more the significance of Christmas cards when the warmth spirit of Yuletide is just around the corner.

The simple thought of sending a card with no manners of pretentiousness has been appreciated more by myself. In connection to this, the gravitational impact of the words written, it may be a long paragraph or just a simple phrase, will always hold dear in my heart. Genuinely, either a simple or extravagant card always brings a warm smile to my face. Its because, people reveal their true sincerity about their view of you in their inscribed words. Shall I say, shielding our selves with gripping and embracing words are the priceless gem of affection and weigh higher than conspicuous tangible things.

Christmas Day has passed and soon, we will welcome another brand-new year. Let us all be reminded that GREETING CARDS are not just customary and biodegradable papers. Veritably, they are worth their weight in gold as the tradition of sending our love and care to another person. Thus, they are not comparable even to high-priced handbags or any luxury items, if you regard less the so-called conspicuous consumption. I doubt it? 

To those who have been appreciating my kindness like our neighbours, THANK YOU! To those who have been valuing the genuine nature of my friendship, THANK YOU MORE! To those who have been treating me as a family member, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

By and large, inscribed words from unexpected senders whether good or bad is an even-steven reflection of who we truly are as a mortal human being in this world!

QUEEN VICTORIA'S GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN

 by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

I like eating delish meat!

Cooking food at home is my magic wand and they all appreciate everything about it; from the preparation of ingredients to eating together. This is one great reason why I don't buy processed food or indulge myself in buying instant products at the supermarket. It doesn't mean I dislike them!

I have eaten Roasted Chicken that was cooked and bought from the supermarket, in particular, Garlic Roasted Chicken. The taste was really finger licking good; scrumptious!

When I was at the supermarket last time, I bought a whole chicken and challenged myself to cook my own recipe version of Garlic Roasted Chicken.

Sauce Ingredients: 

• 5 cloves of garlic, crashed 
• 2 slices of onion, chopped 
• 3 tbsps. of Wine Vinegar 
•  ½ tsp. Ground pepper 
• 2 tsps. of honey 
• a pinch of mixed herbs 
• 3 stalks of lemon grass, cut each into 2 (ginger is an option) 
• salt to taste

Sauce Preparation:

1. Mix the garlic, onion, vinegar and honey in a saucepan. Stir well.
2. Add the pepper and mixed herbs. Stir well again. 
3. Add and soak the lemon grass in the mixture. 
4. Once all mixed, bring it to the boil for 3 minutes on a moderate heat. 
5. Let it cool for 5 minutes before adding it to your chicken.

Main Ingredient:

• A whole chicken (free range, if possible as the extra flavour is worth the money)

Marinating Procedure:

1. Wash and rinse the chicken. 
2. Prepare a container and lay the meat in it. 
3. Use a spoon to pour the sauce mixture over the meat. Turn-over and do the same. 
4. Cover the container and leave it for a night (marinating process). 
5. After marinating the chicken, don't throw the sauce mixture. Bring it to the boil and use it as a greasing ingredient when roasting the chicken.

Roasting Procedure:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. 
2. Prepare a roasting tray with rack on it and lay the marinated chicken. As we are using an oven, the tray will hold the excess oil while roasting. 
3. Roast it for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. 
4. Check it every 25-30 minutes and turning it occasionally. Brush the chicken with the boiled sauce mixture.

This is a flavoursome way of roasting a whole chicken and an addtional recipe to be served on the table for your loving family and closests friends this Christmas season as well as the New Year!

MY HANDSOME INDOOR CYPRESSES

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

 

Raising varieties of plants is one of my diversions which brings more colours into my life. It diverts my attention and also helps me to stay away from my laptop, which is very helpful. Once you are on the web and have opened useful interfaces, it will eat you and is very addictive! Would you agree?

In the summer, I planted some colourful flowers in the troughs but their liveliness and adorableness only lasted up to the late autumn. They just couldn't cope with the cold weather during winter season. I didn’t want to be left with empty containers, so I raised five kinds of cypresses in pots which grow vigorously and healthy.

The first cypress I brought was once displayed on the kitchen table but is now place at the back of the house. I didn’t want it to be transferred outside as it has been providing me with a touch of nature's green ambiance. However, because of its vigorous growth, which is now 2 feet tall, I had no choice but to move it to a much more spacious and airy place. The ideal situation is the patio at the back of in which it now joined the other plants already there.

My other two species of cypresses are place in colourful pots and displayed in the kitchen. Both are a good height for indoor plants but soon they will grow like the two outside. I am hoping that they will remain pygmies so that they will stay forever on my window sills. Reality speaking, nature being what it is they will grow up and find themselves in the outside world.

My cypresses which resemble Christmas trees will always remind me of my childhood years. I always wished I would have the chance of rearing even one of them but now, I have five handsome indoor cypresses in my possession. 

 *Photo courtesy of snugharborfarm.com

VICTORIA'S COBALT BLUE MOUSE GEL PAD

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

I am not mainly looking for clothes and shoes on the web as I am also interested to good quality computer accessories.

Last week, I was slightly busy comparing prices for a particular computer accessory. It wasn’t a big deal nor a tiring task for me as I was just visiting each computer store's website. At the end of my speculation, ebay.co.uk really caught my attention and even ordered from them a cobalt blue gel soft mouse pad mat with wrist rest silicone. It wasn’t in my plan to buy the accessory that day but my old mouse pad was near to its retirement stage. Aside from that, I am very curios to see if it really is beneficial to my wrist.

While I was comparing prices last Monday, I also read a few comments from past buyers. All of them had similar positive points of view and recommended them highly to intending buyers. According to their comments, 'mouse gel pad with wrist rest silicone is designed for ease of motion and relief of stress and is also therapeutic as it reduces pressure point in the wrist'.

I think what they want to imply is; it is more relaxing for our right or left hand to scroll the mouse while surfing on the web. The bottom surface of the mouse pad is made from polyurethane non-slip base that keeps it from sliding on the desk.

I truly appreciated the buyers good reviews as they were very helpful!

SAY CAMEMBERT!

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

When I was growing-up, I thought cheese had one shape and taste only. What a foolish child I was to have assumed that milk-based food products like cheese did not have wide-ranging flavours, textures, and forms too. This was during my school years or before the internet was launched in the world. Sad to say, my intuition really misguided me so much!

For the past weeks, I have been trying to regain my sexy weight as I added 5 klgs. or so after eating too much last Christmas and New Year's Eve. I was not just enjoying but also indulging myself, it was a case of 'eat as much as you can'.

I tried hard to get my weight back or even to lose a few klgs. of that chubbiness. It wasn't that difficult to lose weight but delicious meals are very tempting and hard to avoid. So, instead of gaining more weight or starve myself to death I decided to accustom myself to only eat at lunchtimes with fibre rich fruits like apples, bananas, oranges and pears. My fruit diet helped a lot and as a matter of fact, I just regained my weight without experiencing nausea etc.

Last week, I put on hold for awhile my fruit-diet regime and try buns with slices of Camembert cheese. I thought I would have it for a few days only, but my new luncheon is more than a week old now! Perhaps the soft and flavoursome spiced buns with juicy orange soaked sultanas and raisins as well as the scrumptious full fat soft cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk were the reasons why my choosy taste buds are so delighted.

My fruit-diet and my new luncheon have huge differences, in particular, health benefits. Bu on the other hand, I have found and tasted the cheese I prefer most while I'm on Earth.

It may be fattening as they say but I know it won't affect me as I can control the amount I eat. Hmmmmmmmm...I'm a little 'devil' sometimes.