Aquarium Makeover

the finished product!

We opted to stay at home for the weekend and decided to get some new fish for the aquarium. Our little project of just adding fish and cleaning the tank became a bigger project and kept us busy last Sunday. We finally purchased an aquarium stand, heater, different set of rocks and more fish! This time we got tetra fish and a beta fish. The day before that we bought three different types of goldfish, I chose a Black Moor, really weird looking and not pretty at all.

Anyway, the kids had fun hopping from one pet store to another looking for the perfect fish. They were rather impatient but the cleaning process took awhile plus hubby had to build the stand as well. We also transferred the aquarium in the living room now that it had a proper stand.

my ugly Black Moor w/ Lance's goldfish

The three goldfishes however were split into two improvised fish bowls (originally vases) since they might eat the small tetra fishes.

I loved the outcome of hubby's project everybody was happy and it's really pretty. I loved how we spent our lazy weekend, I'm glad we did something productive for a change :D

Free FOOD!

I honestly don't want to see a bottle of shampoo, body wash or hair color for as long as I live. My stock pile consists mostly of those and now I am concentrating on food items but then food coupons are rare and they are gone in less than 24 hours.

FREE!

I have been hoarding coupons for canned tomatoes luckily, they went on sale but I didn't get much since I still have more than ten cans here at home. And yes! I had to breathe and exercise self control. I could have gotten more BUT, maybe next time.

saved $84 on this purchase

Another favorite item I like to get is Lance's Pediasure. He has always been a picky eater and Pediasure has really helped supply him with nutrients his body needs. A pack consisting of four bottles is usually priced between $8.99-$9.99 and with coupons I only pay from free-$1.99. So now, he can drink as often as he wants without me thinking of the cost :D

A Sizzling Week

Our sizzling food adventure continues with shrimp, chicken and beef. I felt we needed a break from our usual pork belly and made spring rolls. I finally cooked the dried yam leaves with coconut milk unfortunately, I only had two cans which weren't enough so the half cooked Laing went directly to the fridge and just cooked it again after I bought two more cans of thick coconut milk.

Sizzling Gambas with java rice

slow cooked chicken in bbq sauce then grilled before transferring to the sizzling plate

Sizzling beef w/ Montreal steak spice

Lumpiang Shanghai (spring roll)

Laing

My kiddies were enjoying their own food as well. I made my own version of piggy in a blanket and it turned out to be the most requested food over the past week. I try my best to make their food delicious and fun to eat. It is a simple kiddie treat which I quite perfected a few days ago. The trick is not to let the cheese melt so it won't be runny, ooey and gooey. Anyway, my kids didn't mind that the cheese was super melted, they still loved my piggy in a blanket and the java rice too!

piggy is all messy :P

Leila's plate :)

All in all, it was a week of good food. Burp :D

Long Weekend 2012

Hubby just had his birthday a few days ago and it seemed like my own. We spent it quietly, no party and just some family time, watched Avengers, window shopped, shopped (for real) and slept haha! We should have gone on a road trip but we weren't able to plan the long weekend properly, blame it to laziness or being preoccupied with lotsa stuff lately, both hubby and I.

Happy Birthday B!

Post birthday lunch Sizzling pork belly

Still, it was an amazing weekend, nothing beats some family time and some retail therapy. We got some sizzling plates, silicone bakeware, etc. So hubby's birthday dinner was yummy sizzling steak!

silicone molds for my puto

bought cheap juice .07/can

I gave hubby a birthday gift, birthday gifts I mean and used coupons of course :D

my gifts to hubby: TEN Febreze car clips :)

Any Plans for Summer Yet?

Hotel Indigo, Summer of 2011

Summer is just around the corner and it has been way too hot lately, not just warm but hot. We don't have any concrete plans this summer except for camping and probably a trip to Vancouver unless hubby's family come for a visit other than that, it will be a long summer for me. I don't like the heat plus I have two kids to entertain, that I think is the biggest challenge.

Summer in Ottawa (2011)

So help me God! :D

Sleeping with My Stockpile

I have a horror story to share. I AM RUNNING OUT OF STORAGE! Is this a sign that I have to stop hauling stuff? Guess not! If it's free then it's for me haha!

We stopped at two pantry cabinets. The rest are all in the vacant spots here and there, literally in all corners of the house. Some are still on the dining table occupying half of it. 

Cheap pasta, more Dove, dishwashing liquid, and many more good deals. I could hardly breathe, too much excitement lately but all I could think of is our family back home. It brings a smile to my face that I can send them goodies for next to nothing.

And let's not forget that summer is fast approaching. I have been stocking up on juice, snacks and more juice! I have little piggies to feed all day long. I WANT ANOTHER FREEZER because soon we will need one but guess what? no space for another freezer!

Soon I'll be sleeping with my stockpile (not that I mind) I guess when this happens, I know it is time for me to STOP :D

Back to My First Love

No new food for me to share and that makes me sad. I used to take pictures of the food I prepare and post them here but now, all I have are my pretty haul pics and they are not even in my camera. Most of them are in my phone as I directly upload it to FB on a hidden album which is only visible to a few chosen people, hubby excluded haha!

But I'm happy to report that I have learned to bake banana muffins, quite successfully if I may add so I guess it is worth mentioning here. I tweaked the recipe by adding coconut flakes and they worked!

Banana Coconut Muffins

Wait, I think I have found some more food pictures yay!

spaghetti sauce using Aylmers Accents and canned tomato soup

homemade poutine

frozen veggies cooked in mushroom soup and quail eggs

rapini salad with chopped mangoes and tomatoes

Pinakbet

green mung beans with rapini

Hopefully I will be back to blogging my kitchen adventures. I miss it but shopping has made me a million times more busy. Call it an exaggeration and you wouldn't understand what I'm saying unless you start couponing yourself. I'll keep you posted with my shopping and food trips! :D

Shopping vs. Chores

paid $8.42 ($5.79 TAX)

Guess who has been MIA? Yep, me the extreme couponer in the making :D Nothing new, still chasing good deals here and there, getting bigger and more exciting hauls every week with my coupon buddy.

clearance finds

One thing I have learned though is never do shopping and laundry on the same day. I slacked on some chores particularly laundry since it was Mother's day over the weekend. Huge mistake on my part, I got swamped yesterday plus I went on a printing frenzy so by the time I went to bed, I was dead tired. What's worse is I'm not even done with the laundry, I have 3 more loads to do today. So am I shopping today or what? :D