Earrings!

Look who got earrings! Cutie Patutti Ella Bella.

Happy Engagement!

Congrats to Rennie & Eric on their engagement.
Location: Lilly's Resto Lounge on College St.

A warm welcome...

Introducing our newest addition to our family Jeremy Ryan Marquez. Born on Saturday, September 22, 2007 weighing in at 7lbs 5oz. Congratulations to my brother and Floree along with his siblings Jonathan, Hazel and Hayden.

Pajama Party

Breakfast for dinner was served at our place on Wednesday. It was a full house so I'm glad some of us got dressed in our pajamas and got comfy. The early bird special was a bowl of champorado (chocolate rice) which everyone enjoyed except Diana. Glenn was quick to snatch hers up and was probably hoping secretly that Ev wouldn't like it either. Not a chance Glennboy. The main event was a bowl full of Norm's special fried rice that was paired with a selection of pork-sourced breakfast meats. Take your pick: longanisa, tocino, spam and chicken bacon for our lighter/diet option. This meal would not have been complete nor would it not be "filipino" without the pungent smell of a fried fish. The face everyone made when the "smell" came out of the bag was priceless. It smelled like a dead foot, as Norm just commented, he would rather use durian slime as his hair gel. To end the evening, Norm brought out the halo halo and all the fixins'. Everyone enjoyed putting their favourite toppings including a scoop of ube macapuno ice cream. What can I say, it was a Fobulous night had by all.

Fermenting Cellar

On Saturday we went with Ev to check out a possible wedding venue at the Distillery - The Fermenting Cellar which, by the way, is very fitting for Ev & Stuart. While Ev discussed the details with the coordinator, I took my camera and started shooting away. I can already tell that this place was a winner. The feeling of the place is very rustic but nouveau at the same time. The only problem is Ev has to coordinate everything - from tables, china, drapery, decorations, etc. which may be exactly what she is looking for: a blank slate. Norm and I prefer the "plug & play" option where the venue takes care of everything. This lessens the chance of being a Bridezilla or in my case, a maidzilla.

Welcome back WND

Back to school signals back to Wednesday Night Dinner so this week Ev kicked it off with an Italy- inspired menu. We started off with bruschetta and melon wrapped in prosciutto. Then came out the gnocci with chicken parmigiano and ended off with an all time Italian dessert favourite: tiramisu. As always, dinner was wonderful but the best part is getting together on a weekly basis. This week our group was bigger than normal. Mae managed to fight through traffic all the way from Markham just to join us, or to get her shrimp chips. Sally, our WND crasher decided to bring another crasher, Ron. But since Ev cooks for a whole army, they were more than welcome! Next week is Norm's turn and a request has been made to turn dinner into breakfast - filipino style. Looks like Norm is going to bring out the infamous Barrientos garlic fried rice with all the fixins'. I think I'll challenge him to a breakfast cookoff with my bacon and grits. Bring it on Hubby!

She's officially taken!

Congrats to Ev & Stuart on their engagement. He proposed while vacationing in Italy. How romantic is that? Wedding plans are already coming along (c'mon guys, it's Ev we're talking about here). Save the date for August 2008!

September Long Weekend Review

At 4:30AM on Saturday morning we got up and got ready for the ride up to the cottage. It was a smooth ride with no long weekend traffic. I guess that's the advantage in leaving early but by the time we got up there, we all needed a nap! Mae & Glenn made their grand appearance mid afternoon with both kids in tow. As always, the weekend was full of eating. Apparently we brought way too much food but I'm a firm believer in bringing more versus not enough. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We couldn't ask for a better weekend. Jared enjoyed playing in the water and going out on canoe rides with the boys. I took Jared's spot in the middle of the canoe while Di and Mae did all the rowing. I guess there is an advantage in being small. At the end of our canoe trip, Mae tried to make me fall into the water but in the end she made herself fall - but Gerwyn saved her. All weekend the boys went fishing. They even took the canoe out to the middle of the lake and they came back empty handed. The girls tried their luck on the dock and voila! - fish were coming to us like we were celebrities. Glenn eventually caught one, Norm had no luck and Gerwyn caught...a tree. (See facebook for the video clip) It was hilarious! Another highlight was the stars at night. It was fun gathering around the fire and watching the stars and the moon light the lake. All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing weekend and an awesome way to end summer. Until next year...