GEORGIA: A Taste of Europe & Asia

When they've heard about Georgia, the first thing that comes from their mind is the US state, Georgia. But hey! It is not the one that I'll gonna write here. Haha 😄😄

Here we go!

Georgia (საქართველო) is a country lies in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is situated at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe & it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometres (26,911 sq mi), and its 2017 population is about 3.718 million (click this link to know more about Georgia).

And as for me, Georgia (საქართველო/Sakartvelo) is an eye - catching and taint less place I've been. From its scenery to architecture, food, wine and people; a combination of Western and Asian culture which makes them extraordinaire. 

Here are some photos to vouch for...

Bridge of Peace (მშვიდობის ხიდი), lies over Kura River which connects the Old Tbilisi to the new district.

Bridge of Peace 

Kote Apkhazi St.

Squeaky - clean Kote Apkhazi Street

Khinkali, Khachapuri and pork with potatoes 🍴🍴🍴🍴

Singhagi (City of Love)

Khachapuri & Saperavi (dry red wine)

My Version of Coffee Flavored Ice Cream

Feeling lonely?

Sad?..

Emotional?????

Mad at something or to someone?

Frustrated??..


And out of the blue, you've heard someone asking, "Who wants to have an Ice Cream???" Afterwards your mood lifts up and you've started craving for an............ .....................(drum rolls , trumpet horns 🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎶🎶🎶)



.... I C E    C R E A M  🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦....

YES!!! An Ice cream can make you forget all the emotions piled up in your system. Some says, it is their "comfort food" and I agree. Truly,  it gives solace to our mind, body and soul. 

Thus, I wanna share my version of "Making Coffee Ice Cream"

Here's the list of ingredients:

• 2 tsp Instant Coffee (not 3n1)
• 1 L whipped cream 
• 1 can of condensed milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• nuts (cashew,peanut, almonds)

After gathering all the items needed, then lets start making our ice cream 😁🍦🍦🍦

First, pour the 1L whipping cream in a bowl/mixer bowl, using upper arm strength (if your industrious😉) whisk the cream until it doubles the volume or when using a hand mixer, turn to medium speed, until it begins to thickens. 

Add 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and continue to whip until the mixture is thick and to stiff peaks. Switch to low speed and stir 1 tsp vanilla extracts.

Dissolve the 2 tsp coffee granules in a 10-20 mL warm water. Mix thoroughly. Then pour the liquefied coffee into the  mixture. Continue to whisk/whip the mixture until the coffee combines.

Transfer the mixture into a resealable container. Add some nuts (I added cashew nuts in here😊). Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Tadaa!!!! my end product.. added some chocolate sprinkles and cashew nuts 🍦🍦🍦🍵🍵🍵😁

You can try other flavors you want. Go try and experiment.. Enjoy making your own ice cream!!! Have FUN....... 😃😄😉🍦🍦🍦

ANSWERED PRAYERS

I wanna share with you this wonderful early Christmas vacay I had last year 2016. But before that, let me tell you the story behind it..

Here it goes..

I'm currently working as Dialysis Nurse here in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for quite some time now and I am entitled to have yearly vacation. I opt to chose December 2016 as my vacation for that year (yeah!! I miss celebrating Christmas in the Phil. and #itsmorefuninthePhilippines ayt?haha). I had my leave request approved last August of 2016 and had requested for cash advance for my tix. Due to some circumstances, I received my CA on our September payroll, (shocks!!it's too late to purchase my ticket) so stressful coz by that time, air fare hiked up from  2k to 4k SAR (geez! where on earth will I get the extra money to pay for my ticket). 

Me being stubborn as always (haha! as in super stubborn and strong willed😝😝), I am determined to look for cheapest possible fare I could get for my December vacation. Having  high hopes (crossed fingers  and I prayed a lot, as in A LOT!!😇😇), I delve through the Internet, click all possible links that could give me positive outcome and Voila!!! after the long wait, I got through the ordeal of searching and browsing the web. ☺Geez!! I was hyped up at the thought that finally I can purchase my plane tix going to the Philippines (yehey!!!) Without waiting any longer, I hit the button "Book Now" and PURCHASED my plane ticket (click here). 


Wait!!! In addition to that, I've not only purchased cut - priced fare. Moreover, I got Premium class seat and saved more than my allotted budget for my airfare going to the Philippines (our company provides us 3k SAR budget for our plane ticket) 😇😃..

Got really blessed!! an answered prayer.... #lowcostairfare

Considering that I have not spend all the budget for my airfare, I look for another trip wherein I could consume the allotted money for my vacation. Truly, God answered my prayers after spending too much time digging up the web (whew!!), I discovered the perfect place where my hubby and I could spent a time together (ayiee!!! cheesy!!💜💛💚).

I searched for a budget friendly fare and luckily, I found one, though it is not the cheapest however for me, it is a reasonable price. 😉 

fare for 2pax. Reasonable and economical right? 😍😃😃

Furthermore, as I checked another airlines for some cut-rate airfare, my eyes glimmered and flickered on the price posted on this particular airlines, so without thinking twice, I click the "book now" button and that's it!! haha 😊😁😄

the price is for 2pax already... #budgetfriendly

Thereafter the allocated allowance for my vacation was consumed and with a big smile on my face and being triumphant in the quest of low cost airfare search, I knelt down and offer a silent thanksgiving prayer to God for showering me all these blessings.... 😇😇😇 Truly, God hears our prayers.


That's it!! Thank you for reading!

See you next post..... 😄

"Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ASK for in a prayer, BELIEVE that you have received it, and it will be yours." ---- Mark 11: 24

Blessing in Disguise

Few months ago, I decided to have an out of the country trip to celebrate my 30 years of existence. Almost everyday, I kept on looking for a budget trip that is good for at least 4-5 days. Then, someone told me if I want to avail low cost fare, check out FlyDubai Airlines (click the link for the cheapest airfare). Upon checking, I found what I've been  looking for.😍😃🙆 So I told myself, "Welp, why not give it a go?".

Full of eagerness and enthusiasm, I started to plan my itineraries for my post-Birthday trip (albeit, I haven't availed yet my plane ticket, haha.)   😃😃😁 I did my research through reading blogs, search for the must-go places, food to gobble up, and taste their world-class, traditionally-made wine. After gathering and organizing everything, I enter the last phase of my preparation, and is the most crucial of all, applying for vacation leave (talking about scheduling, duty roster and side tasks, and the approval). Sheesh. 

And so the god of luck bestowed on me that "the time has not yet to come."

The fare which I wanted purchase is no longer available. 😠😭😭 Hurt and disappointed, I felt my blood is running wild inside my whole system and wanted to flare up. 😭😭😭 "WTF!" After a few drama and a sense of melancholy swelling up on me, I prayed. I prayed to God to let His will be done. 😇

So it does.

When I almost gave up my plans, I remembered one of our church mate who recently had their trip to Georgia. Still clinging to the thought of pursuing my Post-Birthday trip, I browsed again to the Internet, keeping my fingers cross for a budget-friendly fare. Then, lo and behold, I found a perfect, low price fare! I was like, "OMG! OMG! OMG! It's an answered prayer! Thank You Lord!". But wait.... There's more. AIRFARE + HOTEL for only 870SAR for 4 nights and 5 days. You heard me right. Hitting two birds in one stone triumphantly is simply amazing, right? Hahaha! (check out the deets here) It is really a blessing in disguise because the last time I checked, the airfare only cost more or less 2000 SAR. WTH! With no further ado, I hit the "book now" button.

TADAA! This tix is good for 2 pax.

I cannot contain the joy that I felt after that. GEORGIA, HERE I COME!

A MUST-HAVE WHEN TRAVELLING TO GEORGIA

Hello!!! 
I'm back!! haha. 

Finally, planning stage were already done. The next step is the "Preparation". 

When you plan to do something, eg. cooking, you have to prepare the ingredients, right? Same goes with travelling. We need to prepare things that are needed and must-bring when having out of town or out of the country trips. 

So here it is.

After booking my tix and getting an approval for my leave, I looked right through the things I need to settle before travelling. 

Documents that are needed prior to travelling are as follows:

• Passport (valid for 6 months before the date of departure)

please bear with my passport ahaha!!!Thanks to Leslie for my passport holder.. \m/

 

• Health/Travel Insurance(we availed Bupa travel insurance via this link here)

• Residence Permit & IQAMA TRANSLATION          

• Itinerary (we availed tour packages from Holidays in Georgia)

you can reach them through the numbers posted on the pix.. (",)

• Hotel Reservation

Hotel reservations was included when I booked my roundtrip ticket... oh! yeah!!!!feel so blessed.. Thank GOD!

• Budget 💲💵💲💵💲

• EXIT/ RE-ENTRY VISA

Well, that's it... See you on my next post. 😁😄

Chicken-Rice Porridge

 Oh! well, because I love cooking aside from  eating...... Here's my post pertaining 

"Chicken Rice Porridge".

Chicken-rice porridge or famously known as Arroz Caldo, is a Filipino version of Chinese congee. It "is actually a Chinese congee that was adapted to the tastes of the Spanish colonial settlers who patronized Chinese restaurants in the Philippines."

I'll share with you my very own way of cooking Chicken Rice Porridge (Arroz Caldo). Let's itemized first the contents of this meal. 

The following are the essentials in making "Arroz Caldo".

1. 1 cup of Rice
2. 1 thumb size ginger,chopped
3. 1 small size turmeric,minced (in the Philippines, it is widely known as native ginger)
4. pepper
5. 1 medium size onion, chopped
6. 4-5 gloves of Garlic,minced/chopped
7. 1/4 kg chicken feet
8. 1/4 kg chicken gizzard
9. Fish sauce
10. lemon or lime or Calamansi
11. 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil
12. water or chicken broth
13. scallion/ spring onion , chopped

Garlic and onions

chicken feet and gizzard... yum yum yum!!

ginger and turmeric haha

My Own Steps in Cooking Chicken Rice Porridge

Wash the rice twice or thrice then  soak it with water for at least 15 minutes.

Heat the cooking oil in a large pot or casserole pan in a medium heat, add ginger and turmeric. Then add garlic then followed by the onion and 2 Tbsp. of Fish Sauce. 

Sautẻ the chicken feet and gizzard and add pepper. Add rice then stir for at least 2 minutes.

Add 500 mL of water or Chicken broth and then stir for a minute or so. Cover the pan, and let it simmer. Bring the mixture to boil and stir it occasionally to prevent the rice in sticking in the bottom part of the pot.

Add additional water if the desired texture of rice is not achieve. Cover and cook until the rice softened as the way you want.

Season it with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallion (spring onion). 

Serve it with sliced lemon or lime or calamansi. Add additional fish sauce and pepper, if desired.


Tadaa!!!!! Lets Dig in!!! Itadakimasu 👌😋😋😋😋

My finished product.. Itadakimasu 👌