Yesterday's trip to the mall was anything but what I hoped it to be. It was supposed to be a time to relax and to break the monotony of my days. I didn't even plan on attempting to complete my "to buy" list as I'd like to be able to just hang around instead of running from shop to shop.

The only must-do item in my itinerary was to get BPA-free bottles for Miguel, and I got so frustrated to discover Rustans doesn't have the brands I've researched and listed except for the Bfree brand which is too complicated for me because of so many parts that need to be cleaned and assembled everytime.

So instead of hangin' around and relaxing at Shang, I transferred to Megamall after almost two hours. Luckily, parking was not a problem at the time. But unfortunately, even SM doesn't carry BPA-free bottles, hay! How come after so much talk about the possible dangers of BPA in plastic feeding bottles, the major establishments haven't gotten around to giving options to consumers?! Ang nakakaloka pa, when you ask the salespeople if they have bpa-free bottles, they would offer you the same old brands and would say "safe naman po yan." To which, I'd want to answer "e di hindi ko na papalitan yung bottles ko kung ganon" (pero syempre I didn't give this bitchy answer.)

Anyway, so the main purpose of my so-called break wasn't realized and I went home with nothing but a few scrapbooking materials and a gift for doc. At least now I can start scrapbooking.

Although the two Davids have different singing style, I have always felt Cook is more idol-like. And so I've been hoping he wins the title. I was a bit disheartened, though, by the not-so-kind comments that David Cook got last night for his performances. His choice of songs, as Simon Cowell puts it, is not the winning type. I've given up all hope that he'll be the next American Idol, since rumor has it that David A has a huge fan base.

I resolved not to preempt tonight's show by avoiding all idol-related news. When I opened my internet few minutes ago, Yahoo features idol news as expected with the title "Who Won American Idol?" I battled with my thoughts for a while thinking I would not spoil the excitement by reading the news. But God knows I'm too impatient to wait, too weak not to be tempted.

And so I read. And was too elated to find out my Idol won! :) Weeeeee! :)

I wouldn't spoil it further by watching the video clips, though. I want to see the entire show.

Miguel has to sleep before 8 tonight, hehehe :)

...to Judith McNaught's novels, that is.

Recently I've purchased two of her bestsellers (and I prefer the classical setting rather than contemporary). One of these I've already read some 10 to 15 years ago! And can you believe I don't remember the plot anymore? As in I was filled with suspense and excitement while reading.

Sadly tapos ko na basahin pareho. Yesterday there were a few chapters left of the second book na tinipid-tipid ko, pero natapos pa din. Bad mood ako kahapon, wala na kasing susunod e. I couldn't go to the mall to buy. Bagyo!

Ganun pala feeling ng addict, hehehe :)

Today, I asked Nico to get me another one. So when he comes home tonight, I'm shutting myself from the world again. :)

I'm looking forward to next week's American Idol. It's the first time in the Idol history that I was able to watch the show religiously from the audition part to the competition. Except for a few times when I dozed off before each of them had sung, I've always looked forward to the weekly episodes. And I particularly enjoyed guessing who the next cast out will be, hehehe :)

I am rooting for David Cook! He's way more "idol-like" than Archuleta. I think David A is much too "pa-cute" to be the next American Idol. Sa High School Musical muna sya. :)

...dahil na-engross na naman ako sa romantic novels! Mushy, cheesy me! hehehe :)

I happened to see a super old Harlequin pocketbook in my sister's shelf last week and since I was running out of things to keep me entertained, pwede na din yun. It was just a short novel that I finished in two nights and apparently it stirred up my favorite past time of long ago--reading romance novels.

And what better way to answer to this urgent need for a romance fix than to go get a copy of Judith McNaught's books? And so that's what I did.

I remember sometime in the 90's, my sisters (Lea & Lala) and I got really hooked on her novels that we would even stay overnight reading. I think we were able to borrow three or four books and we took turns reading each one of them.

If you're a hopeless romantic like me and you love to immerse in romantic fantasies, try reading a McNaught novel. Ito talaga yung "can't put it down til you finish" kind of book.

Start with Something Wonderful. :)

I better write the recipe down here before that piece of paper finds its way into the trash...

Linguini with Pancetta & Tomato Sauce

Pancetta, cubed
White Onion, chopped
Olive Oil
Garlic, chopped
Salt
Chili
Tomato Sauce, in can, with crushed tomatoes
Romano Cheese, grated
Linguini Pasta

Saute pancetta, onion and garlic in olive oil, add tomato sauce, chili and salt. Simmer. Add previously boiled pasta and a bit of pasta water. Toss. Add grated cheese and serve.

Aah, pardon me if the recipe seems a bit odd to you. But if there's one thing odd about the show is that they never give exact mesurements of the ingredients. And that is fine by me. :)

Since Nico and I are die-hard fans of Italian food, but neither can cook real Italian dishes, we end up drooling over pastas and pizzas and bruschettas and salads as we watch the cooking shows on Travel & Living and Lifestyle Channel. Last night, as we were watching Everyday Italian (and since I've watched this show many times in the past), I realized I could just make note of the ingredients and the general cooking process of each dish so I can practice my cooking skills. I could actually google-up recipes, but I'm not good at following written cooking instructions, hehehe; I think I can do it better if I've seen someone do it.

So, immediately I grabbed my notepad and started remembering every ingredient she's put on her "Linguini with Pancetta and Tomato Sauce" dish. It was a simple pasta recipe and I plan to experiment cooking it soon. The challenge, though, is finding pancetta, an Italian-style bacon, which I gather is not very common in local supermarkets. I think I'll just substitute with spanish sausage (the real thing), if ever pancetta's not available.

So there's my new hobby. I'll be taking down notes of simple dishes instead of drooling over them, hehe, so I can eventually know what they taste like... :)

Haay...my obsession over Harry Potter still isn't over! Would you believe I even dreamt about him last night?! hahaha :) After reading his adventures of six years at Hogwarts, I'm now determined to see it in action. I've only seen the movie of the Sorcerer's Stone years ago, and true to my expectations, the movie didn't justify the thrill derived from reading the book. Although that cute English accent is something you don't get from reading, unless you try very hard to sound British in your head, lol :).

So I'm off to the mall later this afternoon to get copies of the movies from year two to five! :) The sad part, and I really get upset when I think about this, is that I only have one more book to read, and I'll forever miss Harry. :(

I have just finished reading the sixth of the Harry Potter series (oh yeah, I am that late!) and I'm feeling too sad that the greatest wizard of all time-Dumbledore-is gone..sniff sniff. Now I'm missing those idle afternoons and evenings when I could just sit and immerse myself into the magical world of Harry Potter.

I have yet to get a copy of the seventh book and the last time I checked it still wasn't available in paperback. Is it, now? I hope to get a complete set soon so I can pass it on to Miguel when he's old enough to appreciate fiction. :)