Garage Sale Birthday Party

My birthday is on August 28 but last Saturday was the celebration with my friends with a "Garage Sale" themed party. We usually have one every quarter... hahaha ... not a party but a yard sale. They bring boxes of stuff to the house and we each have our own table and we handle our own sales. If it isn't a birthday celebration .. I tell my friends the joining fee is food! Sometimes they would bring cooked food, other times they would cook in my kitchen.

We really enjoyed this activity, not only that we spent the entire day with each other, but we also earned from the things we don't use or like anymore! People buy just anything and everything. There is a saying... one person's trash is another person's treasure. Sometimes we buy from each other. One time, Wriggly even bought a basketful of toys from my friend, Be!!! He is still playing with the stuffed toys up to now.

The day started very early... well ... very early for me!!!! I didn't even sleep the night before, I was probably so excited and thinking of so many things. My maids already know what to do, so when I woke up... ahhh ... I mean when I got up from bed, the garage has been converted into an "ukay-ukay". All set and ready ... and the customers were waiting outside my gate. The sale started at 8:00 am. Most of our customers were household helpers , security and maintenance staff from the village and workers from construction sites in Bel - Air.

I had a very good cashier. He guarded the cash box with his life! hahahaha Not a very good guard dog though, he allowed everybody to pet him.

I invited a few friends for lunch and merienda, I'd rather have several small and intimate gatherings rather than have 1 big party where I hardly get the chance to be with the people I've invited.

I really love making Kare - Kare, aside from the fact that it is so easy to make, it is always on the top of my craving list. I thought I took a picture of it but I found out I did not. So this is a "group picture".

I really don't know why adobo is best paired with Kare - kare... but in combination ... they really complement each other. I cooked Mayette's version of Chicken Adobo.

The shrimps I bought from Baclaran last Wednesday were very, very sweet! As soon as I got home, I cleaned .... ok ok ... my helper cleaned the shrimps and put it in the freezer. I have discovered several years ago, that if you don't thaw the shrimps completely and cook it half frozen, it tastes fresher.

Remember the fresh lumpiang ubod I made last week? The left over filling was wrapped in ordinary lumpia wrapper and put in the freezer. Here is where Hermie and I argue all the time. I told her that she can fry the lumpia directly from the freezer, but she always thaw the lumpia before frying. It works either way though.

I had an overload of green mangoes. I forgot I asked my maid to buy green mangoes from Guadalupe market the day before. When Mona and I were at the supermarket, we also bought green mangoes. I only served the ones from the Market. The rest are still in my fridge.

My Bagoong Guisado was really artery clogging yummmmm!!!!! Let me tell you why.....

Bagoong Guisado Recipe

1 C. fresh alamang

150 grams pork fat, cut into small cube

1 head garlic, crushed

4 T. brown sugar

2 pcs. siling labuyo

1/4 C. vinegar

Put the pork fat in a wok. Cover and render the fat over low heat until the pork pieces turn light brown and crunchy, set aside. Brown the garlic in pork fat which turned into about 1/2 C. oil, remove as soon as it turns brown and set aside. Add the alamang, saute for about a minute or two. Then add the sili, brown sugar and vinegar. Let it simmer over low heat. Do NOT disturb the mixture for 5 minutes then you can stir. When cooking with vinegar, it is best not to stir for about 5 minutes or else it will have a "reaction". When the liquid has almost dried, remove the wok from heat and transfer bagoong into a serving dish. Top with browned garlic and pork fat bits.

My friend Mon gave me Oreo Cheesecake from Cheesecake Melizza. I asked my friends to sing Happy Birthday before blowing out the candles. Hehehe What's a birthday without the birthday song!

We were so full! But the celebration hasn't ended yet. I had a "children's birthday party" in the afternoon! My very favorite kind of party.

I made Spaghetti with meat sauce, the same one I also served in Renzo's party (recipe in one of my earliest posts).

Pork Barbeque - it's my new business now after I closed my pastry shop.

Tita Letty, the mom of Mayette, brought 1 big pizza from S & R.

And... believe it or not .... another birthday cake! This time I got it from Goldilocks, I asked them to print "Happy Birthday Lia" and of course ... another round of "Happy Birthday to you!"

What more can I ask for? I had a great day with friends, good food and even earned a little extra something from the sale!!!!