Wedding Anniversary Celebrations

December 29 is our wedding anniversary.  Usually, Maita and I would go to out of town and have a "candlelight dinner"-- with Sachi and Mira.

This year, we plan to go back to Tagaytay, perhaps to Potter's Ridge for the great views  and have dinner again  at Discovery Country Suites,  This time,  I will take photos  to post in this blog.

For those who are based in North Manila, my colleague Marla Rances suggests Pacific Waves in San Jose, Bulacan.  It has its own chapel and a garden excellent for weddings and receptions. The hotel and pool  are within the same complex, and the rates --when I checked on its website --are comparable to  similar options in Tagaytay.

To those who are also celebrating their anniversaries this December, cheers to all of us.

About Chocolate Cakes

I am struggling to keep  myself away from desserts this season.  I know it would be difficult specially when I have this  desire to find the best chocolate  cake this side of the city,

Mer-Nel's, to us, has the best chocolate cake in Laguna.   There is something in the icing that would  make my daughters eat the cake with their hands using tissue paper as we drive from  Los Banos to our place in BF Homes.  I do not have a photo of Mer-Nel's cake but  the link is here.  I suggest to friends to take a detour to Los Banos if they are going to Tagaytay to try this cake.

Closer to home,  there is Cielin's.  Their shop is situated beside the Church of the Resurrection Parish at  BF  Homes, telephone number 772 1650 .  Cielin's cake is very dark, almost black, and I find it very light and not too sweet.   I took a photo of one of the cakes that Maita bought to give as gifts.

This I must include in this post-- in Singapore, the best chocolate cake for us is home made by Cecille Henares. Telephone number +65 646 6246.   What I know is that she uses Hershey's chocolates.  All the rest is her secret.  

Now it is no longer a secret where my additional pounds will come from this Christmas.

Manila COD Christmas Show Followed Me Home

As early as Dec 1, we had our Christmas lights installed by our neighborhood handyman, Nelson.  What we were able to retrieve from our stock room were  some  rolls of evergreens and  running lights.   We also brought out  our old reliable Pampanga  capiz lantern. Then during the  annual St. James Bazaar, Maita  bought 12  garden lanterns made from coconut shells that were carefully perforated and  decorated with colorful glass marbles.    These lanterns now hang  from  the mango tree at  our lanai where Maita and I,  together with  our  daughters, would enjoy cool and quiet evenings.
    

This is how our  front yard looks at night this  December.

Then a few nights later, our friendly neighbors across the street switched on  their annual  Christmas light display.  In one phrase,  it was blindingly impressive. 

Our neighbors'  take on how to light up a lawn

I just imagine  that it is  a part of  what used to be  COD Manila Department Store's Christmas Show-- which  followed me home.  It is certainly brings back happy childhood memories.  Thanks to my  festive neighbors.