April 27, 2022

Fishing Adventure in Norway’s Fjord

Norway is blessed with an extensive coastline of 101,388km and this country is rich in fishing waters like fjord, lake, ocean, and river. Norway is known for clean air and clean seawater so it is indeed a fishing paradise not only for fishermen, anglers, and locals but also for people who have a passion for fishing and tourists like us who wanted to experience fishing. 


If you are planning for a fishing holiday, you can consider Norway as one of your fishing destinations because you can catch fish all year round. You can experience ice fishing, freshwater fishing, deep-sea fishing, or fjord fishing. And because Norway has an impressive coastline, you can find thousands of fishing spots across the country but for tourists, you can start your search in Northern Norway, Eastern Norway, or Trøndelag. 


I’ve already visited some fishing spots in Garten, Opphaug, Uthaug, Vallersund, and Brekstad. Even if you have no plan to fish, it is nice to visit some of these places because you can see the traditional colorful rorbu or fishermen’s cabin. 

My mom lives in Trøndelag or Central Norway, this place is surrounded by different bodies of water so fishing is part of their local lifestyle. Trøndelag is also known as one of the amazing diving spots in Europe so diving for scallops is really popular. I have a cousin who dives to get some scallops and I was able to try these scallops when I arrived here in Norway. 


So every time we visit my mom, we always look forward to our fishing adventure in Norway’s fjord. I already blogged about our experiences before, you can read my old blog posts here and here. Several weeks ago, it feels like winter because it’s been snowing for the past few days so fishing activity was out of my mind. So I was really surprised when my mom told me na magfishing kami. It was not April Fool’s Day


Yehey! So even though it was freezing cold outside, it did not stop us from fishing. As long as it is not windy. I caught the first fish and the cod fish has eggs inside. Since we don’t need a lot of fish, we did not stay long. We were able to catch 5 fish; 2 cod fish and 3 pollock. 





On our way home, my stepdad guided my son to steer the boat until we reach the port. Of course, yung pagdock ng boat hindi na niya kaya. But he was happy about this experience. I remembered five years ago, katabi lang siya ng daddy niya habang nagdrive ng boat, pero this time, naexperience na rin niya. 


After a few days, my mom cooked the cod fish that I caught #fromseatotable, she baked this fish in a creamy sauce. 


My stepdad made dried and salted cod, also known as bacalao or klippfisk. Do you know that klippfisk has been produced for over 500 years? It is common in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Newfoundland, and Norway. The cod fish was traditionally dried outdoors by the wind and the sun but of course, now you can also use electric heaters. 


This reminds me of the Amazing Race Season 23 that I watched several years ago, the players traveled to Svolvær, Norway, and visit a fishing village. The tasks are related to fish, one is to collect 15 dried cod, pound them and make 1 kilo of jerky and the other one is to string 6 bundles of fish heads and put them on a drying rack. 


And yesterday, my mom fried some of the fillet pollock fish, and the rest, she marinated in vinegar, garlic, and salt. It is nice to taste and eat the fish that you have caught. #fruitofthelabor


April 22, 2022

Hot for the Summer? No Thanks, Stay Chill With These Juice Recipes Instead

Oh sweet, sweet summer. We love it, but don’t we all love to hate it sometimes, too? While there is nothing quite like this season in the Philippines, we all have to admit that it can be pretty challenging sometimes, especially with the scorching heat! 

But why be against it in the first place? We say, start embracing it! There’s definitely no shortage of good things to appreciate during these sweltering months—case in point: fruit shakes and smoothies which seem to just have an extra dash of magic in them when enjoyed during this season. 

Whether you’re planning to stay in and cool down or take a trip to the beach, everything gets so much better when you have a delicious, healthy drink in hand. Need ideas for the best summer drinks that can quench your thirst? Get your juicers and blenders ready for the recipes below.

Coco Twist Smoothie Perfect for A Date in the Park 

Remember those tasty coconut juices peddled by sidewalk vendors every weekend at the park? You can easily recreate those and add an extra twist to them with this Coco Twist Smoothie Recipe infused with mint leaves and real coconut meat! Bananas and mangoes give this healthy shake natural sweetness while the refreshing coconut water ties everything together. 


Ingredients: 

1 cup coconut water 
1 cup coconut meat 
1 piece ripe mango 
2 pieces banana (saba) 
5 pieces pechay 
8 pieces mint leaves 
3 cups ice cubes

Preparation: 

1. Wash the pechay and mint leaves thoroughly. Cut the mango and remove the skin of the banana. 
2. Put all ingredients in the Breville blender jug and process through the smoothie function. 
3. Transfer the smoothie into the glass and serve. 

Tropical Detox Smoothie and Watermelon Lemonade Perfect for A Day at the Beach 

What’s a beach getaway without cradling a refreshing drink in your hand while sunbathing by the sand and waves? The Watermelon Lemonade is the perfect thirst-thirst quencher with its extra fizz while the Tropical Detox Smoothie is ideal for those who want something healthy but delicious still. 


Watermelon Lemonade Ingredients: 

0.5 piece Yellow Watermelon 
1 piece Lemon 
1 cup Soda Water 

Preparation: 

1. Peel the watermelon and lemon. 
2. Process the fruits using the Breville Juicer 

Tropical Detox Smoothie Ingredients: 

236 ml Almond Milk 
236 g Pineapple 
1 cup Camote Tops 
1 piece Banana 
15 g Chia Chaff 

Preparation: 

1. Freeze pineapple chunks and peeled bananas overnight. Chill the almond milk. 
2. Wash the camote tops thoroughly. 
3. Put all ingredients in the Breville blender jug and process through the smoothie function. 
4. Transfer the smoothie into the glass and serve. 

Dalanghita Mojito Mocktail Slush and Quick Quencher Juice Perfect for  Summer House Party 

Who says you need to go out to have fun? The Dalanghita Mojito Mocktail Slush and Quick Quencher Juice will bring the glam of summer to your home with their refreshing flavor profiles! 


Dalanghita Mojito Mocktail Slush Ingredients: 

1 kg Dalanghita 
1 piece Cucumber 
1 pack Mint Leaves 
1 can Soda Water (Schweppes) 
1.5 cup Honey 
1.5 cup Ice Cubes 

Preparation: 

1. Cut dalanghita into half, squeeze in dalanghita directly into the Breville blender through the citrus cone
2. Add the cucumber, mint leaves, honey, ice cubes and sparkling water and process through the smoothie function. 
3. Transfer the drink into a margarita or mojito glass. Garnish with sliced dalanghita and mint leaves. 


Quick Quencher Juice Ingredients: 

0.5 piece Pineapple 
35 g Squash, Local 
1 piece Cucumber 
1 piece Chayote 

Preparation: 

1. Wash all of the ingredients thoroughly. Juice everything and enjoy! 

One Pine Day Juice and Lemony Sweet Juice Perfect for A Casual Hangout with Friends 

Chill and lay back with your friends while sipping on these juices that will chase your thirst away. 


One Pine Day Ingredients: 

2 piece Apple 
3 piece Celery Stalk 
1 piece Lemon 
15 g Herb, Parsley 

Preparation: 

1. Wash all of the ingredients thoroughly and peel the lemon. 
2. Process all of the produce using the Breville Juicer. 
3. Pour it into a glass and serve. 


Lemony Sweet Juice Ingredients: 

2 piece Pear 
1 piece Cucumber 
1 piece Lemon 
3 piece Celery Stalk 

Preparation: 

1. Wash all of the produce thoroughly. Peel the lemon. 
2. Process all of the produce using the Breville Juicer. 
3. Pour it into a glass and serve! 

Of course, it’s always a good idea to enjoy drinks that you make on your own because you can easily customize the ingredients to suit your taste and health goals, too! Fortunately, you can now easily craft your own high-quality drinks with the help of equally top-tier kitchen partners like Breville’s Juicers and Blenders. Breville Philippines’ Kinetix Twist, for example, is a superstar of a blender that can be used to create velvety cocktails and smoother smoothies thanks to its innovative central blades that blend from top to bottom. The Juice Fountain Max, on the other hand, makes whole fruit juicing as easy as 1, 2, 3 with its unique juicing disk. It can even juice whole fruits and can extract up to 30 percent more juice and 70 percent more nutrients according to the National Measurement Institute (2003, 2011). 

Jazz up your summer and beat the heat with these tasty and healthy juices that you can make in a cinch. Looking for more recipe ideas? Visit FoodThinkers by Breville for some fresh inspiration! You can also check out their website to find more about their products or follow their official Facebook and Instagram channels.

April 21, 2022

Short Korean Drama Series List

I have a lot of unfinished Korean drama series right now and I don’t know if I will continue watching them. Sometimes I feel that I only wasted my time watching several episodes and then suddenly stop because I no longer want the flow of the story. When this happens, I switch to Korean movies, Korean travel variety shows, or Japanese drama series. 


“I can’t recycle wasted time” so before starting a new series, I always check how many episodes or how long per episode. I am having second thoughts if I see that there are so many episodes. So recently, I started searching for short Korean drama series that I can watch in one sitting or I can finish during the weekend (max. 8 hours). I’ve only watched a few series so far because it is a challenge to find short drama series on Netflix so sometimes I have to search on other websites. 

1. My First First Love 1
2. My First First Love 2
3. You Drive Me Crazy 
4. Love Alarm 1
5. D.P. 
6. The Silent Sea
7. Soundtrack #1 
8. One More Time 
9. A Hymn of Death 

Among these series, I like "You Drive Me Crazy" and "Soundtrack #1", both stories are about friends turning into lovers.

10. Pachinko
11. The Sound of Magic
12. Seven First Kisses
13. The Boy Next Door
14. We Broke Up
15. One Sunny Day


16. Queen of the Ring
17. Secret Queen Makers
18. Last-Minute Romance
19. Welcome to Wedding Hell
20. Once Upon a Small Town
21. The Island
22. Birthcare Center
23. The Fabulous

April 18, 2022

4 Days in Oslo Norway with Kid

Over five years ago whenever I asked my Mom when are we going to Røros, Norway, she always says “sa Easter” so in my mind we will leave on Easter Sunday. But I was wrong, ang dami pala Easter dito sa Norway, from Saturday until Monday, Easter ang tawag nila. 

Thurs = Maundy Thursday 
Fri = Good Friday 
Sat = Easter Saturday 
Sun = Easter Sunday 
Mon = Easter Monday 


Easter in Norway is almost a week-long holiday so many people are taking advantage of this opportunity to take off from their work and spend their entire Holy Week with their friends and family by visiting their mountain cabins or traveling abroad. This means that shopping malls and restaurants’ offers are limited, half of the restaurants in Oslo will be closed and the majority of the shops are closed. So when I was planning for our Oslo Norway trip, I made sure that we will be in Oslo before Maundy Thursday. 

Day 1 in Oslo Norway 

Our 5 Days in Stockholm Sweden have finally come to an end. On our fifth day in Stockholm, we woke up early for our morning train ride. There are so many ways to travel from Stockholm to Oslo, you can choose bus, train, airplane or drive your own car. We chose the SJ train because the central station is already in the city so less travel time. In fact, we just walk from Generator Stockholm to Stockholm Central Station, it is a long walk but doable if you want to save on transportation. 

Walking to the train station with luggage is not a problem because it was early morning so there were no people and the road was not busy yet. We had breakfast at McDonalds and went to our boarding gate. There are limited chairs so no need to be really early. Travel time is more or less 6 hours so we had our lunch on the train too. 



We took a taxi from Oslo Central Station to Cochs Pensjonat since it is 1.7km away. This was our accommodation for 4 days and 3 nights. Even though this hotel is already old, I like this accommodation because of the strategic location, it is near the train station, tourist spots, cafes, restaurants, convenience stores, and even supermarkets. 


Since we have our own kitchenette, kitchenware, and fridge, we were able to save money on food. After check-in, we dashed to REMA to buy our food, drinks, and some pasalubong since my husband will be going back to the Philippines already after our Oslo Trip. Keep in mind that stores in Norway are closed on Sundays and holidays. After grocery, we prepared for dinner and rested so we have energy for our DIY Walking Tour in Oslo. 


Day 2 in Oslo Norway 

When I was planning this Scandinavian Trip, I planned to purchase Oslo Pass so we can save money but after our experience with Stockholm Pass and when I learned that not all attractions and museums will be open on Easter, I decided not to avail of the Oslo Pass. But this doesn’t mean that we did not enjoy our trip because there are still tourist spots that we can visit and we chose the FREE tourist spots. Hehehe! I mentioned before that our accommodation is near Royal Palace so that was our first stop for our walking tour. 


Day 2 Itinerary 

The Royal Palace Park 
The Royal Palace 
Karl Johans Gate 
University of Oslo Building 
National Theater 
Stortinget 
Oslo Cathedral 
Oslo Central Station 
Tiger 
Oslo Opera House 
Akershus Castle 
Akershus Fortress 



Day 3 in Norway 

Our third day is another walking tour, we just planned to visit Vigeland Sculpture Park but since we still have the energy to walk, we visited other tourist spots. We had late lunch at Asian Box


Day 3 Itinerary 

Frogner Park 
Vigeland Sculpture Park 
Oslo City Hall 
Nobel Peace Center 
Aker Brygge Wharf 



Day 4 Oslo Central Station to Trondheim Central Station 

Last day in Oslo and vacation is already over, my husband will travel back to the Philippines while my son and I will stay in my mom’s place. You can travel to Trondheim from Oslo via air, sea, land, and rail. We usually travel by plane but for a change, we chose the train so we don’t need to ride different transportations. If we chose an airplane, we still need to ride a train, plane, and bus just to reach the Ferry Boat Terminal. 


Travel time is 7 hours but I have no regrets because if you travel by train, no check-in is needed, and no luggage allowance. The train ride is more comfortable and relaxing because you have more legroom and you can enjoy the scenery. Our train ride is like a feast in the eyes, Oslo to Trondheim is indeed a scenic journey. So if you are not in a hurry, try riding a train too so you will enjoy Norway’s nature. 


Our Scandinavian Trip has finally come to an end and I was glad that we were able to pursue this trip. This was our first time traveling to 3 countries in one trip and our longest family vacation so far. I am thankful for the experience because I don’t know when we can do it again. 


April 15, 2022

5 Days in Stockholm Sweden with Kid

Our Holy Week school vacation started last Saturday but unfortunately, we are stuck at home because of the rainy weather. Aside from the weather we did not plan any Holy Week trip, unlike our previous trips, we were in Røros, Norway and we had our Scandinavian Trip. I did not plan any trip because my husband was not with us, my mom’s health condition is uncertain and I’m hesitant to visit other Schengen States because of COVID19. 



Even though I did not plan anything, yesterday we had a Day Trip to Stugudalen and as usual, I will blog about that next time. Flashback Friday, so I’m just going to reminisce about our past Holy Week trip. Our Scandinavian trip, started in Elverum Norway, next is Copenhagen, Denmark and our third stop is Stockholm Sweden. There are different ways to travel to Sweden from Denmark, we can drive, we can fly, or we can take the bus or train. This time we chose train because I wanted to experience traveling to another country via train. Travel time is only 5 hours and 20 minutes so it is still time and cost-efficient. 



We took a taxi from Stockholm Central Train Station to reach Generator Stockholm Hotel because according to the map, it is almost 1 km away from the station. This hotel is also near Arlanda Express, restaurants, and some tourist spots. There is no guest kitchen but they have a restaurant, cafe, and bar. A convenience store is just in front of the hotel and there are restaurants within the area so you won’t starve.



5 Days in Stockholm Sweden

Day 1 in Stockholm Sweden 


Since we arrived late on our first day, we no longer have time to roam around. We just went out for dinner after our check-in and we immediately went back to our hotel to sleep. 


Day 2 in Stockholm Sweden 


I have limited time in planning for our Scandinavian trip so I have no itinerary for Stockholm Sweden. Just like in Copenhagen, we availed of the Stockholm Pass, which includes free admission to 45 popular tourist spots and free use of tourist buses and tourist boats. The sightseeing card includes Stockholm Pass Guidebook, which I also use to plan for our next day's trip. 

Day 2 Itinerary 

Drottningholm Palace 
Stockholm City Hall 
Stockholm Panorama Bus Tour 


We took the first boat trip to Drottningholm Palace and the first boat trip too to go back to Stockholm City Hall. The travel time is one hour per way. The place is big so if you want to maximize the trip, you need to take the first and last boat trip. But since we wanted to explore other places, we went back early. We did not bother to check the Stockholm City Hall since we wanted to avail the Stockholm Panorama Bus Tour. This tour gave us an idea of what to see and what to do in Stockholm Sweden. 


Day 3 in Stockholm

Our Stockholm Pass includes the free tourist bus but unfortunately, the bus did not arrive on time and we waited for over an hour. We wasted a lot of time waiting for the complimentary bus and we couldn't wait anymore so we just took a taxi so we can start our tour. At this moment, iniisip ko na sana hindi na lang ako nag-avail ng Stockholm Pass kung mapapagastos din naman pala kami sa taxi. And because of that, we only visited two tourist spots, Vasa Museum and Skansen. 


Skansen is an open-air museum and it is also big so we haven’t explored the whole place but we still enjoy our time in this museum. But if you have kids in tow, it is better to spend more time here so you can also join different activities for kids. 



Day 4 in Stockholm Sweden 

Day 4 was our last chance to explore Stockholm and we did not want to waste it anymore so we decided not to take the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. It was a good decision because we were able to do a lot of activities.


Day 4 Itinerary 

Old Town Stockholm Tour 
Nobel Prize Museum 
Storkyrkan Stockholm Cathedral 
The Royal Apartments at The Royal Palace 
Three Crowns Museum 



Day 5 Stockholm Sweden to Oslo Norway 

You can travel to Oslo Norway from Stockholm Sweden via car, plane, bus, or train. We chose the SJ train again, unfortunately, there are only two train schedules so we chose the morning schedule which is 9:10AM. Travel time is around 6 hours. Since we’ve been walking a lot for the last few days, we did not take a taxi anymore and we just walked from Generator Stockholm to Stockholm Central Station with our luggage in tow. We had breakfast at McDonalds and went to the boarding gate to wait for our train.


Sweden is the first country where we did not use any cash, we just use our credit cards for everything even for the paid comfort rooms. For our Free Stockholm Tour, we gave different currencies for tips since the tour guide accepts any currencies. 


April 10, 2022

Trip to Vallersund Norway

Vallersund is a village located at the far end of the ocean in the municipality of Ørland Norway. When I first visited this place, it was part of Bjugn Kommune but after they merged, it is now under Ørland. Its landscape consists of islands, islets, rock formations, and fjords. 

Vallersund Gård or Vallersund Farm 

Vallersund Gård or Vallersund Farm was an old coastal trading center but since 1981, it is known as a Camphill Village. This place was based on Rudolf Steiner and Karl König’s “Anthroposophy” (wisdom of human being). The village’s main goal is to have a community where people can realize their full potential and feel that they are needed in this world. People with and without special needs form this housing community, they work together on the farm, vegetable gardens, workshops, and do household chores. There is a workshop here for people with disabilities between 18 and 25 years old. 



This place is like a self-sufficient community because they plant and harvest their own crops. They take care of farm animals like cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens. They pick flowers and herbs which they dry and prepare to produce tasty products. They also have a bakery where they baked pieces of bread and pastries. And lastly, they have their own weaving mill where they weave textile products. You can buy their products at their shop. I already blogged about this place, five years ago so you can read more information here

The Unite Hope Angel or Angel of Peace 

Just like in Austrått, there are so many things that you can do in Vallersund Farm. If you like hiking or climbing mountains, then visit the Unite Hope Angel or Angel of Peace. This angel was sculptured by Lehna Edwall, a Swedish artist. This project began in the year 2005 and its goal is to spread love, light and hope to all mankind. The first seven Unite Hope Angels were simultaneously set up in different countries such as Australia, Canada, Mali, Peru, Russia, and Vanuatu. The angel that you see in Vallersund is the 13th angel, you can read about our hiking experience here


Vallersund Gård Windmill 

Five years ago, we had already seen this windmill at Vallersund Gård but we were already exhausted after climbing the mountain just to see the Unite Hope Angel so we did not bother to check the windmill view. But last month, we revisited this place and were able to see the beautiful view from the other side. 



I don’t like hiking so my mom tried to persuade me that this is worth a hike and she even said, na hindi lahat nakakakita ng windmill. But I immediately told her na meron kami windmill sa Ilocos. Hehehe! Anyway, these windmills supply energy throughout Vallersund Gård. From afar, you can see the bridge and islets.





Jøssund Bridge 

We made a quick stopover to take a picture of Jøssund Bridge. This is a single suspension bridge that was built in 1939 in replacement of the 1907 old bridge. This place is a favorite fishing spot for both Norwegians and tourists during summer days. You can catch saithe, kelp, and salmon. 


Vallersund Street Art 
 
On our way home, we noticed some street art and according to my mom, it was painted by a famous artist. As per my research, it was painted by Asbjørn Rødberg, all paintings have a local coastal culture theme.




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