Happiness is only real when shared -- Happy Holidays from Libreng Sabaw Blog!

And so I saw this boxed ham in the fridge. I've always had a distaste for holiday season ham, well, I never really got the point. So naturally, I was pessimistic with the boxed Christmas ham I found. It came with some sort of sweet sauce similar to the one we commonly put on the Taho. I didn't think it would go well with the Chinese recipe of the ham.

The brand is Excellente Ham. It's not the typical ones I usually see in the grocery stores from purefoods or CDO. I actually remember seeing the store where you can buy this. It's a few blocks from Hidalgo st in Quiapo (this is where you can buy affordable photography accessories and equipment). My mother says that it is a popular brand with a pedigree of making really good ham.

And so I got hungry, grabbed a few slices, put some rice on my plate and microwaved (I haven't really been in the mood to cook or write about food as you may have noticed). I went to my room with my plate of ham and rice and continued watching this show on Animal Planet about this guy living in a room full of snakes.

I was very surprised at how good the first bite was. It was actually very good. In a way, it's name fits it perfectly—this ham is excellent!

And so I tried to figure out, with this excellent slices of ham in front of me plus a good TV show on, why I somehow felt as if something was missing. And then it hit me—happiness is only real when shared. The whole time I wasn't fully satisfied because I am unable to share this experience with Adrienne Nicole Bernal.

I know that she loves the holiday ham. I know that it is something that can make her very happy. I remember when we were in the grocery one time, she was so excited to see the holiday ham. Seeing her happy is something that makes me happy. You probably already know that I'm not so into the whole holiday or Christmas season but when I'm with her, even the most ordinary days can be special. And somehow, because of her, I feel the Christmas spirit; I feel that there is a reason to celebrate and to share blessings and give gifts.

And so my first Christmas ham experience of this holiday season was bittersweet. I thought I'd share this story to all of you and remind you guys to never take your loved ones for granted and always share happy experiences with them.

Happy Holidays from the Libreng Sabaw blog!

Beef Pares and Street Food

I always love looking for hole-in-the-wall type of places to eat in. Not only will you be able to buy very affordable meals, you will also be able to try out local recipes and delicacies.

A few months ago, my girlfriend and I got a chance to find this really good place that sells beef pares. For 35 pesos, you will surely be satisfied. It's different from all the beef pares recipes I've tried and it's so affordable.

I have written about Philippine street food before. I am very intrigued at how foreigners would think some of the local food we eat is gross but really it's a cultural thing. Not because something is unusual to you, does not mean that it is already something you should be afraid of.

Don't you just get sick of having McDonald's? or any of the other typical fast food chains? It is about time that you just explore a bit. A good meal is probably just a few streets away. You'll get to try out something new and at the same time get a chance to save money! Now that's what I call satisfaction.