Happy Halloween!

In this part of the world Halloween or All Souls Day has always been celebrated as a spooky occasion where you're given the chance to remember the souls of your dearly departed loved ones by offering a prayer for them or going to the cemetery. I never really saw it as a fun occasion where you get to wear weird and scary costumes. Not until my nephew JB asked me to go trick or treating with him at SM Mall of Asia. He begged me to buy a costume for him, which I gladly did. Seeing his face light up at the sight of the skeleton costume is priceless. He was so excited about getting all those candies from different stores and seeing other kids wearing costumes. After a few hours of walking then eating at Shakeys we decided to go home. JB was so tired that when his head touched the pillow he just immediately went to sleep.

Here are some pictures of him wearing the costume. I didn't have the chance to take a picture of him at the mall since all he wanted to do was get candies. Hehe..

JayL Aquino's Mini Birthday Contest

As a way of celebrating his birthday, blogger JayL Aquino is having a mini contest with lots and lots of prizes and winners.

Prizes:

1st - P500 worth of SM Gift Certificate (or PayPal money with the same value)
2nd -P300 worth of SM Gift Certificate (or PayPal money with the same value)
3rd - P200 worth of SM Gift Certificate (or PayPal money with the same value)
4th - Three Exclusive Movie Shirts
5th - P100 worth of mobile loads (or PayPal money with the same value)
6th - P100 worth of mobile loads (or PayPal money with the same value)
7th - P100 worth of mobile loads (or PayPal money with the same value)
8th - P100 worth of mobile loads (or PayPal money with the same value)
9th - P100 worth of mobile loads (or PayPal money with the same value)
10th - P100 worth of mobile loads (or PayPal money with the same value)

Mechanics:

Do at least two (2) of the following: TWIT, FACEBOOK, or PLURK.

If you choose TWITTER, tweet this:

it's JayL Aquino's birthday & he is having a contest!! follow him @jay_elx & visit http://www.blog-ph.com/2010/10/bdaycontest.html for more.

If you choose PLURK, you must plurk this:

it's JayL Aquino's birthday & he is having a contest!! be a fan of @jay_elx & visit http://www.blog-ph.com/2010/10/bdaycontest.html for more.

If you choose FACEBOOK, you must make this as your status:

it's the birthday of JayL Aquino [Blogger] and he is having a mini contest sponsored by SM City Marilao. Like these page and visit http://www.blog-ph.com/2010/10/bdaycontest.html for more info.

Don't forget to tag the two Facebook Pages above and make your status visible to EVERYONE. After you do at least two of the above, just leave your link on the comment section in BLOG-PH.com

Also visit JayL's other blogs Jay.eLx and Food Trip.info

Contest ends on November 20.

Criminal Minds

If you're into psychological thrillers, you'll definitely enjoy watching Criminal Minds. It's about a group of agents from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit at Quantico, Virginia who catch serial killers and rapists by profiling them and studying how their minds work. I just finished watching Seasons 4 and 5 on DVD and I must say that this TV series is not for everyone. At least not for those with weak stomachs. But I like it though because it makes the viewers think. You somewhat get involved in solving the crime or finding out who the serial killer is in each episode. It's a very intelligent and exciting drama series. To be able to catch a killer one must think like one. I really think that police officers or just about anyone who is associated with fighting crime should watch this because they'll learn a lot from it. The episode where the wife of Aaron Hotchner, the FBI Unit Chief, (played by Thomas Gibson) was killed by the Reaper (the notorious serial killer who escaped from prison and became obsessed with killing Hotchner) was really touching. I like the fifth season more than the fourth. The episodes are more controversial, weirder, and harder to solve. Criminal Minds also stars Joe Mantegna, Matthew Gray Gubler, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore, AJ Cook and Kirsten Vangsness.

Empanaditas Recipe

I seldom cook but when I do, I make sure it's delicious and something that my whole family would enjoy. Last Sunday some of my relatives came over to spend the day with us. We served dishes such as baked macaroni, fried chicken, baked mussels, chopsuey (mixed vegetables with pork), and Caesar's Salad. It was a truly enjoyable meal with lots of talk and laughter. I also made Empanaditas, a delightful recipe for dessert. This is very easy to make because it doesn't have that much ingredients. It's also budget-friendly which is important in these uncertain times. All you need to make this dessert are the following: flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, milk, cooking oil, and fruit jam. The first thing that you have to do is to sift flour with salt and baking powder then add sugar and sift again. Mix milk and oil and make a well in flour mixture and then pour the milk mixture. By using a fork, mix the flour and liquid so as to make a soft dough. After that, roll out the dough on a board that's slightly floured (1/4 inch thick). Use a cookie cutter to cut round pieces and then place half a spoon of fruit jam (you can choose whatever fruit you like - strawberry, mango, banana, peach etc.) in the middle of each dough. Sprinkle the edges with a little bit of water then fold over one half of the circle and by using a fork, press the edges. Lastly, fry the dough in cooking oil until it's golden brown. It's that easy. A really ideal dessert for people who always seem to run out of time.

The Alienist

Reading for me is a form of relaxation and enjoyment. Unfortunately, I don't get to read as often as I want to but I want to promise myself that from now on I'm going to make an effort to read more. One of the most amazing novels I've read is The Alienist. I was a bit intimidated by the thick paperback and I didn't really know anything about Caleb Carr, the novel's author, but as soon as I started reading I had trouble putting the book down. I just wanted to finish the whole book in one sitting. It's that riveting and interesting. Caleb Carr is a master story teller. It feels as if you're part of the whole scene and while the serial killer is butchering his victims, you're actually there watching the morbid crime. I was never fond of reading period paperbacks, but this one is different. The whole story happened in the 19th century but somehow it's similar to modern times. Brutal murders still take place. The book is suspenseful, scary and excellently written. It's the kind that makes you think hard. But if you hate violence, this one is definitely not for you. Nevertheless, The Alienist is an unforgettable piece of work.   

Finally Got Buffaloed!

You guys know how much of a contest freak I am because the feeling of winning is just amazing. I again won in a contest by Dash Estefani of Pieces of a Wunderkind's Mind. I'm actually one of the five winners chosen from the 8th, 18th, 30th, 44th, and 60th posters (I'm the 30th). My prize: a Buffalo's Wings N' Things VIP Card and discount coupons (shown above held by my cute nephew) which enables the bearer to have freebies such as free nachos and salsa on their birthday month, free Chicken Fingers N Dip with a minimum single receipt delivery or dine-in purchase of P750, free pitcher of featured cocktail of the day or iced tea with a minimum single receipt dine-in purchase of P750 and many more freebies amounting to P1,250!

I won via a randomizer so I can say that I really am lucky and I can't wait to try out the many delectable dishes of Buffalo's Wings N' Things.

Style and Soul Giveaway

For reaching 100++ followers, Style and Soul is having an awesome giveaway with lots and lots of prizes courtesy of Ichigo Shoes, Auxmanila, Archive Clothing and Trunk Show

  
First Prize: 

1. A pair of Ichigo's yellow Coral flats in your own shoe size! 
2. An Auxmanila blue green blazer 
3. Archive Clothing plaid blazer 
4. 5 pcs of Trunkshow 10% discount cards & P600 worth of GC!
  
Second Prize: 

1. A white pullover from Auxmanila
2. Animal print polo top from F-STOP 
3. 5 pcs of Trunkshow 10% off discount cards


Checkout  http://styleandsoul.blogspot.com/2010/10/finally-giveaway.html  for the mechanics and for more details.

 Contest is until October 25.