The view as we drove from Cavite to Manila on Friday morning

 We don’t have a helper starting this week. And for an average middle class Filipino family where both the husband and wife are working, it can be tough. I’d get home from work at 9pm, tired from a full day in the office plus another hour at the gym (on some days), and still prepare dinner as well as prepare lunch for the next day. Thank God for sustaining us. We had to adjust our schedule slightly. We decided to drive to Cavite on Thursday night to bring home our laundry. Then we drove to work early Friday straight from Cavite. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise, as you can see in the photo above.

Being one helper short also gave me more time in the kitchen. Aside from preparing our meals myself, I also got a chance to experiment with a new dessert – Cheesecake Flan. It turned out great, a tad sweeter than I like, but great. It is very smooth, heavier than a leche flan, but lighter than cheesecake.

Pouring into tart pans with the bottom covered in caramel syrup

Ready to be enjoyed

The past few weeks had been very busy at work. I thank God for all the blessings – the opportunities to learn and contribute, the physical stamina to cope with stress, the (mostly) wonderful people that I work with who not only provide professional guidance and support, but are also great friends who provide emotional support.

I am also grateful for my time with Ariel. It’s wonderful to be able to go out on dates and enjoy each other’s company. After 12 years of being together, 10 as husband and wife, I still look forward to our date nights.