Willkomen is a german word for welcome and it fascinates to learn the word when we visited Fredericksburg. So once again, willkomen guys!

It was a birthday trip for me. It was one of unmarked item in our checklist, and finally my boyfriend and I got to cross it out of our list. He asked me what I want for my birthday, at first, I playfully said "him" but it was going to Fredericksburg that got stuck on my mind. So we ended gracing the city with our presence. 

The way to our destination was long and awesome, since it was never boring. We got to see a lot of interesting places on the way: winery, orchards, burger stores, donut shops, Texan BBQ restaurants, fancy houses, ranches, and the green scenery of the country side. It was an amazing ride. Dripping Springs are Johnson City were the town and city we got to passed through to reach Fredericksburg, and yes, just like what I told you those placing are also interesting, worthy places to visit and explore.

We had to take an hour and half travel time to get to the city. It was a long, long ride. But it was definitely worth it. 

Information Visitor Center. From this place, we got a map of the whole downtown. The guy in the office gave us significant information on how to make the most out of our one-day trip. He gave us a map with some notes that might come in handy throughout our exploration. For my journal, I decided to get a copy of my own map and trail passport, cute. 

Old German Bakery & Restaurant. We didn't have breakfast, so our next  stop was this famous bakery and restaurant. When we got to the place, I could not believe that there was actually a line of people waiting to be called because all of the seats were occupied. Oh boy, my boyfriend was right, it is actually pretty famous. I discovered the reason once I got to taste one of their breakfast meal and baked goodies. Oooh...! They were really good. We ordered Holstein Schnitzel with toast and  scrambled eggs on the side, and hot coffee and tea as our drinks.

Fredericksburg Winery. From the name itself, it had everything related to wine. We didn't get a free taste, but the old man in the store was generous enough to have conversation with my boyfriend about wine and other stuff, and I just listened, hehe, I am a good listener. There was an old lady in the store, but I guess she was busy with the other customers that was why she didn't say anything to us, however she was kind and friendly to greet us on the sidewalk when my boyfriend and I was crossing the pedestrian lane. 

Hill Country Amish. This place got an amazing selection of furnitures and they were made of authentic wood, leather, and metal. They also had organic food like jam, jelly, marmalade, seasonings, snacks, and more. The guy at the store gave us a trivia about yeast, like once you made that kind of yeast you have to take care of it because it is a living microorganism. I thought he was joking about it, but turned out he was dead serious about it, and we really appreciate the new information we learned from him. 

Pioneer Museum. If you want to explore all the parts of the museum, there was an entrance fee of 12 per adult. We were pretty satistified in the museum shop and reception area that we decided not to exlpore that whole area. They got an interesting collection of old photos and quilted products, all from the time of German settlement in the city. 

Pioneer Memorial Library. We like going to the libraries, so we didn't miss this chance to check out the library at the downtown. They also had a store of used books. I got a copy of a book Murakami just by donating a dollar. That's such a steal! I am glad to finally try a book of his. But unfortunately, I forgot the map with all the notes on the table of the room with all the books for sale. My bad. We tried getting it back but it was already closed when we remember about the map.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church. After checking if we could get the maps with notes, which was a failed attempt, we came across a magnificent structure, it was an old church. My boyfriend was fascinated and we were able to see outside only although we tried or I tried opening the doors, unfortunately they were all closed. According to my research, it was one of the oldest churches in Fredericksburg. 

Marktplatz von Fredericksburg. This was a park where we sat down and ate the baked goodies I got from the Old German Bakery & Restaurant. The German Sausage Jalapeno bread had this German sausage and it was thick and hard but in a good way, and we really liked it. The Blueberry Cheese Danish was not too sweet which was a good thing and the blueberry jam and cheesee went perfectly tasty.  There was also an Art Sale at the park and I assumed they were all independent artist. 

Rustlin' Rob's Texas Gourmet Food. Oooh...! This food shop was just amazing. They were so generous with the free tasting of their products. They had jam, jelly, marmalade, butte, pickled fruits and veggies, meat, sauces, and seasonings. The experience was the best. We were already full that we didn’t have to eat lunch. Good marketing strategy Rustlin' Rob!

National Museum of the Pacific War. This building got my attention because it had words like Philippine Sea, Luzon, and Mindanao on its walls. It was not a surprise since my home country became part of the Pacific War, which was a sad part of our history. For us to fully explore all the parts of the museum, a 20 fee was required. We needed to decide whether if it was worth to pay that amount given that we only had thirty (30) minutes left. We got there late and we decided to forego the idea and maybe try it another time. According to the staff, it would require at least two (2) hours to enjoy and explore the place. The shop an reception area were the only part we got to explore and it was still fun. We discovered books at the shop about accounts of how the Philippines became part of the Pacific War. It was mind blowing that there were writers who dedicated their time to tell stories about the Philippines, and I am glad. There was also a coin machine at the museum and I didn’t want to miss this chance to get a engraved coin souvenir. It was always fun to get to try one of those in every place that I visit.

It was a fun and purposeful experience. Thank you for planning this for my birthday! There are still a lot to explore, a second trip to Fredericksburg may not be a bad idea. 

Gulaman is one of my top favorite desserts. It is simple, sweet and healthy if eat in moderation. I like the pink and green flavor. I tried making gulaman for the first time and it didn’t succeed, I did the second time, a little better. I did it the third time and it was the best so far. I love the third try results and now I am sharing you the best recipe of my favorite gulaman based on my experiment.

Ingredients:

1 pack Zang Gulaman 24g

7 cups drinking water

1 can condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk 354ml

1 or 1/2 cup white sugar

1. Gradually add 1 pack of Zang Gulaman Buko Pandan Flavor into the water while stirring to avoid lumping.

2. Add evaporated milk, condensed milk, and sugar. Dissolve completely and let it stand for 5-10 minutes.

3. Heat with constant stirring until solution starts to boil. Remove from the heat, then pour into molds.

I hope you like it too! Enjoy! 

Sinigang na baboy is one of my favorite Filipino dishes. I love it when my mother cook it for our family whenever we have the budget to spare for a meat viand. I really like it paired with a freshly and steamy cooked white rice. I get to eat vegetables because of Sinigang na baboy. When I was young, young enough to not know the importance of green leafy vegetables, I had really hated eating them, but through this delicious dish now I can get some of the nutrients I missed in my childhood.  

I crave for home sometimes and the way to somewhat satisfy it is through our stomach. One of my favorite Filipino dishes is Sinigang na Baboy or pork sour soup. I tried cooking it for the first time just recently and it turned out good or quite decent. I guess the sinigang na baboy I cooked the first time was edible.

1 whole clove of small Garlic 

1 piece medium size Gabi

1/2 bulb of Yellow Onion (White or Red Onions will do)

1 string of Pechay

1 string of Mustard Leaves

1 piece medium Jalapeño 

1 medium size White Radish

1 piece Tomato

1 pack of 1.41 oz Sinigang Mix

2 lbs Pork Ribs 

Seasoning: Salt

                    Ground Black Pepper

                    Fish Sauce

1. Sautee chopped onion, garlic, tomato and Jalapeño. Add salt, pepper, fish sauce to taste.

2. Add 7 to 8 cups of water and put the Sinigang Mix. Boil the mixture with the pork ribs for about 45 minutes.

3. Add the vegetables one at a time: Gabi, Mustard leaves, and Pechay. Add fish sauce and ground black pepper to taste. Best serve when warm.

Banana Bread is the first ever bake goodies I have ever made. It is tasty and easy. I am sharing with you the recipe I found online and change it a little bit. I have used this recipe a lot of times so I can vouch of its success and taste. 

3 Bananas (ripe & large size)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs 

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups of all purpose flour / wheat flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chip / fresh cranberries / chopped walnuts etc.

1. Pre-heat the oven for 350 degress Farenheit.

2. Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients.

3. Pour the mixture in 8x8 baking pan and bake for 55 minutes. 

Enjoy! Yum!