Michi Photostory

Day 6 is also our last day to enjoy Tokyo, Japan because we had an early flight the following day. Initial plan is to stay till Sunday para sulit but my husband needs to be in Indonesia by Sunday so we need to go home na ng Saturday. 

Anyway, I have three choices for Day 6 so it depends on the weather and our stamina. 

1. Hakone Free Pass Tour 
2. Tokyo Disneyland 
3. Fuji Shibazakura Festival 

We wanted to see Mt. Fuji so we planned to avail the Hakone Free Pass Tour but if the weather is cloudy, we will just go to Tokyo Disneyland or Fuji Shibazakura Festival. 

Fuji Shibazakura Festival only happens from April to May, since we were not able to see cherry blossoms, this is a good alternative where we can see lawn cherry. The ground looks like pink, white, or purple carpet because it was covered with moss phlox. Ang sarap sana magpapapicture. :) 

But on our third day in Japan, my husband’s officemate learned about our plan, he said that the entrance is already free kasi naglalagas na daw ang mga flowers. Maybe because it is already the last week of the festival so we already removed this to our choices. Sayang naman kasi baka hindi na rin maganda at may mga kalbo na part. 

On our way back to hotel after our Tokyo DisneySea trip, my husband and I decided to cancel our Day 6 itinerary. Wala na kami lakas, we really need to rest and suko na rin ang aming paa sa kakalakad. #signsofaging

Read: Tokyo DisneySea 

The Royal Host 


When we woke up, it was raining so I was really grateful to God for giving us good weather from Sunday to Thursday. It was really bed-weather so we had late lunch at The Royal Host. 

Read: Royal Host



Good thing Keio Plaza Hotel Tama is close to everything so even it was raining, we were still able to visit malls and park. Since we cancelled our day 6 activity, we have extra budget for pasalubong. 

Read: Keio Plaza Hotel Tama

We did not bother to go to Don Quijote Akihabara anymore since we will not buy a lot of pasalubong. The train fare is also expensive and ayaw na nga namin maglakad ng malayo. Hahaha!

If you like collecting bento stuff, ang dami dito. 



Side story: I bought Tomica Cars at Sanrio Puroland because I know that there are limited designs in the Philippines so imagine my reaction when I saw Tomica Cars in the mall. Waah, I bought Tomica My Melody at 796 yen and 580 yen lang dito. Akala ko pa naman nakamura na ko. I also checked Uniqlo store but there was no sale so I did not buy anything. 

Then we went to grocery, one thing I noticed here in Japan, there is no bagger so you have to pack your own stuff. The cashier gave me one plastic bag and she asked me if I needed two (sign language lang ulit) and I said yes naman. When I checked my receipt, kamote may bayad pala yung plastic. Ang hirap ng may language barrier. hehehe! Ok, next time, I will bring ecobag. 

Tama Central Park and Parthenon Tama 

We went back to the hotel to drop our groceries and off we went to Tama Central Park and Parthenon Tama. Japan likes park, I wish we also have park like this where you can unwind and relax without spending money. I’ve seen houses and residential buildings near the park, so the people are so lucky because they can just go to the park if they want to walk, jog, or kill time.



The Daiso 


I saw The Daiso on our first day in Tokyo, Japan but I did not bother to check it because we have Japan Home here. But since we had nothing to do, we paid a visit and even I have no plans to buy anything. May nabili pa rin ako, 108 yen lang kasi, cheaper than the P88 rate here. I will share my shopping finds in my next post. 

Read: The Daiso

Dinner Dan Cafe 


If you visit Sanrio Puroland, don’t forget to eat crepe at Dipper Dan Cafe. The crepe is really good, I wanted to buy pa ulit kaso tinamad na bumalik kasi umulan na ulit. Hehehe! 

Read: Sanrio Puroland

Nowadays, I seldom bake from scratch after I discovered some good instant mixes for cakes, cupcakes brownies, and cookies. I prefer using instant mixes if we want desserts at home because it is so easy to prepare and less dishes to wash. 

But when it comes to banana cupcake, I always bake from scratch because we always have bananas at home. It is the best way to use overripe bananas. Let us save banana to minimize the waste. 



Last Monday, I baked Banana Chocolate Cupcake. It is an all time favorite of my family so one batch of the recipe is not enough. I also have Duncan Hines Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting that I bought in S&R P139.95. 

The taste is almost the same with the cream cheese frosting from scratch. It is rich, creamy and easy to spread frosting. It is also gluten free. 

I don’t always put frosting on my homemade cupcake (merienda) because it is an added sugar and expense. But the Duncan Hines Frosting is not that expensive so if you like cream cheese frosting, pwede na ito. My son likes this frosting and he wanted me to bake again so we can use it again.

Read: Banana Chocolate Cupcake
          Classic Chocolate Frosting 

Pastillas de Leche is a milk candy, of course, it is made of leche or milk. We love pastillas de leche but this milk candy is not cheap if you buy this in pasalubong store so even I like this, I seldom buy this milk candy.

Yesterday, I made Pastillas de Leche after tutoring my son. I have skim milk that I haven’t used and it’s in the fridge for so long so bago mag-expire, gamitin na. I bought this because I wanted to make polvoron but I realized pastillas de leche is much easier because I don’t need to cook. 


Yes, I’m so lazy. Lol The nice thing about No-Cook Pastillas de Leche recipe is, you only need 3 ingredients. 

3 cups of skim milk (powdered milk) 
1 can of condensed milk (300ml) 
1/2 cup sugar 

All you need to do is mix the powdered milk and condensed milk. I pour the powdered milk per cup so I can mix it well. I thought mixing would not be a problem pero need mo rin ng effort because it is super sticky.


After mixing, you can already form balls or tube but I decided to chill the milk mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes. But I almost forgot about it so, mga 45 minutes siya nasa fridge so when I was forming balls, matigas na siya. Lol! 


But still I was able to form balls and my son helped me in making pastillas. He is in charge of rolling the pastillas in the sugar. 


This is a good bonding with your kids, you just need to practice self-control while shaping and rolling pastillas because you can’t help but eat the pastillas. Store it in a container or put it in a sandwich bag for baon. 


Update: 

I used powdered milk (Alaska) and I chilled it more or less 2 hours so I can form it into different shapes. My son prefers the skim milk kasi mas matigas while my husband prefers the powdered milk kasi malambot yung pastillas. 

I made pastillas again so my son will not buy in school. Hehehe!

A photo posted by michisolee (@michisolee) on Nov 12, 2016 at 6:49pm PST

Read: List of my Favorite Leche Desserts 

It’s been awhile since the last time I cooked steak at home so last Sunday I pan-grilled steak. It is supposed to be medium well pero naging well done. Hehehe! 

Anyway, I remember the IKEA Graddsas Cream Sauce that I bought in IKEA Tachikawa so I prepared this also. It is a versatile sauce that you can use for meatballs, beef or pork dish. 



I just followed the recipe at the back, you need water, cream and 1 pack of cream sauce. Mix and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes. I’m not sure what kind of cream so I just used cooking cream. 

Read: IKEA Tachikawa



We all enjoyed the Graddsas cream sauce, ginawang sabaw ng anak ko yung sauce sa kanin. Hehehe! Too bad I only bought 2 packs. We liked this sauce compared to the Gravox sauce that we’ve tried before or maybe because we prefer creamy sauce. 

Read: Oven Baked Steak + Gravox Traditional Gravy
          Roast Chicken + Gravox Herbs Gravy 

If you have kids in tow in Tokyo Japan, a trip would not be complete if you will not visit the happy place on Earth which is Disneyland. There are two Disney theme parks in Tokyo, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. 

Tokyo DisneySea is a unique theme park, because it is the only DisneySea among the six Disneyland theme park around the world. We’ve been to Hongkong Disneyland, so we chose Tokyo DisneySea this time. 

Read: Hongkong Disneyland Part 1 
          Hongkong Disneyland Part 2

Day before our Disney Trip, my husband inquired if we can ride the Good Neighbor Shuttle Bus to Tokyo Disney Resort in Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo. But we were advised that it is only for the guests in Shinjuku and it was fully booked already. So they gave us a map and instructed on how to get to Tokyo Disney Resort from Keio Plaza Hotel Tama. Sayang, it is complimentary ride pa naman.

Read: Keio Plaza Hotel Tama

According to app, travel time is around two hours so we wake up as early as 4AM. You can see that the sun is starting to rise so Japan is indeed the Land of the Rising Sun. We ate light breakfast (bread) and left at 5AM to avoid the morning rush.



Directions: Walk to Keio Tama Center South Exit. Ride Keio Sagamihara Line Express for Shinjuku. Get off at Shinjuku and ride the train to Tokyo. Get off at Tokyo and ride the train to Maihama. Get off at Maihama and ride Disney Resort Line to Tokyo DisneySea. The fare is 1000+ yen each, half rate for kids, one way.



The directions look so easy, I thought we won’t be having a problem since we’ve been riding trains for the last few days. But I was wrong, when we get off at Shinjuku, we don’t know where to go. We need to get out to buy tickets and we don’t even know san lalabas. Toinks! 

We asked the staff and he just said “8”. At first hindi namin gets kung ano yung 8 so we checked the map and information. I think there are 10 connecting trains (correct me) in Shinjuku so we need to look for Gate 8 (whatever do you call that). It was a looooong walk even there are walkators, nakakapagod pa rin.

So we rode the train going to Tokyo and then transferred train to Maihama. At Maihama, we just went to the counter to ask help for fare adjustment because the tickets that we bought is only for Tokyo. They gladly assisted us and we paid the additional fare. 


The app said, it will take 2 hours but we traveled more than two hours and we still need to ride one more train. We ate breakfast again at Becker’s before riding the Disney Resort Line. Good thing we left early. 

Tokyo DisneySea 

Click here for the video

At last, we’re finally here at Tokyo DisneySea. I was surprised when I saw the Ticket Fee because prior to the trip, I checked their price so nagmahal na agad o di pa updated sa website. Well, this is the costliest theme park that we’ve visited so far. 



The park is huge and we only have one day to explore it but we just take one step at a time as long as naeenjoy namin. According to the map, the park is divided into 7 sections, Port Discovery, American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Mermaid Lagoon, Mysterious Island, Arabian Coast, and Mediterranean Harbor. 

Mediterranean Harbor 


We started our tour in Mediterranean Harbor, we rode DisneySea Transit Steamer Line. We have no idea where it will stop, we just rode it. Hehehe! I appreciate this steamer especially if you're tired of walking from one attraction to another attraction.



Lost River Delta 

The steamer stopped at Lost River Delta. I’m not fond of scary rides so I did not join them when they rode the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. They put a bracelet in my son’s hand after checking the height. I'm afraid that this ride is like Space Mountain of Disneyland. 



After their first ride, they told me that it was not a scary ride so I could try it. But I don't want to ride alone so I suggested falling in line in Character Greeting, my son doesn’t like the idea because he wanted to go to different attractions but he has no choice, I want a family picture. The only downside if you do not avail of their photo package, they will only take one picture. Swerte mo na pag galante yung nagpicture sayo at more than one take or else no choice kung panget shot. hehehe! 

Side story: In Hong Kong Disneyland, we always carry our bags during the photoshoot but in Japan, the staff told us to place our bags at the side. I remember our trip to Sanrio Puroland, I also left my bag before picture taking. At first, hesitant ako because sa Pinas nga lang, nasa tabi mo na or hawak mo na ang bag mo, kinukuha pa, yun pa kayang 2 meters away from you. Lol. But in Japan, safe naman ang aming bag. There is Raging Spirits but we did not dare to ride. 

Read: Sanrio Puroland



There are also characters that you will meet while exploring the park. 

Port Discovery 

Then we moved to Port Discovery to ride the Aquatopia and Disney Sea Electric Railway. 





The electric trolley stopped at American Waterfront then we moved to Fortress Explorations at Mediterranean Harbor. 



There is even a separate map for this, you can see Pendulum Tower, Illusion Room, Explorer’s Hall, Navigation Center, Camera Obscurra, Sundial Deck, Chamber Planets, Flying Machine, Alchemy Laboratory, and Cannons. 

Sail a boat at Fortress Explorations for 100 yen.

I can bake cupcakes and cakes by following the recipes that I’ve found on different websites but when it comes to bread (with yeast), I don’t have a successful experience. So whenever I see the yeast in the list of ingredients, I will no longer try it. 



Four years ago, I tried to make a 30 Minute Roll but it was not successful, I don’t know what’s wrong with the recipe or maybe I don’t have the skill to roll a dough. I always buy yeast so I can make bread but I’m just wasting money kasi nag-expire na lang yeast ko hindi pa ulit ko nagtry magbake ng bread or pizza dough. Trauma?

Read: 30 Minute Roll

Since then, I’ve been contemplating in enrolling myself in baking class but I was hesitant to pay the fee. Nagkukuripot lang but one of my goals this year is to learn something new so last March, I decided to enroll in Bake Your Own Bread Class of Feed Studio Kitchen Studio. 

But it did not happen because my son has Saturday class on that date so I patiently waited for the next schedule. So when I received their email, I immediately told my husband about it. I was happy that my husband has no business trip so I can attend a class. 

I just inquired through email and I was advised to pay 50% downpayment and email the copy of deposit slip. The fee is P1600, inclusive of all the ingredients and recipe so all you have to do is attend the class from 9AM to 3PM. 



Last July 9, rain or shine off we went to Feed 5000 Kitchen Studio. I was there 30 minutes before class, early bird lang ang peg. It was our first time kasi so I make sure may allowance ako if ever maligaw kami. Hehehe!



The class started at past 9AM, we waited for other students pa kasi. Chef Len Santos-Ding taught us how to make ensaimada, cheeseroll, cinnamon roll, easy French baguettes and Italian breadsticks!



I enjoyed the baking class because we were only four students, I don’t know if that is always the scenario. But I think 6-8 students pwede sa isang class if I will consider the space. 



It was my first time attending a baking class and I was happy with my experience because of the student participation, hands-on experience and you can ask questions during lessons. Chef Len is very approachable and kind to answer all our questions. 



Making bread is not easy because you need to mix, knead and roll. We’ve been doing those activities during our lessons. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of myself in action. I took a video of my partner while waiting for my turn to roll the dough. 

Most of the time, I always think na meron naman niyan sa You Tube or you can read it in books but after attending the class, I realized that there are really things that you will not learn by just watching videos or reading books. It is also nice to attend classes because you will learn more and may slow motion on how to do the things the right way. Sharing the quote that I’ve learned in From Depressed to Determined ebook.

Spending at home during weekends can be a bit boring for an only child so I need to have a lot of interesting activities for my son to entertain him. He can use Ipad during weekends but of course battery won’t last. Hehehe! 



I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about beads last year but I’m not sure if my son is patient enough to put it one by one so I did not bother to buy one. But we got Beados at home, one of the toys that he got from Bellevue Kids Grand Launch loot bag. 

Read: Bellevue Kids Grand Launch



The pack includes spray, plastic tray, beads and guide. My son just followed the pattern and sprayed water. We let it rest overnight and it seems magic because once it is dry, everything was connected already without using glue. Amazing beads!

There are so many restaurants nowadays and I still have a long list of places to visit for food trip but we cannot deny that there are times you just want to revisit your go-to restaurants.

For Filipino restaurants, we like Max’s. We dined here two weeks ago, my husband just came back from Brunei that time and namiss niyang kumain. Hehehe! Brunei was very strict in following Ramadan so even tourists or visitors need to follow, so bawal din mag-eat and drink or else you will pay penalty. Pwede siguro but not in public and if you can find restaurants that will serve food. 



Anyway, we ordered Kare-Kare, Lumpiang Shanghai, Rice, Leche Flan and Mango Cream Dessert. It was our first time to try Mango Cream Dessert, it is like eating mango float with different texture. My husband liked it but I still prefer the Leche Flan na habang tumatagal, lumiliit ang serving size. lol

Update October 2019

Two weeks ago, my husband and I went to SM to do some errands. I need to buy some school supplies and I used the PHP50 discount coupon from Donate a Book Drive that I got a few months ago. After doing our errands, it was time for lunch so we ate at Max’s because we have PHP500 Max’s Gift Certificate. It was part of the freebies when we bought our gas range last July.


Tipid Tips: Keep and don’t forget to use your free coupons or gift certificate. This is a big help lalo na pag wala ka na budget pero nagugutom ka.

It’s been a while since the last time we ate here so we were checking the menu to see if there is something new. And voila, aside from the usual combo meals, they are now offering rice bowls. Parang hindi ko ito napansin last February. Anyway, we ordered Platter Meal, Max’s Spicy Tofu Rice Bowl and Dessert Sampler.




Platter Meal - A quarter of a fried chicken, rice, pancit canton, caramel bar and drinks.
Max’s Spicy Tofu Rice Bowl - Deep fried tofu cubes tossed in spicy cream sauce.
Dessert Sampler - buko pandan, ube creme decadence, leche flan and cream cheese brownie a la mode.

For the longest time, I’ve been using a separate notebook to record the debit and credit of my Current Account because the pages in the checkbook is very limited. I only use it if I need to issue a check but of course there are bills to pay every month so I really need more pages.



So when I saw this Cashbook in Daiso Japan, I immediately bought it. There are more choices of this but there is no English version so hindi ko alam kung ano yung nakasulat sa column. Hehehe!


Read: The Daiso


The cashbook is very simple, it is like having a passbook where you put the income, expense and balance. I only bought two pieces for 108 yen each and I hope by the time na maubos ito, e available na siya sa Daiso here in the Philippines.

With Stickers

If you’re planning a trip to California’s coastal area Big Sur, you’re definitely in for a treat when it comes to things to see and do. With stunningly breathtaking views of the ocean from the dramatically high cliffs, a number of state parks where you can explore wildlife and natural beauty, forests and rivers which make for wonderful walks and picnics and a whole range of places to stay whether you’re looking for a luxury hotel room or a glamping site, this area has it made for those looking for a relaxing, nature-oriented and peaceful break away. Of course, it’s always good to know where’s nice to eat when you’re traveling, which is why we’ve put together some of the best dining places in Big Sur. 



Sierra Mar 

Whether you’re planning to spend the week in Big Sur or are taking a day trip to the area, Sierra Mar is a restaurant which simply cannot be missed. An experience of dining ‘on the edge of the world’ is rare to find, but this beautiful, unique restaurant which is located at the Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, delivers it perfectly. Serving spectacular dishes that you won’t forget for a long time, you’re also met with stunning views out of the floor to ceiling windows that look out onto the Pacific Ocean. If dinner at Sierra Mar isn’t in your budget, they also serve a range of drinks and cocktails at the bar. 

Nepenthe 

Serving lunch every day of the year from 11:30AM through till 4:30PM, Nepenthe is the perfect choice of eatery to get light bites for lunch as you enjoy the amazing surrounding views. A family business which has been passed down through generations, Nepenthe boasts excellent hospitality, a relaxed environment, and of course fantastic food and drinks. Once you’ve finished your lunch, don’t forget to pay a visit to the on-site Phoenix shop, where you can find souvenirs in the form of Nepenthe logo items or unique, lovingly hand-crafted jewelry and personal care items which make great gifts for both yourself and others! 

Big Sur Bakery 

The Big Sur Bakery is located in a picturesque spot and serves a range of dishes throughout the day to cater to all of your needs. The perfect choice for breakfast to start the day on a great note, the Bakery has outdoor seating where you can take in the sounds, sights and smells of the morning whilst eating your first meal of the day. Later on in the day, you can return to the bakery for lunch, with a selection of pizzas and other savory foods to choose from. This converted ranch house is a perfect choice of dining place no matter the time of day, with a range of home-cooked, wholesome meals to choose from for your evening meal. There’s also a bar which serves wines and a selection of other drinks. 

When it comes to dining in Big Sur, you’re definitely spoilt for choice. Whether you’re looking for a breathtaking view of the ocean with your food or a relaxing outdoor experience, this area has it all to offer.