Baking. Cooking. And the like.

I never baked or cooked anything special until the moment that someone really close to my heart requested for it. I should have written a blog for my first attempt to cook adobo for our first picnic date, but this one is more special, more effortful and made with more love (not saying that love could be quantified, but yes, more love). He requested for an oreo nutella cheesecake. I made one.

Ingredients. Buying and preparing the right amount of ingredients are very vital. The ingredients would determine the output taste. Unlike cooking and baking where you have the perfect recipe to make the best dish, in life, there is no specific recipe, maybe, there is just the right mix of everything and you’ll learn that in the life’s rigorous, exciting and happy challenges. Every part of a person’s life bears a particular value in the person’s being. Ask me what the best ingredient of all is, and I’ll tell you, it is love. Life’s challenges can never be surpassed without love. A person’s weaknesses cannot be overcome without love. Stresses in any kind of relationship will always be eased with love. I must also say that anyone can forget all the other ingredients but no one can go on with life and live life to its fullest without love.

Crust. The foundation of the cheesecake. Make the crust yummy and firm; and your cake will go a long way to a weary stomach. I made a mistake with making the crust of my cheesecake, it was too sweet and I failed to grind the sugar well. It was really a lesson learned on my part. Talking about foundation being strong and firm, God must be the ultimate foundation of your life. In all of your undertakings, He is the strongest to put you in the place where you are now and bless you with all the countless blessings you have now. He puts together all the other grounds that will hold you to live up your life: your family, your special someone, your friends, your work and workmates, and other acquaintances and colleagues. Take Him as your foundation and you can never go wrong.

Cream. Whipping cream and cream cheese, these two get well along together, mix them up and voila, cheesecake layers. I mentioned ‘the right mix of everything’ earlier. You as a human being is mixed up with other human beings, forming bonds and relationships, some are short-term and some are long-term. I guess similar with baking, it is best to mix the cream cheese and whipping cream until the output becomes nice and fluffy. Relationships are also tested, it is not always a happy-hour for everyone, there are moments when it becomes fleeting, and it is for you to decide. Who you are now and with whom are you spending your time determine what kind of relationships are you mixing. Are they for short-term, for special purpose only, or something you can hold on to for a lifetime? Again, it is for you to decide. You make your own mix and you are the only one to determine if it is perhaps your ‘right mix of everything’.

Time and patience. Since it was my first time to make a cheesecake, I was so eager and so impatient to do the layering. The oreo layer took more than three hours to chill and settle, but the waiting paid off. As soon as I saw the firm oreo layer, I was amazed I can do such creation. It was a different feeling. I must really say good things take time. You must have been waiting for a certain instance to happen to you, for a gift, for winter or autumn season, for the food to be served on the table, for boring moments to pass and even say, for a cab to get to somewhere. We have all been in the process of waiting. Let me share one last final bubble, five years ago, I was waiting for a specific kind of pain to pass. Long before I knew, the pain was carried away by time and life happened. I kept on thinking that it is wrong to wait for your special someone, he will come to you just in the right moment, and sure it happened. He came right on time, just at the moment when I am settled and ready, and again I could say, the patience really paid off. He is now one of the best blessings I have received this year.

The year of 2014 has been one of the best years in my life. I graduated from college; my family was complete during my graduation day and during the whole summer vacation; I finished my term as chairman in my beloved organization; I took and passed the ECE board examination; I got my first job; and of most amazingly, God gave me my special someone, hopefully someone to love for the rest of my life. It was a wonderful journey! If only I had enough time to write about each and every memory with my loved ones, I would. I am excited to look forward to what the next year have in store for me and for my loved ones, whatever may happen, I would be grateful. Like baking and cooking, in life, there is always a lot more to learn! Learning is an everyday process, just always remember to love one another. If you haven’t started yet, it’s never too late! You have today to start and the rest of your lifetime to maintain it.

Have a happy heart! Happy cooking and baking! Happy holidays! J

Love. Love. Love. <3