Family events and birthday celebrations are primarily the reasons why we come home to our hometown whenever we feel the need to. Since I got my teaching work here in the midwest of Cebu, Tuburan, I rarely go home since I have my new life here and I tend to get very busy especially due to work.
But, it was my brother's 17th birthday therefore we decided to go home and celebrate with him since my partner is the one who does the cooking.
My brother's birthday is the same date as to with the founding anniversary of our church here in our hometown in Ilihan, Tabogon, Northern Cebu, Philippines.
We started the day blessed by the anniversary mass that was headed by various priests which felt much more blessed and holy. As Roman Catholics, when there are birthdays, we see to it that we go to church and attend the mass or others just come to church to light birthday candles and say their birthday prayers and wishes.
After the mass, my son struck some poses. We also had some group photo which my partner was not able to join for he was left at home to take care of the cooking.
From the church in Ilihan, we traveled back home around ten minutes and when we arrived, I helped out at the cooking preparations.
My partner cooked the ducks my aunt had roaming around our backyard and it was her birthday gift to my brother.
We cooked everything here at our frontyard, we set up the pots and cooked using some wood we found allover the place rather than using the stove and gas since it is indeed a huge consumption, so to minimize gas expenses, we cooked it using firewood. My partner cooked everything.
It was just a simple birthday celebration we just had our Filipino favorite dishes and a birthday cake that served as a dessert.
His birthday cake had a birthday dedication greeting him a happy 17th birthday, this was given by my cousin.
Here is a closer look to all the foods prepared for his 17th Birthday Celebration.
Banana and Chicken Menudo
We bought some banana for dessert and my partner cooked "chicken menudo" a chicken dish with carrots, potatoes and tomato sauce. It was perfect and the sauce was really good tasting. It was a perfect viand for dinner.
Grilled Milk Fish Or Bangus
For those who wanted to eat fish, we also have grilled bangus or grilled milk fish. The ingredients added where inside it's belly which was onion, garlic, tomatoes and some spring onions.
Pork Bones Soup
We also had some pork bones soup or in Cebuano language which we call "Nilat-ang Baboy" lata is how it is pressure cooked and baboy is a Cebuano word for pig.
Filipino Style Spaghetti
We are Filipinos therefore we love our spaghetti sweet. It was a mixture of ground pork, hotdogs, spaghetti sauce and some condensed milk.
Humba
This is braised Filipino way of cooking pork which is a Filipino favorite in every occasion especially birthdays.
We enjoyed our dinner since it was shared with family, some neighbors and friends. It was a happy birthday to my brother indeed.
To more celebrations with family! Ciao! ❤️
