halamanansahalang

Corned Beef with Potato ala Skye

2011-06-03T21:54:00.004+08:00

One of Skye's favorites.

She cooked this corned beef with potatoes when Snowe was sick 2 weeks ago and she wouldn't let me leave her side the whole day. Skye said she'll be the one to cook dinner. She prepared everything, from chopping to cooking to setting up the table.We ate at the living room cause Snowe really won't get up :-)
Skye's worried at first because she said the garlic's a bit toasted, but Snowe said it still tastes good. And it really does.

Good job, Ate Skye!

Macaroons (chocolatey and lemoney macaroonies)

2010-11-24T22:13:00.017+08:00

Yesterday, Skye was looking for a snack and thought of opening a can of sweetened condensed milk. She imagined eating bread dipped in condensed milk, a snack she always loves, easy to prepare and eat. Only after pouring some milk on her small saucer did she find out that there is no more mini-France bread. She said "Oh no, Mommy, I've already poured some milk on the saucer, and there's no more bread. What would I do with this milk?" I said to her, just put it in the fridge, you could still use it once we bought that bread or (thinking)...we can make macaroons. Then she said, "Oh, let's just make macaroons!" I told her to get the recipe folder and prepare the ingredients.

Skye read the instructions, and before I could tell her what to do, she was already beating the eggs when I checked.

She started measuring the sugar when I thought of taking pictures.

She added the condensed milk. I told her to mix until the sugar dissolves.

Snowe asked what she could to do help and I asked her to put the paper liner on the macaroon cups.

and after that, I told her to add the desicated coconut to the mixture while Skye mixes everything.

They helped each other grating the lemon for the flavor.

I divided the mixture into two portions. I added grated lemon for the flavor to the first half. Snowe asked if she could be the one to put the mixture in the cups, so I let her. I was surprised to see that she was able to finish filling all those cups.

Skye had her turn, too. She requested the chocolate flavored macaroons, so I added the melted Swiss dark chocolate (about 30gms) to the other portion of the coconut mixture. It was actually a leftover because Skye was not able to finish that Frey Noir 72% chocolate bar Snowe gave her (she said it's bitter for her taste).

My girls had fun baking. Snowe ate them as soon as it cooled down... and they called it the "chocolatey and lemoney macaroonies" :)

*Macaroons recipe from pinoycook.net

Mommy Lolly

2010-10-18T23:30:00.002+08:00

October 18, 2010

Dear Mommy,

Thank you for being strong for all of us.
Thank you for your unfailing love.
Because of you we learned how to be strong,
to care and to love.
I'm sorry for the many times I gave you heartaches.
I'm sorry that I made you cry.
Thank you for being there whenever my heartbreaks, for comforting me, for assuring me
that everything will be alright.
Thank you for making your time available
whenever we need you.
May God bless us with more years with you so we can show you more how much we love you and thank you for all the things you've done for us!

We love you always!

Happy Birthday, Mommy Lolly!

France Bread Pizza a la Skye and Snowe

2010-09-20T20:52:00.007+08:00

Skye and Snowe love to eat pizza. They would often ask me to make pizza for them and I did, but with their help. They both helped and it was our breakfast this morning.

We used France bread, it's like a bun, cut in half and laid on a baking tray. I put a teaspoon of Del Monte's Sweet Pizza Sauce on each half and Skye spread it on. Snowe then put the small cuts of Mozarella Cheese, the one we use on sandwiches.

Skye arranged the vegetables on top - tomato slices, onions and green bell peppers. Snowe laid down the bacon strips last.

Baked at 150 deg C on a pre-heated electric oven for 8 minutes and voila, we have an instant pizza.

06 Senti Compilation

2010-07-18T21:41:00.004+08:00

Sa paglasap ng tagumpay, siguraduhing walang natatapakan.

Sa pagnamnam ng kaligayahan, siguraduhing walang nasasaktan.

Sikaping lumingon sa pinanggalingan.

Ang Pako

2010-07-18T21:00:00.000+08:00

ano kaya ang magiging epekto kung ang lahat ng tao ay marunong tumupad sa ipinangako?

pangako hindi kita iiwan.
pangako hindi pababayaan.
pangako hindi ka na magiisa.
pangako ako ang bahala.

huwag na lang mangangako kung lagi din lang mapapako...

ibinaon na nila sa limot ang kanilang mga pangako...

Ikaw ilan na ang pangako mo o ipinangako sa iyo ang napako?

huwag mo na itong asahan...

Si Lord lang talaga ang laging tumutupad sa Kanyang pangako.

Daddy's Day Chicken

2010-06-21T00:47:00.009+08:00

June 20, 2010

The name of our very late dinner for tonight... "Daddy's Day Chicken."

Why? Because Daddy Eio invented this dish right after his mini concert at home. I know, he should be pampered today, but let me tell you my errr... excuse. *grin*

We had our late lunch around 2:30 -3:30 p.m., after attending Sunday mass, at Paulaner inXintiandi. Wanting to have a little exercise after a heavy lunch, we walked home from Xintiandi, bought milk tea with pearls along the way and reached home at about 4:30p.m.

As we got home, we decided to sing along with our magic sing.

Snowe massaged daddy's feet while I set up the machine (she said it's her gift to dad). Skye started selecting her favorites songs. Then, the magical voices filled the airs in parkville :-) the four of us take turns with the microphone, and i noticed that the line-up of songs are all for Daddy. It's his day so let him be.

At 7 p.m. I asked him if he's hungry and if so what does he want me to prepare for dinner. He said he's still full and we should have dinner later. Okay, I said, anyway the kids are not hungry yet. I just took out the chicken middle wings from the fridge to thaw.

When Eio got tired of singing he decided to cook the chicken. I don't exactly know the amount of the ingredients he put in but he said he boiled half-a-kilo of chicken first with water, fish sauce and a few cloves of crushed garlic, when the chicken is almost done he added some light soy sauce, a teaspoon of sugar and sprinkled ground pepper. There's also his trick of alternating a little cold water while frying the chicken in the final stage. The result was very delicious, the taste is something new to us. He asked me to take photos as he put the cooked dish on the dining table and teased me to post here :D

And we had the very late dinner at 10:30 pm.

Happy Father's Day, to the one I Love!

2010-06-19T21:23:00.015+08:00

He is not just a caring father, he is loving, too.

He takes care of his children well, and disciplines them, too.

His kids love him so much,

his their playmate and buddy, for them he's the greatest!

He does my work on weekends, even workdays he'd help me, too.

what more can I ask for from a husband like him...
a partner and a friend whose love is never ending.

He's not perfect, i know, but from his imperfection, comes out the best in him.

To the Father of my Children, I love you more each day!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-18T17:02:00.006+08:00

I can still remember the morning you died in my arms,

until your last breath it is your children you always care about...

"Panginoon, Kayo na po ang bahala sa mga anak ko, gabayan Mo po sila."

... were the last words you said.

Oh, how I long to be with you more...

I know I have not thanked you enough...

Thank you for loving our Mommy the way you did.

Thank you for being a responsible Father to us.

Thank you for providing all our needs.

Thank you for doing the best you can to raise us well.

Thank you for making sure we will have food on our table.

Thank you for sending us all to school to have a good education.

Thank you for being there to guide us.

Thank you for being our pillar during trials.

Thank you for the happy memories you shared with us.

I smile every time I remember your jokes on your last day,

a day full of happy memories...

...memories I will never forget.

I can still feel your presence.

I love you, Daddy Tony!

Happy Father's Day!

Your EeknyhP (that's how you call me :-)

bulag sa katotohanan?

2010-05-18T16:23:00.003+08:00

kumusta naman ang pasugalan? sulit ba ang puyat na magdamagan? 'yun daw ang "ideal woman"... babaeng may lalake na, may babae pa, san ka pa? tao ka ba? ito ang uri na gustong pakisamahan?

gisingin ang ugat patungo sa utak baka natutulog lamang, paganahin kahit saglit lang.

kadalasan, nasasaktan na'y nasisisi pa - ang mga taong nagmamalasakit lamang, mga taong hinihingan ng payo nguni't hindi pinakikinggan. mga taong nalalapitan sa oras ng matinding pangangailangan. hindi lang sa panahong naghahanap ng kaibigang makakasalo sa saya o habang may naibibigay ka...
nasasabihan mo nga siya ng problema pero nasosolusyonan ba? paano kung sa bandang huli siya pala ang iyong problema, paano lalabas sa isang sitwasyon na hawak ka?

ito 'yung taong bulag sa katotohanan, bingi sa payo ng mga taong tunay na nagmamahal. "focused" ika nga, focused sa akala ay panghabang-buhay na kaligayahan. walang "happily ever after" hanggang hindi naitatama ang mga maling gawa.

Who says life is easy?

2010-05-18T16:22:00.002+08:00

It's never easy... lalo na kapag di ka marunong makontento.

Noong bata ka gusto mong tumanda agad para magkatrabaho.

Noong tumanda ka naisip mong mas masarap pala ang maging bata kasi walang iniintindi.

Noong nagaaral ka feeling mo laging kulang ang baon mo.

Noong nagtatrabaho ka na, feeling mo laging kulang ang sweldo mo, nasa isip mo mag-aral na lang kaya ulit ako?

Kapag gutom ka nagrereklamo ka... kapag busog ka na nagrereklamo ka pa rin.

at marami pang ibang eklat!

Noong payat ka gusto mong tumaba, nung tumaba ka gusto mong pumayat.

Maputi na nga ang kulay mo, gusto mo pang magpa-tan.

Iyong mga kayumanggi nga gusto namang magpa-puti. (gumamit ng papaya, bleach, Belo meds, may gluthathione pa, tapos magrereklamo sa gastos)

Bakit di na lang tanggapin kung ano ang pinagkaloob sa iyo.

ano ba talaga, kuya?

Kailan ka ba masisiyahan? Kahit ang Diyos maguguluhan sa nais nating mangyari sa ating buhay kung ganito ang pagiisip natin. simple lang naman talaga dapat ang ating pamumuhay, pinapahirap lang natin sa pamamagitan ng pagkomplika ng sitwasyon.

Tanggapin na lang kaya natin ng maluwag kung ano man ang meron tayo, at mula doo'y palaguin ito. :-)

Barbie's Shoe

2010-04-20T00:21:00.009+08:00

2010, April 19, @3pm - Snowe came to me crying, she said she can't find her Barbie's other shoe. I remember she's playing by the bathroom's lavatory because she needs water for her toy, a Barbie Seaworld Trainer set. I went with her and helped her look but we couldn't find it. I asked her if she washed the doll, but she didn't answer and started to cry out loud as if she lost something very important to her. You know how babies cry when a mother leaves or a young kid is lost in a mall? That's how she cried and I feel sad for her, but I couldn't comfort her yet. I'm a bit disappointed because we just bought that set of Barbie last Saturday (it was on 50% sale) and as we were opening the package I keep on telling her to take care of the very small items for it might get lost.

When we could not find it, I told her maybe it's flushed down the drain and it's gone forever, she kept on crying and crying. I hugged her and we sat down in front of the computer, asking her what to do now that the other shoe is gone, she said we can make another shoe. I said i don't think we can, she said "we can" and suggested some materials we could use like paper. until she got tired and asked me for milk. She said "Mommy, I want dede." (she's referring to her bottle of milk) I was being mean at the moment, because of what had happened, and I'm trying to test her reactions and teach her a lesson. I said, you want milk? you can't have milk because you lost a shoe! she replied, "but i think I want to drink milk". It made me smile to think that maybe she wants to find comfort from something. We called her Dad and told him Snowe is sad and she couldnt' talk but sob, I explained to him what happened then I gave her the phone, in a few seconds, she was smiling and even laughed at me when I put the phone down. I asked her what Dad told her, she said he'll help her find another pair of shoe. Shush! Well, after a few more minutes of blah, blah, I decided to get her milk, while Ate Skye put away the toys. Skye was telling stories on what could have happened to the other shoe and kept on until Snowe is no longer sad.

5pm: I went to the bathroom to put clothes in the washer and cleaned up the area where Snowe played, I lifted the rug and saw the shoe Snowe thought she had lost. I called her immediately and she was so happy to know that it was just there after all.

A re-post...

2010-01-03T21:49:00.001+08:00

I'd like to repost this forwarded Handbook of 2010 sent by An2:

Have a great and peaceful 2010 ahead!!!

THE HANDBOOK for 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants
4. Live with the
3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily... And while you walk, SMILE

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6..
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34.. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be HAPPY ALWAYS

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T20:24:00.006+08:00

we celebrated the new year as a family here in sh.cn, had dinner together and waited for the countdown around xintiandi. the kids enjoyed watching the fireworks which lasted for about 10 minutes.

but, there's no place like home when it comes to celebrating tradition.

Have a blessed new year everyone!

Fried Espada Fish and Steamed Okra with Bagoong Isda

2009-04-13T19:14:00.006+08:00

I haven't cooked Espada fish back home, but I remember tried eating one. Espada is always available in the wet market and is also one of the cheapest fish sold here. I bought one piece, about 750 grams and decided to fry it to match the Okra Eio bought the other day. The fish vendor cleaned it for me, so i just have to wash it thoroughly before frying.

For frying the espada fish, I used:
1/2 cup cooking oil
a teaspoon of salt
ground black pepper

Rub the salt inside cavity and on the fish, sprinkle some ground black pepper, heat the oil in a frying pan over high-heat, and fry the fish just until golden brown.

For the steamed Okra:
Wash the Okra and place it on a pan and add 1/4 cup of water, over low-heat cover the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Serve with kalamansi and Bagoong fish.

Skye loved the Okra dipped in bagoong isda and kalamansi sauce on her first try, and immediately saved some pieces of okra on her plate. Snowe likes the fried fish with vinegar and patis, she finished her food on her own! Yay, for Snowe!

Easter Eggs

2009-04-13T14:00:00.004+08:00

Snowe's Family Portrait

2009-03-22T23:27:00.005+08:00

This is Snowe's 1st interpretation of a family portrait. She loves to draw and paint using water color, most of her drawings are on an A4 sized white paper, and usually abstract. I was surprised when she called me and said "Mom, look at what I draw!" I asked her what's it about and she introduced me to each one on the drawing. She said it's our family, with her Tita Amor, who's also with us here in Shanghai.

Tree Planting and Champorado and Dried Fish (Tuyo)

2009-03-21T22:16:00.014+08:00

It's raining on a Saturday morning in Shanghai. We woke-up early today because Skye and her Dad are going to Minhang district. There is a tree-planting project by the Chinese Government, and they are joining with some of Eio's officemates.
I decided to cook Champorado for our breakfast because Skye and her Dad love it, and I believe it will boost Skye's energy for the day... (chocolate!) and here's how i prepared it, very easy!

For the ingredients:
1 cup malagkit rice
6 cups water
3 tablespoons of Cocoa
1/4 cup White Sugar
Powdered Milk (usually served with evaporated milk, while others prefer adding coconut milk)

How to:
Wash and drain malagkit rice and place in a casserole, add 6 cups of water and let boil until the rice puffs with occasional stirring. Dissolve cocoa in hot water and add to the congee. Let boil for a few minutes, add more water if needed. Add sugar depending on how sweet you like your champorado. Serve with milk.
I usually add sugar depending on who will eat it. Skye prefers a sweeter champorado and not mixing the milk into it.

And she'll eat this way....

I love it with Tuyo,

and Eio, too!

And Skye planted two trees, she said it was fun planting trees.

Skinless Longanisa

2009-03-16T19:56:00.004+08:00

Ingredients:
750 grams of ground pork with a little fat,
a head of garlic - crushed,
A tablespoon of rock salt,
half a cup of brown sugar,
ground black pepper

Procedure:
Combine first the crushed garlic, salt, sugar and ground black pepper on a glass bowl until all wet with the juice of garlic, then add the ground pork. Mix thoroughly (mas masaya i-mix by hand ito). Refrigerate overnight or for at least an hour. Cut square pieces of aluminum foil 5"x5" will do. Form into a log (I used 1 heaping tablespoon) then place on a foil and roll tightly. Do this with all the remaining mixture. Your skinless longganisa is ready for cooking after chilling for two hours, make sure you take off the foil before fying. You can stack the remaining portions on a sealed container in the freezer for weeks :-)

A Special Valentine present

2009-02-23T14:02:00.004+08:00

My daughters made this art craft, a special flower vase, as their gift for me on Valentine's Day. It has two flowers in it, they said one from Skye and one from Snowe. It even has some soil inside made of pieces of paper.

Hugs and kisses for my loving daughters, from their proud Mom!

Thursday afternoon in Shanghai

2009-02-19T17:34:00.003+08:00

Grilled Oysters

2009-02-19T15:38:00.004+08:00

Wash the oysters carefully and place on the hot grill for a few minutes until the shell opens. Serve each oysters on the half shell with a dipping sauce or sliced lemon.

I prefer this vinegar-onion sauce:
Combine chopped red onions, a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of sugar and ground black pepper in a cup or individual soup bowl. Stir until the juice of onion dissolve the crystals, then mix in a half cup of vinegar. You can add chillies and chopped spring onions if you like.

Sarap nitong pulutan!

The Nutcraker Suite

2009-02-14T11:24:00.005+08:00

Skye and Snowe love singing The Nutcracker Suite of the Little Einsteins and never seem to get bored watching it on DVD. They already memorized the song and had the habit of singing it after dinner to entertain their Dad. The music is included in their piano so they get to play it a lot everyday.
Watch Skye sing while very Kulit Snowe runs around her in this video clip.

Crispy Pata and Fresh Vegetable Salad

2009-02-10T14:25:00.005+08:00

We had this for dinner last night. Eio bought about a kilo of pork shoulder last Sunday and asked me to cook it for dinner the next day. I thought, that would take hours to prepare. So, before we started watching Stargate SG1 series on dvd, I washed the pork, placed it in a casserole covered with water, added some salt, black peppercorns, cloves of garlic and onions. After removing the scum as it started to boil, I left it covered for about 90 minutes in low heat. I put it in the fridge in the morning and took it out before 6 in the evening.

While heating the oil in the casserole, I prepared the sauce. I mixed together half cup of rice vinegar, 1/4 cup kum chun soy sauce, minced 2 shallots, crushed a clove of garlic , sliced a piece of green chilli, a teaspoon of sugar, salt and ground black pepper. I also prepared All-around-Sarsa ni Mang Tomas for the kids' sauce.

Before putting the pork in the casserole for deep frying, I added a pinch of salt in the hot oil, Mom said it would reduce the spattering of oil. While waiting again, for the pork to brown, I prepared the veggies. I placed pieces of romaine lettuce, slices of cucumber, tomatoes and fresh mint leaves on the serving dish. The dressing for the salad would be Kewpie's roasted sesame salad dressing.

When the pork is already brown, I added about a tablespoon of cold water in the oil before i took out the cooked pata, TF said to make the skin crispy. And just after taking the photo, hubby arrived. I served this with hot steamed rice and a bottle of sprite. I thought there'd be left-over pata for today but we were able to finish it all last night.

Update: Maestrong Marc

2009-02-07T13:07:00.005+08:00

Congratulations once again to Marc, for winning in the recent PLDT-DPC painting competition.
3rd Place, 2009-2010 PLDT-DPC Telephone Directory Cover Visual Art National Competition. The winning smile with his mother Tita Letty.

Maestrong Marc

2009-01-30T20:33:00.019+08:00

Today is Marc Salamat's birthday, one of my cousins, and as a gift, I would like to share some of his paintings here on my blog.

He calls this "Pakitanggilas" oil-on-canvass, one of 3 Runner-up Winners at ArtPetron painting contest last August 2008.

"Paboritong Kasuotan ni Ina" oil-on-canvas, Finalist in 41st Shell National Students Art competition October 2008

"The Hope Will Come" oil on canvas, December 2008, a portrait of his Father.

"Muni-Muni" oil-on-canvass, 2007.

You can view more of Marc's paintings on his multiply account

Happy Birthday, Marc! Isa kang tunay na alagad ng sining!

Fried Milkfish and Nipa Vinegar of Hagonoy

2009-01-30T20:33:00.011+08:00

One of my favorite Ulam, Fried Bangus or milkfish, The best when matched with different dippings or side dish - pure vinegar from Hagonoy, fried eggplants, fresh tomatoes and "bagoong" or shrimp paste.
Yes, the dish looks like Daing na Bangus or marinated milkfish but it's not, we just fried it that way. That is, fresh milk fish cut half from the back, head to tail, and divided into four pieces, add a little salt and pepper and it's ready to fry.
Another thing I really miss is the Sukang Hagonoy, just like Sukang Paombong, there's sweetness in it's sour taste, only thing is I'm sure I'm having pure vinegar because it's from my Uncle's Sasahan (nipa cluster) and Tuba (it's like an alcoholic drink among the farmers) straight to the Tapayan (big clay jars).
My Mom prepared this dish many times when we're home back in the Philippines last December, because she knows we really miss the kind of fish not present here in Shang. Thanks Mom!

Palitaw

2009-01-21T13:50:00.022+08:00

Palitaw, Palitaw!
Ilulubog, Lilitaw!

Palitaw, one of my favorite Pinoy Kakanin, it's very easy to prepare and cook. I've been dreaming of this for months.

Made with Glutinous rice flour mixed with a little water just enough to form a ball and pressed to make it shaped like a tongue.

Arrange on a plate while shaping the rest of the mixture. Meanwhile, boil about a liter of water on a pan.

Put the glutinous rice dough in the boiling water.

Wait until they float, it means it's already cooked, and scoop it out.

Submerge in cold water to prevent it from sticking together.

Drain.

Roll the Palitaw in grated coconut.

Arrange on banana leaves (kailangan yun para kakanin talaga ang dating).

Mix some toasted sesame seeds with white sugar.

You can sprinkle sugar on top or roll it on the sugar mixture and they're ready to eat. Yummy!

No, I didn't cook this. I just watched my TF (Tita Fanny) and Mom while they're busy preparing the snack. I was having coffee when they decided to cook this kakanin and too bad, it's almost done when I thought of taking photos.

PinoyCook's Baked Macaroni

2009-01-20T14:01:00.012+08:00

I've been a stay-at-home-Mom for many years now, 6 years it is, and living abroad has made me focus on experimenting in the kitchen. I've done lots of my Mom's and my TF's recipes, and for the many times I ran out of ideas, I just browse the internet and look for some dishes I never tried before.
One of the websites I got hooked on was shared to me by Mare Hershey where she got her recipe of Bopis. It was houseonahill(dot)net in 2004, where I got the baked macaroni recipe, which is now a hit to most of our friends here and back home. Last November, some friends are asking me to bake for them for their Christmas party, but I was scheduled to fly home first day of December. Oh, I missed that oppurtunity to earn some extra money.
I haven't thanked enough Ms. Connie Veneracion of Pinoycook for the praises I get whenever I serve her bakedmac, and for continuously inspiring us, her readers, to cook at home.
So, this post is to show the many times I was able to put Pinoycook inspired dishes on our table.

This is the first time i made bakedmac , funny because it's on a round tray cannot find rectangular baking pan then, served with Pinoycook's Roasted Chicken. - July 2006

Snowe's 1st Bday - Baked Mac, Pork Menudo, Beef Cutlets with Buttered Vegetables, Roasted Chicken and Chicken Pineapple - November 2006

2 trays of BakedMac i brought for potluck in Pinoy Christmas Party in Shanghai, December 2006

Snowe's 3rd Birthday - Baked Mac November 2008

Bakedmac for the New year's eve of 2009 in the Philippines

Chinese New Year 2009, Shanghai

FlipTrip 05: Mylovehadfun!

2009-01-20T12:25:00.008+08:00

New Year na, Nightout pa sa 10th!

2009-01-20T11:45:00.007+08:00

New Year's day night-out with my siblings Part2, this time with Antu, Pam and Eio.
A pose with the Roots of Nature at the 10th. (Hope we had a clearer shot.)
The Roots of Nature recently launched their first album with "Lipad" as the carrier single which is also the theme song of the movie "Dayo".

FlipTrip 04: RomanCandle

2009-01-20T09:45:00.010+08:00

This is how we lit a Romancandle - the Sumera way on new year's eve...

P(I have a lot of photos to post for the new year but I've been busy packing and unpacking so forgive me for this very late posts. There's more to come.)

National Shrine of St. Anne

2008-12-31T00:03:00.004+08:00

It's Christmas season at the National Shrine of St. Anne in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
Photo taken a day before the start of "Simbang Gabi" (12/15/08).

My Bestfriends' Wedding

2008-12-27T22:38:00.006+08:00

John and Lei,
I thank God for giving me such wonderful friends like you whose friendship i'll always treasure.

Bortdey!

2008-12-27T22:36:00.002+08:00

Happy Together!

2008-12-27T22:25:00.006+08:00

Glad to be together again on Christmas day!

Vacation 08: "Mud Crab"

2008-12-22T00:07:00.025+08:00

FlipTrip 03: Oyster

2008-12-17T18:40:00.008+08:00

"Ang pag-ibig ko sa iyo'y parang Talaba,
Patay na, Kumakapit pa."
(My love for you is like an oyster, it sticks even if its already dead.)

Isa ito sa mga Pamosong linya ng kwelang Rakista na si Kus Amante, Jr. Alay sa kanyang iniirog na si Riza. Pa pa ra pa pa.....

Photo taken by Kus.

Vacation 08: Dad's Pond

2008-12-15T23:37:00.001+08:00

Vacation 08: K'yapo

2008-12-15T23:30:00.005+08:00

Nightout

2008-12-13T13:15:00.006+08:00

Magkakapatid sa gimikan,
magkakapatid sa inuman!
Cath, ubos na ang pulutan,
Tagay pa tayo d'yan!

My siblings from left to right Fashionistang Amor, Pretty Cath, Cool Chette, Rockstar Kus, and yours truly - promotor ng kalokohan!
Tulog na si Kuya Red kaya naiwan.
Antu, ulitin natin ito pagdating mo!
Sama-saya together!

Kalan de Uling

2008-12-12T14:19:00.001+08:00

Modernized "Kalan de Uling" made in Pungo, Calumpit, Bulacan

Barasoain Church, Malolos Bulacan

2008-12-12T14:11:00.001+08:00

We love to celebrate!

2008-12-10T00:51:00.011+08:00

We're a family who loves celebrations - birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, Christmas, New Year, etc.. we do celebrate and "Who would cook?" was never a problem. Both my Mom and Dad's side of the family has it's own specialty, like my Dad's Mother, Lola Isyang (RIP), whose line is into Kakanin, she's made the best Kutsinta with Monggo and Puto (steamed rice cake). Aunt Glo, Dad's sister, however managed to learn the way Lola cooks it, but because she's busy with her own "halamanan" she can only share with me her bestest "Atchara" or pickled papaya. Ta'nio (short for Tito Onio) is loved by his famous Kare-kare.
While Tita Rosie, Mom's eldest sister, never ran out of "Suman" the one you dip into a little sugar, she sells it almost everyday in Calumpit and Pulilan where they live. I also love the way Tita Letty cooks "Kilawing Labanos" and "Dinuguan". TF or Tita Fanny is the best nowadays, she knows a lot of pinoy food, name it she can do it. She was our cook when we had our "Greenyard Coffeshop and Kambeerngan sa Halang" and when we were catering for Tierra International or TICC. She's there for most of the occasions in our life, anytime we need her, she's just a text away.
Below is a photo of TF's dishes - Tiffany (inside white cups), Lumpiang Shanghai, Pancit Malabon, Spaghetti and Biko. I did the Macaroni Salad in the bowl.

Until now TF never fails to please us whenever we have occasions at home.

Vacation 08: The day we went fishing

2008-12-09T22:46:00.027+08:00

Skye is very excited to go fishing. Since the day we arrived home from Shanghai first Monday of December, she's been asking my siblings - Tito Kuz and Ninang Chette, to make her a fishing rod, but he is busy with the upcoming battle and gig, and she has to go to work for a week. She's been asking me everyday, "Mom when can we go fishing? I'm very excited!" I just said we should wait until Saturday because that's when everybody's available.
She woke up so early that morning, which is very strange, and went to her Ninang Chette's bedroom and ask her to make the fishing rod. Everything's all set by 9am. Chette made 2 fishing rods and we borrowed 2 extra fishing rods from our cousins. All of us were excited because it's Skye's first fishing experience, and I am excited, too, because it's been a long time since i did this.

So, we're on our way now to the fishpond

setting up...

placing worm on Skye's fishing hook

waiting for her first catch.......

after changing spots

she caught her first big Tilapia fish, Yay! When she felt her rod moved she asked for my help and I told her to pull it up and she did and we were all shouting for joy. She stopped to pose with a smile after covering her face and all from the splashes of water because of the wiggling of the fish, I think she's got mixed emotions. After that first one, she's on her own. She was the first one to catch the biggest fish among us, I caught a what she calls a kid fish and her tita Cath had a tiny fish, my cousins caught some, too, and Chette got all sizes. Skye caught 7 fishes in all, and she was very happy.

Snowe, my younger daughter, was also there trying to catch some fish but she wasn't able to get one, but she enjoyed being there shouting with us evrytime we caught one.

we had our lunch there and caught some more and headed back home.

and the fishes that we caught went into the grill that night, dipped with calamansi juice and soy sauce, Yummy!

Congratulations, BananaMangoe!

2008-12-04T23:24:00.012+08:00

Rakistang Kus, my youngest brother, again proved his guitar talents together with his Reggae bandmates - Jon, Odie and Boogie as they grabbed the -First Prize- in the battle of the bands entitled "Kabataan sa Musikahan" held in Bulacan State University on December 03, 2008. The program was organized by KALIPI-Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas - BulSU Chapter.
Banana Mangoe played Jon the drummer's original composition "Himig Kapayapaan" and a cover song Night Club by the Specials.

From left: Odie-bassist, Boogie-Vocals/guitars, Kus-Lead Guitarist, Jon-Drummer

Himig Kapayapaan - Banana Mangoe

NightClub - The Specials

home at last!

2008-12-01T17:55:00.002+08:00

It's good to be back.
Sarap ng sinigang na bangus at adobong pusit, pangat na ayungin at banling alimasag.
woohoo!

FlipTrip 02

2008-11-26T12:06:00.005+08:00

Kung ayaw mo, huwag mo!
Iyan ang kabaliktaran ng kasabihang "If there's a will there's a way!"
Huwag mong pilitin ang ayaw, kasi kung gusto maraming paraan, walang dahi-dahilan. Kung ayaw, ayaw! sanlibong dahilan na walang kabuluhan.

kulimlim

2008-11-25T11:00:00.003+08:00

Special Salted Eggs and Tomatoes

2008-11-18T23:15:00.010+08:00

I have nothing much to say about this salted-egg-tomato-salad. I just called it “special” because my dear daughter, Skye, prepared this for dinner. It’s one of her favorite ulam these days (at least my kids are prepared for the crisis, because that will be all for tonight). He he he…
Skye loves assisting me in the kitchen. She likes peeling and chopping vegetables under my supervision. Today, I think she’s ready to do it alone. So, while I was busy on YM chatting with her Dad (who’s in Hongkong for 2 nights and is in an internet cafe), and because we came home late from Century mart, I asked her to prepare our dinner. I instructed her to chop some cherry tomatoes and salted eggs and there, she's ready for dinner.She can prepare dinner by herself, Yahoo! (proud Mommy *winks*)
This combination of salted eggs and tomatoes usually goes with fried or smoked fish, but to us, we can have it as the main meal. We also sometimes have hardboiled eggs, tomatoes and fish sauce and the girls will feast on it already.

FlipTrip 02

2008-11-15T11:07:00.005+08:00

15 days to freedom! wooohooo!

FlipTrip 00

2008-11-14T10:51:00.009+08:00

Wuzhen: Day and Night

2008-11-05T22:16:00.010+08:00

Pinagpalang Talong

2008-10-31T15:50:00.005+08:00

Di ba ang ibang tawag sa lawit ay talong?
Ano naman kaya ang tawag sa talong na may lawit?
Walang ka-berdehen, ang isip ay nagtatanong lamang.

-etchus lang-
Salamat kay Leon sa pamagat nitong ka-etchusan kong ito. :-)

Talangka or Hairy Crabs

2008-10-29T19:49:00.021+08:00

There’s a lot of food scare going on these days, and I'm thinking “what’s next?” Wala na bang safe kainin!? From Milk to Eggs to crackers and so on… do we still have any options? Well, for me I just don’t mind them, because I know everything eaten in moderation is just fine. Besides, healthy or not, our time will come and we'll all die. Nyahahaha!
Just like eating Crabs. Oh, I soooo love crabs! Small crabs, alimango (mud crabs), alimasag (blue crabs). I even tried eating damuko.
In our childhood days (oh, don’t count back!), my siblings and I walk a kilometer long to and from our school. Along the road are lots of rice fields and a number of prinsa (it’s a wooden gate for letting the water in and out of the rice fields)
-or irrigation canal, and on these prinsa we can see baby crabs or pakot swimming and climbing up and down the wooden gate. Sometimes, we’d be curious and take a handful of them only to put them back and wait for the peak season of catching small crabs or “talangka.” It’s during the rainy seasons when you’d be able to find lots of talangka in the ricefields. We’ll use a fishing rod with fish bait or bintol (a square net with bamboo frame) or bikbik (made of coconut shell) to trap the crabs. We don’t only have fun then; we also earned some money, especially if we were able to catch more female than male crabs, because it’s sold separately, the female costs higher than male. (Of course females are more valuable… biased me… hehehe).
I really miss that part of my childhood, sighs...
Talangka is now rare in Hagonoy (Bulacan), maybe one of the reasons is the change from rice farming to fish farming and another is the use of fertilizers and processed feeds.
Gladly, I still can enjoy female crabs in this part of the world… not as how I enjoyed it before but a bit close. They are called hairy crab here, very much like talangka but bigger, but I'm sure it’s talangka.

I asked my suki in the wet market for this, “ci maoxie” or female crab, and this is the "smallest" i get when i asked for small ones.

I washed them clean and put it in the casserole. Place it covered on the stove top, of course you should turn the heat on...

and wait till they turn orange-y...

and there they are trying to run away from me….ha ha ha!

That's how i usually cook my talangka - steamed or halabos. I also make burong talangka whenever there are smaller ones available.

The Rain

2008-10-29T16:57:00.005+08:00

I don't know why I feel blue when it rains.
I don't really hate the rain, in fact, back home i feel glad when it rains because my Mom's plants in her halamanan will be happy. And of course, she can save a lot of time watering them. Also, it's time for Champorado and Tuyo (fried dried fish) Or Chicken Sopas Or Arrozcaldo. Oh, how I love to eat when it rains.
But, still it makes me sad and I don't know why....

For my Mom

2008-10-18T22:45:00.002+08:00

I thank God for you....

Losing My Sanity

2008-10-15T12:43:00.004+08:00

I don't know how I’m feeling today...
Something’s strange again...
And this feeling’s still bugging me...
There are times I’d like to quit but I’m fighting still.
I don't know how long I can stand this storm.

There are times that I wanted to give up
I hope you'll be there for me, to keep me strong.
I don't know if you, too, can stand the way I am.

I’m still having a hard time

Coping with this situation
But I’m not yet giving up
I’ll stand until I can.

And if the time comes that I'm losing my sanity
Please tell my love ones... I’m so sorry...
And I hope they'll forgive me,
For all the things that I have done.

author: flip

Storing Shrimps or Prawns

2008-10-10T11:58:00.008+08:00

I love shrimps! It’s sweet and juicy specially when cooked fresh. It can be cooked in many different ways and can be added to a lot of vegetable dishes. I believe shrimps are rich in Iron and Omega-3 fatty acids.

There are different kinds of shrimps, but my favorite is called “Swahe” in Hagonoy. In my hometown Shrimps and Prawns or Sugpo is abundant (will post about this in the future). Here in Shanghai they are called duixia, and in the wet market they are often sold swimming in a big basin.

I bought some shrimps yesterday and store it for later use. I always buy them alive to keep them fresh even if I store them in the freezer for weeks. Dead shrimps are smelly and keeping them in the freezer will make them mushy when cooked and of course the taste is different.

I learned from my Dad this simple technique of storing shrimps, he said you should place it in a plastic container and then cover the shrimps with water before putting it in the freezer so it will retain its freshness and won’t turn orange-y.

And true, to my experience I can keep them in the fridge for weeks until needed.

"Salakab"

2008-10-04T21:30:00.007+08:00

"Salakab" ang gamit kapag manghuhuli ka ng isda sa pinitak o putikan o sa pinatutuyong palaisdaan.
Wala pang nahuli si "Oblak." Mapupuno kaya ang dala niyang lalagyan?

Bili na kayo!

2008-10-02T22:39:00.015+08:00

Mabibilhan kaya ako ngayong araw na ito? Kaninong pamahiin ba ang "bawal mangalumbaba habang nagtitinda?" Naisip ko lang yun nung kinukuhanan ko ng larawan ang ale na ito, habang dumadaan ang aming tour bus sa isang public market sa Anhui Province, China.

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Is writing for me?

2008-10-02T22:27:00.010+08:00

i'm out of words today!
i have a lot to say in mind
but i don't know how to start,
i know it should come naturally,
but is writing for me?

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Young Old Man

2008-09-30T15:38:00.012+08:00

Taken during our trip out of Shanghai, China. Our tour bus passed by a public market in Anhui Province and this one captured my attention.

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missing "euphorbia"

2008-09-28T21:49:00.012+08:00

Ang nawawalang "euphorbia milii (creme)" ng aking mahal na Ina, dinugas ng walang habas na nilalang sa aming tarangkahan.

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blocked and dead....

2008-09-24T13:41:00.005+08:00

This is my second blog account, haaaay. wala naman akong maisulat sa una kong account. Sa friendster blogs yun eh, I cannot access it anymore, blocked yata dito sa Tsina ang fsblogs, kasi naman di ko ma-open kahit ‘yung fs blogs ng iba. ‘di lang pala un pati multiply, hi5 at facebook di ko na ma-open. Sorry sa mga friends na nagi-invite sa mga site na ‘yon, di ko ma-accept ang requests. (sigh…) I hope this one will work fine and I hope I can write here often.

I've been reading blogs for like 3 years now. I’m inspired by those who can write just about anything. I wish I have the gift of writing.

My PC’s still dead (na-virus chuvah), I hope I can resurrect it sooner…. I wanted to post a lot of photos here, na nandun sa HD nun PC (sigh). I just wanna share some of my thoughts, and oh! I also want to tell something about my cooking, what i do as a sahm, my daughters’ paintings, and my mom's love for plants. Hang on!

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testing 1...2...3...

2008-09-18T16:03:00.003+08:00

testing.... one, two, three....

ha ha ha! I just wanna make sense of my time in front of this computer.

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