I wanted to write a philosophical entry on turning a year older. I wanted to reflect on the emotional changes that happened during my 27th year. I wanted to reflect on how I’ve matured now that I’m going to be right smack in the middle of my late 20s. But you know what? Naaaah. I don’t want any drama. I’ve had a pretty amazing 27th year and I’m just really thankful it was great.
Highlights of my 27th year:
- Fell in love with cooking. I’ve cooked more meals in my 27th year than all the meals combined in the first twenty six years of my life!
- Young Tigers conference in Malaysia. Met many new friends from around Asia. Realized it is possible to have strong connections with people despite race and distance. Learned that laughter is universal even if language barriers exist.
- Relived the magic of Christmas cards. Helped spread the old charm of snail mail with old friends and new ones. Used glitter and drew on the envelopes. Labor of love!
- Bonded with my friends from work. It’s hard to develop friendships in the workplace, but when you do, it makes even the heaviest load so much lighter. *Hugs to my Department-mates*
- Saw the shores of Boracay. And I will return.
- Made good friends online. I’m still mining the blogging world and I’m so happy to have met geniunely sincere bloggers in person.
- Developed deeper friendships. I am at a loss for words to describe this. I choke up even while typing. I’m so thankful I’ve found a solid group of the dearest friends.
- Realized money isn’t everything. Because of certain decisions I’ve made last year, I have developed a stronger sense of self and a stronger affinity with my work.
- Prayed some more. But I feel I still don’t pray enough.
- Migrated to WordPress. I was wondering when I’d “upgrade” from Blogspot. It happened this year, yey!
- Became more conscious of my health. I got terribly sick in April so I’ve become more aware of my relationship with my body. Now I’m trying to eat right and be more faithful to the gym. (Just please get those oatmeal cookies away from me).
- Got my first pets. I really think my fishies are good feng shui for our home and our marriage. I’ve also become much more patient and more relaxed.
- Got featured in Blog-o-rama.Hopefully I get to help more people through my own little life experiences.
- Celebrated my 2nd year of marriage. H & I still make each other laugh, we still hold hands, we still are as sweet as before… we’re truly blessed.
I have a lot more to be thankful for this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord. Thank you for this new year, too.
What’s my birthday wish? Hmmm. I don’t know. I’m REALLY happy. More happiness, I guess? I suppose. More reasons to smile and laugh would be great.
My 27th year was amazing and you know what? I look forward to my 28th year. I have a very good feeling about it.
Met up with more bloggers last night and had a lot of fun. I FINALLY met Justice who was such a character! She kept me in stitches the whole evening. We’ve been reading each other’s blogs for about a year now and boy, last night, we just fired stories left and right like we’ve known each other for ages. Tintin was also there. I shared some Pinoy goodies with these two balikbayans — Inipit, Banana Chips, Sampaloc, Chichacorn (cornic… how do you spell that?), Pilipit and hmmm… I forgot what the other one was. Whoops. Anyway, it was also great to meet Francesca and her hubby, Girlie and Marie. As always, cameras did their rounds with one very amiable waiter.
Standing: Justice, Francesca
Seated from L-R: Girlie, Michel (Francesca’s hubby),
Marie, Tintin & Me
Toni & Justice
Justice says I owe her a dish. Hehehe. Isipin ko muna kung ano lulutuin ko. Na-pressure naman ako! Isipin mo nalang Justice ako gumawa ng mga Pinoy goodies na bigay ko sa ‘yo hehehe.
Sa uulitin, everyone!
Each friend represents a world in us; a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only in meeting them that a new world is born.
– Anais Nin
Dinner at Pot & Noodle, July 24
Name the bloggers!
Wifely Steps and pinayhekmi
Finally, we meet!
The other highlight of the night:
Pata Tim! Ssssaraaaap!
Though our conversations were limited to comments on blogs and the occasional instant messaging, I’ve always felt I’ve known Tintin for a long time. Finally, we got to meet in person last weekend and we talked like old friends. She’s every bit as pretty as she is in her pics and she’s one of the warmest people I’ve ever met. Can’t wait to meet up with you again, Tintin. Who knows? Maybe our next EB will be in the States na? Hehehe. Wishing lang!
Part of our Blogkadahan also was present. Can you name the bloggers in the first pic? We had a lot of fun. The Lazy Susan went round and round I wasn’t able to take pictures of the food except for the Pata Tim… well, what was left of it! We spent the evening eating, laughing, telling stories, taking pictures and laughing some more. Great company, great evening.
Till our next get-together, dearest friends!
As I leave for the weekend, I share with you three links you can visit over the next two days (or three days since long weekend dito!). Enjoy them!
On the Verge. Finally, my best friend of ten years has been bitten by the blog bug. The funniest thing is he has NEVER tasted my cooking and only knew I cooked when he started reading my blog, say, a week ago? Drop by Erik’s new home and say hello!
Online Image Resizer. If you need to quickly resize a photo you have on file, this is the site to go to. Just pick a pic you want resized, pick from the list of size choices they have (50% smaller? 75% smaller?) and click on submit… ta-da! You can then save your new resized pic on your PC. Very convenient for the digitally challenged like me!
PostSecret. This is one of the most insightful websites I’ve seen. It is a community art project “where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.” If you are a voyeur to secrets, seeking connection or just curious, do visit the site. Sometimes you realize, Hey, and I thought I was the only one. The site refreshes every Sunday.
Chocolate, lychee and tangerine that’s good for your mouth? Yup yup yup! Close-up has come out with a limited edition line — the Flavalicious variants in Choco Loco, Luscious Lychee and Tangerine Burst. Being the eager beaver that I am, I’ve tried them all!
Tangerine Burst is like brushing with an orange candy rolling around inside your mouth. Luscious Lychee is like having dessert. And Choco Loco is like having the best of both worlds — a chocolate that’s good for your mouth! It’s my personal favorite. The great thing about these toothpastes is that while the distinct flavor of each variant is the first thing that hits you, you don’t lose out on the minty toothpaste taste.
I especially like brushing with Choco Loco when I’m craving for a chocolate bar but I don’t want the sugar. I just grab my toothbrush, my Choco Loco and brush away. It’s like brushing with Andes Chocolate Mint. This is a must-try for chocolate lovers!
Let me know what flavor suits you!
We served this with the Beef Nilaga of the previous post. Surf and Turf!
Saute sliced ginger in hot oil. Slide in the shrimp and cook till they turn orange. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with vinegar and chopped garlic on the side.
Easy as 1-2-3 right? This is one of H’s specialties.
Other ideas are to marinate the shrimp in Royal Tru-Orange or Sprite for a sweet tang, toss in lots of garlic and onions in the saute, sprinkle red pepper flakes on the shrimp and lots more. As dip alternatives, you can serve soy sauce with hot pepper or lemon butter sauce. This is how I like my shrimp though — fresh shrimp cooked plain and simple. Yum!
Nilagang Baka is one of my favorite comfort foods. This was a hit with my family last weekend. The best part of cooking this dish was seeing the once-filled soup bowls of my family clean and empty! Aah, the soup warmed my toes and the emptied soup bowls warmed my heart.
Place beef chunks in a pot (I used beef shoulder). Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil. You can use beef broth instead of plain water. I put in 2 Knorr Beef Cubes for a fuller taste. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to check on the water because it evaporates! You don’t want a dry dish! Add water as needed. When the beef is tender, add potato chunks. Ten minutes before serving, add in sweet Japanese corn cobs. Five minutes before serving, add in the cabbage leaves and baguio beans. I like mine with LOTS of cabbage.
I’m not the type of cook who tastes the dish while it’s cooking. But for this Nilaga, I couldn’t resist taking a sip of the broth every now and then.
Serve this stew hot, hot, hot with rice. Other ingredients you can put in Nilaga are onions, carrots, a wee bit of garlic, pechay, eggs, saba… it’s a flexible dish! Just don’t let the taste of the other ingredients overpower the beefy flavor of your soup!
You know what book’s by my bedside now? Take a guess. C’mon, guess! Did you say Life of Pi? Hmmm, nope. I haven’t finished that one yet and it’s sitting on my bookshelf. Did you say If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend? Well, you’re close though I’ve finished that one already. Okay last chance… did you say Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals? You’re right! Tumpak! Correct!
I enjoy reading cookbooks before going to bed. I especially love reading those that have stories related to the recipes! Here’s a Cookbook Meme. I’ve been tagged by Minnette!
1. Total number of cookbooks I own
I own 8 cookbooks. From top to bottom they are: Cooking for Two by Vicky Veloso — I bought this when I was newly married. I like her anecdotes. Good Housekeeping Recipe Compilations, Volumes 1 and 2 — I like the photographs in this one. Let’s Cook with Nora – a classic! Every home needs to own this. Dorothy’s Cooking School — I haven’t tried a recipe here yet though. Eat This (It’ll Make You Feel Better) by Dom DeLuise — I LOVE this cookbook. I enjoy reading his family stories and how each recipe plays a role in his life. It is one of my favorite bedtime books! Meditteranean Dishes by Diane Seeds — I love the artwork here! I really enjoy reading about Meditteranean dishes. I haven’t tried preparing much of it though. And finally, 30-Minute Meals by Rachael Ray — I recommend it!
Spinach and Potato Soup (or How My 10-year-old cousin loved Veggies!)
In hot oil, saute minced garlic. Follow with chopped onion. Slide in diced carrots and diced potatoes. Saute this colorful mix for about 5 minutes. Add 6 cups of chicken broth (I used 6 cups of water and 2 Knorr Chicken cubes). Bring to a boil. Slide in 2 bags of spinach leaves (that’s about 3 heaping handfuls). Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with bread and grated parmesan cheese. Yummy!
I thought my cousin wouldn’t like it but she had more than two servings! I even caught her sneaking into the kitchen to get another serving straight from the pot. “I like the greens,” she said. Then when my Mom wasn’t looking, my cousin dipped her spoon into my Mom’s soup bowl and got the spinach. Haha! She’s our little spinach lover now!
Japanese Sweet Corn
We bought ours in Cost U Less. Just slide the corn (without the husks) in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then serve plain, with a pat of butter or with a sprinkle of salt. Your choice!
“Where’s the Tarsier” Marinated Pork Chops
We always mess up the pronunciation of worcestershire. H said it sounded like “Where’s the Tarsier” so it stuck! I marinated the pork chops in salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce for 15-20 minutes. Then in hot oil, fry the chops till golden brown. You can also grill or bake the porkchops for say, 15-20 minutes too. We opted for frying because we were so hungry already! The pork chops were so delicious — H is our frying expert!
So there you go. With a little bit of help, you can fix up this complete dinner in just 30 minutes! Enjoy!
First things first, thanks to Ajay for featuring me in BLOG-O-RAMA! And special thanks to Gina for telling me about the link.
I have an aquarium!
H bought the whole set-up as part of my advanced birthday gift. Woohoo! Since we didn’t have the time to go all the way to Cartimar, we went to Bio Research in Glorietta 1. The guy who assisted us was so great that in just a couple of minutes, we had bought a 5-gallon tank with all the trinkets (pebbles, rocks, a little tower, a filter), a light, a fish net, fish food, some kind of solution to take the chlorine out and 5 little fishies.
They are Paris and Nicole, my two Albino Tiger Barbs; Masked Rider, my Rainbow Shark; The Flash and Speedy Girl, my two Zebra Danios. I love them! Sadly, Flash passed away last night. My heart broke and I really wanted to cry. I’ve never had pets so these 5 fishies were my first pets. Oh well, the Flash’s life went out in a flash. Sigh.
I still have four more left to keep me company though so that’s fine. I enjoy watching them chase one another around the tank. Masked Rider loves hanging out inside the tower. He’s so cute! Paris and Nicole love to fight. Speedy Girl’s all by her lonesome now but she chases the other fishies around too. I can just stare at all of them swimming back and forth the whole night. At night, I turn out all the lights at home and just leave the aquarium’s light on — it’s a very tranquil moment for me. I’ve noticed I’ve become calmer this weekend. See? The aquarium’s having an effect on me already!
My long-term goal is to have an aquarium by my bedside. I’d love to fall asleep while watching the fishies swim round and round. Ah, that’s going to be super long-term. I have yet to master cleaning this aquarium — a chore I’m not exactly looking forward to but something I will do for the love of my fishies!
I’ve been thinking of getting one — an aquarium, not an aquarium owner hehehe. Nothing fancy! I just want some small fish in a small aquarium. Hindi ko ca-careerin, ladies and gentlemen. Whenever I’d visit my cousin’s home, I find myself getting relaxed by just staring into her fish tank and watching the little fishies go around and around. The bubbles and gliding fishies pacify me.
I don’t know what to start with or where to look. I’ve always had the impression that pet shops in the mall are quite pricey — then again, I don’t know! I’m also not sure what types of fish are best for amateurs. Goldfish? Guppies? I’ll start canvassing this weekend and searching the internet when I have more time.
In the meantime, maybe some of you can help me out? I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!!!
Seriously, I need a vacation.
I’m not stressed out with work but I realized I haven’t gone on any kind of vacation at all for the past 2 years. What the hell is wrong with me? Was I too serious trying to organize my life that I forgot to take a breather? (Yes, a small voice within me nags.)
It doesn’t even have to be out of the country. The truth is I don’t want to go out of the country for budget purposes. But I’m thinking I might get bored right away. Then there’s the fact that I don’t like long drives because I get car sick so plane rides are much better. Where shall I go? I was thinking of a week in Boracay or Cebu.
I do know that I want to leave in August — after my writing classes are over, after my birthday, after my Mom’s birthday, after my sister’s birthday. Let me target the last few weeks of August then.
I used to take vacations at least once every half year. Now I don’t even know how to take a vacation.
I miss my wanderlust. I wonder where I left it.
For last weekend’s writing class, we were asked to write a poem on something we wanted to teach. I wrote about using your senses when you cook. You know me, I don’t like measuring! Here you go.
Let your senses lead your cooking
throw away all cups, spoons and numbers
free your hands and arms so you can twirl
let your skin tingle and open your eyes, and pirouette
you are a ballerina in your kitchen.
Let your senses lead your cooking
cups are not made of glass or steel but the flesh of your own hands
catch the water in your palm and make it glide
between your fingers, across your skin, into the pot,
with your lithe touch.
Let your senses lead your cooking
time is not seen in seconds but in the colors that change
to deeper reds and vibrant greens
sight the palette growing in hues and shades,
delight in your masterpiece.
Let your senses lead your cooking
let go the urge to stir too much; wait patiently
a waltz of herbs, a tango of flavors will spin around you by and by
a dance of aromas that lead you in a two-step and
move your body to a potent rhythm.
Let your senses lead your cooking
nothing else can test the heat of a pan better than
an ear that listens closely to the staccato of the oil,
the crescendos, the allegros, the songs of a siren dish
that build up to the appassionatos of bon appetit’s.
Now, let your senses lead your cooking.
– Toni, July 8, 2005
One of my new favorites at home: the Toilet Paper holder!
Now you’ll never run out of TP when you need it. Just keep refillin’ this little baby and you’re always good to go. Uh, hmmm. No pun intended. But isn’t it so cute and efficient? I got this at SM for only P69.75. Check out the other designs too!