Food Trip Friday: Fish Lumpia

July 6, 2009




My kids have yet to develop their love for fish. Sad, but true. So what we do, we sort of camouflage the fish and present it in a way that they don't look or taste like fish. =)

This fried lumpia for example has bangus meat inside. They love fried lumpia or lumpia shanghai, when we serve them this, they thought pork or chicken meat is wrapped inside.

They would devour this, not knowing they're eating fish!

We really have to be more clever than our children sometimes, don't you think so? ;)

More Food Trip Friday HERE.

Mommy Moments: Pouting Face

July 6, 2009

I hardly catch them pouting. Only on occasions that they are not in the mood, which is like 20% of the time, I think. =)



The left photo was taken in school during the first Medical Mission project. The kids had flu shots for the first time. Rago was a bit scared, I guess.

The middle photo shows Gabo slumped in a small monoblock chair. He was tired from their basketball game last summer.

The right photo was in Enchanted Kingdom. Rago, particularly didn't want to stop for a photo. He wanted to go the next ride right away. They couldn't get enough! :D

More Mommy Moments of pouting faces HERE.

Check out Red Carmel Photography!

If you're in the U.S., especially in the Connecticut area, please check out the Red Caramel Photography.

It's a husband and wife team, so it's a deadly combination actually. :D Cez, is a very good friend from graduate school, and we have kept the bond till today. I met Eugene, too, back when they were still sweethearts. ;)

So for your photography needs---portrait, family affairs, office and organizations events---check them out!

Cez's sister Lynn is also putting up a photography services here in the Philippines, and I'm still awaiting word for it. I will update you, of course! ;)

They are a talented bunch! :)

Have Faith in True Love - First Part

Last night, a niece asked, "Tita, how did you know that Tito Nono was the one for you?"

I've been asked this question several times by relatives and friends, and my standard answer is always this:

When I decided to have relationship with Wizheart, I didn't know that he would be the one. That he would turn out to be my best friend and lover. All I knew then was that when I was with him, I felt light, happy, secure. As if there was nothing in the world we couldn't conquer together. So, I threw all caution to the wind and took the plunge!

When we took the plunge ten years ago, never for a second did I worry about the wedding preps, everything just fell into place. We went to our wedding smiling and happy. Our friends told us, it was one of those happy weddings they'd attended. Wizheart and I were blessed to have good friends and parents who never interfered (contrary to what I hear from other couples who had their parents' wishes to contend with!)

It was fun partly because it was a community effort. Friends, mostly on Wizheart's side, arranged everything, and we were just there enjoying everything. You could say that we entered our married life together confident that we will be there for each other in the long haul. ;)

Every day since then it had been a breeze. There are problems, of course, and challenges, but nothing we couldn't overcome together.

Did I tell you that whenever we argue, we'd always end up laughing? Yeah, crazy, but true.

I know many people out there are still looking for their "one true love." And for me to find one takes instinct and prayers.

Instinct, because you will know it when you're already in that situation. You just have to be open and ready yourself for that someone. Being ready means knowing yourself well first, and loving the person that is you. The good thing about knowing and loving yourself first is that you will be capable of loving another person truly, and you will know what you are really looking for in a partner.

Prayers, because let's face it, God has a plan for all of us. If it's not according to His plan, you can negotiate of course (LOL). If He sees that your wishes are worthy and you are worthy of your wishes, then He will indulge you.

Have faith in true love. And have faith that that true love will find you in His time. ;)

Meanwhile, let me share with you these inspiring thoughts by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway:

One of the most important parts of the journey to finding true love is faith. You have to believe in your soul mate, and trust that there is someone special out there, just for you.

For those times when it feels as if true love has passed you by, or that your soul mate will never find you, try these prayers to help bring love closer. Pray for healing of past heartache, pray to be made ready for a true and healthy love, and pray for the soul mate who is meant to be by your side in life.

Reawakening to Love

The season of love is upon us.
The heart reawakens
I reclaim my birthright
and take a stand for my own self- worth
and my innate ability to love
and live in the embrace of love.

I have had trouble with love in the past.
I have been disappointed.
My heart has been hurt.
I was once lonely, angry, unhappy, sad, and worried.
I used to believe you can’t find true, lasting, soulful love.
But I choose to heal this now.
I choose love and choose to find true love.
I make a new choice to reclaim the innocence of the heart
and reconnect to a deep and soulful love.

A Child's Initiative Touched Me

July 8, 2009

Yesterday afternoon, Rago called me in the office. He told me that he needed a cardboard for his Math project. They were to make a table listing the numbers 1 to 100.

I went, "Ok, I'll pass by National Bookstore to get some cardboards."

"Ok, bye Mom!" he went.

But I was able to leave the office around 7PM. Still, I dropped by National Bookstore, got the stuff Rago needed, and some other things.

I got home almost 9pm, and Rago was upstairs feeling really bad. I asked what happened and this was the story.

Rago insisted that Ate Ging, his cousin, and Ate Fely, his nanny, to find any cardboard available and just help him do the project. He was worried that I wouldn't get home in time for him to be able to do it.

So the two girls found an old green folder, cut it out and drew a table on it. The thing that irked Rago was that he wanted to draw the lines, and write the numbers himself. But the two girls didn't allow him to do it. Rago was really irate!

When I found out, I went upstairs and talked to him. His eyes lit up, when he saw me. He then told me why he was mad (that's his term!).

"I wanted to draw the table and write the numbers, but they didn't let me," he said.
"Would you like to do it again? I bought the cardboards, and a new pentel pen," I said.
"Yes!" he exclaimed. He loves having new colored pens, crayons, pencils.
"Aren't you sleepy yet?" I asked.
"No. I want to do my project first." He replied.

So at 9 in the evening, we did his project again. We finished almost 10pm. I knew he was tired but happy and proud about his project. :)

What was touching was Rago's initiative to convince the people at home to help him do his project because I might be late. I don't know, but I think other kids would just sleep it off.

He acted like a grown up, and I am so proud of him! ;)

Weekend Snapshot: Mailbox

July 5, 2009

I saw this cute mailbox in St. Elmo's Flowershop in our area, Moonwalk 1, Paranaque. It was made to order.

In this time of e-mail and text, that even bills can be received and paid online, it's refreshing to know that some people do still send and receive mails through snail mail.

The fact that someone ordered a mailbox to be done is proof of that.

Do you still get letters in the mail?

More Weekend Snapshots HERE.

Food Trip Friday: Pinakbet!

July 3, 2009

For this Food Trip Friday, I'm featuring one of Ilocano's delicious dishes, the pinakbet.

We had pinakbet when we ate in Trellis, Market Market on Father's Day.



What I like about their pakbet is the sprinkling of pork chicharon crumbs on top of the veggies. These crumbs serve as the flavoring already. So, the pakbet is not too salty. Also, they half cook (not overcooked) the veggies so they are still crunchy. It's actually yum! =P~

For more gastronomic deligts, click HERE. ;)

Mommy Moments: Encounter with Pets or Animals

July 3, 2009

We spent last year's Christmas in Baguio. Our second time to do so. Of course, we did the rounds including Wright Park.

It was the first time for Gabo and Rago to go horseback riding as they were still scared the first time around.

"Horseback riding is so much fun!!!" they both exclaimed after the ride.

And about three years ago, we visited Villa Escudero. We took the carabao-drawn cart ride. Our carabao was named Sandara. :)

More Mommy Moments HERE.

Remembering my Sony Walkman Days

When you went walking with your walkman plugged in your ears then, you would be among the popular folks. I remember only those with fathers, uncles, cousins who were working in Saudi (Arabia) had it easy to get the Sony Walkmans.

I was just lucky to have a father who didn't work in Saudi but had the means to buy me one. :D

As the Sony Walkman turns 30 today, I can't help reminiscing my Sony Walkman days.

It worked like a digital camera. Since I had it with me when I go to school, instead of taking photos, I do interviews and record them to my Sony Walkman. That was why, I was active in school journalism before.

It developed music-remixing skills. You can't bring all the cassette tapes with you, do you? Well, you can but it would be too cumbersome. So what I did, or many of us did, was to record my favorite songs in one cassette tape. I think because of this, Sony also came up with a cassette player with double compartments (if that's how you describe it) where you can play using one compartment and record with the other one.

It was a gadget for PDA. Not the PDA that means personal digital assistant that we know today, but a gadget for public display of affection. Long before the iPods came, we could already share music with our BFs/GFs with one earphone each. In fact, I got my first Sony Discman (which is the successor of the Walkman) from the boyfriend. =)

So there! I guess, it's Sony's loss that they forgot to innovate. The company was pioneering in mobile music so to speak. The article on PCWorld describes it aptly, "The Walkman encapsulated more than just mobile music. It represented the possibilities of what we could take with us. And how we could capitalize on mashup music."

This post can also be found here.

[Photo source of Walkman]

"Meditation on the Word Need"

Gabo, Rago and ate Tata, lighting candles in Liliw Church, Laguna

The problem with words of emotion
is how easily meaning drains
from their fiddle-sweet sounds
and they become empty instruments.
I can say love
and mean desire to give—
open-handed, open-hearted—
or I am drawn to the light
shining from your soul—
or my life is empty without you—
or I want to run my hands
and mouth down the length of you—
or all of these at once.

Need, now, is a plain word.
I need a nail to hang this picture.
I need money to pay my bills.
I need air and light,
water and food,
shelter from storm and sun and cold.
To be healthy,
to be sane,
to survive,
I need you.

"Meditation on the Word Need" by Linda Rodriguez, from Heart's Migration. © Tia Chucha Press, 2009