dynamite - the chili explosion

My first time and I totally recommend it for spicy food lovers. It's a wax pepper with ground pork filling wrapped in springroll wrapper.

I used the typical Filipino lumpiang shanghai recipe (since it's really our meal for the day). Mix 1/2 kilo ground pork, 1 tsp. minced cilantro, 1 medium grated carrot, 3 garlic cloves, 1 medium sized red onion and a medium sized egg in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You will need wax peppers for this one, or what we call here in the Philippines as "siling panigang". I know wax pepper in some countries are double or triple the size of the ones we have here in Philippines, but my estimate is you can fill 70 to 80 pieces of wax pepper for this recipe.

You need to make a slit on one side of the pepper, and remove the seed. Stuff the ground pork filling on each wax peppers. Cut a large spring roll wrapper in half, and then wrap your peppers as you would a spring roll. 

Note : I strongly advise you to wear gloves or anything similar while doing handling the pepper. I made a mistake of not using gloves, and I had jalapeno burn for almost a day. But just in case, you can treat jalapeno burn by soaking your hands in milk for few minutes.

Deep fry your peppers in a low heat (so the pork will be cooked properly) until golden brown. Serve with ketchup.

By the way, I also tried it without the spring roll wrapper because I've seen some without it. I'm not sure how they did theirs but mine doesn't look enticing, and it's definitely not crispy  so I still prefer the spring roll style.

I honestly cannot say it's very easy to prepare but it's super worth it. Bon appetit!

Treat life like a sea

"A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor"

Life can be hard. Waves of trial can be overwhelming. However, soon after the storm, you will realize that what happened has a purpose and everything that you've been through made you stronger. Yes, sometimes it's easier to just give up. When that thought flashed your mind, look behind you and see what you already overcome and how far you have gone. And most importantly, look beside you and see who and what you are fighting for. Hold on to them and you will be able to go through. 

This is a constant reminder to myself and I am still here fighting... 

Chicken heart, liver and gizzard

This one should have been a Philippine adobo dish with a twist. Typically, when you cook adobo, you will just combine the meat (whether that's pork or chicken - in my case chicken gizzard, liver and heart), garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and pepper in a pot, put it in low fire, and wait until the meat is cooked. And Voila! It's ready to serve. However, some people cook it differently. Some will add some bay leaves, some will add tomatoes, etc. 

So I decided, why not try cooking it differently too? So I sauteed garlic, onion, heart, gizzard and liver and bell pepper. I put 3/4 cups of water, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup of tomato ketchup (instead of vinegar) and some pepper.

And the result? It taste like Philippine menudo. It still taste good, hubby really likes it. I just can't help but laugh at myself for an epic fail. But what the heck? I will still try inventing dishes. You will never know what you will discover if you stop right? 

How about you? What have you been trying to invent lately? 

Pasta day!

It’s just another normal day for our family. But just to break that monotony, I cooked pasta (we really prefer rice). But to make it a little exciting for my kiddo, I used a fusilli noodle or it can be a rotini noodle – honestly, it’s really confusing, I prefer to call it “twirly noodles” – rather than the normal long ones we use (is that angel’s hair noodle?). I also dyed the noodle to make more enticing to eat.

I really like to make a rainbow colored pasta, but as soon as my daughter saw what I was trying to do, she continually asked for the spaghetti so I ended up using just the pink and blue. And just in case you want to know how to dye your pasta, its actually pretty simple.

Put water, oil ( I used 1 tbsp. for 1 kilo pasta), a pinch of salt and the food color of your choice in a pot. Bring water to a boil then add the pasta. Stir from time to time until the pasta is “al dente”.

Making a rainbow colored pasta is pretty laborious, but hey!, I’m not about to do it everyday right? And I think the look on your kid’s face (and the dad’s face too!) makes the effort worth it.

I also cooked chicken macaroni soup (one of my daughter’s favorite) using the same noodle, perfect for the cloudy weather.

mixed seafood

Thinking what to eat everyday has been a dilemma for me and I know some people can relate. But since I have mouths to feed, sometimes you just have to invent a few. Here’s one of mine.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo mussels

1/2 kilo shrimp

1/2 kilo squid

1 green bell pepper

250 ml tomato sauce

1 tbsp garlic, minced

1 medium sized red onion

salt and pepper to taste

• Boil mussels in 1 cup of water. Cook until mussels have opened and set aside.
• Saute garlic,onion and bell pepper in a pan.
• Add tomato sauce, mussels broth, salt and pepper. Simmer until flavors blend.
• Add the shrimp and squid, wait till its cooked.
• Add mussels,stir slightly and serve.
• You can also put steamed crab if you prefer.

Bon Appetit!

Halalan2016 (election jokes)

            These are some of the 2016 election jokes, hugot lines, etc. Pampa goodvibes at pang relax ng konti from the nonstop chaos.

#halalanhugot2016 from FB 

•  Na trillanes ka na ba? Yung nagpagamit ka na nga, di mo pa din nakuha.
•  Na Bong Bong Marcos ka na ba? Yung pag gising mo napalitan ka na. – Marco Pile
• Tanggap na ni Mar na nalamangan sya. Pero yung desisyon ng crush m, di mo pa din tanggap.
• Na Mar Roxas ka na ba? Yung pilit ka pa ring naghahabol kahit wala ka ng pag asa.
   Ang nararamdaman ko sayo parang indelible ink, ang hirap tanggalin.
• Ang nararamdaman ko sayo parang indelible ink, ang hirap tanggalin.  Buti pa ang kandidato mo, pinaglalaban mo. Eh ako ba?
•   Buti pa ang kandidato mo, pinaglalaban mo. Eh ako ba?
•  Oo nga nakaboto ka na pero di mo pa rin makakamit ang inaasam asam mong pagbabago, pagbabago ng feelings nya para sayo!
• Pabili po ng kape, yung kasing tapang ni Duterte.
• Hindi ako naniniwala sa pagbabago na yan kahit si Duterte pa ang manalo. Dahil simula ng unang termino ni Gloria hanggang ngayon kay PNoy walang nagbago. Ikaw pa rin ang nasa puso ko...
• Kahit DALAWA ang nasa puso mo, Iisa lang dapat ang iboto
• Du30 : I hate Drugs !
  Kasalanan ko ba na ADIK AKO SAYO !?
• JUAN and MARIA Conversation
  Juan: anu na status ng resulta sa botohan?
  Maria: Parang tayo lang UNOFFICIAL..
• Miriamzoned: 'yong sa sobrang perfect at deserving mo, nakonsensya siya kaya pumili siya ng iba kasi pakiramdam niya hindi ka niya deserve. Pero walang mali sayo, nasa sa kanya. Siya ang nagkulang, hindi ikaw.
• ...so, it's a day after. How has it been for everyone? Partial and unofficial pa rin, parang tayo lang!
• Sana masali yung pagiging manloloko mo sa darating na ''Change is coming''
• MIRIAMZONED - Yung ikaw yung pinakadeserving sa kanila pero ikaw yung binalewala at pinili yung iba
• Na Mar Roxas knb ?
  Ginawa mo na ang Lahat ,
  Kahit Magmukha kang Tanga at pagtawanan ng iba ..
  Pero iba pa rin piniLi nya !
• Partial and unofficial, parang tayo lang.

Source: Facebook #halalanhugot2016

Photo credit to the owner

Cheers to new beginnings!!!!

The grieving heart: loss of a love one

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

Death is something inevitable. It will all come to us sooner or later. That is something we all understand. But still, it hits hard when someone very dear to us pass away. It’s probably the most heart wrenching event of our lives. We feel a lot of emotions that is too much to bear. When this moment happen to you. Know that you are not alone.

5 stages of grief by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, author of “On Death and Dying”

Photo credit to the owner

"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it." – Albus Dumbledore

                Not all people have the same way of grieving. Whether you cry your heart out or don’t talk to anybody for a while, you are entitled to it. What’s important is to address your feelings. You may also feel regrets, guilt, anger and confusion along with that devastating pain, express it. You may talk to other love ones about how you feel (but do it when you’re ready) or you can find a creative way to express your feelings. Some may tell you that you have to be strong in facing your loss, but a strong facade will only delay the inevitable. You will still feel it and though grief doesn’t have a deadline, it will only prolong your healing process.

                Also, allow you family and friends to be there for you. It will help to have a support group whom you can talk to about your feelings (when you already feel like it) and sometimes, their mere presence can be a comfort already. It’s good to know that there are people who will support you, but then, you have to let them in.

“It is only when no one remembers that you are truly lost. That is the true death.” -Michael Scott

                Cherish all those memories you created together. At first, reminiscing can be very painful. But eventually, this will help you find solace for your loss. They are never truly gone so long as you keep those memories with you.

“Do not pity the dead. Pity the living. And above all, those who live without love.” –Albus Dumbledore

                Personally, the only way I achieved the final stage of grief easier than some will call necessary is because I always believed that one day, all of us will reach the end of the line. Either me first, or the ones I love. And somewhere, wherever they are, they are happier than I am for they are already in a place where there can be no pain, only love, peace and happiness. Don’t get it wrong. I still feel the pain from time to time and I don’t think it will really go away. But it’s no longer overwhelming. When I remember them, it’s now mixed up with good memories.

                And lastly, as you cherish the memories of your loss loved one, do not forget (and be afraid) to create more with your other love ones. Do not shut yourself away. Our loss should be a reminder of how short life can be. Celebrate life. Enjoy life. Gain Peace.

Unfreeze that “Frozen” parenting lesson

I have watched this movie for what feels like a hundredth time. If you are a parent like me, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be surprised with that. I have yet to see a kid who doesn’t like it, for girls, that is. Some would probably say, “ugh! Let it go!” But since I want other parents to be aware too, I just can’t.

I have learned with this movie is that, as a parent, being very protective to your kid is natural. I mean, we love them so much, and we have seen a lot during our lives that we don’t want them getting hurt. But being over protective can be very damaging to our kids too.

“It’s easier to raise strong children than fix a broken man.”

The king saw what Elsa’s power can do; instead of seeking advice and find ways to learn how her daughter can control her powers, she secluded her daughter from the rest of her world and ask her to suppress her magic which results to fear of just about everything and very low self esteem. In real life, on top of what happened to Elsa, children who have overprotective parents can have a rebellious streak thinking they no longer have control over their life. Or they can be too dependent to their parents that they can no longer handle challenges on their own. And sometimes, they are also having a hard time socializing.

Personally, I think this is one of the hardest trial for parents. Letting our kids fall so they can pick up themselves. But we are not doing them a favor by not letting them go through hard times. We cannot always be there to protect them and “every bird must leave the nest”. If we do not teach them resilience and other life skills when they are still little, they will have a hard time doing that when they grow up. And who doesn’t want their kid to grow up to be a strong, independent and responsible adult?

“House of Hades” and the lessons it taught me

                I am so in love with books. I especially like fantasy novels. Other people see novel books as a form of entertainment. A way to escape that monotonous or chaotic life. For me, it always gives us lessons in life. It’s an eye-opener so that we can understand ourselves more and the people around us. And here are some of the lessons the story and the characters taught me.

                Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, their kind of relationship will surely become your “relationship goal”. They have literally been to hell and gone through a lot. And you know what keeps them fighting? They are together. And that is all that matters. They will not allow any harm come the other’s way as long as they are breathing. They were able to survive all the hurdles that were thrown their way because they kept on holding on to each other. It’s easier to just give up the fight, but they did not. In the end, they survived and thrived.

 “Love is no game. It is no flowery softness. It is hard work – a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you, especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards.” – Cupid to Nico Di Angelo

                True, love should be considerate, kind and beautiful. But just like a plant, you have to constantly cultivate it, water it, make sure it has enough sunlight and remove the weeds out of it so it will grow into a healthy, luxuriant tree.

                Piper Mclean, she is someone I can relate to. She got underestimated, ridiculed and looked down upon. Some make fun of her and wanted her to break. I learned that, people will only do that either because the fear you or envy you. Ever heard of the aphorism, “Misery loves company”? They have blinkered and tethered themselves too much that they don’t get to enjoy life anymore. That is why they either fear that you will not be just like them, or envy your guts not to be like them.

“I control my own mind.” – Annabeth Chase

                How heavy or light is your problem depends on how you wanted to look at it. Controlling how we perceive our problems will make it either easier or harder for us to deal with it. I think one thing we always forget when facing a problem is to relax and take a deep breath before we look at the problems at hand that is why we tend to be more reactive rather than responsive.

“You say you need a navigator. You need my permission. I say you need neither. It is time to choose a direction. A wind that blows aimlessly is no use to anyone.” Auster to Jason Grace

                We all have goals in life. Whether short term or long term. And before we will be able to achieve it, we have to have a plan first. Because without a plan and a path you choose to take, your goal will only be a dream.

                To those who already read the book, you may interpret it differently from me. But the good thing is, we learn from it. To those who haven’t read it yet, give it a try. It has a thrilling tale in store for you. 

DIY Homemade Squirt Paint

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1 cup of salt

2  ½ cups of water

Food coloring

                Combine flour, salt and water in a mixing bowl. Mix it thoroughly. Using another bowl, put the 5 spoonful of the mixed ingredients, and then put food coloring as you like it. Then put it in a squeeze bottle.

                See? Easy peasy! And it’s not even expensive. For the ingredients, it only cost me P140 (less than $4).  I bought the 5 squeeze bottles for P150 (less than $4), but you can also use, empty ketchup squeeze bottles or similar to that.

Note that this is not meant to use with a brush because of its consistency. But it’s very nice after it dried out because it looks like it has glitters on it. And just in case you didn’t use it for a few days, sometimes, the salt melts. It will be watery, but that’s fine. You can just shake it or stir it with a barbeque stick.

                As a mom, I encourage parents to have their kids try this especially for toddlers. Here are my reasons:

1.       It helps enhance kids creativity

2.       They express emotions though their doodles

3.       It helps with color familiarization

4.       It can be parent and kids bonding time

5.       It can help remove or reduce tv or gadgets time

6.       The paint stain in the floor or clothes is easy to remove

I also tried this one so my daughter can doodle with a paint brush.

1 cup of flour

¾ cup of water

¼ cup of oil

Food coloring

                Just the same, mix the flour, water and oil thoroughly. Put some of the mixture in a separate bowl and put food color as you like and mix it again.

Have fun mixing and painting!

The Power of Self Acceptance

It’s a big world out there. There are a lot of reasons to be happy, so many adventures to enjoy, and a lot of new things to discover. And I think the most important thing that is holding us back is the fact that we have not yet fully accepted ourselves. Yes, even though we have finally accepted ourselves, from time to time, we still feel unhappy; we will still feel fear and loneliness. But in learning to accept ourselves, we will be able to brush it off easily.

“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with it can there be recovery.” –J.K. Rowling

            Understand that you are a human. Recognize that you have certain strengths and weaknesses. You have your own quirks. You make mistakes. You have your good side and bad side. Self acceptance is accepting and loving all of those things that make you who you are. Do not try to deny the things that you do not like about yourself as we may have certain trait in general, but no one will be exactly the same. It’s what makes us unique. It’s what makes each and every one of us so special.

However, accepting oneself is definitely not an excuse for not improving. In fact, it should help you achieve more knowing who you are, what you want and where you want to be. It’s just that you do not have to criticize yourself for every mistake you’ve made. You have to forgive yourself for your mistakes, learn from it, strategize, allow yourself to think of a way to solve it and move forward. You have your strengths; use it to achieve your goals. You have your weaknesses; you may try to improve it.

“Do not compare yourself to others, you are insulting yourself.” –Taylor Swift

            One of the reasons why it is so hard to accept ourselves is because we compare ourselves to other people. “How come she has that long beautiful hair and I don’t?” How come she has a car and I don’t?” and the list goes on.  If you keep on looking at other people’s lives, you will spend the rest of your life being miserable. First and foremost, not everything that you see in your friend’s Facebook account or any other social media shows their entire life story. Definitely, they have their own ups and downs, just like you, but most people only show the “highlighted” part of their story. Second, you do not have to keep on checking your social media every minute especially if you will just end up being a sour grape. Open your social media only if you want some catching up with friends. And last, turn that envy into something positive. Learn to celebrate other people’s success. Use them as an inspiration. Do some researches and make a plan. Know the things you are good at and use it as a leverage to achieve your goal.

            Know that by not accepting yourself, you are depriving yourself with these: Happiness, Personal growth, Peace, and Self Esteem.