Beef Caldereta

This is one of my favorite dishes to cook. It may not look perfect to others, but I love it because of those tender beef pieces and creamy sauce. I don't use liver spread, though. No pork allowed in the house, remember? I use tomato sauce alone to make it creamy, then cheese and oyster sauce to make it taste yummy.

Well, let me tell you that I grew up in a province where there is a number of versions in cooking this dish. People usually cook caldereta with less vegetables there. Some of them cook the meat in vinegar, so it will be tenderized into perfection. Others use taro roots instead of potatoes. I have an uncle who uses bananas, so the taste of his caldereta is a little sweet. Still, almost all the rest use red chillies which make it extra hot and spicy.

How about you? How do you cook your caldereta?

Rose Apple or Malay Apple?

The Scientific name of this fruit is Syzygium Samarangense, but its common English names are rose apple and Malay apple. In my native province, this tropical fruit is called tambis, but in Tagalog, they call this Makopa.


Whatever you call this pink fruit, I can remember good memories everytime I see them. Yes, memories of early summer when I was just fourteen and still studying high school.



I would pick some of these fruits from my Uncle Sammy's front yard after lunch, then munch them up on my way back to school. They could be watery and sweet, so I sometimes ate them with rock salt. Hayyy.. I missed high school already!





*This is my 11th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

Romblon Photos

I already posted our holiday photos. Now, these are the best shots of our Romblon vacation.



her first day in the province (tired)


to the airport


my childhood playground


Punta Beach, took this photo while in a moving vehicle :)


an old Spanish house in Looc


Tugdan Beach, not calm at all in December


lovers by the seashore


gathering the young coconuts


learning how to cut them


this is where i graduated grade school


and this is where i took kindergarten classes


Jose Galicia, that's my grandpa ;)


our departure photo at Tugdan Airport

The Baby Bath Poem

I love giving a bath to my little one.
It is a fun experience everytime.


She would sit down as I shampoo her hair,
then stand up when I rub her body with soap and water.



She'll look so pretty on her white bathrobe
And smell clean from head to toes.



Whichever, pool, beach, bath or shower,
She would smile with me, play splish splash, and giggle.





SAFE BABY BATHING TIPS

• Whatever kind of baby bath, bath chair or bath support you use, never, ever leave your baby unattended in the bath. Children can drown in less than an inch of water and in less than 60 seconds.

• Never put your baby into a tub when the water is still running (the water temperature could change or the depth could become too high).

• Adjust the water temperature for the bath before putting your baby in the water.

• If you are using an adult-sized bathtub, make it safe: put in a rubber bathmat and cover the taps.

• If you're using a baby bathtub, make sure that it is on a stable surface so that it does not slip off.

• Make sure the bath water is comfortably warm (about 32-35 degrees C / 90-95 degrees F).

• For newborns and babies up to six months old, fill the bath with only two or three inches (five to eight centimeters) of water. For older children, never fill the water more than waist-high (in sitting position).

• For babies who can sit up, a bath ring suction-cupped to the bottom of the bathtub may provide you with an extra 'hand'. But it's no substitute for keeping your eye on your baby at all times.

• Teach your child to sit in the bath at all times.

• You don't need to bathe your newborn baby every day, once or twice a week is fine. Toddlers get dirtier and usually enjoy a daily bath. You don't need to wash your baby's or toddler's hair every day: their hair produces very little oil so once a week is enough.

• Do not allow your child to touch the taps. Even if he can't turn them on now, he'll be strong enough to do so soon and that could lead to serious injury.




More tips from: www.babycenter.com.ph

Pink Car and Pink Squeaky Shoes

Girls love cars, too!


This is my Aşkım's pink toy car. We bought it for her to play with in our new house in Bulacan. She played alone last weekend, so hopefully, Arda and his sisters will drop by again next Saturday.


It was all fun and lovely to watch her walking in her pink squeaky shoes. I bought those shoes a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I finally found a decent pair. I think, she likes it everytime I buy something new for her. The moment I pop a thing from my shopping bag, she would run to me, grab the item as fast as she could, then say "Ohhhhh..." which I translate to "So beautiful!"




*This is my 10th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

House Painting

House painting is a messy job, but can be a fun and exciting activity if done with friends or family.


NOW


THEN


We are renting a condominium unit here in Mandaluyong. Hubby wanted to have a weekend house, so we signed a contract for this tiny house somewhere in Bulacan. I took the before photo December last year and the after photo last weekend. We should have painted the house ourselves, but we spent a three-week vacation in Romblon, so with the help of a painter, the job was done the moment we moved in last Sunday. Wait, they did not paint the roof? And the flowers are gone? Ufff!

Why paint?
The answer is simple. Painting preserves and beautifies. Wood and other materials are subject to a daily assault from the elements on the outside of your house and from constant contact with human and pet activity on the interior. The best way to prevent the degradation of the structure of your house is to create a barrier. This barrier to the weather we call house paint.[1]

2010-2011 Color Trends
The trends for 2010-2011 highlight very different, very individual attitudes to home decoration.



Theme #1 FREE EXPRESSION
This theme symbolizes the individuality, optimism and creative freedom of those slightly rebellious people who use bold self-expression to move things forward. Here, the décor features unexpected colour combinations with shiny brights mixing happily with earthy shades, and clean pastels combining with subtle graduated tones.



Theme #2 BACK TO BASICS
The rural-inspired look speaks to those who long for a return to simplicity, artisanship, nature and deep-rooted affection for home and family. This timeless palette of authentic, muted tones is reminiscent of herbs, honey and earth and reflects confidence in a stable and sustainable tomorrow.



Theme #3 SYNTHETIC CULTURE
Dynamic, energetic colours define a futuristic look that radiates a feeling of fantasy and fun. It’s a favourite of those who truly appreciate the synthetic elements all around us that are the result of many creative innovations. This fresh palette includes euphoric, pulsating colours used in clean, graphic ways and often defined with pure white.



Theme #4 CLASSIC REVIVAL
For those who prefer to reclaim the past as a way to shape the future, the home environment is an opportunity for incorporating rich-in-history design elements that are then given a contemporary twist. This palette includes warm, feminine shades that are accented with colours of distinction such as pewter, dark bronze, lacquer red and soft gold.[2]

Of all these themes, my favorite is the free expression. I love the combination of shiny bright colors with earthy shades. I also like pastels over graduated tones. Hmmmm.. let's see till we move to our OWN house. When is that bebeğim?










[1]housepaintinghowto.com
[2]www.sico.ca

Holy Seat

I was once introduced to disposable toilet seat covers through The Tyra Banks Show. I wanted to test how comfortable it could be, so I thought of waiting until they become available here in the Philippines.




Well, the waiting ended last weekend when I saw HOLY SEAT* at the nearby supermarket. For P35 (less than a dollar), I got this pack of 10 biodegradable paper toilet seat cover made from 100% wood pulp. I tested one and agreed that it can truly give an added layer of protection. It's very convenient and suitable for people on the go. Yes finally, no more worries of a wet seat cover and messy-feeling-while-sitting-down.

So, why squat if you can sit like a queen?
Pee in peace everyone!




*HOLY SEAT also comes with Handy Spray Toilet Seat Sanitizer. Available at Watson's, Mercury Drug, and other leading stores nationwide.

Let's Save Water

I think we all know the basic tips on saving water. The media already informed us about the problem on water supply coming from Angat Dam. Angat Dam in Bulacan is Metro Manila's major source of domestic water. It also supplies drinking water and irrigation to other neighboring places. The problem gets worse because it did not rain since the Ondoy typhoon last September. Will it rain again? We don't know. Summer and El Niño is coming in a month or two. So, people (esp. those who live in NCR) really need to be serious about saving water from now on.



Here are some of the things that we do at home to save water:

1. Instead of growing a flowering plant in my indoor garden, I planted some cacti in pots. I won't need a lot of water to maintain them.

2. Hubby adjusted the pressure of water going up the faucet by turning the knob under the sink.

3. I don't throw the rice wash everytime I steam rice. I use it in cooking and washing vegetables.

4. When handwashing, I also save the laundry water to use in cleaning the floor and flushing the toilet bowl.

5. I machine wash in full loads and that's only once a week.

Pink Shopping

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go pink shopping :)


I went shopping like three times since I came back from my long vacation. The items I bought came in different colors, but I took pictures of those in pink alone.

From upper left to lower right:
-Sofeel facial tissue
-Schick razors
-Ponds facial wash
-Dove
-Finess oil control sheets
-Sponge
-Mr. Men & Litte Miss statement shirt
-Swell Stuff clutch bag







*This is my 9th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes?

My family experienced lots of mosquito bites during our stay in the province for our June Beach Wedding last year. To avoid the same problem on our holiday vacation, I bought this mosquito repellant patch for Aşkım. It contains some natural ingredients that believed to cause mosquitoes to go away. It is baby-friendly and eco-friendly at the same time.


Summer Patch



Aşkım with a patch on



Are there mosquitoes in your area? Here are some tips to get rid of those dipterous insects:

1. Empty containers that hold stagnant water
2. Spray an anti-mosquito product
3. Apply mosquito repellant lotion
4. Use screens or netting for your doors and windows
5. Use a mosquito net to cover your bed

Chicken Sinigang

Hi ladies! I did another Fish Parade while in the province. This time, I've set aside the seafood and experimented on cooking Chicken Sinigang (Chicken in Sour Soup)* for the first time.





Ingredients:
300 grams chicken, cut into serving pieces, skin & fat removed
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium eggplant, sliced
2 cups kangkong leaves and stems (swamp cabbage)
10 pcs string beans, sliced
1 pc horse radish, sliced
2 pcs gabi (taro), peeled, sliced
1 pc green finger peppers
1 small pack of Knorr Sinigang Mix
rice wash or water
salt to taste

Cooking Direction:
Put the chicken in a cooking pot under medium fire. Let it parboil** for 3 minutes. Add enough rice wash or water to cover the chicken. Blend in the sinigang mix, onion, green finger peppers, and tomatoes. When it starts to boil, add the taro and radish. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the eggplant and string beans. Cover for another 15 minutes. Finally, add the kangkong leaves and stems. Cook until the stems are tender. Remove from heat. Serve hot.





*This recipe is good up to 6 people.
**This technique will allow the chicken to render its juice and fat. It also helps remove the stench.

A Christmas Package

A Christmas package came to our door a couple of days before we left Manila for our holiday vacation. I didn't have a chance to blog it, so here we go.




The package was sent to me by Sweet Mom of charlottev.com. It contained a purple bag with the following:
-Hello Kitty figurine (as her daughter’s 1st birthday giveaway)
-pink Hello Kitty top
-pink Mandarin gown or Cheongsam with Hello Kitty prints

I am planning to make Askim wear the pink gown in February for Chinese New Year. I guess she’ll like it 'cos it is really cute. Thank you so much sissy dear for all of these. Kisses for you and Lotte.







*This is my 8th entry for the "I ♥ PINK" meme. To be a part of the pink fever, click the button shown at the sidebar.

Find of the Week!

I noticed this just yesterday. COSMO.PH featured my white strappy sandals as Find of the Week through their Budget Finds section. That is where they display picture of Cosmo Chicks' best fashion and beauty on a budget purchases. Really cool!

Wish to submit your best budget finds through Cosmopolitan Philippines? Do these:

1. Visit their website cosmo.ph

2. Answer the following:
-(Name of) Budget Find
-Category
-Date photo was taken
-Price (of the item)
-Where I bought this
-Why I think it's the best budget find

3. Upload a high-quality photo (500kb max file size and/or 450 x 500 pixels max resolution)

4. Hit SUBMIT

Christmas and New Year in the Province

These are some of our photos taken during our celebration of Christmas and New Year in Romblon.



Pamaskong Handog in LNHS



roasted chicken for Noche Buena



videoke with relatives & friends



Christmas morning in the garden



wearing her Guess dress



with my "inaanak"



that's her second cousin



with her 6 year old tita



Christmas afternoon with grandma



i got an extra fold in the province :(



no firecrackers this year



only torotots.. hehe..



Happy New Year everyone!

Congratulations to the Winners of My First Giveaway

Happy New Year again ladies!

Been out for 3 weeks. I got prepaid internet while in the province, but it was freakin' slow. I had to wait to be back to Manila for this one. So sorry for the late notification.

Sis MARITESS, you won the MOST FAVORITE BLOG. Obvious ba sis na fave
ko ang blog mo? :) You are getting the 1st prize♥

Sis VERNZ of Davao, you won the MOST CREATIVE POST, so that means you
are having the 2nd prize♥

Sis LIZ, you are my COOLEST COMMENTER. You will receive the 3rd prize♥

Please email me back ASAP your full name and address.
Also do not forget to send me your 125 X 125 ad button.

Thanks to all who joined MY FIRST GIVEAWAY. Let's do this again next time :D





Added: 01/04/10
I already sent the prizes through Air21 this afternoon. Girls, you will receive them soon!

Added: 01/05/10
My sincerest apology to the 2nd & 3rd winners. The prizes were interchanged and I don't know what to do. Note that the actual price for the 3rd winner is higher than the other, though. Huhuhu!

Liz already received the items. It was okay with her. But, how about Vernz? Oh my!