100 Days

It has been years now that I have not been watching any local TV series. I remember back when Mama was still alive, we would sit beside each other and watch those teleseryes with so much gusto. I believe that the reason why I really stopped watching them is because I don't have someone to watch them with. I do not want my kid to be into these TV series so I really never encouraged him to watch them. until recently, Hubby discovered 100 Days to Heaven. It is the story about a filthy rich businesswoman who was plotted to die of a car accident but was rejected at heaven's gate. She was sent back to Earth to make amends with the people she had done wrong. It was something that we can share with our kid. It teach about being good and that we are only given one life so we have to use our talents and time to the fullest. It teaches how one mistake could actually create a string of different things and make a big difference. Hubby started watching it because he was more into the business ideas that the show was sharing. To be honest, the Philippines does not have any good stories for TV series but this one was done in good taste. It saddens me that it is about to end but that is really how things should be. Everything has to come full circle. I just hope that the show has implied their lessons on their audience. As for me, I was actually thinking what if I was the one who only had 100 days to live? How should I spend the days?

Hmm, Ikaw? Paano?

Random Characters

One of my online accounts was hacked recently and because of that incident, I decided to change to passwords that is really hard to guess. I was thinking of random characters for a password and this came to my mind "MKE8VF5A3UH4". Now, the only thing left is for me to think of ways to remember if I make this my password.

Care to share how you remember your passwords?

MM: Allergy Attacks

Last Wednesday,we had Crabs in Salted Egg Sauce for lunch. The whole family was delighted to feast on the crabs specially the kid. He was even nostalgic because he remembered eating Black Pepper crabs in Singapore last year. After lunch, we took our afternoon nap. When I woke up, I fried the Turon with Bacon and Cheese and then wake the kid up and snacked on the turons. And since that was my rest day from work, I took a long luxurious bath. I was still inside the bathroom, when I heard the kid shouting how itchy his feet were feeling. Hubby told him that he left the door wide open hence mosquitoes are coming in and started to pester him. The kid knocked on the bathroom's door and then he shown me his feet. His feet started swelling and he complained of itching. I finish what I was doing and immediately handed him a teaspoon of sugar. I read somewhere (and a doctor confirmed) that sugar is the first aid treatment for someone being attacked with allergies. This is not the first time that he experienced the itchiness after eating seafoods. The first time was with tiger prawns. What bothers me is that each allergic attack seems worse than the previous one. He was not treated by the teaspoonful of sugar so to speak. I asked Hubby to immediately buy an antihistamine so can drink it. I was searching on the net for alarming symptoms. I read an article that mentioned that swollen mouth is a sign to be really alarmed off. I was not able to sleep the whole night even after the kid was able to drink his antihistamine. I was on the lookout of other sign that could be too alarming. Gladly, after the dose of antihistamine, the sweeling went down and the itchiness became bearable and he was able to sleep through the night.

I hate that this is my Mommy Moment for this week but yes this really is. To be honest it was the first time in this year that I was alarmed of his health. My kid hardly get sick apart from the usual cough and colds. I realized how important it is to know what foods and medicines would threaten the lives of our little ones. As a mom, we have to be really aware of the foods they are allergic too. I talked to my cousin who is a doctor and he told me that I still have to let him eat seafoods though in moderation. This would make his body to produce the antibodies for the allergens. I think it is call desensitization. Though, I always have to carry his antihistamine in our travel bag.

I learned my lessons now. I will always be on the lookout for allergic reactions especially with other seafood and will always make sure that we have available antihistamine wherever we go.

Vertigo, Here You Go Again!

After almost four years of not having Vertigo attacks, it visited me again just last week. I almost forgot that I had vertigo till it paid another ugly visit on me.

Vertigo /ˈvɜrtɨɡoʊ/ (from the Latin vertō "a whirling or spinning movement"[1]) is a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary.[2] The symptoms are due to a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear.[2] It is often associated with nausea and vomiting as well as difficulties standing or walking.

When it showed up four years ago, sysmptoms were rare but I got really scared. Apart from the nausea and vomiting, I loss my sight for about ten minutes. Unluckily, I was alone in the house that day. I was blind but had to find my way to grab the phone and call my husband and the office because I was supposed to have my shift in 3 hours. When hubby came in, he saw me crying in the room, vomiting on the side and confused on what I should do. Since, I do not know yet that it was vertigo, I was thinking what could have happened to me. My world was literally spinning. I could not even stand or walk without any help. I need someone to hold on to just to stand up. When the blindness went away, I asked Hubby to accompany me to the nearest hospital. When we get there, the ER doctor asked me to lay down and gave a shot of some medications. I fall asleep and when I woke up, I was told they gave me relaxants and I was told I had to take in some meds for the next two weeks. I was also told to limit coffe or any caffeinated drinks as studies are showing that caffeine heightens the attacks of vertigo in some patients. That was the last time I experienced vertigo till last week. Early morning when I got up from bed, I already felt dizzy. I didn't think that it was vertigo already. I was able to go to work though I cannot say that I function properly. I was burdened not just with dizziness but with occasional urges of vomiting as well. When I was on my way home, I was yawning a lot in the train and even in the jeepneys. When I arrived home, the dizziness heightened up and was already creating a lot of discomfort on me. Needless to say I was able to sleep but I was not able to get up the next day. My head is spinning so is my world. It was as if the whole area revolves. I dreaded another atack of vertigo but true enough like other illness it will strike you when it is least expected, when you are to busy worrying about a lot of things. Yes, the doctor said the main reason why I had the attack was because I was to stressed. Yes, it is indeed my body's way of telling me to lighten up and take some rest. The sad part is that I had to bear the agony of vertigo because I am not to take any anti-vertigo pills since I am also trying to conceive. Doctors tell me just to rest and take some leave from work. If the attacks heightens, I can take as much as one pill a day just to lower down the dizziness.

Guess, I might be staying home for the next couple of months.

MM: Mama's Birthday

This day could have been Mama's 54th birthday, but she is celebrating her birthday without us. Instead of the usual videoke feat that the family used to have whenever he natal day came, she is being sung to by angels. Instead of the usual food , she is enjoying food for the soul. Yes, she is no longer with us. The last birthday she celebrated with us was her 50th. It was really a blast. All her loved ones were there. I was able to bring in her friends from her heydays. I was really exhausted that day even a week before the big event. I supervised everything: from foods, to her clothes, to the visitors. It was to repay all the wonderful birthday memories I had that she was able to give me; from my 1st, my 18th and even to those that I was spending away from her. And it was not only my birthdays that she made special, even those of my brothers and that of her only apo, my son. She never failed to remember cooking our favorite dishes during our birthdays. So, on her 50th birthday, we gave her what we could give back.


We called all her dearest friends, gave her sisters from Pangasinan and Cebu their fare so they could attend. We bought her a three-tiered cake, which she really adored. His brothers danced with her ala cotillion. Their were roses for the wishes and balloons for more wishes. We were able to show her how important a person she was and how she touched a lot of lives. But, we did not know that was going to be her last. She joined her creator six months after her 50th birthday. But up to this day, she is remembered during her birthday and each day. On top of anyone else, I look up to her as the ideal mother.



Mama, I know you are still there looking down on us, guiding us in your own way. I know, we had our times of disagreement but I know as well that even before I asked for forgiveness, you've already embraced me including all those faults. I hope I am making you proud with how I am fulfilling my job as a mother to my son now. I am so blessed to have you as my mother and I would not want anyone else. I love you, Mama.

A story behind each picture

Okay, so we are not on our best looking attires and the lighting does not seem to be favorable but the reason why I have this as one of my favorite pictures is because of the fact that I know we could no longer have a "complete" family picture because Mama is no longer with us. I know that photo editing soft wares could easily insert her image to any image that we want to have but the difference is that it will not capture the joy of the moment. Like this picture which was taken on Mama's last Christmas.



For the same reason that I love this picture of my little one kid. His smile shows innocence, his eyes shows how untainted his knowledge about how this world works. If I could just hold him on my arms like that, I would; but yes, I know I couldn't.

Indeed, a picture paints a thousand words. I am sure there would be a lot to see on other mom's site, too.

Cooking Up a Party

Yes, I was born during the time where acronyms seems to be a phenomenon. Back during the 70's (oh, well I believe it was until the 80's), people seem to look at acronyms as the easiest way to remember a name of an organization or even an entire phrase or paragraph. It was so "in" that even teachers were using it to teach kids how to memorize meanings of words or steps in a scientific process. It was because of this fame (or infame), that most of barkadahans during those times have names concocted using the first initials of the members of the group. Ours was different though, we call our group, the Fruit Salad. We thought of baptizing the group that name after thinking that each member is different but just like those fruits in the fruit salad, you tend to look for them when they are not present.

What excites me these days, is that in a few months time, we are going to have our annual get together. We always have one big get-together during Christmastime. As I have mentioned, we have become one big happy family . Now like all families we have our own reunions those times. It is something to look forward to as someone gets to be added in every now and then. A new wife, a new husband and yes a new baby, is always a happy addition. This year, I am entrusted to be the PR manager of sorts for the event. I am tasked to coordinate with the entire group which means I need to send email blasts and text blasts. But, it is something that I won't mind doing.

I am also on the lookout for games and activities for the entire day? Hmm, our own version of the famous Pinoy Henyo,perhaps? For the kids, I am going to prepare a cupcake tower and I am asking one of the ladies to bring in the chocolate fountain. For the male spouses, lots of food to eat (and booze, perhaps!). The girls, oh, I am sure they will be happy with all the stories and the foods and the gifts.

Let's talk favorites

The name of my top favorite product is BumbleBro, he is our ever trusted Honda Bravo who will turn five by January next year. He never lets us down and we can always trust him, be it a smooth ride or a rough one. He was named by my son after BumbleBee, the transformer robot-guardian of Sam Witwicky in the movie Transformers and we talked to him like a real person. I always asked him to take care of Hubby whenever he brings him to work. We always thanked him after bringing us all safe to home and Hubby ensures he gets his daily bath. He is also pampered by a weekly treat to the carwash. I would not be a hypocrite and say that I don't want to have a true BumbleBee (who would not want a Camaro, eh!?) but what I can assure BumbleBro is that I would not trade him for whatever car, he will always be our BumbleBro.

After BumbleBro, the laptop I am typing with comes next. I loved that it makes me connected with people from different locations and that I can journal my thoughts with it. It that he keeps all my files, photos and documents, intact.

Then, there comes Picasa, a software that allows not only photo storage but also photo editing. It is what I used to watermark my images. I have also edited some pictures though it. It is also nice that you can easily connect and upload to your online Picasa website with just some click of buttons on their interface.

Next, comes my wedges. Wedges are like my everyday shoes. You see, I was one of those ladies not really blessed with good height. I stand only 5 feet 2 inches tall. Hubby is beside me and is whispering don't lie, you're only 5 feet flat. And hence I needed something to make me look a little bit taller. After giving birth nine years ago, high heels and stiletto shoes became uncomfortable for me. Imagine a mom with a kid in tow and a big baby bag on her shoulders wearing a 3 inch shoes. That would be hurtful and a total inconvenience. Good thing that the wedges came to the rescue. Stilettos and high heels are just for, uhmm, formal occasions now. I now have 5 pairs of wedges and wanting to buy another one.

Hmm, I wonder what other mommies consider their favorite products.

MM : Food, Movies and Scrapblogs

I so love the theme of this month's Mommy Moments. Mommies will be talking about the least of the person they are concerned about, themselves. Admit it or not, mommies, in the course of taking care of their families,most often that not, forget about themselves. We normally drown ourselves with the needs of our family that a lot of times we forget that we are also in need of some pampering.

For this week, let us talk about our hobbies. Ever since I could remember, I have always been a foodie. I love to eat though a lot of those who know me personally says that my body is really good in not showing it. Apart from consuming food, I also love creating them. Yes, I love to cook and bake. If given the chance to study again, I would definitely love to go to a culinary school. Our kitchen is always busy especially during my restdays because that is my haven. It is where I find peace and I love the aroma of food from my own kitchen. I am so into cooking that I decided to devote my second blog to my second love. I hope you could drop by Mom from Manila Cooks.



Apart from food, other things that occupies my time are movies and TV series. Right now, I am so into the Vampire Diaries that even Hubby gets excited when I tell him that a new episode is about to be shown. I also love musicals so I easily got hook with Glee. When it comes to movies, we mostly watched sci-fi but when I am with Hubby, we both love romantic movies such as The Notebook, our fave of all-time. I am also always on the look out for new cooking shows or new episodes of the old ones. My personal favorite would be Chef Michael Smith's Chef at Home. Just recently, my attention was also caught by one local teleserye, 100 days.

I also love to do online scrapbooking. I really don't do this most of the time but it is one of my stress relievers. I feel so creative using this online scrapbooking tools. in the future, i wanna learn how to use photo editors like Gimp or Photoshop.




If you wanna know what other things we are best in doing apart from parenting, just head on to Mommy Chris' site.

Awareness about the Big C

I was blogwalking through other Mommy blogs and I came across another Pinay mom blogging about Cancer awareness. Now aside from breastfeeding, cancer awareness is another advocacy that I want to push through. Nine years ago, I came to realize that the Big C can actually creep into anybody's life. Our Mom was diagnosed with Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor, a rare type of cancer that attacks the nerves. Prior to her diagnosis, we never really know what Cancer was. All we know is that it exists and some are stricken and yes, I have to admit that I was thinking it was "sakit na pang-mayaman lang". But, no, that really is not the case. When Mom was diagnosed she was, I could about to enter the prime of her life. My youngest brother was about to graduate from college the following year, which for her, could mean, that she was also about to graduate from her responsibility of sending us to school. She could have enjoyed the life meant for her had it not been for the Big C. We have a lot of plans that never pushed through because the funds had to be diverted on her medical expenses. It was a painful experience specially for me, because I was the one that was tasked to look for other means to get additional assistance for her. I lined up in PCSO's office, the congress and yes I was the one who always talked with doctors. I educated myself regarding medical terms, and I was thankful that Google was already there to help me out. Now, apart from the burden of looking for additional assistance, I also appointed myself as my mom's personal caregiver. I was the one who bathe her, fed her and gave her medicines. For me, it was my way of showing my affection and it was my way of giving back all the attention that she had given the entire family. And yes, I was doing all these things while I was also taking care of my new bown baby then. Mama was never a hard patient to deal with. She would obliged drinking whatever medicines that she is given, eating all the foods she is told to consume. Cancer made us suffer financially, I would say. But, it was also Cancer that brought the bond of our family even closer. We learned how to say the rosary as a family. We learned to live life fully day in and day out. We learned to celebrate each milestone, however small it was. We learned that we can only depend on each one. And, in that in the end, we were able to realize how lucky we are for having Mama as our mother. We witnessed how other people loved her and how she was able to make a difference in those person's lives. Help came pouring in up until the time that she already passed away. Not necessarily financial help but prayers. And for us, for me, that was what we really need then.

Yes, Cancer could have taken her from us but the Big C did not took her memories with it. Her memories will remain forever. This is the reason why each time I know someone stricken with Cancer, I always tell them the story of my Mom, a story of a person who battled the disease for almost six years. The very reason why I am joining fellow bloggers for the Charity Blogging for Cancer Awareness. I would like people to know that it is indeed true that Cancer could take the people we dearly care about but it can be prevented. We just have to be aware of what we eat, our lifestyle and specially how we take care of our bodies.

Come December a whole day affair for for cancer patients and survivors. There will be freebies, contests and performances. To all Mommy bloggers out there, let us take time to help out cancer patients. Let us make use of our power to spread the word. Please go to Life and Fever to more about this upcoming event and how we can help.

Mommy Moments: Parenting Tips

When I gave birth nine years ago, I was really clueless on parenthood. I just know that I will eventually become so attach to the little one and that I will be depended on by this little being for the next couple of years. I was actually having mixed emotions because I know that a child is a happy addition to our family and because at last I can now fulfill the dreams of any sane woman, to become a mother. But, I also know that the child would come to the world without a manual and that it is something that cannot be disposed of if you happen to see any defects or if it malfunctions. It is also something that cannot be returned to the manufacturer for warranty or part replacement. You just have to take them on an "as-is-where-is" terms.

The good part is that once you become a parent, you will realize that you are capable of loving another person unconditionally. Yes, there are times that the kid appear to be so makulit that I tend to be pikon of all of his mischievousness. But, at the end of the day, when I tuck him to bed, I realize that I would not trade anything in this world for him or even for an additional kid.

I know that this is supposed to be a parenting tip but I guess any parent would agree that each day with our kids is a learning experience. And that each of us, will have to have a different style of parenting depending on the type of kid that we are dealing with. But I'd say that to new parents I will always tell them these; Seize your moments with your kids and live it to the fullest because life is really to short not to enjoy every single moment we have with them. Let us not be parents that are willing to work hard for the future of these kids but instead let us be with them on each of their tiny steps and until they leap to their own boundaries. After all, that is the essence of being a parent, to be able to guide a child through this labyrinth we call life.

Now, I am headed to see more parenting tips from other mommies.

Anti Planking Bill, Seriously?

QC representative Winnie Castelo has filed an Anti-Planking bill. He said he was urge by his parental conscience after seeing some students planking in those busy streets last Monday during the height of the transport strike.

“Parents and teachers have reason to be alarmed if these similar protest actions will have as a scheme and scene otherwise warm and living bodies laid down across street highways as though they were offerings to the gods,” Castelo said in the explanatory note of House Bill 5316.

“The parent in me tells me that this precedent in the case of the this massive transport strike where militant street protesters who are students of various schools have to lie down or serve as ‘planks’ across the road to disrupt what should be normal traffic could just be very dangerous in the future. Life and limb are pretty much at risks here were unbelieving bus drivers or law enforcement authorities might just ram through these warm and living bodies rolled out on highways”, Castelo added.

To be honest, I first heard the word planking from Vice Ganda and it was used to describe what the show contestants was doing on stage. At first I thought is was appropriate to say that is has the same meaning as tumbling. But, when I heard about this law, I eventually seek the help of my friend ( well, our friend really!) Google and look for the meaning of the word. And found its meaning as follows:

Planking (noun) - throwing or setting down clumsily or casually ; to lay horizontally across any object or the ground with their arms by their sides, aiming to occur in daring situations or a brotherly display of core-strength.

Yes, I agree to what the good representative was trying to point out. Putting myself in the shoes of the moms of those students, maybe I will even thank him for thinking about the welfare of my child. But bringing in some bill like this to our congress is like a joke. I am not saying that it will not do any good to our country because I believe that in its very little way it could. What I am emphasizing is that our country needs bills more than this one. Perhaps, bills that would alleviate the status of the education system of our country or a bill that would perhaps bring in more opportunities to people living in the province so they don't have to go to Manila just to find a job, and yes not even a decent job at that!

Wordless Wednesday: Red

Red Velvet Dream come True

** will post the recipe by friday!

Mommy Moments: Financial Tip

This blog has not been written on for the last three weeks.  I had a very bad experience with my previous internet service provider and had already finished my contract with them.  I am now looking for a new internet company and hopefully will get my new connection within the first two weeks of September.  I was browsing through my favorite blogs today and cannot pass on this week's theme for the Mommy Moments, hence, I am joining the fun.

So how do I teach my kid about finances?

1. I make grocery time a bonding and educational time for us.  I let him check out on the price of our commodities.  If the items are not too much, I  ask him to list down the prices and them sum them up before going to the counter to pay the amount.   And oh, did I already share that we do our grocery as a family?  That way each one will have his say on what things to buy and the things that we could avoid buying.

2.  He does have his own piggy bank.  And he only puts ten peso coin on his piggy bank.  He said he is saving for Christmas presents.  Last year, he was able to buy his gift to Lolo, Dada and Mama from his savings.

3.  I always tell him that he needs to either save or work for things he would like to have.  There are times that we went to Toy Kingdom and he was asking if we could buy a Transformers toy.  I said not until I see that his exams are okay.  It made him realize that most of the times you will have to work to get what you would like to have. 

4.  It is also a common practice in the household to only get enough food that you can consume.  We do not allow anyone to have left overs on their plate.  This educates him not just about the value of money that was used to pay for the food but for the food on his plate as well.

5.  Every June when school year opens, I also make it a point to instill the value of thriftiness.  We do not buy him new uniforms and new shoes or bags if he can still use his old ones.  I don't think it is depriving him on what he ought to have but more of letting him know that he needs to take care of his belongings because he will still be using most of them the next school year.

I would say that my Mom instill in us the value of each cent earn, maybe because early on in our life we were already taught to handle our own finances.  She even sends us to the market to buy stuffs for our little sari-sari store then and we had our schedule of who will attend on the store.  I am just passing them on to my kid now.  For more tips on how to teach kids about the value of money, head on to Mommy Chris' site.

Wordless Wednesday: Hongkong Disneyland

My kid enjoying his birthday with Mickey Mouse and the whole Disney gang. Thanks to my brother for sponsoring our Hongkong trip.

To homeschool or not

I was watching a rerun of a local documentary show the other day and it really made me think about homeschooling. Yes, it was a re-run. I checked and found out that it wasd originally shown on national TV about five to six years ago. Yet, the message of the show still echoes to this day. It was pointing out the differences between the sexes inside the school premises. It pointed out that girls are working harder in schools as compared to boys. It even stated that girls are always outnumbering the girls in higher sections. It was alarming on my end, maybe because I have a young boy in school as well. I recalled how my boy was doing the past few years he had been in school. It made me realized that for the past few years those that are getting honors in their schools are mostly girls. An education specialist even stated on the show that men are born to have shorter attention span as compared to their counterpart. Boys are not good in symbols and this includes letters and numbers. But boys are always seen to excel in things where they do not only use their mind but their physical strength as well. Hmm, maybe the reason why most of our athletes are men. So, how did homeschooling came into the topic. You see, when you homeschool a child you work at the pace of that particular child. You do not subject a child to learn faster because others are learning that way. In homeschooling, parents as teachers, can work on what motivates a child and on what gets his attention. Yes, there are also set of curriculum for homeschooling but the good is that you can design your lessons to fit these curriculum and at the same time making your lessons enjoyable to your kid.

I am still way to far to homeschooling my kid. I mean, I would love to, but our schedules might not make it work for us. Perhaps , next year, we are going to give it a try.

Wordless Wednesday : Little Fireman

Taken at the Museong Pambata ( National Children's Museum ). This is my little guy trying on a fireman outfit. He was very excited about it and kept on bugging me if we can visit the museum again. Hmm, which reminds that I do not have office work for tomorrow. Might as well give in to the kid's request.

Wordless Wednesday: Eight Years Ago

Happy 9th birthday,baby! Mama loves you so much!

Hello August!

August to the Chinese is their ghost month. They believe that it is on this month that deceased, including their ancestors, visit the world again. To our Muslim brothers, this year they are celebrating this month as their Ramadan, their Holy Month of Fasting. For my family, August is also a very special month. A lot of family members, are celebrating their birthdays this month. It also reminds me about the greatest mystery of my life, that is being a mother. You see, I gave birth to Jian on the 3rd of August, 2002. Yes, the kid is about to turn nine two days from now. He is no longer the little baby that I used to carry and fed from my bosom. He had grown to be the intelligent little guy that he is. August always reminds me that he was inside my womb for nine months. It also reminds me that I exclusively breastfed this little man for almost two years. If there was one thing I could be proud of being a mom, it would not be the times that I have been with him while he was growing up but it would be those breastfeeding sessions that I had had with him. I know that not all mothers can produce enough milk for his growing baby's need and I sure am one of those few who were able to do the job. That is something that I would always look back when he gets old. Nothing beats those bonding moments. So for those upcoming moms reading my words, I do hope you consider to feed your kids with your own milk. I can only assure you two things, a healthy kid and a happy mom. To those who were able to breastfeed their young ones, I salute you. Before I end, I would like to invite you all to come over to Mommy Milkshake Year 5 . It will be a family fun run for breastfeeding. Just click on the thumbnail image below for other details.

Silly Kid+Sleepy Mom= Laughter

My kid is in fourth grade and he is learning about singular and plural forms of nouns. I did not enroll him to any tutoring lessons, with the hope that we both can pull through the year without any tutor. (Okay, it was me, trying to be a supermom again!). Everyday, when I get home, I wake him up and we go through his homework. He is really getting good at knowing how each different category of nouns form their unique plural ways. We were about to sleep when he started to brag about the new knowledge. He told me to give out a noun in its singular form and then he would give me the plural form of that noun. We went on and on and I was really starting to get sleepy that time. I asked for the plural form of chicken, he giggled and blurted out, "Easy. Bucket!". And then both of us laughed and decided it is, indeed, time to sleep.

Oh, he did not stopped and gave an excuse that the reason for that is because when you order so many pieces of chicken at KFC, you say you are ordering a bucket!

A Cookbook Giveaway

I have not remembered entering into any blogging contests or giveaways. But I could not pass on the chance of getting a limited edition Nestle's Centennial Celebration cookbook. So when I read that the Purple Fairy is giving out a copy, I did not think twice and I immediately started to fathom what good food can be concocted using that cookbook.



So, mommies and foodies, what are you waiting for. Head on to the Security Blanket and join the fun. You can click here for the contest details.

FTF: Healthy Doughnuts

Who wouldn't want to take a bite of a freshly fried doughnut? But what if I told you that my doughnuts are made with a special ingredient, would you dare? I have been a fan of doughnuts (especially when served with free-flowing coffee!) ever since. So I could definitely tell you that I have noticed how their size and quality have dropped over the years. And this is the reason why I started to look for the best donut recipe. I wanted my kid to savor doughnuts the way it should.

So what is the special ingredient, you might wonder. The lowly potato has been boiled and then mashed and mixed in with the other ingredients. I have read on somewhere that adding in potato flour to the dough will give it a soft and moist finish product. I could not find any potato flour or starch in the market so what I did was mash a medium sized potato and mix it to the other ingredients. The result was great! You could not even tell that there was potato on these doughnuts. The kid loved it and that makes me a happy mom.

Ingredients:
1 medium sized potato, baked and mashed,
2 cups bread flour + some more for kneading
1 cup milk warmed
5 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups oil for frying + 2 tablespoons to be added to the dough

1. Put the yeast in the warmed milk. Make sure that the milk is not hot as this could "kill" the yeast. If the milk is too cold then it will not bloom. If you are going to use a cooking thermometer, milk should be warmed anywhere in between 80 to 95 F.
2. Poke the potato and then bake in the oven or pop in the microwave for 4 minutes. Once this is cooled, mash then set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix flour, potato, sugar and salt.
4. Add milk-yeast mixture and about 2tablespoons of oil. Mix until well blended.
5. Rest dough for about five minutes.
6. Generously sprinkle flour on the kneading surface and then roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick.
7. Cut dough using cookie cutters. To make the hole, I use the cap of a bottle.
8. Heat oil to 375 F then fry doughnuts.

Our family enjoyed the doughnuts with chocolate and honey glaze. But they are great as they are, plain and simple. But for me, this is best served with home brewed Batangas coffee.

Wordless Wednesday : Tatlong Unggoy!

Tatlong Unggoy translates to Three monkeys in English. May I present to you: Dada Monkey, Mama Monkey and Baby Monkey! My kid said that these three monkeys represent us.

Mom-Me Time No. 9: Photo Editing

I have always been awed by how people manipulated their images on Photoshop. To be honest I have not tried out using the software myself. I get intimidated with all the icons that I am seeing on its interface. But I really wanted to have something done on two images. I have asked a friend and he said it can be easily done in Photoshop. Another confession, I don't have the software installed in my laptop yet. So, what I actually did was to figure out if there was an online version of it or something similar. Luckily I was able to find one. After reading on some tutorials, I tried to figure out how to use it. After about two hours,I was able to do what I want with two images. The images on the left show the edited versions and those on the right were the originals. I hope you will notice their difference. *wink*





It is always nice knowing you have not lose your creative side even with all the lunacies of being a mother and a wife. And this is what I consider my Mom-Me time for the week. I wonder what do you think about my Mom-Me time?

3D Movies

Who among you have not enjoyed watching a 3D movie? Movie houses had been packed to the roofs by fans trooping in to Who among you have not enjoyed watching a 3D movie? Movie houses had been packed to the roofs by fans trooping in to watch what was deemed to be the end to two great series of movies, Transformers and Harry Potter. I have very high regards to these two movies specially on the first one. And to be honest, it was really good! A very good ending indeed for a fine series. I hope I will be able to say the same for the other one but I haven't watched it yet. Jian had his monthly mastery exam on the day we were supposed to watch Harry Potter so we have to postpone it for this coming weekend. I was saddened that the Philippines have had our very first 3D movie but we were not able to catch it in theaters. I mean, we were able to watch it but not in 3D. RPG Metanoia was shown last Christmas as part of the Metro Manila Film Festival. I wonder if Star Cinema is not thinking of re-releasing them anytime soon?

Personalized Shirts

It is not everyday that birthdays are celebrated. For someone who is in the pink of health, it is a time to give thanks for the healthy year. For someone who is stricken with a terminal illness, it is a time to give thanks because you get to live another day or year for that matter. My mom's sickness taught us how to be thankful not just for birthdays but for each day we get to wake up alive. When she was sick, there were times that we celebrated birthdays in her hospital room. We would dress up the room and bring in all the food there. We would gladly share the food not just with the hospital's staff, but with other cancer patients as well. Not too long, we would see other families doing they same thing. Some families even exerted great effort making sure they are wearing breast cancer t shirts. It is a great way to show support and empathy to their patients. We were wondering then where they were getting those shirts. Not until recently, while checking out another friends' Facebook profile, I was able to bump into the Facebook page of a design your own shirt company, CafePress.com. The possibilities are endless when you create your own item. It made me think that if mom was still alive, she will be elated to see us wearing personalized shirts on her birthday. It would be nice to capture that moment on pictures, too. However, mom is no longer here. I will have to think of creating personalized shirt for another person, then.

I have been to a lot of Oncology Departments of different hospitals during the times that my mom herself was a cancer patient. She battled Primitive Neuro Ectodermal Tumor, a type of cancer that attacks the bones of the afflicted. She had been in and out those rooms in the UP-PGH Cancer Institute for almost six years. During those years, not only are we able to create good relationships with the hospital's staff and the doctors, but we also manage to make friends with other cancer inflicted patients and their families. I have seen how cancer makes their body weak, but not their souls and the will of these people. There were families that went to visit their patient wearing breast cancer t-shirts. Long before there have been statement shirts, they were already wearing shirts that echoed their support to their cancer stricken patients. We were wondering then where they were getting those shirts. Not until recently, while checking out another friends' Facebook profile, I was able to bump into the facebook page of a design your own shirt company, CafePress.com. The possibilities are endless when you create your own item. My son will be celebrating his birthday in two weeks time and I am thinking of giving him a unique item as a gift, something personalized. I am thinking of either a shirt or perhaps an apron, something that will show support on his love for cooking. I do hope it will get delivered on time. Knowing Hubby, he will surely ask me where I got the item from.

Mom-Me Time No. 8: Foot Spa

Do you know that the your feet could be your most overworked part of the body? Imagine moving from one location to another without the use of your most trusted appendages. For the last couple of weeks, my feet (as well as my calves!) feels tired with all the heels and the walking perhaps. I have been telling Hubby about how my lower appendages felt tired and that the usual exercises not relieving the stress. It's a good thing that Hubby treated me to a footspa. We went to this really nice salon in the heart of Valenzuela. The owner of the salon was one of his friends. After about an hour of cleaning and massaging, I could feel that my lower extremities are smiling and thanking heaven Hubby for the treat. Perhaps, in the future I could go for an all out whole body massage. Hmm, might tell Hubby my body is envy of the treat and is requesting for a massage, too. Oh, well, I hope he will give in to that.

I wonder how you Mommies out there spend your time alone. Go ahead click

Mom-Me Time No. 7 : My First

I received an invitation from RJ's Mom to join in her hosted meme, Mom-Me time. The idea is that mommies have to share their my-time-alone time for the week (forgive the redundancy!, you know what I mean) I cannot pass on an opportunity like this specially if it involves having time for myself. Oh, well, I then contemplated on what I have done for the week that I can say my time alone. I supposed all mom's would agree that it is really hard to find time all for ourselves. As I read on the mechanics of the meme, mommies can also post on how they would plan to have their Me-time if given the luxury.

For me,I would definitely appreciate an hour at the tub, specially if it is milk or lemon infused water that I am soaking at. Ah, precious bath time. When I was still single, my bath time is a hurry if it is less than 20 minutes. After being a Mom, it is a luxury if my bath time is at 20 minutes. Perhaps, being pampered at a saloon is also a great time for myself. Oh, you know what? This list could go on and on and on. This is a good meme, I will have the reason to having a Me-Time afterall.

Happy 4th of July

A few years ago, 4th of July was celebrated all throughout the Philippines with a blast. Yes, it was originally celebrated as Independence Day until August 4, 1964 when historians urged that it be changed to June 12, 1898. looking back at our history, some may agree that it was indeed the correct date of our independence. The Spaniards never recognized that we are free from them when our flag was raised in Kawit, Cavite. They even transferred us as their colony to the Americans via the Treaty of Paris. To be honest, my mind has been bugged by our so called Independence even when I was just a kid. During my elementary grades, we were thought about how we won our freedom when the Katipuneros waved our flag to the tune of Marcha Filipina Magdalo (which later became Marcha Nacional Filipina). I was also taught then that July 4th is the Filipino-American Friendship Day. Is the United States really an ally of our country? Oh, this could perhaps launched a debate, but I will leave it up to your opinion. Personally, I have gained some blogging friends over the last week thru an online community called Voiceboks. Most of them are based in the US, so I could personally say that I have allies in the United States! (LOL!) Right now, I will just content myself in greeting Happy 4th of July day to everyone, whatever your opinions maybe. Anyway, everybody deserves a happy day not just on this day but everyday.

FTF: My First Birthday Cake

This is a long overdue post. The cake on the photo has been consumed on my husband's niece birthday last May 12. This is my very first attempt in making an entire cake with everything on it. I enjoyed creating the cake, and everone enjoyed consuming the cake afterwards. It was a red velvet and chocolate cake covered with strawberry buttercream frosting. I know, I know, it's not perfectly frosted. You may see some bumps here and there, but hey, it's my first attempt in frosting an entire cake. After that day, I made myself the official cake baker of the family. I pledged to create cakes on everyone's special day (and I am hoping I can keep up with the promise!)



So, what do you think about my cake?

Messy Go Round: My Mister Suave

I was browsing through some of my son's old photos and found this one really interesting. It was taken two years ago, the same time when he was going gaga over clay doughs. I don't know what comes up on his mind (must have been the song Mister Suave?). What's more interesting is that he was rolling into laughters right now when the picture was shown to him. Hmm, something to keep for the years ahead. I even told him I will show it to whoever her girlfriend will be.

I am sharing this at Sweet Keanna's Messy Go Round weekly meme.



Now, I am off to visit the other messy entries!

The Making of a Geeky Lad

I have to be really honest now, yes, I am not a geek. I am not the type of person who gets excited when there are new gadgets being released in the market. But things changed recently. I stumbled into this gadget website which showcases the latest news about well what else, but geeky things. You will be fascinated with how geeky stuffs and gizmos have already evolved. Gone are those days that geek is synonymous to boring. Who would get bored in seeing things such as the world's smallest clothes iron or a cupcake that is actually a pillow. Mothers would definitely enjoy seeing these new stuffs right in their own abode. Being a homemaker, they really tickled my imagination but I know that it could drain my money if I buy them right away. Perhaps I will take some time and wait until I see these things being offered with Think Geek coupons. I would have the best office table if I could buy one of those geeky desk organizer with the use of the sites' Office Depot coupon codes. Oh well, I am not a selfish lad, I will tell my colleagues how and where to get the items. Since the site offers discounts and coupons to major online stores, in no time we will be able to build a haven for geeky persons. I could not wait to see our office being transformed to a geeky place yet an enjoyable one.

Food Trip Friday: Adobong Manok sa Gata

I was raised by my mom's side of the family who were true blooded Bicolanos. As a young girl, I grew up on food cooked their way, with lots and lots of gata. Fish, vegetable, meat even desserts all made with their gata. Not that I don't like dishes made with coconut milk or cream, it's just that they would sometimes serve it for 3 consecutive days. When my Mom died, the household rarely gets to eat ginataan dishes. I could cook them, butu it always ended up being compared to the "original". If there is one thing though, that I would say a ginataan dish that I perfected (okay, nearly perfected!) according to my kid, it will be Adobong Manok sa Gata. He loves it so much and would say "Parang luto na ni Mommy, ah!"(It tastes almost like Mommy's version!).




Adobong Manok sa Gata
Ingredients:

half a kilo of chicken, cut into serving pieces
a cup of coconut cream
half a cup of vinegar
a pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
a cup of green papaya, sliced
finger chilies (cut in half if you want it hot)
some chili leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
one onion, sliced
a piece of ginger, julienned
oil for sauteing


Cooking Procedure:

-Saute ginger, garlic and onion.
-Add in the chicken  and sprinkle a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
-Once the chicken are browned ( which will take about 5 minutes on medium heat), add vinegar.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
-Add in the papaya, followed with the coconut milk.
-Continue to simmer until the papaya are soft but not mushy.
-Add in the finger chili and the chili leaves.  Simmer for 3 more minutes then remove from heat.

Best if served with lots of rice and enjoyed with the whole family.

Dates with the Doctor

Okay, so I know I haven't written anything for the last few weeks. The mother in me just got really busy and could not juggle in any additional things. Well, who would ever be if you have a kid that has fever and a husband that complains about his lower back being painful that how it usually was. So, yes, I am having a lot of dates with the doctors recently. And with the rate things are going we'll be seeing more of the doctor for more tests.

These explains my hiatus for the past few weeks. I really do hope though that I could make up for lost time. I guess, I just have to work on adjusting my blogging time again.

oh, but something also excites me regarding those dates with the doctors. I had my yearly Pap smear and Trans vaginal ultrasound and according to the result of the sonogram, I no longer had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It appears based on the result that both ovaries are not fully functioning as they should be. So what does this mean? Well, if things will fall in to place then I could be lucky enough to be pregnant in the next couple of months. Yehey!

Messy Go Round: Messy Mom

Messy Go Round is a meme that is the brainchild of Sweet Keanna. It features kids doing what they are very good at, being messy! LOL!

Hmm, but since it is Mothers' Day today, what if we put mom on center stage. I would like to share with you one incident when mom gets messy.



This was taken during our visit to Hongkong's Ocean Park last year. We were joyfully eating ice cream when Hubby stuck his ice cream on my face. i wonder if the kid is asking himself" So, who is messy now?".

A Mother's Love

Mothers' Day is here again. It seems that this special day for Moms has been tainted because of Pacquiao-Mosley boxing bout. Since Pacquiao won, can we say Mommy D is the happiest amongst all moms today? I guess not. I am happy because Hubby and Kid surprised me with a bouquet of red roses after the mass. I know, it was not as grand as the Hermes bag that Mommy D had or those Manolo Blahniks that she will be wearing on her birthday bash. But the flowers came from two important men in my life. I care not about the tag but more about the thought.

Our Mom makes us be this way. We were brought up to choose needs over wants. We were shown that we have to work hard to be able to get what we want in life. Life can be simple or grand , depending on how you choose life to be. Everything that we are right now, we all owe to this one very special lady.

Mama was there when I had to fight for my right to become the schools representative on a district wide quiz bee in grade one. Mama was there when I delivered my first poem in front of two classrooms full of onlookers, a lot of them I don't know. Mama witnessed how I tripped my way when I was dancing one night in high school. She was also there when I graduated in college. She was with me when I walked down the aisle and she was there during my own take on motherhood. She patiently gave me all the foods that I was craving for, making sure that I get what exactly I want. She might not be beside me when I was laboring for my kid but I know that on her room she was whispering a prayer for my safe delivery. She was there to teach me how to bathe my kid. I could still remember how she beams with pride holding on to her only apo. She was patient enough to call us each and every day when we were living far from them. She never fails to give hope and courage even during the times that she was already bedridden with cancer. She never makes it hard for us to live with her illness. Although she battled cancer for almost six years, we never saw the pain in her eyes until the very last hours. She may be gone now but her spirit remains. Whenever I see my kid and hug him, I now know how it feels to become a mother and I now know why she chooses to live longer. She chose to live longer even when she is silently in pain so she could be with us for a little more time. I guess it is true, that Angels cannot be everywhere, so He just created Mothers.



Mama, wherever you are please know that you are loved and that we are blessed having you as our Mom.

Happy Mothers Day!

A Different Way of Saying Happy Mother's Day

I was baking those cupcakes when the kid asked me about Mothers' Day and I replied that I need to be at the office on that day. He did not say anything and went back to his drawing board. After about 15 minutes, he went back to me and said that if I could take a leave on Mother's day. To which I answered No, because I have already filed a leave for mommy's death anniversary on the 14th and it will be too late for me to file for a leave for Mother's Day. He went back to with his stuff again and after about 15 more minutes went back to me and said, "Paglaki ko, magpe Presidente ako, tapos oorder ko na ang lahat ng Mommies , walang pasok pag Mother's Day. Bakit kaya di naiisip ng Presidente yun ngayon 'no Mama?". (When I grew up, I will be a President and I will make an order that Mommies dont have to go to work on Mother's Day. Why don't you think the President is not thinking about that?). I was stumped and to be honest I was about to burst into laughter and tears. I told him that the president could be thinking a lot to think about declaring Mother's Day an official holiday for Moms. We were about to sleep and he was kissing me goodnight when he said, "Mama, ayoko na pala maging Presidente, maraming problema yun eh. Mag business na lang tayo para di mo na kelangan pumasok pag Mother's day, tapos lahat ng mga nagtatrabaho sa tin na mommies wala rin pasok pag Mother's Day, pede ba yung ganun Mama?" (Mama, I no longer want to be a President because there are lots of problem that a President is worrying about. Let us just venture into a business so you don't have to go to work on Mother's day, then all those Mommies working on our business also do not have to go to work on Mother's day, would that be possible, Mama?). What an insight from an eight-year old kid! I guess, it is his way of saying that he wants me beside him on Mother's day. What a way to be greeted Happy Mother's Day!

To all mommies, nanays, mamas, inays or whatever you are being called; we may only be someone to a lot but for our kids we are everything (or at least during their younger years). So hug them always and let them know you care for them. And if you still have your Mom with you, don't forget to tell them how much you appreciate them.

MM: Preggy Tales

My first pregnancy was a delight , I would say. I had always had irregularities with my menses eversince I could remember. I even told Hubby prior to getting married that it could be difficult for us to be pregnant because of my menstrual irregularities He said he is marrying me because he loves me and that it is no big deal if we can be pregnant or not. We were pretty surprised when just after six months of being married, we have been blessed. Surprised and Delighted were understatement. I did not have any problems on my first three trimesters. the only problem was I dreaded the smell of sauteing dishes and that I want to eat certain types of foods (my Mom was always there to rescue Hubby on my cravings and so are my Titas). The kid was the first grandchild on my side of the family and you could imagine the excitement he has created on the family. Things go differently when I entered my third trimester. The kid on my tummy was very active and he was kicking and dancing inside my womb. The kickings and dancings started to create contractions. On my sixth and a half month of pregnancy, my cervix is already 1cm dilated. This worried my OB GYNE and eventually ordered me on bed rest and on Duvadilan every eight hours. I was nervous and I kept on talking to the kid inside me. I asked him to stay quiet or Mama might be rushed to the delivery room making it hard for both of us. I guess, the kid inside listened and I was able to carry him to full term. I gave birth to a healthy 2.745 kgs. baby boy (that looks like a girl). Regrets? I was not able to capture the pregnancy in pictures. Those few images that I had when I was pregnant were gone with Ondoy.

Last March 26 , 2009, I had the same delighted feeling when I tested positive after 3 years of trying-to-conceive. But the feeling was shortlived, we lost the baby at almost nine weeks. The only thing that left the pregnancy was the image that i kept in my Facebook profile til now.

I am very happy that God gave me a shot at being a mom. It completed the woman in me. I would greatly appreciate though if He will give me another shot at being a Mom, and I am praying that it will be soon.

FTF: Cupcakes Galore!

Cupcakes has always been a delightful snack. What more if it was made with love and freshly baked! I baked 3 batches of cupcakes today for the family. They are meant to be stored and eaten during snack times. I was hoping they could last for at least 3 days but I dont think they will. After just about an hour,only half of them remains. Hubby and the kid loved them and cant stop devouring them. I was even asking them which among the three batches they liked more, and but of them answered, "Lahat naman masarap, eh!". Oh well, baking indeed is a tedious job but I don't care, hearing them say they loved what I baked for them is more than enough consolation.

Good Old Filipino Games

The months of April and May are synonymous to fiestas to us Filipinos. Fiestas nowadays appear to be more of a political fare than a religious one. A few decades back, these days are celebrated to thank God (or the barrio's patron saint) for a bountiful harvest and it is also a time for people to pray for a good rainy season for the next planting season. Nowadays, it has become an event for politicians to show off their faces on banners and to sponsor a lot of beauty pageants so their name will be mentioned on stage. Gone are the usual games and stuffs. Its as if it has been replaced by dance contests and gay pageants. This is the same reason why I got really surprised when last Easter Sunday, we saw a typical fiesta game that seems to have been forgotten.



Youngsters are climbing up a pole greased with well what else but grease to get their prize. And yes, since the pole had been greased it was really a hard way up. People viewing the game was telling that the game had been going on for hours and no one can even touch the top of the rope. Until this boy came.




Yes, it could be a hard way up but it was worth playing (and watching). Hmm, makes me wanna go to the province so i can enjoy viewing and perhaps playing more Filipino games like this. I even promised the kid that we will be playing sungka on my restdays. Care to join?