WS Foodie Wednesday: Compatible Food Combos

I know a lot of people would love to have a dipping of either calamansi or vinegar for their fried fish. Oh, I see the hands of my little one raising up. He loves to dip his fried fish in soysauce with calamansi juice on it. But that changed when he tasted this combo that we always have every summer.

Those are Fried Yellow Fin Tuna on a bed of Fresh Mango Salad. The mangoes are freshly picked from the tree in our backyard. The salad is actually a no-brainer to make. You just toss in a bowl some chopped green mangoes, some chopped tomatoes, some chopped onions and drizzle with very little patis and ground pepper to taste.

Oh, well this reminds me that the tree still have some fruits ready for the picking. Might as well have the same salad with some grilled porkchops this weekend.

WS Foodie Wednesday: Practical Kitchen Tips

When it comes to practicality in the house, Hubby will definitely agree that he can trust me on this. I can make a lengthy entry about this and I won't run out of ideas. A very great way to save would be to stack up on your groceries. Buying those big packs of tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, cooking oil and other staples in the kitchen could mean a lot of savings. Same goes with other household supplies. Grocery should be the done in one to weeks interval. If this is strictly followed, you can lessen the trips to the grocery thus saving on time, energy and even gas.

With regards to food, I try to make a list of what I will be cooking for the entire week. This way I will have a list of what to buy when I go to the market. Sometimes, you just can't help to have some leftovers. When this happens, I put them in the microwaveable containers and stock them up in the freezer. I make it a point that we have a "dig-in-those-frozen-dish meal" (read: Mom is lazy tired to cook!) within the week which means that all the left-over in the fridge will be reheated and it will be the dish for that particular meal. Now, there are some dishes that can be transformed gracefully into another one. Just take the case of my Chopsuey.


The following day, I saute some garlic, onion and put in a dash of oyster sauce (or soy sauce). Put some canton noodles in the pan and some chicken stock (or chicken cubes and water). And then I mix in the left over chopsuey. After just a few minutes and I already have this delicious Pancit Canton, which we can enjoy either as snack or breakfast.

Can you share site some examples on how to save on food?

WS Chika Tuesday: Winning the Lottery

The numbers have been drawn. 18-7-3-30-8-4, the numbers that we have been betting on for the longest time. Yes, we have won the Lotto jackpot of Php 5,375,498.40. I immediately take on a piece of paper and jotted down the things this hefty amount would pay for.

1. I will definitely buy educational plan for my kid and another one for the baby we are planning to have. This will definitely mean that the college fund of my kids will already be secured.

2. I will ask Hubby to finalize the plan for the lot that we already have. It is not going to be so big, probably a 3 storey house with 2 to 3 bedroom and a rooftop. At gusto ko me Bahay Kubo sa rooftop.

3. I will buy tickets and accommodations for the whole family for a week-long vacation in either Puerto Princesa, Bohol or Boracay.

4. I will make a list and pay all our debts, para wala na ring isasakit ng ulo.

5. I will start the renovation plan for the house that we are currently living in. Balato ko sa brother ko.

6. I will ask my brother and his wife to go ahead and plan for their all-expense paid dream wedding.

7. I will go to Jose Reyes Memorial hospital and give them some donations for the betterment of their Oncology Center. I will also give some amount to the Cancer Institute of the UP-PGH.

8. I will go to Singapore and build a Filipino Restaurant there.

9. I will make sure that we also have a farm doon sa lot nila Hubby sa Bulacan. It will be the first Hydrophonics farm in Bulacan.

(Mama, Mama, gising ka na!, Can I have a glass of milk?)

Whew! everything was just a dream. Hurry, I need to go the nearest Lotto station, baka kasi magkatotoo. Sayang naman!

Kung ikaw ang manalo, paano mo gagastusin 'yun? Dali, mangarap na, libre yan!

WS SpeakOutFriday: You, Before and After The Knot

Eight years ago, my life revolves around me, myself and I. I decide for myself. I work for myself. I buy myself whatever fancies my desires. After May 30,2001, everything changed. You see, eight years ago, was my wedding day. Actually, it was during the wedding preparation days that made me realize that after jumping into marriage, not just my name would changed but everything else will. I make decisions if not with him at least with him in mind. I changed the way I handle finances. The choice of food was also a compromise and yes, even the way I sleep have changed.

What I miss most about being single is the way I sleep. Alright, before marriage, I can go to bed the wee hours of the night (minsan madaling araw pa!) and get up in the afternoon (specially during weekends or on holidays). This is the first thing that changed when I get married. My husband has always been an early-to-bed-early-to-rise person. He wants to take his breakfast with me. Nakakaawa naman pag hindi ako bumangon kasi he'd go to work without having his breakfast. Initially, this was really hard for me. I struggled during the first years of our marriage until I gave birth. After giving birth, it seems to natural to wake up early because I have to attend not just to the needs of my spouse but to the needs of my child as well. Eight years after, marunong na ako gumising ng maaga and brunch is no longer the first meal of my day. I now know how to eat my breakfast.

Oh and another thing that I miss from my pre-mariaal times would be my numerous pillows that surrounds me while I snuggle.

Was it worth the change? Eight years after, I swear I could live without a pillow than without him beside me in bed.

WS Foodie Wednesday: Cooking Before and After the Knot

Kung meron akong dapat ipagpasalamat sa Mama ko (aside from the good genes), iyon ang pagtuturo sa akin ng pagluluto. Relatives said that I have been in the kitchen ever since I was four years of age. I remember taking simple orders from my Lola as she cook. It started from little things like sorting the vegetables and washing them...to bigger things like wrapping up the Embotido, or beating up the eggs for the Leche Flan (that's for two straight hours). Every good chef needs a good assistant, 'ika nga. You would probably think that I don't have any kitchen dilemma when I got married. But, you are wrong. My mom's side of the family hails from Bicol and we have been brought up savoring on foods from their region, from Cocido to Laing to their own version of Dinuguan. The problem is Hubby is not so into this kind of dishes. He'd rather eat Bulanglang than Chopsuey. He wants his Sinigang with very little hint of sourness. Well, this is how they cook food in their home. MIL is not good at cooking (this is my opinion, it's my blog anyway). You can probably imagine the reaction on my face when he compared my version of Bulanglang (which happens to be his favorite) to her mom's version stating that the latter was the better. Sinumpa ko talaga sa sarili ko na hindi na ko ulit magluluto ng Bulanglang. Almost eight years after, Hubby already acquired a different taste over food. He now drools over my Bicol Express.



But, if he wants his Bulanglang, he will have to take it my way.

Oh, and let me just add my son also acquired the same passion over food.

WS FoodieWednesday : Our Food-Related Quirks

This is going to be my first time to write for a topic discussed in WifeSpeaks. I have been a follower of this site and I felt sad when they were on hiatus. But the good news is that they have a new site and it's better than before.

Today, wives are discussing about food quirks, be it their husband's or theirs. My hubby is never a picky-eater. Kahit ano ang nasa mesa, kakainin nya; wag lang kahit anong pasta. It was hard to deal with it because my family loves pasta, specially spaghetti, so much. I actually discovered his "unliking" for anything pasta when we are still dating. It was my birthday and I invited him for a late afternoon lunch in our house. My mom prepared her famous spaghetti, which he obliged to have a taste (nagpapasikat eh!). Ang problema, nahihilo pala sya pag kumakain ng pasta. Good thing, kasama nya ang bestfriend nya so may nag drive para sa kanya.

To date, Hubby now finds my pasta dishes delectable. Oops, hindi ko sya pinuwersa. It would be better to say that he began to acquire the taste over the years. Just like this Penne in Tomatoes and Cream that I cooked last week.

As for me, natuto na rin ako kumain (at magluto!) ng isa sa mga paborito nyang gulay, ang Okra.