My Little Flower

It's springtime.  Everything is in bloom and so is this little flower of mine.  Not a toddler any longer but more like a little lady. At times I can't help but feel sad watching her grow.  The other day she asked about sleeping over at grandma's and I just can't get myself to say yes.  In my mind she's still my baby.  I have to be there if she wakes up looking for me in the middle of the night! 

She is blooming very well too which makes me a very proud mom. Her passion for art has filled our walls  with beautiful drawings and my desk with kind notes.  There are days that we run out of energy keeping up with her, but we try to soak it all up and savor each moment.  Also, I try to take big bites of her baby cheeks while I can.

Day One

The little one started preschool on Tuesday.  At three and a half, she is ready.  In fact she was very excited.

The first day, my husband and I brought her to school a 8 o'clock.  I have planned to take a picture of her in front of the school but she ran straight to the classroom.  And once inside I could not make her pose for the camera.  She was so happy and very very excited.  We lingered around a little bit to see how she is all taking it and then made our exit.  She was brave. Not a tear was shed (well except the ones by me).  Like how I read in books I said my goodbyes casually.  She must have misunderstood and replied, "but mommy, I wan't to stay here!"-- to which I responded that she is staying but I have to leave. She smiled at me, gave me a kiss and a hug, as if she's assuring me that it's going to be okay.

I left the school teary eyed and with so many thoughts running through my head. It all felt like back when she was born, being overwhelmed by the responsibility of taking care and raising a child. I had to remind myself that this is just preschool and what's important right now is that she is happy and gets to play with other children.  Still I couldn't help but think. And why not? She is in her formative years.  "Early lessons have lasting impact", they say. I pondered on what I wanted her to learn - letters and numbers, how to write and read.  Awhile back I mentioned that I want Sophia to indulge more in play than academics in her early years.  However, some days I find myself worrying that she has not learned how to read yet.  Pardon me but I blame the existence of Facebook that now it is easier than ever for parents to brag about how smart their kids are. Maybe it's just me but I do feel the pressure!  I am proud though that she can spell her name right and can write it down, even if it is crooked.

Still I believe that while academics are important, at this age I want more for her to learn how to make friends and interact with others, how to be independent, how to think, how to behave properly, how to pray.  We picked our church's preschool for a reason- because their philosophy aligns with our family values.  The fee and the hours does not fit well into our budget and schedule but we are willing to do the sacrifice we need to do to make it work. As I left the school parking I felt at peace with our decision of sending her there.

At the end of the day, I was excited to pick her up and eager for her stories on how her day went.  She didn't want to leave the school but at the same time she was delighted to see me when I walked in. She had so much fun, she even gave me a tour of the classroom before we left.  However she was a little disappointed that they spelled her name wrong. She couldn't stop talking about it.  {Thankfully it was fixed the next day.}

And then comes her story, "Mommy, there's this boy sitting behind me. He said I have cute shoes!"

.
.
.

Slow down, sweetheart. Not too fast.  No boys until you are 30, okay?  

scenes from the weekend

 

 

 

 

we got to fly a kite finally (a check on my life list). my husband brought home all sorts of kites a couple of years ago; a rocket, a fighter plane, an eagle.  we have been looking forward to see those fly but they are about 5-6 feet wide so it is difficult to find the place and good wind conditions to fly them.   this week a friend gifted sophia a smaller one, one with brobee on it, my daughter's favorite yogabba gabba character.  she couldn't wait for the weekend to go to the park to fly it.  saturday was hot and humid, and there was barely any wind but we managed to fly it successfully at the top of the hill at the tar pit. 

note to self

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony."
-- William Henry Channing

is your life too plastic?

watch the bag it movie and i guarantee you will start to cringe at the sight of every grocery plastic bags, or maybe even any kind of plastic. it is a documentary shot by a man (and his wife), as he educates himself on the scourge of plastic.

that we use millions and millions of plastic grocery bags only to throw it away in the trash is just an eye opener. the video goes deeper into the subject. we all know plastic bottles and containers go in the recycle bin, but not all of us know the difficulty and the costs involved in recycling plastic. then there are those plastics that cannot be recycled and just ends up in great pacific garbage gyre.

i won't go into details. it's a great documentary on how plastic has invaded our lives and is now destroying the planet we live in, and our very own lives.

briefly, i'd like to jot down a few little things we can do to help alleviate the accumulation of plastic wastes (as mentioned in the movie):

don't drink bottled water
choose products with less packaging
think outside the bag, bring your own container
buy less stuff
buy used
recycle comes after reusing and reducing
avoid plastics with #3, 6, 7
simplify your life

less stuff, better life

source

the purging continues... first i have to admit that getting rid of the things we already own is harder than i thought.  sometimes i would stare at an object for a while and think, "what if i will need this after i throw it away?"  {you know how sometimes throwing things out backfires} one of my friends actually advised me once not to throw things away because one day the need for it will come.  somehow it's buried in my brain and it's slowing me down from getting rid of things.

but somewhere in the world wide web i came across a minimalist prayer which came in handy during deliberation.  it says, “Lord, help me keep the things we need and get rid of the things we can unload, and give me the wisdom to know the difference.” gotta love the analogy to the serenity prayer ☺ 

still the process of elimination has been slow.  so far I have only been getting rid of the obvious - things that are rarely used and that are outdated.

my first stop was sophia's room.  i find that with kids you just accumulate so much stuff.  specially with a first child, and a girl, you want to buy everything in the beginning.  clothes are just too cute, and then there's all the baby products that you think will help make things easier.  i learned the lesson the expensive way that   what works for other babies may not work for mine.  for example, i have 3 baby carriers barely used, because sophia didn't like them or they were uncomfortable for me.

i began purging sophia's toy bins which were brimming with toys from when she was a baby.  as much as i hold sentiments for her first toys, i was sort of relieved at the thought of not hearing her baby musical toys go off ever again.  you know, like those types that sound annoying but does not have an off button.  i only kept the ones that are still appropriate for her age and a few ones for sentiment's sake.  the rest i put in a bag to hand down to the next baby in our clan.  i also secretly threw some old boxes and easter/halloween baskets that just annoy the heck out of me.  thankfully, she didn't even notice they were gone!

my second stop was our kitchen cabinet, full of worn out tupperware, sippy cups, take-out containers, and other discolored plastic containers.  i threw quite a bit in the recycle bin and i am elated at how much easier it is now to organize and find matching containers.  i would like to eliminate all plastic containers at some point,  and lately i have been recycling glass jars to use as an alternative for storing food.  

my third stop was our closet, and it is a continuing process. i toss out a piece at a time.  basically very time I come across a shoe or a piece of clothing that i have not worn for over a year, it goes into a bag labeled "for donation." sophia's clothes on the other hand are set aside, some lent to a friend.  i am still hoping one day sophia will have a little sister :)

for the most part changes has been slow, and i admit to failing on the no-buying rule.  however, buying is much less frequent than before and i buy things now with more careful deliberation.  the image above is what i strive for: so minimal, uncluttered, and very peaceful. 

eighty eight

she is my grandma... the wife of my mom's mom's brother {get it}?  sounds like a distant grandmother but in reality she is so much closer. she is sort of a mother and grandmother rolled into one for me. she does not have children of her own but she has been a "mother" figure to me and my cousins.  she has given me so much love, inspiration and words of wisdom over the years that i lived with her.  i look up to her as much as i do my own mother.  she is a kindhearted woman, always in good spirits and full of life.  and never for once in the 8 years that i lived with her have i seen her get mad or in a bad mood.  {i've always thought people get grouchy with age.}  i aspire to be like her when i'm old.  i hope to take after her cheerfulness, grateful heart and a positive outlook in life.

she turns 88 years old today. doesn't she look good for her age? {yes, the picture above was taken this year} she is one of the most beautiful woman i know, beautiful inside and out.  she won't tell her secret to beautiful skin and long life but from living with her, i think i know what it is:  drink lots of arrowhead mountain spring water, eat salmon (or other fish) everyday, use jergens lotion, moisturize face with ponds cream and be happy.

happy birthday my lola!

changes

lately this blog has been moving in a different direction.  less food and more about other things : our family, pictures, stories, life, etc. i think i have finally become more comfortable in sharing about my life.  i will still write about the food that i cook but i am also mixing in new things to spice  up this blog a wee bit.  

living better with less

stuff. 

we buy it. we use it for a while. we clean it. we store it.

multiply that with however many stuff you own....

it's overwhelming isn't it?

One of the things my grandmother often told me when I lived with her is this: the more things you have, the more things you have to take care of and worry about.  Lately those words have been resounding in my head every time I clean up.  I have been feeling as if these random little things we own are making a slave out of me, consuming my valuable time for their upkeep and in stowing them away.  It made me pause and realize that these possessions are not only cluttering the space we live in but that they also clutter my mind.  Seeing clutter bother the heck out of me so I spend countless hours keeping things in order and tidy.  A task almost near impossible when living with a 3 year old child.

Thankfully we do not own much.  But still I know we own so much more than what we really need.  We own stuff that are of no more use that are just sitting on the shelf accumulating dust.  We own stuff that can be of use but not worth the effort and time it demands for its maintenance.   I read somewhere that “Things are thieves of time.” It's true.  How much of my free time have I spent organizing and putting away clutter?  How many hours have I spent working in order to buy more stuff?  These material things robbed me of precious time I could have spent bonding and having fun with my daughter in her early years.  

So I am setting out on a new life adventure.  To live simply and with much less.  I am not going hardcore like this guy, but minimizing just enough to free some space for the more important matters in life.  By freeing some living space I hope to gain freedom and the much needed inner peace in return.

Overall, the idea is to scale back on the complexity of life.  To have a mindset that we do not have to have more and bigger things to feel good about ourselves.  There is more to life than keeping up with the Joneses.

I understand this change is not going to happen overnight.  As many such changes, it takes time and adaptation.
But there has to be a set time to start, and that time is now.  I will document this new lifestyle on this blog under less stuff. better life.

My first step is avoiding the urge to buy new things that are not essential.  Second will be to eliminate the unnecessary. One piece at a time.

Wish me courage, will power and positive results, my friends, as I go through it one step at a time.

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” - Socrates

birthday love

a short post to wish my dearest husband a happy happy birthday.  you rock my world, my love.

above picture was my first glimpse of him about 9 years ago. sent in an email that said, "i'm not sure if this will help or hurt my cause."

i met up with him not too long after that email.

here's a wish for a year full of many many blessings and adventure, sweetheart.  i love you!

P.S. We are celebrating at his most favorite place, Angelini Osteria to get our yearly dose of Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Last weekend, briefly

It was a tough weekend for me.  On Thursday I had the much dreaded talk with my boss with regards to our annual employee evaluation.

Bottom line : my bonus was lower than previous years and my increase was a measly 1%. I kid you not, I got a freakin' 1% salary increase. How much is that in dollar terms is just even more pathetic.  Negotiating for even a slight increase proved worthless, so the verdict is that I am set to find a new job.  Please, pray for me.

It took awhile for me to digest the whole thing.  Come weekend, my emotions took a dive. I was depressed at the unfairness of it all. Sadly, my poor husband and daughter had to deal with me at my worst.  All weekend long.  I hate myself for that but for some reason I just couldn't snap out of it fast enough.  We went to the movies to watch the Pirates, and  I rolled downhill with Sophia at the park in my effort to forget but it didn't do the trick. Thankfully, my husband was considerate to let me have the day to myself after church on Sunday. I am blessed to have married such a man. I love him dearly.   Him telling me "I love you" through it all was like a band-aid for my wounded spirit.   That free time helped me reflect and think things over.

My Redeemer lives. He will provide for us. I shall HOPE and place my TRUST in Him.

I shall not complain but deal with this GRACEFULLY.

I will be thankful for my job but look for better opportunities UNTIRINGLY.

On Sunday afternoon, even though my emotions was not yet 100% recovered I felt good enough to make our Sunday supper of Tuscan Roast Pork.  Cooking was actually therapeutic.  Besides, a good dinner is the least I could do for being a mess on an otherwise would have been a wonderful time to spend with my family.    

Pork Roast
(serves 4-6)

3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork shoulder roast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
10 oz crimini mushrooms, washed and cut in half
4 Plum Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Pitted Green Olives, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 cup dry White Wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
Kosher/Seasalt Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Brown pork loin on all sides and set aside.

3. Discard all but 1 teaspoon oil from the pan.  Add onion and saute until soft.

4. Add mushrooms and cook about 3 minutes or until softened.  Add tomatoes, olives, garlic and herbs.  Cook about 3 minutes then add in the wine.  Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.

5.  Add broth, then add back in the pork loin.  Bring to a boil then transfer to oven uncovered.

6. Cook uncovered for about 2.5 to 3 hours, turning the roast occasionally every 45 minutes or so.

7. When meat in fork tender remove from pan and set aside.  Let it rest for 5 minutes.

8.  Boil liquid in Dutch oven on stove top until sauce is thick, about 10 minutes or so.  Turn off heat.

9.  Slice roast into pieces and serve drizzled with the sauce.  (Or cut up the roast and add it back into the pot with the sauce.)

Note that you should slice the roast across the grain so it's more tender.  I made a mistake here as I wasn't really paying attention when I cut it.  Thankfully the meat was tender and moist so it was not big of a deal.

10.  Serve with baked/mashed potatoes, rice, or bread.

my life list

this is my life list.  it is different from a bucket list in that it is simply a list of things I hope to do in my lifetime.  It is not a list of must-dos that I need to cross off before this journey is over. My hope is that by writing this list I will have better focus on my priorities and in turn help me to achieve even just some of  them. 

LIFESTYLE & FITNESS

run a 5K 

become a person who exercise regularly

maintain weight below 118 lbs
learn how to can tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits

learn how to sew and make quilt

learn how to bake cakes and make breads

learn how to paint and refinish an old furniture

learn how to make natural organic soap, shampoo and conditioner

learn how to make my own natural laundry detergent and other cleaning supplies

learn how to use a Digital SLR correctly in MANUAL mode

practice yoga

be more environmentally responsible

live simply and minimalistically

TRAVEL & LEISURE

visit the Vatican again

visit the Holy Land

visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain 

tour the major cities in Europe

see the pyramids in Egypt

explore ancient Greece

take an Alaskan cruise 

take a helicopter tour of Hawaii

go whale watching

go camping

go sledding

walk the Great Wall of China

walk across the Brooklyn bridge

walk across the Golden Gate bridge

visit Niagara Falls

take Sophia to the top of Eiffel Tower

HOME

own a charming old house, all shored up, with a back and front yard

plant a vegetable garden

decorate with live houseplant

own a nice dining set

own a nicely upholstered and comfortable sofa set

own a beautiful French country style bedroom set

get rid of clutter and live with LESS belongings

own only furniture that are beautiful and of exceptional quality (the best I can afford)

own only household items that are sustainable, eco-friendly and pretty to look at

get rid of plastic containers completely

FAMILY

make a will

have another child

learn to create a 2 week meal plan
cook everything on my recipe bucket list

incorporate more vegetables and seafood in meals

Attend a spiritual couples retreat

Teach Sophia to speak Tagalog

host a regular family get together -  Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year, Easter or 4th of July

throw more birthday parties

pray with family regularly

celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in Rome

start a family tradition
support my husband to complete a college degree of his choice
support Sophia to complete a college degree of her choice

SPIRITUALITY

pray the rosary everyday

read the bible daily

learn how to meditate

get more involved in church

spend a weekend in a monastery

attend a charity event with Sophia

contribute and support an organization that feeds the poor regularly

CAREER & FINANCE

get a second bachelor's degree

pay off all debt and live debt free

save enough money to cover a year's expense

manage my own business however small it may be

find a job that i love

create a budget and stick to it

save enough money to put Sophia through college
make enough money to afford to buy a modest house

STYLE

use only organic natural make-ups

apply more sunscreen

get into the habit of using lotion and moisturizers

wear perfume regularly again

narrow my wardrobe down to only quality, beautiful pieces that I can wear often

buy clothes and shoes only that are classic and in the best quality I can afford

JUST FOR  FUN

take a picture every day for a year

create a family tree

fly a kite (with Sophia)

have a lemonade stand (with Sophia)

observe the life of a butterfly (with Sophia)

visit NASA (with Sophia)

go on date nights regularly (with husband)

Confidence

It's March, which means Spring is just around the corner.  Spring is seen as a time of regrowth, of renewal, of  new life.  

Lately, I am getting bored with the same old routine.  The bad traffic and the long drive to work everyday is starting to get on my nerves.  After five years!  

I feel it's time for a new job.  A fresh start.  

But first, I need to work on having more confidence in myself.  Correction, I have to learn to have more confidence in God.  Glennon at Momastery today wrote a beautiful post on confidence and humility.  I feel it was spot on.  I quote my favorite part,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"If I am humble but lack confidence, it is because I haven’t accepted that there is a divine spark inside of me. If I am humble but not confident, it’s because I don’t believe in the miracle that I was made by God for a purpose all my own, and so I am worthy of the space that I occupy on this Earth. And that as a Child of God, no one deserves more respect, joy, or peace than I. As a child of God, I have the right to speak, to feel, to think, and to believe what I believe. Those dreams in my heart, those ideas in my head, they are real and they have a divine origin and so they are worth exploring. Just because I am a child of God. And thankfully, there is nothing I can add to that title to make it more impressive. There is also nothing I can do to lose that title. I am confident not because I am pretty or smart or athletic or talented or kind. Those things change and can be given and taken. I am confident simply because I am a child of God."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Isn't that beautiful?  I bookmarked that because I would like to read it often... until it is deeply rooted in my brain {and heart}.

My Heart is Full

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone.  How was yours? No matter which way yours was celebrated I hope it was something heartfelt.  

Ours was nothing over the top.  Just an exchange of thoughtfully written cards and lots of hugs and kisses in between.  And that's good enough for me.  I am not really the pink/red heart shaped balloon and chocolate  kind of girl.  And a fancy dinner is nice (heck, I love to eat!) but I wouldn't bat an eye on a prix fixe dinner that is overpriced for the day and where I would have to battle traffic to get to it.  I prefer a simple dinner at home and a rather less fraught celebration of romance.  It just feels more romantic for me like that.

Don't get me wrong.  If you are into Valentine's day and you went all out, that is a good thing.  What matters really is that at the end of the day your heart is full.  Mine just takes less effort to fill than those of others I suppose. On Valentine's day its the equivalent of a written-from-the-heart card.  My husband is good at that.  I like that he always choose cards that are almost blank and he writes his own words on it.  The message always make my heart melt.  They are so much more beautiful and touching than those cheesy wordings Hallmark make.

The idea of a special day for lovers is nice, but any day really is a good day to celebrate love.  Actually,   celebrate it everyday.  Don't pigeon-hole all that romance in one day.  In all 365 days (well, 366 days in 2012) do something heartfelt - a random hug, a kiss in the middle of doing chores, a note written on a whim, a "thinking of you" text message when you are apart, lots of I-love-yous (trust me, the feeling does not diminish even if you say it often), flowers for no reason, and many more.

   

P.S.  If you are jealous of the Louis Vuitton your friend got from her husband it does not mean anything other than that they have more money.   For some, Valentine's day is like a competition of who can be the most  romantic.  Get over it.  That is so high school.  

Now brace yourselves.  The forecast is that it is going to rain today.   It is dark outside as I write this post.  

This is my very first beef barley soup.  I never cooked barley before.  I never had celery root before.  I was a bit nervous of the outcome but something made me confident that this concoction was going to be good.  

And it was.

Make this soup today if you can.  It's perfect for the weather.  Then get the couch, the bed or anything comfy ready and sink in food coma with the one you love.

Beef Barley Stew with Mushrooms and Celery Root

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2-3 pounds beef (chuck or tri tip), cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 14oz can beef broth or chicken broth

1/2 cup red wine
2 cups water
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed very well

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaf
1 cup roughly chopped carrot
2 celery roots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
Freshly ground black pepper

Sea salt or kosher salt

Sour cream

In a Dutch oven heat olive oil in medium heat.  Add butter and melt.  Sprinkle salt over beef.

When butter stops bubbling add enough pieces of beef  and brown on all sides.  Do not crowd the pan.  Set aside browned pieces.

After browning the beef, remove all but 1 tablespoon oil being careful not to discard the browned pieces at the bottom.  Add the onions to the pan and cook about 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and increase the heat to high. Cook the mushrooms until they release their juices, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Lower heat and add wine  Scrape the bottom of the pan making sure to get all the browned bits at the bottom.  Add the beef back to the pot, then the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, broth and water.  Bring to a boil then lower heat.  Cover pot and simmer in low heat for 1 hour. 

Stir in rinsed barley, celery root, carrots, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and the tomatoes with its juices.  Stir well to combine and increase heat  to bring to a boil.  Then cover and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Add corn in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.

I.I.MMXII

Happy New Year!

On my Facebook status I posted this verse from the bible today.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." -- Numbers 6:24-26

What perfect verses for today and sums up my heartfelt wish for the entire humanity not just for the year 2012 but for the years ahead as well.  I would like to put emphasis on " The Lord make His face shine upon you" because I think the human race is becoming more and more distant with God. 

Before I got married, I use to have a New Year's eve tradition of listing all the blessings I received in the year and then would proceed to listing my wishes and hopes for the coming year.  Listing the previous year's accomplishments  was an interesting way to see how much God has blessed you and makes your heart swell with gratitude for how generous God is.  On the other hand listing your goals, hopes and wishes for the coming year is like a concrete  reminder to yourself of the things you aspire for.  It has more impact when you write it down on paper as oppose to just keeping it in your head.  I also would like to think of it as a reference God would refer to... I am silly like that!

So this year I decided I should do the tradition again.

Last year's highlights are few but I recognize that I am still more blessed than what I deserve.  The gift of family mainly, brings me so much joy in my life.  Little S just turned 3 and growing beautifully, mind, body and soul.  She is a very sweet little girl and her vocabulary is growing so fast she has been joining our dinner conversations more and more. Many of her comments have become a source of cheer and entertainment for JPF and I.  One of my favorite is when she told me, "Mommy, you are my best friend!"  I also can't help but mention that she has started to ask me the awkward question, "Mommy, how did I get inside your tummy?" just a couple of weeks ago.  JPF on the other hand continues to be a loving husband and father.  We had some fights just as many couples do but nothing major that tore us apart. We are on our 5th year and counting...

The main highlight of 2011 was when Little S and I went to visit my parents in the Philippines.

It was the first time my parents met Little S, and to see their joy of finally seeing Little S in person was worth the long flight and being away from JPF for 2 weeks.  Not that we would take a trip without him again though, that was just difficult!  But, it was a dream come true, a prayer answered, that I get to take Little S to see my parents.

We also took a few trips to Las Vegas in the past year, meeting new friends and enjoying some intimate leisure time as a family. 

For 2012 I list the following hopes, dreams, resolutions and goals.  Some necessary, some simple and some big (hey, you never know!)...

  

1) Spend less and save money to buy a new car.
I know I have been saying this in the last 3 years but I never got to it.  I have to be more serious about it now though because my ever reliable Toyota Corolla is getting really old.  It's on its 13th year with 180,000+ miles. And for the record, I have been religiously entering the Capital One car giveaway hoping to be the one lucky winner of a Chevy Volt and $5,000 cash.  Again, you never know...

2) Spend less and pay off debt.
Yes debt has been accumulating since we had a child.  It's not Little S fault, it's just that JPF and I have not been very wise in managing our finances.  When I looked at our expenses I noticed that our biggest expense is on FOOD.  So I have made a more conscious effort in monitoring our food expenses.  And thank God, in this day and age it has become so much easier to track your expenses using downloadable free apps.

3) Enroll Little S in pre-school.
We are still scouting for an affordable Catholic preschool.  The money you spend on preschool these days is unbelievable.  I honestly have thought of not sending her to preschool (it is not necessary per Dr. Laura Schlessinger) but I feel guilty about it.  Her knowledge is expanding at a very fast pace that she can use additional input from others besides us.

4) Eat more healthy - more seafood, less red meat, less fat, less salt?
Our family has been chowing down on too much meat and potatoes I think.  I have a family history of diabetes and high cholesterol so it's about time I change my diet as a prevention for these killer diseases.  I am not fat, I am slimmer than most women in fact, but I could trim my waist line a little.

5) Better income / new job
The main reason for this goal is our need for more income to cover all our expenses.  Living in Los Angeles with a child, you need more than $100K a year to make both ends meet.  JPF and I have been loyal to our respective employers but we earn a meager salary and increases are few and far between. We are thankful for our jobs, specially in this tough economy however we deem it necessary to look for better employment in order to meet our growing expenses.

6) Get in more pictures with Little S and take more family pictures
The deal is I am always taking the photos.  When I look back at my photo collection it's mostly pictures of my child... alone!  I must stop worrying about how I look and just get photographed once in awhile with my child.  JPF is pretty good at composition so I must learn to have him take the shots sometimes.  Another sad fact is that our family pictures are very few.. maybe about 20 total. In this age of digital cameras and smart phones that number is quite pathetic! The thing is I am always shy to ask somebody to take a picture of us.  And I must say, I am very appreciative of strangers who are kind to offer to snap a photo of a family on vacation (or staycation).  Such a gesture mean so much.  But then again I must also muster courage to ask.

7) Take time to play with Little S
The chores can wait.  Chores will always be there, who cares if the house is messy on some days?  Little S is growing fast and I must enjoy her young years.  Must play with her more - dolls, castles and princesses, cooking and baking.

8) Travel to Paris, Italy or Spain 

This is a big dream.  It's been five years and my feet are itching to go to Europe.  Enough said.

9) Take local family field trips more often.
We may not have the budget to travel abroad but Southern California offers so many local destinations - parks, beaches, museums, etc.  Some days we can play tourists in our neighborhood, after all we live in the heart of West Hollywood.

10) This last one is a wish... a second child.
We have been teased many times about having a second child.  It's a tough question to answer.  We would love to have another child but we are not ready (financially) yet.  Honestly, on some days I wish on getting  impregnated by accident and just live with it.  I continue to hope the day will come (before it gets too late).

So this I pray for a wonderful and blessed year for all of us.
All the best!

For Good Luck In The New Year

A variety of practices and foods are believed to be lucky and improves the odds that next year will be a great one. Traditions vary from culture to culture. Growing up in the Philippines the following are traditions that stuck with me.  Although I am not a superstitious kind of person I usually do a couple or more just for the fun of it.

1) Fruit platter : For good luck, I believe this is of Chinese origin, my sister prepared a big platter of fruits on the table, filled with 12 varieties of fruits. They must be all round, or almost round. In the mix are grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, lanzones, apples, oranges, etc.

2) Grapes :  Apart from the ones used on the fruit platter, my sister hangs grapes on top of doors and windows.  Supposedly it's for prosperity, a symbolism of more money coming in.  By the way, I just read that   in Spain, people consume twelve grapes at midnight—one grape for each stroke of the clock, each grape representing a different month.  For instance if the second grape is sour it means February will be an unpleasant month.  And in Peru, people eat a 13th grape for good measure.

3) Jumping : We Filipinos are typically short so it isn't a surprise that every Filipino I know practice the tradition of jumping at the strike of midnight.... to grow taller in the next year! Ha!  I think it is ridiculous, but it is actually fun seeing everyone jumping.

4) Coins for prosperity.  My sister scatters coins on the window sill, and makes sure everyone in the family have coins in their pockets.

5) Clothes : wear polka dots and yellow clothing for prosperity, red for love, green for good health.

6) Do NOT eat chicken or you will live a 'hand to mouth' or paycheck to paycheck life.  In Tagalog we say, "isang kahig, isang tuka" like chickens do.

7) Carry a backpack for more chances of travelling abroad.

8) Clean and get things organized on New Year's Eve.  I think this is more because we like to have a clean and fresh start in the New Year.

9) Try hard NOT to spend anything on the 1st or you'll be spending everyday in the year.  Try to get money IN instead.

10) This year I am trying something new.  I will make lentils and sausage as suggested for good luck here.

Kissing Summer Goodbye

Summer is my favorite season and I am sad that it has come and gone so quick I barely had a chance to enjoy it.    Today I sit at my desk and recall, 'What did I do this summer?'

- For the first time I grew my own tomatoes & herbs!  We do not have a backyard, but thanks to upside down patios which made it possible to grow a few on our small balcony.  Really, you can taste the difference of a freshly picked vine ripened tomato from one that has been sitting on the store shelf.

- I took my daughter to the beach for the first time, and it was magical!  I could never forget her amazement at the sight of the waves.  She couldn't wait to get on the water.  The cool breeze and the sound of the splashing waves alone made her giggle.

- We did a few trips to the Los Angeles Zoo.  My daughter is becoming more and more fascinated with animals and taking her to the zoo made her aware of many different kinds.  She was specially delighted seeing a live hippopotamus as she enjoys her book "But Not the Hippopotamus".

- We took strolls at the neighborhood park.  I packed snacks to bring to the park while Sophia played.  She loves the swing and over the course of the summer she has grown accustomed to getting on the slides.

- We had a lot of grilled meats for dinner this summer (steaks, lamb kebabs, pork belly, korean barbecues, etc).  Thanks to having a balcony at our new apartment!  For a long time our grill was parked at the garage and we had to improvise and cook our steaks on a cast iron.  Cast iron pans are great but nothing beats grilled steak.

I guess it was an enjoyable summer after all.  Summer, I will miss you....

Grilled Pork Belly 
(Inihaw na Liempo)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound bone in pork belly (cut in 1/2 to 3/4 inch strips)

1/4 cup scallions, cut very thinly

1 tablepoon juice of a lime

for Marinade:
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoon steak seasoning (I like 21 salute seasoning from Trader Joes)
1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
(note: 21 salute is a blend of the following - onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato granules, lemon juice powder, oil of lemon)

1. Combine marinade in a large sealable plastic bag.  Add pork and coat meat evenly.  Let stand at least 1 hour at room temperature (or up to 1 day in refrigerator).  Heat grill to high, then add meat and grill over medium heat, about 16-20 minutes total. Watch grill closely as fat drippings from the meat can create flare ups.  If this happens, lower heat a little bit then when fire is gone, increase heat again.  Flip the meat as needed, constantly to get even browning on each side.  
2. When meat is cooked through, transfer to platter and let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Cut off pork skin and discard, then cut each strip into bite size pieces.
4. Drizzle with lime juice and garnish with scallions.  
5. Serve with wasabi mashed potatoes, and sauted spinach.

on the side:

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes:

Boil 4 russet potatoes (peeled and cut ) in a pot of water.  Add salt and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash to desired consistency along with 1/4 cup cream and 2 tablespoons wasabi paste.  Add salt to taste.   

Sauteed Spinach:

Heat 2 tablespoons Olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add 6 cups spinach and 1/4 chicken bouillon cube.  Stir furiously for about 1 minute or until spinach is slightly wilted.

Cost:

$ 11.00 ---  1 1/2 lb pork belly

$   3.00 ---  russet potatoes

$   2.00 --   spinach

Total : $16.00

What to Expect When You're Expecting

A few days before my mentrual cycle I had a slight suspicion that I might be pregnant. Usually I have my period on the dot and know all the signs leading to it. This month though I did not feel any of the premenstrual signs, and in addition I had the feeling of being hungry all the time. FIve days after, as my suspicions grew I decided to buy a home pregnancy kit and true enough in bright blue ink the "+" sign showed. DH and I were both happy although we thought we can't really get excited until a doctor confirms it. I did not have an Obgyn so I had to look one up from my health insurance website.  On April 15th I had my first prenatal test and confirmed that I am indeed pregnant.. 6 weeks and 2 days! The doctor calculated I'd be due on December 7th :)

On the same day I also started the much dreaded morning sickness. Every smell seems to make me nauseous specially the smell of food which in turn made me lose my appetite on almost everything. Therefore I'll stop blogging for now until I get over this stage ... hopefully soon!