paella lessons from Chef Ed Quimson

What will I serve next is a niggling question indeed! So, on a Friday-holiday, I was among the eager ones who enrolled at paella lessons to be conducted by none other than the maestro of Spanish cuisine, Chef Ed Quimson at the Heny Sison Culinary School.

According to articles I've read in the net, Chef Ed's strong Spanish culinary background started when he was still in grade school. He learned his skills and has cultivated his taste buds right in the heart of his Lola's kitchen. While his classmates had to content themselves with cafeteria food during lunch breaks, Chef Ed is feasting on authentic Spanish cuisine lovingly prepared for him and his cousins at the mansion.

So, when an opportunity to learn a Spanish specialty dish from him came, there's no reason not to join. It was a dream come true meeting Chef Ed because I've read a lot about him. Plus, The chef seems to be a nice person. And, I've found out during the lessons that he's not only nice, he is generous also. He shared a lot of tips and secrets that you cannot read in cooking books but can only learn from an experienced chef.

The three hours intended for the 5 paella dishes transpired in a beat. I did not want the lessons to end. I still want to hear more of his stories and learn more Spanish delectable dishes from him. I was somehow in trance. Hehehe:) I didn't know if it was because of the exotic smell of saffron, or the lingering taste of the jamon serrano. But, whatever it was, I walked away from the lessons with a stomach and a heart filled with gastronomic pleasures. And I have Chef Ed to thank for!

peace:)

a simple reward

I promised D to cook something hearty and delicious after we got his card. a simple reward to his efforts in passing all of his 14 subjects.

He wanted pasta, so pasta it is. He picked the ingredients. Now, it was a challenge to whip up something edible.

Spaghetti with shrimps, anchovies, etc.

It was my first time to try this recipe. I just experimented on the idea of shrimps and anchovies. And, I am happy that it turned out delicious. D was asking me to cook it again the following day. He liked it very much. DA was not saying anything but I knew that he liked it as well judging from the clean plate left on the table.

more cooking experiments to come;)

time to bond with the kids

Family Day, na!

We were in D's school earlier than the prescribed time. Are we excited? Maybe. But more so because we were anticipating a large volume of traffic inside the school. Parking is scarce if you check-in late. Had a shared breakfast with DA at the caf. Sweet? Nah... :O

The field was sticky with mud as it rained last night. The students' collective prayer was strong enough to force the sun to come out to everybody's relief. The parade was much anticipated.

The four batches are identified through their house color. Of course, ours is definitely the color of the moment, Yellow! and sun shiny yellow at that! Yellow two-oh- one-three (2013) shirts, yellow caps, yellow fans, and some came with yellow umbrellas.

Program was short. There was a dance off among the 4 batches and a balloon relay where students, teachers, and parents participated. Yellow batch was second place over all but we were the biggest earner for the day. I heard we won first prize in another category.

The field and grandstand was for the Yellow batch for the taking after the rest of the batches proceeded to their respective areas. The Yellow students played patintero and another parent-child brainy/funny game. Lunch followed afterwards.

Card giving was scheduled at 1 pm but we got D's card earlier. Praise and thank God! No failing marks! Yahoo!:)

I'm thinking of something special to reward D's effort. Hmmm.. A special home-cooked dinner, perhaps?

:)

i now know why

I now know why I haven't blog for a year...

It all started September last year when Metro Manila was struck by Ondoy... life stood still... No one saw it coming. Everyone thought it was just another typhoon hitting the city. The rains did not let go, it was as if the flood gates of heaven were left open that even angels could not in their mighty powers close the gates. The downpour sank large portions of the city. People living in areas not likely to get flooded were astounded by the surprise Ondoy was bringing. Lives were taken by the dangerous floods. Electricity was out for days. Food stores were out of products to sell. The aftermath was like a scene in a war-torn hell city.

Our car was half-submerged in flood. Ooohh. Crawling insects were side by side with us as we bravely wade into the chocolatey mud-filled water inside our house. Eeeeww. That fateful September day will forever be painfully etched in our being.

It was a slow recovery for the majority of us... Our car was checked in at the Honda Casa for more than 3 months (thanks to my good friend, Baby E., for facilitating the major repairs and for keeping up with our kakulitan and impatience at times). Also, our internet connection was down at almost the same number of months. I learned from Globe that their switch boxes were heavily damaged that they need to replace them totally new. You could just imagine my agony of not being connected to the web for such a long time. Painful. Ouch!

So, when all was well and working, I lost my appetite to continue posting. And then, a lot of things happened. Summer came. School opened. And when I last checked in, it was September yet again...

Peace:)

mama mia, it's been a year!!!

Mama Mia! I've resurrected from the bed! :O

I haven't noticed the time. It has been a year since I last posted an entry. I can't exactly recall what happened why I stopped posting but I here I am, suddenly wanting to write something, anything. To begin with, I must tell you that I'm not a professional writer so my hibernation is not something like a writer's block (hehehe, wishing...). Guess, I was just lazy...really lazy to do some mental exercises.

A lot of things happened. A lot of stories, laughters, tears, and sighs, and not to mention the many ohs, ahs, eews, awws... I hope to write about each event as I remember them.

In the meantime, I'm really happy to be back... And, I hope to stay a little bit longer.

Peace:)

10 P.M. snacks: shrimp pesto pizza

after the verdict for the pepperoni and cheese pizza was handed down, the "young master" is still craving for some other flavors... he wants something different, something that will excite his taste buds, something that will inspire his dreams... (hirap naman maging nanay! haaay...) so, the following night, i again prepared some pizzas for him.

here is what i came up with:

Shrimp Pesto Pizza with extra cheese and grated garlic

The aromatic scent of the garlic teased his taste buds. D loves garlic, so there, the "young master" liked the taste... Ooops, actually, he loved the combination so well that he requested another 4 pizzas for his breakfast the following day... ;)

It's a bit tedious preparing the snacks but it's all worth it! "Anything for my "young master," the slave thought so submissively.

Hahaha! ;)

10 P.M. snacks

Lately, D has been requesting for some 10 P.M. snacks. His appetite seems to grow by the day. Judging from his physique now, stress seems to be a good appetite booster.

So, what should a loving mother gotta do? Of course, prepare something special for the "young master." (this is a running joke in our fam, we tease him as our young master and we, as his ever diligent slaves... hmmm, and, he seems to enjoy the it so well!)

The other night, i was inspired to prepare some mini pizzas for him... Yum! Yum!;)

Pepperoni and Cheese pizza

D, said the pizzas tasted good... But, he wants something gourmet...

Haha! mag-request ba? ;)

Diwa's birthday party

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIWA! ;)

where's the cake? (Diwa with Mommy Cherry, Daddy Rowel, and bro Jacob)

ice cream men!

ice cream ladies!

with the birthday girl! (cherrie, me, jen, and cherry)

beautiful mommies!


thanks, Diwa, for inviting us... We had fun! until your next birthday!

God bless you!

inspiration, yes; a saint, no!

In my opinion...

I am totally in favor of having President Cory as an inspiration to bring the best in every Filipino, but making her a saint, in my opinion, is too much. I think we have a problem here.

A lot of Cory supporters have been clamoring on making her a saint, some have even suggested that we pray to her. Hello! I have nothing against my Cabalen. In fact, I am encouraged to become a better Filipino because of the love she has shown for our country. But, don't you think that elevating her status to that of a saint, thus eventually praying to her, would be acceptable in heaven? Have you thought of her own opinion on this matter? Would she even entertain the idea of becoming a saint?

God, I believe is the Only One to whom we should pray to. No one else should we direct our supplications other than God. There are 3 important facts. Only God is:
a) Omnipresent - that is, God is everywhere and is present at all times. He is present here in my room as well as in the place where you are right now.
b) Omniscient- that is, God is all-knowing. He knows your business. He knows your secrets. He knows your prayers even before you speak of them.
c) Omnipotent - that is, God has unlimited power. He is almighty. He can do anything.

Until the day when my Cabalen becomes these 3, elevating her in the same level as God will just be an illusion. And I won't wait for that day to come. In my heart there is only one God. And, it is only to Him that we should pray to and it is only through Him that we receive anwers to our prayers.

no less than tofu

Spicy Tofu in Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Constant leafing through pages of various food magazines inspired me to whip up a simple yet tasty dish – Spicy Tofu in Black Bean Garlic Sauce. The ingredients are easily available in the supermarket and it’s cooked in no time. My first attempt was a success judging from the clean plates left on the table.

A friend asked me if I follow recipes to the letter. I don’t, honestly. I think recipes are there to guide and inspire you but the final dish should always be according to your taste. Baking is another matter, ok. By the way, I don’t measure ingredients. As Rachel Ray would often say, “Just eyeball it!” And, that’s what I do ever since I started experimenting in the kitchen.

I still have half of the firm tofu soaking in water. I have no idea yet if it will turn into another delish dish.

Wait and taste…;)

the Queen we never had

a sea of yellow dedicated to a woman who made yellow as meaningful as freedom

Last Wednesday, the heavy rains prevented us from going to Manila Cathedral to view President Cory's remains. We decided to visit her house in Times St. instead. We offered yellow flowers but we're unable to light the candles because the rain just won't allow us. We came very early in the morning, anticipating the heavy crowd that may troop the place. As soon as we stepped out of the car, one can feel the grief of her loss but I felt an instant outpouring of love as manifested by an abundance of yellow and white flowers, notes of thank you, and people offering their time to stop by and say a little prayer for her soul.

D trying to light a candle infront of Tita Cory's Times St. residence

A lot has been said and written about her, most of which are positive notes about her life, her work, her passions, and her dedication to preserve the democracy of our beloved country. Tita Cory, in my opinion, is a selfless person, always willing to let her and her family's interest take the backseat in favor of national interests. Can there be another Cory in the making in our lifetime? Oh, I really hope so.

I also hope that her legacy and that of Ninoy's will remain inscribe in our hearts so that we will not be threatened by whoever sits at the throne of power.

Paalam po, Tita Cory, hanggang sa muling pagkikita!

hail to the king of pop

I am not into idolizing artists and celebrities but Michael Jackson is an exception. Last night, I was literally moved to tears (and I think the world did as well) while watching his public memorial. A lot of good and kind words were spoken by his family and friends. A lot of singing was heard. It was a show celebrating the life and work of MJ.

I just realized that MJ's songs contain deep messages that we need to ponder upon. Yes, one can easily be entranced by his angelic voice or by his graceful moves that the song's message is completely abandoned. The lyrics of Man in the Mirror opened my eyes to a new level of self realization. The song talks about change. CHANGE that should start in us and within us. This is a tall order for a lot of us but then we need to try and start in small and baby-step ways, then probably, the man on the street will take notice and heed MJ's call.

I wish and pray that this emotion felt by the world is not fleeting and that it will carry on even when MJ has long been put to rest. I hope the messages of his songs will continually give inspiration that will cause us to effect the change we crave for.

I like what the Pastor said on his closing prayers: "Let us celebrate our uniqueness and respect our differences.." We are people who constantly seek for happiness, for change, for peace.. What should we do about it?

The time has come for MJ to exit this imperfect world and enter the perfect world of God. He can sing and dance with all his might and nobody will disturb him, probably, only the angels, who will sing with him in the chorus of his new and perfect life.

The King of Pop has bowed down on his knees to the King of all Kings... ;) peace!

i think i'm fine now

I have written about D moving out of our room to the comforts of his own room. Exactly six days after my post, he told me that he's ready to sleep in his "own bedroom." What can a mother do but give in, right? The newly furnished bedroom needs to serve its purpose.

Last night before i went to sleep, I checked on him as I always do everynight. I don't know what's got into to me again that I wanted him to sleep on our room again. I think I miss him. I think I miss his snoring. I think I miss our "kulitan" before lights are off. Weird isn't it? So, last night, I spent a little time with him in his bedroom... probing and confirming his activities in the recent days. D is a patient young man. He bears with my questioning. He doesn't complain at all. He is not irritated by my comments.

Seeing him comfortable in the four corners of his room makes my heart glad. it was really time for me to respect his privacy eventhough the idea leaves slivers of pain in my being.

I think I'm fine now. And I thank God for it. ;)

D survived his first week

Ha! D survived his first week in Pisay, from waking up early to sleeping late at night, he seems fine with the schedule so far. D said he gained a network of new friends. His teachers are nice and kind.

Once, he got lost looking for the library, but he said its fine with him and he added that he is optimistic that soon he'll familiarize himself with his new surrounding. Hmmm, very positive outlook, eh?

Hopefully, in the days to come, all will work out just fine, of course, with God's big help!;)

ready or not?

Finally today is THE day when D is moving out from our bedroom to his own sanctuary after 13 years and 11 days of sleeping with us. Several times have I asked him if his ready to move out or not but his constant answer is a plain and simple, "Yes, Mama, I'm ready!" Ouch!

You see, D is an only child, thus consequently, I cannot bear to have him sleep in another room. I don't know but I just feel safe and peaceful if I see him sleeping in our bedroom.

The furniture-maker just delivered a nice custom-made bedframe; the bed foam is thick and comfy and the beddings all starched and scented; the black out curtain is hung; the faint smell of paint still lingers inside the bedroom; i guess, it's time...

"I'll get used to the idea, eventually," is all I can say to myself. Hahaha! I am having some dramatic moments again. I could feel the lump in my throat and my eyes are heavy with tears... If only hubby can see me now...hahaha! But honestly, Im sad. My baby is all grown-up. No matter how I try to freeze time, it ain't gonna happen. Reality hurts.

So, i guess, the question of being ready or not is truly for me and I should answer it with enough courage and confidence...

Hard as it is, my reply will always be, "No, I'm not yet ready."

25 years and Counting

Exactly 3 days before the Grand Reunion of Batch '84, typhoon Emong inched its way to Philippine Area of Responsibility, targetting Northern and Central Luzon with gusty winds and torrential rains. Signal number 3 was hoisted over Tarlac, the venue for the BAGETS’ most anticipated reunion.

"This isn't happening," I calmly told myself. Of all days, why did it have to be in the week when all the logistics for the reunion are nearly completed? I readied myself for a cancellation because I thought many of our batchmates may not be able to come because of the typhoon. But then, miracles do happen. The typhoon made a landfall on Thursday evening, a few hours earlier than what PAGASA predicted, which was Friday morning. The rain poured hard but it wasn't catastrophic. "God is on the BAGETS' side," I thought thankfully.

Although it was a bit cloudy that morning of Saturday, it did not dampen the spirits of the BAGETS to go on with the celebration as planned. The reunion kicked off with a mass which was immediately followed by a motorcade. Vehicles were decorated with white and red balloons and posters announcing Batch ’84 Silver Jubilee. Every BAGETS came in their fiery red batch shirt.

Back at the Bulwagan ng mga Gobernador, Darwin, on behalf of Crispin, our class valedictorian, formally opened the program with his short welcome remarks. He was then followed by two of our teachers, Sir Lacsina and Madam Salisi, who graciously spoke kind words about our batch.

Perhaps one of the most touching moments in the program was when everybody stood up to sing, "THS alma dear, list to our song of cheer, echoing from the campus, loud and clear...." The song brought a lot of happy high school memories. Soon, tears welled up in the eyes of some of our batchmates. It was truly a very nostalgic moment.

Twenty-five years definitely ushered some changes in the way we remember people. (I’m talking about some memory lapses here people! Hahaha!) Often times, you remember the faces but not the names. No matter how hard you try, you just don’t seem to arrive at the exact combination of a face and a name. Good thing, everyone representing a particular section went in front to get formally recognized. Now, wasn’t this a good idea especially for us suffering from a temporary mental gap. Hahaha! Cameras flashed and videos kept rolling practically the whole time.

The dance medley by Paz, Jinky, Weng L., Weng A., Cris, Lina, and the other girls (I’m so desperate to recall names) together with Jojo, Jun, Nick, Beto, and the other boys (and again!) literally brought the house down. The groovin’ and shakin’ made the rest of us clamor for more dancing as the tunes caused everyone to travel down the memory lane once more.

Lunch was a breeze. The “bulwagan” was buzzing with BAGETS updating one another with what’s current with their lives while at the same time, old photographs were flashing on the large screen. Oh, how funny it was to see the “then” photos! Time has changed and so our looks… hey, we aged more gorgeously (both the ladies and gentlemen), no?!

The afternoon went by without a hitch with the BAGETS playing one game after another. We had a good doze of laughter as the boys tried their very best to win over the girls in our Reverse Charade game. As expected, the girls won! Yipee! There were gifts galore for all the game winners as well as raffle prizes for the rest of us. Also, our dependable organizers still managed to get each one a plate souvenir. Lovely…

While all these were taking place, our global BAGETS, Nhay, Lucy, Beng, Nards, and Dan were all tuned in via internet. They all defied the time difference. Nhay and Lucy were also in red shirts. Now, that’s what you call extreme cooperation. Thanks to all of you for staying up really really late. We owe you bigtime!

Tess reported to the BAGETS about the plans and programs our batch wish to accomplish while Sting thanked all those who helped in organizing. I particularly like what he said, “Twenty five years after graduation, all of us have matured one way or another. We should look at each other as one big solid batch ’84 and not as people belonging to a certain section.” Wow, this is so true!
Finally, it was time to bid goodbye to all of our friends. Singing the THS Farewell Song was a fitting end to a momentous day. A lot of us still lingered until it was already past our appointed time. No one wants to part ways. Maybe on our 30th year, the celebrations will extend until the next day.

I heard one saying that our Silver Jubilee was a SUCCESS! We owe this to the organizing committee headed by the ever dependable Cristina, Jojo, Pykes, Paz, Jinky, Wena M., Weng L., Ana, Lina and a lot of beautiful people who opened their homes to accommodate the weekly meetings. And, let us not forget our global BAGETS headed by Nhay (also the owner/creator of our Yahoo Group), Luz, Beng, Nena, Rachel, Jina (who flew in from Singapore just to celebrate with us, bongga!), Leah (our adopted BAGETS because she came from another school) Dan, Noel (McBu), Nards, and Tanay who went out of their way to send their contributions… A big THANKS to all of you! Also, my heart swells with gratitude to some of our local BAGETS (you know who you are) who did not hesitate to give more than what was asked of them… Your thoughtfulness is contagious… Hats off to you, guys!

JOB WELL DONE! CONGRATULATIONS, TO ALL BAGETS WHO IN SMALL OR BIG WAY HAVE EXTENDED A WARM HAND IN MAKING OUR SILVER JUBILEE A SUCCESS!

Let’s already plan for our Pearl Anniversary… Don’t get tired, please... And, hey, I’m so looking forward to seeing you all again soon. ♥♥♥

zip-zip-zip

our visit to Tagaytay last February was a blast.

we had loads of fun and laughter. our gang was composed of wacky people.

our tummies were filled with food and gas. oh, what a day it was!

with Jay, LAM, D, hubby, mrshomemaker, tita O, Jay, & Juno

hubby, D, & Juno waiting for their turn to get zipped!

take note of D's facial expression... totally freaked out,

a completely different reaction from hubby's naughty grin.

D shouted at the top of his lungs while doing the ZIP!

to hubby's delight, finally, D enjoyed the ride! it was definitely the highlight of our day!

Lam and I at the Bag of Beans to get our cinammon fix.

Just like D, maybe on our next visit,

i'll carry enough guts to get whisked from end to end of the ZIP.

and, maybe it will just be a breeze... hahaha! ;]

May the force of the higher heavens fly with me.

L-♥-V-E

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

No one falls in love by choice,

it is by CHANCE.

No one stays in love by chance,

it is by WORK.

and,

No one falls out of love by chance,

it is by CHOICE.

♥♥ ♥♥ ♥♥

--anonymous--

D's candlelight dinner

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

it was raining hard that afternoon of March 27... the torrential rains flooded the streets so quickly that I worried that the candlelight dinner for D's graduating class might be cancelled.. oh, it will break D's heart, for sure. I think the children bombarded God with all sorts of prayer requests so the rain will stop pouring... God yielded sooner than I expected because the rain stopped and soon the streets were free of water again. What a relief it must be for the children! God is certainly good.

the candlelight dinner is a school event done to give honor and thanksgiving to the parents of the graduating class. it is sponsored by the school and it's a strictly formal affair.

the children were all agog with the night's activity because D's cellphone didn't stop from beeping practically the whole day... clasmmates texting: the attire to wear, the time to be at the chosen venue, etc. etc.. it was understandable though, even I was excited on how will the night start and end.

true enough, families came in full their full regalia... the boys all looked dapper and polished while the girls were styled to perfection... what a glorious sight to behold!... i was keeping back my tears (only because i don't want my black mascara to trickle down my lovely face! hahaha =>)... but seriously, these children literally grew in front of me... from chubby little tots to handsome and lovely tweens...

the night started with a program... all the children, one by one, went up the stage, to personally give thanks to their parents... each speech was so moving... i shed a tear inside my heart... then, a hearty dinner was served... the evening's repast left everybody filled and satified... teachers of the children gave precious advices... we were serenaded by alina's mom and dad with their beautiful rendition of lea salonga's "What A Journey It Has Been" .... then, ella's dad offered a toast to the graduates... and it was soon followed by bro J, pop of JM, who gave a speech on behalf of the parents... and then, the highlight of the evening - lighting of the candle - afterwhich, both parents and children read a commitment piece...

every moment was so worthy to capture and every move was so compelling... if only we can freeze time...

the night ended with more cameras chronicling every poses and smiles... check out our pics ;)

running is fun

Yes, it was the first Saturday of March when we gathered at UP Diliman Oval to participate in the first TLT Family Fun Run.. The weather cooperated with our mission. The sun was out but it wasn't that hot. Families came in their full sporty apparel.

T.Joey, who was celebrating his birthday on that day, urged everybody to join in the warm-up exercises... So there, a little bending here and two small jumping jacks there got us all going.

After praying for a safe run, we all positioned ourselves on the starting line. As soon as T. Joey said, "GO!," off we went.. All were ready to conquer the 3K run.

The family that runs together, finishes LAST together... whew! that was hard... gatorade, vit H2O, iced mocca.... please... ;)

My super-friend Che A. crossed the finish line with just a little sweat... I'm proud of you, girl!

Running is healthy, so,

run, run, run... it's fun! ;)