Just tomato

Feeling terribly hungry after pushing and pulling some furniture upstairs, I thought of making myself my favorite pasta for lunch- tuna! But alas! No mini century tuna on stock, so I just had tomato pasta. It was yummy, but of course while eating I was wishing to taste some tuna flakes. oh! 

Nonetheless, i was happy because it's healthy: onion, fresh tomato sauteed in olive oil. I decided to top it with parmesan cheese instead of our Eden. But can I just say Eden is more appealing to my taste buds?

By the way, I have observed how easy for me to shed pounds after being away from our "canteen foods" for some time, that despite my lack of exercise. I could still remember our "patayang" afternoon routine of jogging and walking for more than an hour almost daily and yet losing weight was sloooowwww. Could it really be the foods that I ate (fried foods from de boteng mantika)? I dont know. Hope it's a lot better over there now.

Meanwhile, I need to make my dancing more consistent. Move, move , move.

Just go

staying calm despite...

(so lovely photo from the web)

I am sitting in the midst of a still chaotic house. Everybody has left, and once again after one week of having a full house, I am all alone. I just came from a bad flu, and fortunately it was during the no classes days. But I am getting better. 

It's been more than a month and I began complaining about a lot of things here which I didn't mind naman when I was still working. I feel I needed a bigger refrigerator because I want my supplies to be compartmentalized, I want our floor tiles to be replaced soon with wood planks, I am wishing for a clothes dryer (our 12 year old washing machine is still as reliable as ever, but it only spin dries) and I am dreaming of a new oven (our more than a decade old La Germania can only cook us meals and that's it), I want to tear down our cupboard and do some renovations in our service area/dining room, etc etc. 

But I know that I have to stay put until we have determined our "future". We might find ourselves in a different continent in the middle of 2014 and any make overs or major purchases must be done or decided when everything has become definite. At this point we cannot afford to splurge into any impulsive decisions.

So between now and next year, I have to pacify myself and to just make do of what we have.

I began my day  at 4:00 am but as I write there are dirty plates still flatly lying on the sink, there are unmade beds tempting me to go back to dreamland, and not to mention our dirty bathrooms, soiled clothes and rugs. I can't finish them all because at 10:00 I needed to pick up DJ from school. Oh!the chores never end. And one more, I realized I needed to bring Sarah to the Vet because of her dark stool yesterday and this morning. My readings say there might be some bleeding in her intestines. 

On a full day like today, I always remind myself of Mai and her advice: "Isa isa lang. Dont do everything in one day. If you are tired, rest". Thanks Mai. :) That would last me for today. Tomorrow is another day!

childhood comfort food - bread pudding

While waiting for my laundry to finish (imagine my mound of soiled clothes as a result of the no sunshine days), I thought of doing something that i loved when I was a kid. I remember asking from my father P20.00 to buy pandesal. I would then make a simple bread pudding just by adding milk and sugar, then steam and in the afternoon my playmates and I would be in heaven eating my pudding. Of course, though I couldn't remember how I learned making pudding, I am sure I saw it from my mother.

It's the easiest and most inexpensive snacks you can do while doing nothing :). I checked Tina's site (http://www.pinaycookingcorner.com) to see other enhancing ingredients. From my original recipe (naks! recipe agad!) I added vanilla extract, butter and raisins.I also added eggs. And Voila! Bread Pudding!

It's obvious that I am not into baking. See my leche flan llanera? hehehehe. 

My Abi kept on going up and down to check if it's cooked. So when I announced that it's done, he hurriedly sat down and waited to be served. He liked it and had two servings (or was he just being nice to Mama?)

The verdict? It needs to be sweeten a little more. Ok. Next time.:)
Oh also, I think it's yummier if it's baked but since our oven is already a decade old and almost unused, I don't think I could entrust my dear life to her.

blessings of the rain

if there were creatures who were happy during the rainy days, they were:

my bamboos

 my saging sagingan (traveller)

 my eugenia, parang naging in full bloom ang mga dahon nya because of the nourishment.

my palm trees. they have grown robust!

 my sampaguita, ashitaba and others, sooo green.

 and of course my Anjo (no examssss!)

and my two boys (Minecraffttttttt).

We are in gratitude that we are safe from the raging waters. But our hearts go to those who until now are submerged in the floods. Just be strong. That, too, shall pass.

Oh Holy Day

This is a late post,  nonetheless still want to share it.

When you are surrounded with holy people in a small room, you feel a different kind of energy lifting you up.

much more if you are with your family

God Bless Us More!

a plate of health

elbow macaroni & chicken sopas for the bagets.

and this is for me.

broccoli and cauliflower with chicken strips (yes, sopas leftover) sauteed in our ordinary canola oil and onion. ayus na 'to!  

one quote

if there was one quote that would fit my life to a T for the past four years this is it

For the past four years and with lessons tucked in my belt, I have learned to master the process of elimination.

it's true, my life was simplified and a lot more peaceful. I didn't mind if only a few were left nor did I ever become bothered of the times I was on my own. its's a lot more comfortable and safer to be in the company of yourself or to be with just a handful rather than to be with people who were just waiting for you to take the bait. 

I was thinking at first to change myself - - - to be timid and without opinion on anything because I knew that if I would be like this kind of person, I wont be (mis)quoted anymore.But of course, this was like asking for the moon and the stars. IMPOSSIBLE. I was born this way. :) So what I did was to turn the infinite space of the so called "friends" into a finite circle (small circle, small circle)of just a few trusted ones. secured, free and happy. except for the recent incident (see "just sharing), but what can i do? evil on the run? :)  

Tuesday musing

yesterday, I was feeling under the weather. Masakit ang mga joints and I felt feverish. While in my room, I checked what was happening outside when the rain subsided.

everything's ok pa naman. Labuyo did not harm my plants.

No exercise just good food.

Due to the household chores everyday, I couldn't find time anymore to do my dancing and stretching. So i decided to get that cheap juice extractor and just feed my body with everything that is nutritious and filling.

This is my 2nd day of fresh juice in the morning, carrots, apple and mango. Sarap. No need for any sweetener. Promise.

As of this moment, I have yet to eat my breakfast, but I feel so full. Amazing.

Try it.

avocado mania

our first morning without any help in the house. it was not chaotic, well almost. it's tiring, very. pero ok lang. when i got tired, i rested and rewarded myself with this:

I have a one week supply. Yay! Happy:)

Happy weekend!

what's for lunchie?

My angels are leaving tonight so we decided to do some general cleaning. Actually, they walked me through all the contents of the boxes and cabinets. We were almost done when we realized it was past 12 noon, ahhhh kaya pala parang nanlalata na ang dalawa.

So quickly, I fixed our lunch and what's the fastest and easiest to make - pasta.

And what's the simplest and healthiest pasta I can make given our "tight schedule" - tuna pasta.

this is mine.

pero tatlong ganyan ang nakain ko. :)

One thing I have yet to learn is to estimate our real consumption. eto madami akong naluto, pero tatlo lang kaming kumain.

The great thing about cooking pasta with tuna is you don't have to make a lot of sauce. A little sauce and the taste is all over. Of course, it helps that century tuna has its own oil already, plus the olive oil that i use when I sauteed the ingredients.

(sorry, the picture doesn't look enticing, pang relief yata un itsura)

I first learned about tuna pasta from an officemate, sheila (hello Inday!). So now that it's just me in the house, I am free to make my own healthy pasta. I discovered that I could put pineapple chunks in it because it breaks the fishy taste of the tuna, and of course top it with cheese. 

Oh! How I love life!

what's for breakfast

boiled saba with Nutella and Peanut Butter!

Cheers!

wish I had the time to make this picture perfect. But my dear tummy was churning, loudly and desperately. 

I'm excited with my avocados . hope no hassle tomorrow. Thanks Ms. Princess for remembering my request.