Crumbs on the Coookbook

I want to let you in on my peculiar way with cookbooks - I read them like I do a novel.  Why not? I take pleasure scrutinizing the ingredient list and the cooking process of each recipe.  I delectably savor the method of perusing it from the first page to the last, consuming every element as I go along. 

A few months ago, 2 wonderful ladies simultaneously offered to lend me their treasured cookbooks.  One a knowledgeable and experienced home-baker and the other one a certified foodie.  The recipe books were my favorite bedside companions at night for the past few weeks.  As I went through the pages, I would make a mental note to take a crack at the recipes that called my name

The carrot cake from the Baking Illustrated was the first endeavor.  It was yummy!  One more recipe added to my “tried and tested file.”  My apologies for not taking a photo of the finished product.  It was speedily boxed and packaged, given as gifts of appreciation for the kindness of several friends.  The few remaining ones were gone in the blink of an eye, thanks to the fast hands of B and R.

The next attempt was the granola bars.  This one needed a little improvement, and I can incontestably declare that my current master granola recipe is still the one to go to.

The most recent undertaking was to attempt to re-create the flavor and texture of Mrs. Field’s cookies. This endeavor was actually two weeks in the making, or thinking, as the case maybe.  After all, choco chip cookie doesn’t really sound exciting.  There are several recipes that abound, all claiming to be the best ever.

I am amazed at how close the cookies come to the original Mrs. Field’s.   This one truly takes the cake, or the cookie.  It is simply the best!

My next baking project is the German Chocolate Cake from the Joy of Cooking recipe book.  It will be made with the mocha fillingfound in the same book.  What keeps me from putting this one off is the multiple process involved in making it.  Baking the layered cake, cooking the filling and finally preparing the chocolate ganache frosting.  Whew!  I got tired just thinking about it. :)


I suppose I should get my own copy of these two books anytime now.

Gemma and Mely, I promise to return your books soon, but first I have to dust off the flour …

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It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like CHRISTMAS

The first week of December has not even ended and yet our family has already been blessed with Christmas presents starting to trickle in.   The kids are excited to take a peek at what's inside, but I've told them to wait for Christmas before they open them.

Seems to me that Rustan's is the favorite among discriminating shoppers, because not only do they have a wide selection of  top-notch items, they offer free and exceptional gift wrapping service.  I love that they didn’t stop with the fine-looking gift-wrappers, all gifts are also adorned with these exquisite ornaments.

I love the graphics featured on this gift bag.

I love the Christmas wrappers that I bought this year, all 75 sheets of them!  C was sort of shocked to find out that I bought so many, but I don’t want to find out in the middle of wrapping that I ran out of wrappers, like what happened last year.  Also, I made sure to buy wrappers that have the Christmas colors but are not too christmas-y in design, so should I have any left-overs this season, I am sure that I will find some other use for them. 

I have started wrapping our own gifts to give to family and friends.  I always try, and the operative word here is try, to personally wrap all the gifts myself.  I find so much joy in doing it, and the solitude of the task also serves as my quiet time.  It seldom happens but if I find myself neck deep already then some help is definitely needed.


My favorite Christmas purchase this year is something that is very cute and useful.  I bought about seven dozens of these cute berries for the kids to give to their friends.
 

When you open them out, they turn into bags.


Enviro-sack bags have continued to be popular this year.

So there, this is my first post this season.

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Shopping and Female Bonding

Shopping is the universal female language. Friendships are usually cemented over numerous shopping trips together.  Still, some say that shopping is very similar to a contact sport like football. The scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death…

C and I were supposed to take B on a much-deserved one-on-one date with us, a reward for getting second honors during the 2nd quarter of the school year. I have decided this 2009 that instead of giving out material things as a reward for academic excellence, we should instead offer as a reward our undivided attention for one afternoon with any activity of their choice.

She was beside herself with excitement, and couldn’t decide whether to eat out or to have a chance to play at Time Zone ( a local gaming arcade). It was heart-breaking to see her having difficulty deciding on how to spend the date that I agreed we do both.

It was too late to postpone when I found out that the biggest bazaar this side of the world is happening on that same day. I found myself in a really tight spot. Should I or should I not? I took a crack at asking B if she was up to a last minute change of plans. Luckily, it was not that hard to convince her.

So the three of us drove off to Ayala, Alabang that hot and humid Sunday afternoon. It seemed to me that everyone was there; the streets leading to the bazaar were filled with cars as far as five - yes, you read that right, five blocks away.

While I was wound up to the highest degree as I saw the numerous merchandise spread out before me, B was slowly getting piqued. As both of my hands added shopping bags with great speed, it was with the same frequency that she began to feel resentful. What seemed to be at first to be a brilliant idea was slowly turning out to have a tinge of unpleasantness. Culminating with a tantrum conveniently timed when I was having a chat with a friend whom I haven’t seen for a while. She stepped in, and in true B fashion stomped her foot and said, exceedingly loud in fact, “This doesn’t feel like a date at all!”

Looking back, I feel like such a bad mommy for actually luring her into a bazaar and sugar-coating it as bonding time. B was obviously railing against not being able to enjoy our time together, intensified to a greater extent by the excessive heat and the huge crowd. I failed to foresee that she was only as high as everyone’s tummy, thus her view was limited to the same and she couldn’t even see the numerous display above her.

So, yes, I still feel bad two days after. And yes, I am writing this so that when she is older and she gets to read this, she’ll know that Mommy feels remorseful about that certain decision.

But what if the shopping cum bonding happens to take place inside an air-conditioned and spacious mall? That can certainly pass, right?

Photos form Premier Packaging and Jewelflyt

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One Fine Day

When nature commands the sun to showers us tenderly with her splendid rays of yellow;  when she summons the wind to generously blow a gentle breeze, what else is there to do but to go outdoors and be one with her?

Trying hard to get at the ball, at all cost...

This is a hilarious pic of R sitting on the ball.  After successfully getting the ball from his big sis, nothing would make him let go of it...

And where do we find B, in the middle of this all?  Uncharacteristically, just watching from the sideline...

This is one day I would want to happen again soon...

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Bookshelf For A Song

I just wanted to share with you my happiness over finding a new bookshelf.  I did not want to invest so much in it, like the way I did with the custom-made desk and hutch.  I bought this at S&R for a song, practically.  While I see the hardwood desk staying with me forever, this new bookshelf will be with us only temporarily as C and I seem to suffer from bibliophilia. :)  Hence, I predict a need for a new one to house the growing collection in the near future. 

After 10 years of marriage, this is the first time that we will be consolidating our library.  There are still a lot of books in our individual bookshelves, but I am tired from moving books already so they will have to stay where they are till I find the time and energy to move them.

Here are some of C's selections:

 

Some of my favorite books:

Kulinarya ( A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine) is my preferred reading material at the moment.  Food styling is done by one of my favorite creative persons, Claude Tayag.  He is not only a fellow Cabalen, but a talented food/travel columnist, as well.

J’s favorite book in my library:

 "If you truly love a book, you should sleep with it, write in it, read aloud from it, and fill its pages with muffin crumbs."

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Busy November

November is a good and busy month for both running and soccer. There are a lot of running events the whole month of November, but I just made a short list of those that I am considering to join:  the 7^th Animo LaSalle Run, the 2009 Timex Run, and the Race and Shine Charity Run for Autism.

The Animo La Salle Run holds a special place in my heart as the event that started my enthusiasm for running. However, the DLSU Run at the MOA and the Timex Run at the Fort are scheduled on the same day; I am biased to run at the Fort, owing to the better race route and scenery. In addition, with Rio at the helm of the Timex event, it is sure to be more organized.

If we decide to join Timex, it will be another back-breaking, leg-splitting and mind-numbing day for us as it coincides, once again, with J's soccer tournament. In the same breath, let me also mention that J and her teammates are looking forward to compete in the Alaska Football Cup, the RIFA tournament, and the Xavier Football Cup.

The Alaska Football Cup is happening on the second weekend of November. It is the biggest and most prestigious amateur football tournament in the country. The event has become even more exciting as the 2008 winning girls team got the chance to participate in the renowned Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden this year.

The phase 2 of the Rizal Football Association (RIFA) tournament will also be held middle this month.  

The 2009 RIFA Tournament Phase 1 (Midgets division) 2nd Runner-Up

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A New Pet for Mei-Ya

Lately, my young ones are inspired to take up writing as well. None more evident than B's seemingly mad obsession with writing short stories. She would cut out paper and bind them together with a staple wire to make a book. She would write, illustrate and color her work; and when done, she'd run to me and present her "work". I can only encourage her creative musings by patiently helping her out with difficult words she cannot spell on her own and endlessly listening to her read the stories out loud to me.

Just the other day, after school, while we were walking to the car, she excitedly told me that she brought one of her short stories to her teacher. She had asked her teacher to forward her work to the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper



To B's creativeness, I say: "Nurture it! Protect it! Let it run wild! That's all you ever need!"

A New Pet for Mei-Ya
written 2009 by a little girl who just turned 6.
She loves to write short stories.

Hi!  My name is Mei-Ya.  I am 5 years old.

I like gardening.  I like apples and bananas. 

 

She doesn't like leaves because green is not her favorite color.

She wants to have a pet.

Her mother said "no," because she is too young.

The next morning. . .

Her Older Brother said," I want a pet."

Her mom said, "yes."

 His mommy brought home a rabbit.

They put the rabbit in a cage.

Mei-Ya and her brother take care of it.

The End.

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Oh! The Places You Will Go...

A few months back, I was searching for a multi-purpose, all-occasion bag that would fit my always-on-the-go lifestyle as a mom to three active kids. I have since found a perfectly functional and fashionably ferosh Coach bag. However, this post is not about that bag. It is apropos to my complete roundabout about another bag.

It is indeed ironic that about a month after I disapproved of the ubiquitous Longchamp for reasons specified here, I got one as a gift – an exact replica of this one.

I have been using the bag for three weeks now; and let me just say that I am a convert.

The bag is nothing fancy to look at, but its beauty is, without doubt, the kind that grows on the owner. The longer I used it, I gradually began to appreciate it and gave it a second look as I became conscious that it remained as light as feather, notwithstanding the fact that I’ve put my entire house in.

I am now humbly made aware that the bag’s lightweight material, which I previously found “insufferable”, is what makes it so endearing to many, particularly to pack-rats like myself.

The adorable factor increases even more as I take it around with me and discover its chameleon-like versatility to fit in its surroundings.

Off to have a Japanese lunch with friends…

To a soccer tournament…

to the G-league swimming competition…

to a kiddie birthday party…. to pick-up kids from school... grocery shopping... practically, everywhere.

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Fast Forward Sunday

If you've had one of those days where your is day packed solid with activities to make your head numb, then you'd know how yesterday felt like for me. There was the Adidas run with gun-start for the 10k event scheduled at 6am, and J's all-day long soccer competition. Two very tiring and strenuous events, both under the glare of the unforgiving Manila sun.

There were times during the run that I felt my legs would give way or my lungs would explode if I didn't stop. In all sports that require hours of training to develop endurance, such as running or long-distance swimming, if your body tells you to stop - dont! Simple as that! The mind fully controls the body.

Having said that, let me clarify that I am so not talking about my own body. For the first 6k of the race, I kept on visualizing myself running all the way to the finish line. Repeating one mantra after another in my head, as I push myself forward. However, I am disappointingly sharing with you, that, yes, I did stop to walk in the middle of the 10k route.


On the upside, C and I are both happy making our PR's this time. We both beat our previous time by about 5 minutes. So that's something to celebrate for. I will be continuously training till the end of the year as there are a lot of good races coming up this Novemeber.

We did not have the luxury of time to look for friends to have the usual photo-op after the race, but it is a good thing we ran into Carole, who took the above photo. Otherwise, we would not have any picture to keep for posterity sake.

As soon as we crossed the finish line, flushed faces and sweaty bodies notwithstanding, we went straight to Nomads Sports Club in Paranaque to meet up with J. Her team won enough matches to qualify for the semi-finals. Observing that she has been consistently called on by the coach to be in the starting line-up in all the matches gave me a reason to smile inwardly. Money spent on all those training sessions did not go to waste, after all. :)

And so it came to be that they were up against one of the best girls' team in their age category. As J kicked the ball that scored the winning goal and made her team qualify for the finals, everyone gathered around her, jumping with joy and hugging her. Too bad, everyone was too busy cheering that no one was able to digitally capture that euphoric moment of victory.

We all know that winning is addicting; here's hoping that there will be more trophies and medals to come her way!

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King of the Road 2009

After taking a hiatus from running road races for about 2 months, I am looking forward to the Adidas run this Sunday, October 25, 2009. I have been doing my usual 3k runs, and I think that is sufficient enough to make me finish the 10K race still running... as opposed to panting and out of breath.

But what I am really happy about is the race singlet. This is the best that I have ever gotten. The fabric is soft and made from a dry-fit material to ensure that moisture is drawn out of the body for a comfortable and dry run.

race singlet for the men

race singlet for the women

I am sure I am going to wear it again after the race.

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Nutrition and The Young Athlete

With the kids all engaged in numerous activities and with J playing competitively for two sports, I have took it upon myself to research on the proper nutritional requirement for a young athlete.

Here are some guidelines that I found to be useful before, during and after training:

} Make sure kids arrive to practice well-fed. They should eat a meal that contains sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, 1-2 hours before the practice session or competition.

} During training, kids should be encouraged to take "water breaks" every 20-30 minutes even when the young athletes do not feel thirsty. Research studies have shown that providing a cooled and flavored beverage produces greater fluid consumption among children and helps prevent dehydration.

However, it is in my belief that while sports energy drinks taste good, the best source of hydration is still good old fashioned water. As stated here, kids do not need the additional sugar in their tiny active bodies.

I have found a natural alternative by making my own sports drink. I simply mix a few tablespoons of honey and a pinch of salt in a cup of warm water. Let the mixture dissolve well, and mix it with cold water and a couple handful of ice cubes. You can also follow the recipes here and here.

As you might expect, since honey is sweeter than table sugar, it also has more calories as well -- 22 per teaspoon compared to granulated sugar's 16 per teaspoon. However, it is healthier in that it is a natural form of sweetener; thus there are trivial amounts of minerals and vitamins in the bee product while white sugar has none.

} Let the kids eat carbohydrate and protein within the first 30 minutes after practice. Replacing carbohydrates that were used during training within 30 minutes is essential for repairing muscle tissue and preparing for the next athletic training period. This is perhaps the most important time to eat to maximize body recovery!

Just the other week, I made granola bars for my kids to enjoy.

It is relatively easy to make and is also nutritionally great just about any time of the day. The rolled oats provide an excellent source of fiber and are a good source of complex carbohydrates. The raisins, dried blueberries and dried cherries are a good energy source, and the almond, sunflower nuts, and wheatgerm provide protein. The flax seeds are a good source of omega3.

High-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, low-fat, and moderate-fiber. Granola offers more bang for the buck, so to speak.

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