E.K.S. 3rd Go!

Today was another Experimental Kitchen Sunday. It was a lot more fun because my older brother wanted the details on last week's subject. He said that he wanted to learn how to prepare it for his girlfriend. Yesterday was a really busy day, I had to go to the grocers, do essays, help B with his articles, help my little brother with his assignment, help the same elder brother with his training sim, and to cook. Wow. That really looks like a lot when I look back on it now.

In any case, I didn't have a minute to spare so my kuya (elder brother) had to accompany me and B to the grocery. All the while picking out the ingredients that I needed, I was giving him tips on how to cook it. He thought that it was really easy to make (and it is!) so he was buying up the necessary ingredients that he needed too.

When we got home, mom and Mattie went out to see I Am Number Four. I was totally envious, I wanted to see it, but oh well, there's always DVD. So back to topic, kuya and B were all busy typing away at their respective PCs and I was left alone to cook in peace. I totally blanked out and forgot to take a picture of the finished product before eating it. Luckily, I was able to snap some shots while preparing it! Here's what it looked like before it got gobbled up:
It was kind of easy to make but I suppose it's one of those, serve instantly kind of things, that is, if you want to get most out of the creamy cheese sauce before it coagulates. In either case, it was another success! ♥

P.S. What I made is Chicken and Potatoes in Creamy Cheese Sauce!

Ants, Me, and God

As I was working, I noticed an ant going about its business and I started to wonder, does an ant see me? Do they stop and stare at the being much larger then them? A being that could, if it so desired, squish the ant, bar its path, move it to a new location, and so many other things.

Then I got to thinking, does God perceive us humans in the same manner? Does he ever wonder while he watches over us: "Do you see me?" Does He ever say: "Hey, I can change your life in an instant." If seen in that light, God seems to be quite scary...

"He was scary back then," says Boogie. "If you remember in the Old Testament, after Adam and Eve ate the apple, we were regarded as servants. Remember when the Ark of the Covenant slipped and a boy stepped forward to catch it, he died the moment he touched it. That was God's orders. It may even seem cruel. But that's how he was back then. Then Jesus came, sacrificed himself and made us square with God. We became his children."

Yes, He does seem to be quite scary. Then what I would remember is that God changes our lives if we let him. We have a choice. Unlike the poor ant that has no choice with whatever I do with it, who is left to deal with the consequences of my actions, I can decide if I let God do his wonders in my life. I do envy the ant, if it can see me. At least, the ant can see the being much larger than itself that can change so much.

And me? I have it a lot harder. He may or may not be there but that's where this little thing called FAITH kicks in.

E.K.S. 2nd Go!

So it's another Sunday and I stuck to my hopefully constant tradition of Experimental Kitchen Sundays. Today's recipe was from B's mom. I was looking forward to cooking this all week! So what is it?

Shepherd's Pie

It was loads of fun going to the grocery and going through different aisles to get the ingredients that were listed. So like always, here are some pictures:

The trip to the grocery is always fun. B and I often walk there since it's nearby anyway. It's a good bonding ritual we have. Conversation, as always, was non-stop. There weren't a lot of people there today. I suspect that Donaire's fight has something to do with that (not that I'm complaining, I rather prefer groceries when people don't come out en masse and appear to be buying up for the apocalypse). I particularly love going through the greens section of the grocery. Everything looks so fresh and healthy that I can't help but already plan other things to cook! But of course, I had to reel in my enthusiasm and stick to the list I made. So the trip was fairly quick and before we knew it, B and I were home. The procedure was simple, the process was smooth and very easy to follow.

The creation of the mashed potatoes was startlingly easy! I suppose that it only took roughly around an hour or so to cook the meat, make the mashed potatoes, and to serve up some gravy. B was really happy about the gravy! Before I forget, here's the finished product:
I love how it doesn't take a lot to make you feel full! I look forward to next week's E.K.S. subject! ♥

Reactions to an 'Open Letter'

So today I was roused from sleep because my mother called and said to check out an apparent Cebu Pacific seat sale. I got myself up, turned on my laptop, and waited. While rubbing my eyes and brushing the cobwebs from my sleep-heavy brain, I vaguely remembered telling my mother about this sale last night. But hey! It might be different, so I log my sorry tushie in and tada! I get faced with the very same seat sale I told her about last night.
You can all take this time to imagine the myriad of colorful terms that went through my head. I was just laughing it off as my mother was just thinking of me and it probably slipped her mind (she's cute like that). While sort of leaning toward the choice of going back to bed, I think 'Hey, I'm up. Let's check Facebook.' So I log myself in and this article catches my rather sleepy attention. I've been partial to motorcycles all my life, heck, I'm engaged to a rider. And this letter was an appeal, I'll give it that. But the way it went about it was rather assumptive. So I had this to say:

This 'open letter' has its heart in the right place.Yet it seems that the letter generalizes riders as a whole. From the description given in the letter, it seems that the writer is referring to the uneducated underbone 'riders' (I apply the term very loosely).

Yes, it is disheartening to see them and read about their accidents, particularly when it concerns children. However, it would be best to not assume that every rider out there falls under the descriptions given by this letter. The line 'if you can't afford a cab ride, take the public vehicles' is in itself, an assumption.

This issue isn't about economics or class.It boils down to a lack of education about motorcycle safety and a blatant disregard for the rights of children.

These people stubbornly refuse to adhere to road laws and basic safety procedures. If you kindly remind them of it they'll always fire back the 'eh di bili mo ko ng kotse!!' or 'ano ba pake mo?!'and several other colorful and frustrating lines of thought.

Guaranteed that these very special 'riders' do not belong to any clubs. All clubs in the Philippines have strict rules about safety. They often, in fact, discourage and prohibit having children aboard motorcycles. What needs to be understood is that even if you are part of an MC (motorcycle club) you don't just band together and go on a crusade to educate the foolhardy riders. That's the LTO's job. This is a country where even a blind man can get a driver's license (I've seen it happen). If you want clean streets, start from the LTO.

The clubs are very much aware of the negative image being forced upon us just because of a handful of reckless and uneducated motorists.

While I appreciate the sentiment that was expressed by the letter as the thoughts of a concerned mom, being a mom myself as well as an MC member, it would be great to never judge the whole just because of a few bad apples.
------end of reply--------
I doubt that anyone will react to that, but hey, freedom of speech right?
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"Your freedom ends where my rights begin."

Experimental Kitchen Sunday! 1st Go!

Lately, I've been looking over the tons of recipes that B has amassed during his recent cooking craze. In my house, there's always the usual Adobo, Bistek, Tinola, Afritada and a plethora of other traditional Filipino Foods. I got to thinking that I wanted to try something new. What better time than the present, right? RIGHT! So I therefore created Experimental Kitchen Sundays! It is now a rule that regular foods will only have a Mon-Sat schedule and Sunday is reserved for good or bad creations (after all there's always take-out!)
So I wanted to start E.K.S. with something that's easy to make. Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry! The ingredients are very simple:

1 kilo of sirloin beef cuts (they were out of sukiyaki cuts )
Mini asparagus (really it's up to you how much of it that you wanna put into your food.)
1 clove of finely minced garlic
1 onion, roughly chopped
half a cup of light soy sauce
quarter of a cup of liquid seasoning
vegetable oil

Here are some pictures:

↑Here are the ingredients all laid out!

↑After sauteing the garlic and onion, I put in the beef along with the marinade.

↑Here's my handsome helper. I made sure that he didn't get to sneak around and eat some before it was ready.

↑When I was satisfied with the meat, I took it out and put the asparagus in. The bottom parts first before the upper ones.

↑And here's the finished product!

It was so much fun trying to figure stuff out. The meat was kinda tough, in my opinion but I sure have some happy eaters in my midst! The aroma was great. B is now happily snoring away as I make this entry. I look forward to next week's Experimental Kitchen Sunday! ♥

Cowboy Night

Last night, we trotted down to my Alma Mater, Ateneo de Davao University for my little brother's Family Night. The theme was cowboys. It was totally fun, seeing other families in their 'Western Best'. The company was great; there was food everywhere! Turns out that the families had to dance along with their kid's class. I was the official shutterbug of the family so I was spared from the dance. B wasn't though. Hahahaha
Here are some pics from last night!

Surprisingly, Matt's class won 2nd runner up! Hahahaha way to go! My feet are still hurting from all the standing that happened but I am super happy. Now there's a bunch of cowboy hats hanging around the house. I hope that there'll be a future purpose for them. Oh and our potluck wasn't submitted so now there's a bunch of donuts in the fridge. YAY!