Green Beans and Egg Salad

Description:
Another favorite side dish of the family. My girls usually prefer eating the egg only but we've convinced them to eat some of the green beans too even if they still eat more egg. :D We like having this with the Paksiw na Pata or Chicken Asado.

Ingredients:
Green beans
Eggs
Mayonnaise
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
1. Clean the green beans by removing the tips. Cut them into bite size pieces.
2. Drop eggs into boiled water and let stay for 10 to 15 minutes to make sure that eggs are truly hard boiled already.
3. Remove eggs from shells and cut into small pieces.
4. Combine eggs and green beans and add mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.

Made With Love

When I was pregnant with my first born Nadine, my tita gave me a plastic bag full of baby clothes, "pamana" from my younger cousins. In this plastic bag were small crocheted booties. I've always believed that my maternal grandmother, Lola Cely, was the one who made these (although my tita wasn't really sure). My Lola has always been nimble with her hands and she enjoyed making things for her children and grandchildren. Since my sister, Mabel, is having a boy, I passed on the blue and green booties to her while I kept the pinks and yellows. Here is a picture of these booties that were left with me:


I love the booties! Usually newborn shoes are too big for 0-3 month old infants. So you'll have to make them wear socks or go barefoot. These crocheted booties made my girls look all dressed up even with the simplest clothes. Yes, they were not just cute. They looked so fashionable.

While pregnant also with Nadine, I bought flannela in Kamuning to use as receiving blankets for my coming baby. My Lola Cely patiently crocheted the edges of these blankets. I love the crocheted look plus the love and patience that came with it. She crocheted about a dozen blankets for me and a number of cloth diapers too for me to use as lap pads. These blankets were used by Nadine, Raya and Alyssa and I will definitely be using them for our coming baby girl:

Now while waiting for this coming baby, I thought of crocheting the edges of diapers once again. I actually enjoyed doing these. It's just a simple crocheted blanket stitch and not difficult to do.


And one afternoon while busy with my hands I thought of a name for my baby --- Cecilia Amarise. Cecilia is my Lola Cely's real name and is the patron saint of music while Amarise is a Hebrew name meaning "Given by God." I've never really heard of the name Amarise so I  was surprised that it came into my mind and the meaning of the name. Perhaps it is from my baby letting me know about it and deciding for herself what name she wants. Yes, still in the tummy and already having a mind of her own! Her nickname will be "Cerise" which I also love because of it's uniqueness.

The booties, the blankets, the diapers all made with love by my Lola. Cerise, made with love by Mier and me. So much to look forward to. Another heart to love, another soul to nurture. We can't wait!

Beef Taco Salad

Description:
Here's another way to make my kids eat vegetables. When we eat tacos we usually break the shells anyway so we just opt to make taco salad instead. :D

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo ground beef
1 onion diced for saute
3 cloves garlic for saute
chili powder
cumin powder
salt
pepper
tomatoes diced
onions diced
grated cheese
sour cream (or all-purpose cream)
shredded lettuce
taco chips

Directions:
1. Saute, in little oil, diced onion and garlic.
2. Add ground beef. Season with salt pepper, chili powder and cumin powder.
3. Continue cooking until juices have evaporated and beef brings out own oil. Toast a little.
4. In a bowl, put taco shells, lettuce, ground beef, diced tomatoes, diced onions, grated cheese and cream.
5. Mix and enjoy!

Paksiw na Pata

Description:
This is another frequent viand at home because it is one of the easiest dishes to prepare. Mix, marinade then cook. Simple!

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pata slices
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp brown sugar
1-2 laurel leaves
ground pepper
banana blossoms
2-3 saging na saba

Directions:
1. Combine together in a saucepan pata, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, sugar, laurel leaves and pepper.
2. Marinade for 20-30 minutes.
3. Let boil then simmer til meats are soft.
4. Add banana blossoms and plantain bananas.
5. Let boil for a few minutes then turn off heat.
6. Serve hot with rice.

Aches and Pains

Ahhh... Seems like the aches and pains of pregnancy is more pronounced now. Is it because this is my 4th child? Or maybe because I am a lot older now? I thought it would be easier since I know what to expect this time around. Guess I was mistaken.

I've always wanted a big family. I think this was influenced by my maternal grandmother who has 9 children (all married), 27 grandchildren, 5 grandchildren in law and 8 (going on 11) great grandchildren. Reunions and sunday lunches were always a riot! Of course, I didn't dream to have THAT many children but enough to have a fun home.

One night when we were newlyweds, Mier and I came up with 6 names --- 3 names for girls and 3 names for boys. Names that we'd like to give to our kids. Yes, at that time, we dreamed of having 6 kids. But now we've decided to just have 4. Well, I did because I don't think I'd want to go through getting pregnant again.

As usual the first trimester of my pregnancy was just as bad --- beset with morning sickness that lasted the whole day, and nausea. Many times I was depressed for having to go through it all again. Didn't I learn my lesson the first time? Obviously I don't because when I hold my baby in my arms, all hardships are swept away.

Yes, I was depressed, crying uncontrollably and hating the fact that I was pregnant once again. But even if I felt that way, everyday, I'd talk to my unborn baby and let her know that I HATE being pregnant but I LOVE her and the fact that she is mine. Somehow I know she understands.

Now as I enter my 6th month, the nausea has gone but that awful taste in my tongue is still there. Sometimes I still throw up when I've eaten something that doesn't go with my system. My tummy has grown quite big already that I have difficulty moving around. And I feel my baby squirming and stretching inside me. I can't wait to have her out of my stomach and into my arms; to smell her baby scent; to feed her with my milk. Soon, soon.

Asking Permission

One time while we were at my grandmother’s house, my brother asked where my kids were. I told him that they went next door to check out the dogs for sale. (My kids love dogs!) My brother asked, “Did they ask permission?” “Yes,” I replied. If you know my children, they will not do anything without asking permission from me or from their dad.

Another time while Raya and I were at the Mother-Daughter activity of her school, all the other kids and classmates started running to the garden after having their snacks. Raya dutifully came to me and asked me first if she could go with her classmates to the garden. I, of course, allowed her to do so. A mother noticed this and was amazed how Raya asked first instead of going with the flow. I just smiled and told her that they were brought up that way.

I don’t really know how we began this practice. I remember that we started with just making them ask permission when they would want to watch TV. At that time, I really wanted to regulate their TV watching and instilled this rule at home. They probably thought it applied to everything else.

It helped that Nadine, our firstborn, is a very conscientious and sensitive child. Since Raya, our next child, idolizes her big sister, she followed suit without questions. Right now, it’s Alyssa who’s learning to ask permission whenever she wants to do something although she needs to be reminded to do so time and again. This 3rd girl is irresistibly adorable but can be irritatingly stubborn when it comes to teaching her. Maybe it’s the toddler stage so more patience is needed on my part. Sigh.

Another key to this habit would probably be our goal to have open communication with the girls and telling them that we, their parents, are genuinely concerned with their welfare and life. We’ve always wanted them to feel free to tell us what they think and how they feel and not to be afraid to express themselves. This, of course, is done with respect. We hope that this will carry through especially when they reach their teenage years.

I must admit, though, that sometimes it can get quite irritating and annoying when they would ask permission for even the most mundane things. But as I was telling Mier, we’ll just have to be patient about this right now and we will reap the rewards later on. I hope that this would be training ground for them when they are older; that they would think twice about doing things they know would not make us happy. And with that they would develop a conscience in doing what is right instead of what their friends think is right. I hope and pray that what we’re doing now would mold them into becoming better people and citizens of the world.

Holdup!

Yes, holdup! That's what I feel right now. I came from the girls' school this morning to buy their books and uniforms and once again I find myself with an empty wallet. Sigh.

I purposely did not enrol, buy their books and uniforms and get their school supplies in one go so it won't be too heavy in the pocket. I enrolled the end of April, got school supplies last weekend and bought the books and uniforms today. But nevertheless, the bank account sure feels the pressure of education. And that's only with two kids in the grade school. What happens when Alyssa starts school? Or when all four of them go to school already? Sigh. Double sigh.

Early this summer we found a school bag for Raya which she liked and we got it right away before we lose it. I talked to Nadine about using her old school bag. Of course, she was disappointed. Who wouldn't want to start the school year with new stuff, right? I explained to her that her old bag is still good and useful. And that Raya, who is entering Grade 1 needs a bigger bag. Nadine reluctantly agreed. I told her she can get the notebooks she wanted (the ones with puppies on the cover). I also said that I will get her what she needs --- new uniforms --- while Raya can wear her old ones. Good thing, Raya is easy to talk to about these things. She herself chose an old pencil case (with elephants, of course!) as her school pencil case.

Both girls will need new shoes and socks too. Not to mention scouting and PE uniforms when classes start. Sigh again.

I wish I had a limitless bank account. But even if I did, I don't want my children to get used to having their way and new things all the time. I want them to learn to be content with what they have. Life won't always be easy and although we'd want to shield them from the harshness of the world, we also need to prepare them for what might be. Such is life.

Alyssa and Ruby

Some months back, Mier got the girls a chihuahua which they named, Ruby. The girls were ecstatic!

When Nadine was younger, she used to be afraid of dogs. I think this was because her yaya then was afraid of dogs and had transferred that fear to her. But Mier, who is a dog lover, slowly helped Nadine overcome this fear. We had a yellow and a black labrador and a rottweiller when we were in Manila and the girls just loved them.

Now with Ruby, the girls are learning responsibility and gentleness. Ruby is very malambing and loves to be cuddled all the time. Here Alyssa shows just how much she adores her puppy. :D