Plant a Tree Today for a Greener Tomorrow

It has been five months after we settled back home and its time to start updating my blog once again. Last September, we participated in the Tree Planting activity of our company for the first time. This has been an annual event sponsored by the plant in partnership with Haribon Foundation and this is being done several years now. I learned that the plant already contributed at least 16,000 trees from the tree planting activities that benefited municipalities in Laguna and Rizal. This year, the chosen site for the tree planting was at the Barangay Casile in Cabuyao. The descent to the tree planting site was quite an adventure! Due to the monsoon rains several days earlier, the 20-minute hike over muddy earth proved to be a test of stamina and agility. Our kids joined the tree planting and I am proud that they did not have a single complaint during our hike.

We were able to plant close to twenty trees that morning. Although we went home sweaty, a bit muddy and with strained muscles, it was nevertheless a worthwhile experience especially for the kids to be able to take part in an activity that helps save Mother Earth, in our own small way!

Coming Home

Endings are also beginnings. You just don’t know it at that time.

So I did quote. Quite a number of times actually. One of them being, in 2010 when we moved to Singapore.

And so these same words came fleeting in my mind, as we were weaving through traffic in that very hot and humid evening of our home coming to Manila. 2 ½ years is not exactly an eon ago. So there was nothing really melodramatic about that “coming home day.” And yet, I was filled with feelings of anticipation.

After all, it is home.

Our first destination that week was to visit our residential home. While still weeks away from being able to move in, we had to visit the house often enough to get it clean and ready to receive our furnitures and stuff.

As always, seeing our home moves me. This home was after all, built at a very memorable year of our lives.

People asked me in my fist few weeks, what it feels like to be back?

Quite honestly, it never felt like we have been away for 2.5 years. Uncannily, it felt like the day we came back was just a continuity of that day I first left, although looking around me, things did quite change.

I snapped this picture of sunrise of my first official day back to work. It had to be significant because work, after all, was the primary reason for these transitions in our lives.

And while I am back still the same person that I once was deep down, I also knew that there were a few changes that happened to me and philosophically, I believed it has all but prepared me for this new chapter of my life. I had a renewed sense of purpose, for once.

I looked at the sunrise and said to myself, “A new day has just began”.

13 and 19

For the past thirteen years of married bliss and nineteen years of being together, while there are so many things to be said and stories made and yet to come... The most important is that we thank the Lord for granting us the life we have always prayed for. And more.

Happy Wedding Anniversary!

Kyla Learned to Bake

 Kyla's school homework for the week involve baking or cooking. They were studying about measurements and procedures and for home learning, they were asked to come up with a procedure on how to cook or bake something with matching illustrations. So we chosed Choco Fudge Brownies. This recipe is quite simple and they will surely love to have something to munch later.

Kyla measured the ingredients while Mom helps and doubles as the photographer.



I asked her to mix the batter herself manually though I kept the mixer for the oil-egg mixture.
She also greased the pan with oil before pouring the batter.

Kyla was beaming with pride while she placed her brownie batch to cool on top of the cork plate. She even showed her this to her Dad and to Kuya Kevin.

All done!!! It was a success!!!



Since we were at it, I decided to also make Spiced Nuts for late night TV snacks. I saw this at Giada De Laurentiis' program at Food Network Asia. These are perfect to pair off with a glass of wine (or beer). Even kids love the sweet-mildly spicy-salty flavor. Kyla volunteered to mix the nuts after I finished dumping the array of spices with sugar and butter.

Then we placed this in a cookie sheet and baked it for about 15-20 minutes. After cooling, I stacked this in one of the glass cookie jars.

Cooking and baking is a great way for children to appreciate food! When I asked her what she learned, this is what Kyla had to say:

1. I learned to follow the instructions.

2. I learned how use the measuring cups.

3. I learned fractions -- you can use two of the 1/3 cup to make 2/3 cup.

4. You have to mix the chocolate in one direction only.

'Til the next bake date!

Lego Mania

We were wondering what on earth was the long queue all about at the atrium of the nearby United Square Mall... apparently Toys R Us held a 3-day mega sale for Lego. The 1st day was exclusive for Members and it was indeed a box-office!  It was marked down from 30-40% off. Not bad.

We did our own share of lego hoarding.
I was disappointed that I was too late for the Lego City series.

We did our share of hoarding. They'll make great Christmas gifts for my godchildren and nephews.

Kyla and I enjoyed assembling her new toys and we bought Toy Story and giant Technic series Bulldozer for Kevin (he is into big cars). I was too late for the City and Kingdom series so we ended up with Prince of Persia set.

Its good to note that Lego is still a hit with the kids these days though I must say I did think that the adults probably enjoy them more!

Lego mad rush!

I was about 5 when Lego was introduced in Manila via Gift Gate. It was already 'relatively expensive' then. The only Lego we owned was a boxful of loose lego bricks when Manila C.O.D. (where Mom used to work) put some old stocks on sale. And probably a few more that were given to us as gifts.

It's amazing how lego managed to flourish and sustain its brand despite the passing of years.

I got Kyla to play lego- it is a great way to get them to be creative, it stirs a bit of spacial-visual intelligence skills. She said she wanted to be an engineer too, so a bit of visual-spatial skills ought to help.... and we have some mom-and-babe bonding time --  as opposed to just being glued to a PC.

Kyla started to work on the Toy Story Lotso Truck for her brother

Kyla finished assembling the easier stuff

This is from the Kingdom and Ninjago Series

So now, off I go --  she said she needs some help with the truck!

Our Weekend Baking Bonding (and how I learned to bake...)

I learned to bake in 5th Grade after joining the Culinary Arts Club. I didn't join just for the free tasting, though I would say it makes for an interesting fringe benefit. But I really did put into practice what I learned. The first cake I learned to bake was the basic sponge cake. I cannot forget this because while in the process of melting the butter, I used a small skillet and used high setting for the burner. The result? The melted butter caught fire and before I knew it, the whole pan was on fire! Anyways, the cake turned out fine (after repeating my batch of butter). Then I moved to Devil's food cake, cupcakes and muffins. I stopped baking sponge cakes after breaking our electric mixer (did something very stupid...) and only made the ones that can survive manual mixing (like coconut macaroons and brownies).

Baking has now become a weekend bonding for me and my kids. We take a special favor for muffins because they are quite easy to prepare, you can mix and match flavors and ingredients, it works best with tea or coffee and most of all, I better put to good use my Muffin Recipe book!

Kyla is my all around side kick- she helps me fetch some ingredients, mix the batter (when I'm done with the mixer) but she has to do it manually of course, add the choco chips or sprinkle the toppings. Kevin is our morale booster, patiently watching while we are at it. He even pulled a stool to sit near us.

The simple cheese cupcake is my favorite while the kids love choco-chip muffins. I will try the peanut butter variety as my next project.

Here are the samples of what we have made so far...

There are my first attempt to do Iced Cupcakes.

Loved the Blueberry Muffins. I used icing sugar as sprinkles.

And these are the Choco-Chip Muffins.
Last week I also baked Choco-Banana variety with Cream Cheese frosting.

Baking has now become one of our weekend activities.

There are many more muffin recipes waiting for me -- days of weekend bonding with the kids. I know that when they surely remember muffins, the fragrant aroma will bring memories of home.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

125 g softened butter
140 g caster sugar
2 eggs
140 g plain flour (I used Gluten Free flour for Kevin)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
125 g dried blueberries
2 tbsp milk
icing sugar, for dusting

Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper muffin liners. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Sift flour and baking powder and fold into the mixture. The fold in the blueberries and milk. Spoon the mixture into the paper liners.

Bake in the preheated oven, 180 dec C for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer into a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the tops with sifted icing sugar once the muffins have cooled down.

Makes 10-12 muffins.

*fold - this is a technique in mixing

Happy Baking!

Missing Our Lanai

My facebook status went like this: "......suddenly missing our Sta Rosa home, hanging out at the lanai while kids play by the swing under that weird tree at the yard..."

Been watching an episode of the Australian Masterchef 2 where one of the ex-wanna-be-masterchef  got booted out. They have a post-mortem shot of the contestant arriving at her home while being welcomed by her family. That scene reminded me of our home. Better yet, our lanai.

Our lanai is an open air extension of the living room, framed by a heavy wooden sliding doors. Most people thought these sliding doors were the main door to the house!

We installed a set of hardwood bench and table we bought from Tagaytay for a very reasonable price. We love hanging out at the lanai during summer nights when it is too stuffy inside the house, every weekend nights before retiring to sleep and during the Christmas season too, even though we freeze to death sitting at the benches with cold wind blowing freely. Christmas carolers also flock this area during yuletide season.

The lanai shortly after the house construction.

The kids love to have their afternoon snack by the lanai. Or play games. And hang out with Kimby. And with our neighbors' kids. It opens up to a wide cul-de-sac road which is an open area.

Our Family Reunion in 2009.
All four siblings were in Manila for the first time after 9 years.

 
Kevin's favorite spot at the lanai is the left bench. If he caught you sitting in his favorite spot, he'll shoo you away.

Kevin's Corner

 
Just beside the lanai is a weird looking tree (I learned it was a Banaba tree). Before the house was constructed, we wanted to cut it down and plant a new one (like an Indian Mango tree) because it looked so awful with dark stains marring its leaves. But it was part and parcel of the village developers' design and we were not allowed to cut them down.

 So Alvin put it to good use and installed a swing beneath the tree. Eventually, the tree looked vital and light purple flowers blossomed from the tree.   I believe that when the area was inhabited, the tree came to life again. Kids loved the swing. Even Kimby loved it.
 



Even Kimby loved the swing!




With my Cabuyao "Outer Circle" Friends

 
I miss our lanai. It held a lot of memories from our home. With loved ones.  Neighbors. Friends.

When life was as I know it.

Stormy Days Are Here Again

This time I meant literally. It's about time we get some rain, but storms are entirely a different matter.

We received news about tropical storm Basyang around late Tuesday afternoon. Google says its gonna be Signal #2 in Laguna where we live (and work). In our country, being visited by Storm Signal #2 is like having mid-morning coffee. We were so used to it we even have Storm Preparation Checklist.

But never underestimate storms. Even those that come with the same signal/strength, storms are not created equal.

I was determined to sleep early that night, having been up in the plant by 4:30 am that day(!). I kept the transistor radio on beside me for some latebreaking news about Basyang. I noticed it was quite calm outside and there was no mention in the late night news.

I was roused around 12 midnight and I heard the wind howling eerily and mercilessly gnashing against the windows. Didn't seem like a #2. More of #3.

Despite the neurotic nature of sliding windows during rainy seasons (ask my officemate Pong, et al), our windows were cooperating and my next worry is the DLP High Rise. True enough, power was out and water intrusions were everywhere. I managed to send a few SMS despite being drowsy and realized that power in our household was also out. Which means water is dead. The kids were too sleepy to make a fuss out of a stuffy AC-less sleep. Alvin was also up by then, managed to find the flashlight, brought in a few lighted candles and checked the window panes from time to time. Later he would joke about how I slept the entire episode while everyone else was up and about.

By sunrise, it was calm and quiet but traces of Basyang's wrath is evident. The streets were paved with branches and leaves, our Palm trees were a out of axis and electricity and water are still a no-show. I had to go to the Plant a little early than usual to get a decent bath :-) My phone also kept on getting SMS here and there about various road conditions in the south and folks who were either stuck in heavy traffic, stuck at home or stuck clearing off water.

And so, I thought while ruminating all these, the Stormy Days had just begun.