At Home With MrsC

On Acceptance and Rejection

September 29, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 26 Comments

One of my fears as a mom is that my son might find himself rejected or disliked by other kids. It isn’t because I feel that my child is unlikable. It’s more because he is an only child, and for a long time he has been more comfortable interacting with adults than with other kids. I’m lucky with this kid, though. He’s friendly, outgoing and adaptable. Over the time he’s spent in school he has managed to make a lot of friends. We both have, actually, as I have also started enjoying my time chatting with the ladies these kids call mommy.

Who wouldn't want to hang out with this cool guy? — Who wouldn’t want to hang out with this cool guy?

Worrying about your child being rejected is normal for any parent, I think. It was something that I was preparing myself for, in case we had to deal with it. What I wasn’t expecting was the possibility of my child being on the other side of the situation. I didn’t realize that it was possible for other kids to feel rejected by my son. Not intentionally, of course. Kids will choose to hang out with the ones they feel are fun to be around, and not with the intention of leaving others out. But well, in forming these little groups, someone may inevitably be left out.

Lola was one of his best friends growing up

And again, I feel I am lucky with this one. He didn’t realize at first that he was unknowingly alienating another kid. Once we talked to him about it, though, and explained that the other child felt sad about not being included in their play group, he immediately decided to adjust. In fact, in his list of things to do for the week, he even added an extra space for that kid’s name on his playdate invite list. I am lucky with this one because he is friendly, outgoing and adaptable. He is understanding and compassionate, too. And so are the kids that he chooses to have around him in his circle of friends. I’m happy that he chose wisely, and I’m happy that they also have chosen to be his friend.

Have you had any issues on acceptance and rejection with your children? I’d love to read your stories.

Backlog Busting, a Garage Sale and a Girls Night Out #TheWeekThatWas

September 27, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

It has been a very long and full week. A lot of it was spent in the kitchen cooking breakfast, baon and dinner. I really enjoy cooking for the family, even though it really tires me out. I’ve also been remembering to post my kitchen creations on Instagram, and that is a good thing. One of my winner dishes of the week was Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs. These are the meatballs. The rest of the steps are on my IG page!

Another thing that kept me busy this past week was our batch garage sale. Little MrC’s batch will be having their First Holy Communion this coming school year, and this was one of the fundraising projects that the Parents Association put together for it. It was fun working with the other moms, sorting and pricing the items for sale. The kiddo also enjoyed playing with the other kids who hung around while the moms worked. THe best part of all this was that I got to get rid of some of the things we no longer use at home. Yay for finally starting on my purging project! I did buy some cook books and cooking magazines, though, but those I’ll be able to use for sure. And I got all of these for only 200Pesos!

I happily capped off this crazy week in the best way ever, with a girls’ night out with my ABC loves and our significant others. We spent the evening at Century City Mall in Makati, which was nice and clean and spacious. It was my first time there, and I already told MrC that I want to go back and go shopping. Soon. We had dinner in what I now fondly think of as Kessaku’s cousin who lives in Makati, Yumi Japanese Restaurant. I’ve gushed over Kessaku several times here on the blog, and you can look forward to a blog post gushing about Yumi real soon.

After dinner came drinks at 12 Monkeys Music Hall and Pub. It has been forever since MrC and I went to a gig, and so I was really happy to be at 12 Monkeys. I can’t wait to catch one of my favorite bands there coz the sound in the place is really good. It’s nice and comfy, too, with amazing food. Perfect for me, as I am quickly becoming tanders (aka old and boring). Blogging about this experience soon, too.

My greatest achievement this past week was posting every day and significantly cutting down my blogging backlog. Yay!!! Here’s a roundup of posts that came out this week. Please read them?

And with that, this tanders is going to bed. Hope you all had a fab week, too.

Recipe: Bangus Ala Pobre

September 26, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 13 Comments

It’s been a while since I have gone food shopping, simply because I’ve decided to use up whatever’s in the fridge and freezer before I buy anything else. Thing is, my mom keeps buying stuff in small batches (thanks, Ma!) so we never run out of food. Now, because I’m making do with what’s on hand, I’m forced to be creative with what I cook. Luckily, with the addition of a brand-spanking new bottle of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce to our pantry, I had all I needed to make one of our family faves, Bangus Ala Pobre.

Lea and Perrins1 — This dish wouldn’t be complete without you, Lea & Perrins!

This is a perfect early morning quick baon recipe because you don’t need to marinate it for very long, and it cooks real quick too. Everything can be prepared the night before and placed in the refrigerator so that you aren’t scrambling for ingredients before dawn. If your fish is frozen, make sure you move it from the freezer to the fridge before you sleep so that it’s thawed enough when you wake up.

All you need to do is mix 10 cloves of minced garlic, a tiny bit of calamansi or lemon juice, salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Pour the marinade over 2 boneless bangus bellies and let it soak for 15 minutes or so. During this time, I wash and prepare my rice then turn on the rice cooker.

One belly is enough for the boys and I (for now), so I put the second one in a handy dandy GLAD Freezer bag and pop it in the freezer for another day. Don’t forget to label your food keepers or zipper bags so you know what you have on hand, and when it went into the freezer. Once you’re ready to cook, simply heat up some olive oil in a pan and fry the fish. Be careful coz this pops!

I like to fry this skin side down first, then flip it to get the belly and the garlic bits all nice and toasty. Serve immediately with hot rice, and vegetables or scrambled eggs on the side.

Bangus Ala Pobre

2014-09-26 06:40:51

Serves 4

Made with Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

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Ingredients

2 pcs Boneless bangus belly, unseasoned
1 Tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
10 Cloves of garlic, minced
The juice of 1 calamansi
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Olive oil for frying

Instructions

Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, calamansi juice, salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture over the bangus bellies. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry bangus skin side down until the edges are golden brown. Flip the fish and continue to fry until the garlic bits and fatty portion are toasted.
Serve immediately.

By MrsC

At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

Back-To-Back Tagaytay Weekend #FoodTrip Part2: Taal Vista Hotel

September 25, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 10 Comments

Have I told you guys how much I love Taal Vista Hotel ?

A week after our dinner date at QiWellness Living, MrC and I escaped for a quick pre-anniversary lunch at Taal Vista. It was a great time to be there because Chef Fernando Aracama was in the house. He was Cafe Veranda’s guest chef on the first weekend of the hotel’s Culinary Gems: A Festival of Filipino Flavors event.

Chef Fernando Aracama with Taal Vista Hotel's Executive Chef Edwin Santos — Chef Fernando Aracama with Taal Vista Hotel’s Executive Chef, Edwin Santos
Photos courtesy of Taal Vista Hotel

We arrived just in time to catch the opening ceremonies. Instead of the usual ribbon cutting, Chef Aracama and Peggy Angeles of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (and my seatmate at lunch!) broke a clay pot over an arrangement of fruits and vegetables. I’m not sure if this is symbolic, but if it is, it probably means something nice. Lol.

The boys and I had lunch at Cafe Veranda during our weekend staycation at Taal Vista last year. I was excited to see what the hotel’s Executive Chef, Edwin Santos had prepared, and of course how Chef Aracama’s creations would accent the Filipino food buffet.

As always, Chef Edwin did not disappoint. Everything from the hotel’s signature Lumpiang Ubod to the Brazo de Mercedes were so delicious. Chef Aracama’s Ilonggo creations we also extremely good. I couldn’t get enough of how tasty all of his dishes were. I couldn’t get enough of the Beef Adobo sa Tuba and the Sigarilyas Gising Gising Style.

Sigarilyas Gising Gising Style and Chicken Inasal by Chef Aracama
Photos courtesy of Taal Vista Hotel

Sinanglay na Isda en Papillote by Chef Aracama, and the good chef carving his amazing Porchetta Negrense
Photos courtesy of Taal Vista Hotel

I started my meal off with a plate of assorted appetizers. My favorites among everything I got was Chef Aracama’s Malunggay Dip and Pan Tostado, the Salted Egg Brulee, and the Ginataang Langka Triangle.

Plate #2 was loaded with all of the Aracama dishes that I found interesting – Kalkag Fried Rice, Sinanglay na Isda en Papillote, Chicken Inasal, Beef Adobo sa Tuba and the Sigarilyas Gising Gising Style . I would seriously have gone back for a second helping of the exact same plate if I had the space for it in my stomach.

Plate #2 loaded with Chef Aracama’s specialties

Yes, I had a third plate, but it was a small one. I had forgotten to get Porchetta Negrense during my second round at the buffet, so I took a bite off of MrC’s. It was so good that I of course had to go get a few slices for myself. The husbandry had his with the uber delicious vinegar that they were serving that day, while I opted for the lechon sauce. I was expecting the usual lechon liver sauce, but this one had an extra hint of spice and a bite of sourness to it. Oh my golly, so good. I also had some Dinuguan and Puto, a Filipino meryenda favorite that I can never skip, no matter how full I already am.

I wish that I could have eaten some more but I was just about ready to burst. So, it was time to end things with a selection of sweet desserts. Chef Aracama’s Chocnut Ice Cream was the highlight of my sweet treats. I split a Buko Panna Cotta (also by Chef Aracama) with MrC because I just couldn’t finish one whole on my own. It was one of those non-jello-ish panna cottas, so I was happy. And, I couldn’t say no to Chef Edwin’s Frozen Brazo de Mercedes, because it really is superb.

The promise of an amazing cultural show and excellent Pinoy food is a really great excuse to make the trip up to Tagaytay for a special lunch or dinner meal. Chef Aracama’s weekends at Taal Vista Hotel are over, but there are other celebrity guest chefs lined up who will bring their unique interpretations of Filipino cuisine to Cafe Veranda. Here’s the schedule so you can decide which weekend to visit:

Chef Sau del Rosario – September 27 & 28 (That’s this weekend!)
Chef Babes Austria – October 4, 5, 11 & 12
Chef Edwin Santos – October 18, 19, 26 & 26
Chef Bruce Lim – November 1, 2, 8 & 9 (I am definitely planning a visit on one of his weekends)
Chefs Jackie and Rolando Laudico – November 15, 16, 22 & 23

An amazing cultural show and excellent Pinoy food. What more could you ask for?

THANK YOU so very much, Celine Arenillo and Treena Tecson for having me and MrC over at Taal Vista again. We love celebrating anniversaries and birthdays with you guys hehe! Thanks also to my fun to kwento with seatmate, Peggy Angeles for letting me know which dishes I really ought to try. See you guys (hopefully) this Halloween!

The Culinary Gems Festival of Filipino Flavors continues on until November at Taal Vista Hotel’s Cafe Veranda. Saturday lunch and dinner buffet, and Sunday lunch buffet costs PHP1350 nett per person. For inquiries, you may call +632 917-8225.

TAAL VISTA HOTEL
Kilometer 60, Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City, Philippines
www.taalvistahotel.com

Mexican #FoodTrip: Sabores de Mexico at Crimson Hotel

September 23, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 25 Comments

My Instagram feed will tell you that the boys and I spent the weekend at our friendly neighborhood hotel, Crimson Hotel at the Entrata Complex in Filinvest Alabang. One of the highlights of our stay was the Sabores de Mexico Mexican food festival that happened to be running while we were there. Oh the joy! We are Mexican food fanatics, and so this was really a special treat to look forward to.

My dinner dates – Kaye, Jane and Mish, and our gracious host, Crimson Hotel’s Karina Leal
(This photo belongs to Michelle Aventajado)

I started with the starters because, well, that’s where you’re supposed to start. And because they were laid out right behind me and I could smell them! I particularly liked the different salads. I thought they all looked the same, but then they each tasted different. They were cold and quite refreshing to the palate.

A Mexican meal is not complete unless you have nachos. At least for me and MrC. He happily crunched away on chips loaded while cheese while I had my plate of assorted salads and cheese. I love the cheese selections at Crimson. There were several different kinds, and no, sliced sandwich cheese was not a part of the list. Thank goodness.

Nacho bar, cold cuts and assorted starters

Cheese is happiness. Cheese and ice cream.

I was excited to get started on the main dishes. The Mexican Embassy flew in Chef Daniela Romero to infuse authentic Mexican dishes into Cafe Eight’s buffet, after all, and I couldn’t wait to try them. The Mexican Rice (of all things!) was my favorite. So good. I can just imagine stuffing this into burritos and all sorts of tortilla wraps, or eating it topped with carne asada and cheese. Yes, even more cheese. I also really enjoyed the beans. They went so well with the rice!

I also picked up a plate of sushi. It isn’t Mexican food, but I just couldn’t resist. I make sure to always try the Japanese selections at every hotel buffet I try just because I love Sushi and Sashimi a whole lot. Little MrC had a big plate of Sushi that night, too! That and a plate of Carbonara plus a bowl of Tortilla Soup.

See my photo-ready friends, Jane and Kaye? 🙂

Did I mention that I had a Mojito too? Soooo goooooood! And it went really well with the Mexican spread. I didn’t notice what MrC was eating because he was up and about, picking things up and wolfing them down. Hehe, sorry Daddy, nilaglag na kita.

Now, of course I remembered to save room for dessert. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to hit the sweets they were all out of Churros with Chocolate Sauce! Huhuhu. The kids told me that they were really yummy.

It’s a good thing the Rice Pudding was excellent, otherwise I really would have been disappointed about missing out on the Churros. I got some of my usual dessert faves, too – Chocolate Mousse, Red Velvet and Tres Leches.

All in all, I had three plates (plus sushi, plus a mojito)

THANK YOU so very much to our lovely hosts, Twinkle Lacsamana, Karina, and the wonderful staff at Crimson Hotel. I had an amazing time chatting with my girlfriends, while we stuffed ourselves silly. It was such a fun night with our little group and our caboodle of husbands and kids. The boys really enjoyed dinner, and we can’t wait to come back and indulge in more of Cafe Eight’s yummy dishes. Thank you also to my south sister, Jane for arranging this for ABC+K!

Those of you who wanna check out the Sabores de Mexico Buffet, you still have until September 26, Friday, to drop by and enjoy. Lunch buffet costs PHP1,000 and dinner is PHP1,250 per person. For reservations, call Cafe Eight at 863.2222 loc 1612.

Speedy and Tasty — Easy Meals From a Microwave

September 22, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 19 Comments

All of us would like to make our kids a five course, healthy-as-can-be meal every time, but that’s just not possible. When you’re strapped for time — given the pace of life today, this could be quite often! — the microwave can be the perfect tool. Too often microwaves are relegated to reheating leftovers, but there’s so much more to them than that. You can invest in microwaves from Tesco or elsewhere and use this practical cooking technology to whip up simple meals. Here are some recipes to get you started.

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs

Eggs are a part of a healthy diet, and scrambled eggs don’t come easier than this recipe. Crack some eggs into a bowl, scramble with a fork, and then microwave it for 30 second intervals, stirring at each interval. Voila, you’ve got scrambled eggs. Afterwards, add any veggies you see fit.

Bacon

While it may not be entirely healthy, bacon certainly is delicious. Cooking bacon in a microwave is as simple as putting a few pieces in between napkins and pressing start. For crispier bacon, heat the bacon on top of an overturned bowl. This way the fat drips off of the bacon and you get a crispy, healthier slice. Each slice of bacon takes about a minute in the microwave.

Vegetables

For a quick way to add vegetables to any meal, just steam them in the microwave! All you need is a microwave safe bowl with a cover. Plus, this way of cooking actually helps the veggies retain their nutrients, due to the shortened cooking time.

Corn on the Cob

This could be the most straightforward dish you’ll ever make in the microwave out of them all. Put an ear of corn in the microwave with its husks on. There’s no need to strip it or even put it on a plate, and just heat it up for 4 minutes. That’s it!

Chicken Fajitas

This is a staple at Mexican restaurants worldwide, and you can make it with only your microwave! Simply cut up some peppers and onions, add some cut up chicken, and mix them all together. Season with whatever spices you like, and then throw it in the microwave for 10 minutes. It’s as quick and as easy as all that.

As you can see, whether you’re using a microwave out of convenience or necessity, it’s simple to cook healthy meals using this versatile object. Just don’t forget the vegetables.